EDUC 2220- Educational Technology Lesson Plan

Just Three Words

Amy Jenney
Seventh Grade- Language Arts

Common Core Standards: (resource used http://www.ohiorc.org/)

Communication Standard:
Students learn to communicate effectively through exposure to good models and opportunities for practice.
By speaking, listening and providing and interpreting visual images, they learn to apply their communication
skills in increasingly sophisticated ways. Students learn to deliver presentations that effectively convey
information and persuade or entertain audiences. Proficient speakers control language and deliberately
choose vocabulary to clarify points and adjust presentations according to audience and purpose.
Grade 7 Indicators:
1. Identify and explain the persuasive techniques (e.g., bandwagon, testimonial, glittering generalities,
emotional word repetition and bait and switch) used in presentations and media messages
2. Draw logical inferences from presentations and visual media
Writing Application Standard:
Students need to understand that various types of writing require different language, formatting and special
vocabulary. Writing serves many purposes across the curriculum and takes various forms. Beginning writers
learn about the various purposes of writing; they attempt and use a small range of familiar forms (e.g.,
letters). Developing writers are able to select text forms to suit purpose and audience. They can explain why
some text forms are more suited to a purpose than others and begin to use content-specific vocabulary to
achieve their communication goals. Proficient writers control effectively the language and structural features
of a large repertoire of text forms. They deliberately choose vocabulary to enhance text and structure their
writing according to audience and purpose.
Grade 7 Indicators:
1. Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.
2. Write persuasive pieces that establish a clear position and include relevant information to support
ideas.
Research Standard:
Students define and investigate self-selected or assigned issues, topics, and problems. They locate, select
and make use of relevant information from a variety of media, reference and technology sources. Students
use an appropriate form to communicate their findings.
Grade 7 Indicators:
1. Generate a topic, assigned or personal interest, and open-ended questions for research and develop
a plan for gathering information.
2. Use a variety of communication techniques, including oral, visual, written or multimedia reports, to
present information that supports a clear position with organized and relevant evidence about the topic
or research question.
3. Analyze and organize important information, and select appropriate sources to support central ideas,
concepts and themes.
Lesson Summary:

This lesson is designed to provide awareness to my students on how just a few words can communicate an
important message. Through the use of video cameras and the computer we will create short video segments
using inspiration from Good Morning America Your Three Words. On Good Morning America, viewers send
in videos using only three words to describe an event in their life. This lesson provides students who often
struggle to write, an opportunity to communicate an important message without having to write a lot of words.
Students will take an active role in creating the video and will practice collaboration skills by working in a
small group. Following the filming of the video students will publish their own videos for other students to
view.
Estimated Duration:
This lesson will take about five hours. I plan to divide the lesson into five days, with each class period lasting
60 minutes.
Commentary:
To begin the lesson I will show the students videos from Good Morning America Your Three Words. By
showing them these clips I will point out how less is more, seeing as on GMA they describe an event in just
three words. From here the students will have an open discussion about what they believe less is more
means. I believe allowing the students to have an open discussion is a good learning process and allows me
to transition into the main lesson. Each student will be given a handout that has directions for the entire
lesson and QR codes to the various links. This will enable students to set their own pace for the lesson or to
work on at home with parent involvement.
Instructional Procedures:
Day 1:

I will introduce the lesson by asking students How much can you say in just three words? (informal
class discussion) and then administer the pre-assessment activity (see below)

I will then give background information on the Good Morning America segment that originally aired in
2008 and then they did a special segment gain in September of 2011 called Your Three Words. The
video is set the One Republics Good Life song and the show featured GMA anchors sharing their
three words and segments live from across the country.

We will view the GMA segment at www.abcnews.go.com

Working in pairs students will have a five-minute discussion about what it means to communicate in
just a few words and then begin to brainstorm what are topics that they could use for their own Your
Three Words video. Students will use their iPad to brainstorm a list of ideas in pairs. They can use
their iPad to research topic ideas if they need a starter. Students will then share their ideas from their
iPad to the projector for the class to view via Apple TV.
Once they have shared their ideas and we will make a complete list on the board. As a class we will
take one of these ideas and create sample Your Three Word ides that could be used to support the
theme
(Example: Antibullying: Be the Change, Respect-Love-Tolerate, Be Tolerate Now, Stand Together
Now)

Students will then divide into groups of 4 and take one topic idea and create a list of three word
statements that could be used. They will create their list on their iPad and share it with the group via
the Apple TV/ projector at the end of class.

Homework come back with one topic you can add to the list. Students will submit their idea via a
Google Doc that is commonly shared by everyone in the class.

Day 2:

Class will start by students sharing their homework idea adding to the list we created yesterday.
Students will then be put into groups of 2 and they will work as a team to create their own video.

Students will select their topic and agree on the three words they want to use. The work teams will
have topic approved by me. I will them an electronic graph organizer to help them develop their idea.
Once checked by me, students will be given three half-size poster boards.

The poster boards the students will write one word on each board. I will teach the students how to turn
the video camera on and off and how to record with the iPad. The students will film their three word
segments.

Day 3 and 4:
Using an interactive Smart board I will teach the students how to use Web 2.0 tool called Animoto. I will show
the students how to upload their video. I will show the students how they can use PowerPoint to create title
slides. Here students can add quotes, sayings, and even appropriate music. Students will have the rest of
the class period to ask questions and create their own videos.
Day 5: Students will present there video to the class one by one. During the presentation any edits that need
to be made will be noted and fixed at the end of the class period. For homework students will be asked to
write a reflection paper on how three words can communicate a persuasive message and post it in Google
Docs.
Pre-Assessment:
The students will do a Yes/No card activity. Each student will be given an index card. They will write YES on
one side and NO on the other. The teacher will then ask the following questions and student will hold up their
card to answer YES or NO. This will provide instant feedback on pre-knowledge.
Do you know the definition of inference?
Can you name an example of an inference?
Do you know what we mean when we talk about a persuasive writing piece?
Do you think you could persuade someone in three words?
Scoring Guidelines:
The teacher will collect observational data each day and monitor how each student is interacting in the
group. Students final grade will be based on this observational data of interaction and collaboration.
The assessment rubric will include scores for correct use of words and spelling, the planning sheet
from Day 2, their overall presentation and completion of the homework and reflection paper.
Post-Assessment:
Students will create a one-page reflection paper (about 200 words and 4-5 paragraphs) to determine how well
they understood the project as well as challenges they may have faced. This will be done in Google Dos
Differentiated Instructional Support
While this is a group of students with identified learning disabilities in writing, there will still be an opportunity
for differentiation. Based on the pre-assessment observation, students will be paired so that they are working
with a similar knowledge level and level of technology skills identified from previous lessons. This will allow
the groups to self-direct and build more into their video base on their differences in knowledge and skill. For

students who may struggle, the paraprofessional tutor and the teacher will chunk assignments into smaller
steps and use word or sentence starters to help them develop their thoughts and written responses
Extension
For students needing extended activities, the following website will be used.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/cover-creator30065.html
Since we are creating videos as the final activity, those needing extension activities will use the above link
that allows them to electronically create their own CD or DVD cover. This activity will allow them to expand
their writing skills by writing a description of their video and the message it relays. Students can also credit
themselves as the producer, writer, or creative director. Students can also extend their technology skills by
importing photos to enhance the look of their cover.
Homework Options and Home Connections

The students will have two homework assignments. They will be asked on Day 1 to come back to
class with one topic idea. They can write this in their journal or email it to the teacher and their class.

The second homework assignment will be to write a reflection paper. They will be allowed to submit
his as a Google Doc or in handwritten format.

HOME CONNECTION the students will be asked to share the video with their parents and tell their
parents about the message of at least one other video their classmates created.

Interdisciplinary Connections
This lesson will tie to grade 7 social study standards in which they are learning about civic participation and
skills. An example Ohio Content Standard is the ability to understand individual and group perspectives as
essential to analyzing historic and contemporary issues. Discussion around the Good Morning America video
will provide this connection as the class discusses the social messages contained in the Your Three Words
samples. This lesson will also connect to fine art standards because of our use of pictures, videos, and music.
Sample standards are: assessing ones own work when using art medias, create a work of art in collaboration
with other students and to address a social or cultural issue.
Materials and Resources:
For teacher

Smart Board, iPads, Internet, Poster Board, Markers, scoring rubric, video projector

For students

Handout with QR codes, Markers, Poster Board, iPad and computers, worksheet,
journal, paper or Google Doc, Animoto

Key Vocabulary
Inference, persuasive writing, collaboration, civic participation
Resources:
Animoto website tool at: https://animoto.com/create

Good Morning America Your Three Words video at: www.abcnews.go.com

Ohio Department of Education learning standards at: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Ohio-s-NewLearning-Standards/Ohios-New-Learning-Standards
Ohio Resource Center at: http://ohiorc.org
Read Write Think at: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/cover-creator30065.html