Lesson Plans

 for the Literacy Lab

The saying that nothing ever stays the same is definitely true of the Internet. Our apologies to those of you who tried Lesson 9 in the last issue and found that the website instructions didn’t really work. Greyhound changed their website layout after we went to press. The general premise of this lesson still works fine, but the instructions need to be altered slightly. Lessons 11 and 12 below introduce formatting. Up to this point our lessons have opted for using menus instead of buttons to reinforce reading skills. In these lessons we chose to show students how to use the buttons on the Formatting toolbar since it was so much more complicated to use the menus. Before using these lessons you should ensure that the Formatting toolbar is visible. If it isn’t, right-click at the end of a visible toolbar and click beside Formatting. Lesson 13 uses clip art. The clip art that comes with Word can be limited. You can get access to more clip art on your Word CD or on the Internet at http://dgl.microsoft.com.

Lesson 11  Using Fonts          by Liz Devries

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Lesson Plans:
Lesson Plan 11 Adobe PDF Format PDF, Microsoft Word Format Word
Handouts:
Handout 11-1 HTML Format HTML, Adobe PDF Format PDF, Microsoft Word Format Word
Handout 11-2 HTML Format HTML, Adobe PDF Format PDF, Microsoft Word Format Word
Word Processing:
Word Processing 4 HTML Format HTML, Adobe PDF Format PDF, Microsoft Word Format Word

Computer Objective: Learners will be able to format their work by choosing different sizes and styles of various fonts.

Literacy Objective: Learners will be able to copy a simple flyer for a garage sale or write a flyer describing a lost item.

Materials: Word Processing 4 skill sheet, Lesson 11 – Handout 1 and Lesson 11 – Handout 2.

Introduction: Introduction: Formatting fonts can be done in two ways: choosing Font in the Format menu, or using the Formatting toolbar. Explain the term Font using the Format menu. Point out the Formatting toolbar, focussing on the white boxes for Font, Font Size and Font Style (B I U). Learners should also understand they can either choose a font before typing or use highlighting to change the text after it has been typed. Learners should experiment with both methods. Lead the learners through typing the following sentences:
  My name is ___________.
I like to type using the font _______________.
I am using font size ____________.
I am a very important person.

Ask the learners to type the set of sentences at least 3 times, using different fonts and sizes of their own choice. They could print off their examples of different fonts for future reference.

Procedure: Give out Lesson 11 – Handout 1. Have the learners copy the flyer for the garage sale, keeping the information the same. (Students can choose to set the font format before or after typing the text.) The flyer should be similar, but does not need to be exactly the same as shown in the handout when it is finished.

Variations: More advanced learners can type a flyer that contains original information, such as a flyer describing a lost item. (See Lesson 11 – Handout 2.)


Lesson 12  Using Alignments         by Elyse Schwartz

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Lesson Plans:
Lesson Plan 12 Adobe PDF Format PDF, Microsoft Word Format Word
Handouts:
Handout 12-1 HTML Format HTML, Adobe PDF Format PDF, Microsoft Word Format Word
Word Processing:
Word Processing 5 HTML Format HTML, Adobe PDF Format PDF, Microsoft Word Format Word

Computer Objective: Learners will be able to change the alignment of text using the Formatting toolbar.

Literacy Objective: Literacy Objective: Learners will be able to type a simple party invitation using their own information.

Materials: Word Processing 5 skill sheet, Lesson 12 - Handout 1.

Introduction: Making an invitation gives the learners a chance to be creative while practising important basic skills such as writing personal information, dates and times. More advanced learners should be encouraged to experiment with different fonts, sizes and styles to make an eye-catching invitation.

Procedure:Give the learners a simple activity to practise using the first three alignment buttons on the Formatting toolbar. Tell the learners to type three lines, each line using a different alignment. For example, they could type the current date, their name, and their street address. Be sure the learners understand that they must press the Enter key before changing the alignment for the next line. Ask the learners to go back to the lines they have just typed and change the alignment for each one by highlighting the line and clicking on a different alignment button. Go over the information that the learners need to write on the handout. Brainstorm about different types of parties and what friends might be asked to bring. Also, be sure learners recognize the different alignments on the handout. Because full justification is rarely used (the fourth alignment button), the handout provides practice for only the first three buttons.


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