Sample Lesson Plans

• To apply touch keyboarding and word processing skills to produce a document. (TL)

Activities

Introductory

• Review the visual (chart, overhead, or diagram) of the information processing cycle and discuss the processing of documents through the stages of the cycle.
• Define the personal-business letter including how and why it is used. Provide illustrations of the parts of the letter.

Developmental

• Given an example of a correctly-formatted personal-business letter, students would annotate the letter. Annotations would include the parts of the letter and formatting considerations such as line length, starting line, and internal spacing.
• Didactic questioning including the identification of the sender of the letter, the sender's address, the receiver of the letter, the receiver's address, and others could be used.
• Students may place the annotated copy of the letter into their reference manuals.
• Using the annotated copy of the letter as a guide, students could key, process, and output a replica of the letter.

Culminating

• Provided with another printed, arranged copy of a personal-business letter, students could key, process, and output the letter. The letter would be annotated and submitted for evaluation.
• Students may reflect on the activities and make judgments as to their place in the information processing cycle.

Suggested Assessment and Evaluation

The assessment and evaluation of the lesson should reflect the objectives and instructional methods chosen. It is important that students understand the assessment and evaluation scheme so that they can be encouraged to take some responsibility for their learning.

There are opportunities in this lesson for teachers to assess content, process, keyboarding, and attitude.

• Content (knowledge) may be assessed by determining whether students can identify, describe the purpose and use of the personal-business letter. Students may also be assessed on their ability to identify the parts of the letter accurately. The accuracy (correctly-formatted, error-free) of the final product may be assessed.
  
  
• Process (application) skills that may be assessed include whether the student was able to analyze the problem, make judgments for setting up and processing the letter, and select and use the appropriate word processing features. Student ability to synthesize relationships between the completed activities and the information processing cycle could also be recorded.
  
  
• The assessment of touch keyboarding skills could be recorded as students use the keyboard to process the letter.
  
  
• Attitude skills may be assessed throughout the lesson. Teachers could assess whether the students contributed positively to the learning activity, were actively involved in learning, and used time efficiently.

Assessment information may be recorded using checklists, rating scales, or anecdotal notes. See the Templates for Assessment and Evaluation section of this guide for samples of instruments that may be adapted for use. Teacher, student, and peer assessment may be conducted.

Assessment information obtained from this lesson may be collected and placed into portfolios for evaluation at the end of the unit. Students may prepare an individual portfolio to collect their assessment information and monitor their own progress. Students may match their self-assessment to that of the teachers to note areas for improvement.

Summarize information about personal-business letters. (CCT)

Activities

Introductory

• Review the personal-business letter including the parts of the letter and formatting considerations.
• Using concept attainment, students would understand the concept of extreme (full) block letter style and open (no-point) punctuation pattern.
• Define extreme (full) block letter style and open (no-point) punctuation pattern.

Developmental

• Given arranged copy in handwritten form, students would key, process, and output the personal business letter in extreme (full) block letter style with open (no-point) punctuation pattern.
• Given arranged copy in rough draft form, students would key, process, and output the personal business letter in extreme (full) block letter style with open (no-point) punctuation pattern. Students may review proofreaders' marks by referring to references.

Culminating

• Students should reflect on their completed letters, comparing them to the criteria for accurate copy.
• Students may reflect on the activities and make judgments as to their place in the information processing cycle.

Suggested Assessment and Evaluation

The assessment and evaluation of the lesson should reflect the objectives and instructional methods chosen. It is important that students understand the assessment and evaluation scheme so that they can be encouraged to take some responsibility for their learning.

There are opportunities in this lesson for teachers to assess content, process, keyboarding, and attitude.

• Content (knowledge) may be assessed by determining whether students can identify and accurately prepare letters using extreme (full) block letter style and open (no-point) punctuation pattern. Students may also be assessed on their ability to distinguish between and apply their knowledge of proofreaders' marks to make the appropriate changes. Assessment could be from hard or soft copy of the final product.
  
  
• Process (application) skills that may be assessed include whether the student was able to analyze the problem, make judgments for setting up and processing the letter, and select and use the appropriate word processing features. Student ability to synthesize relationships between the completed activities and the information processing cycle could be recorded.
  
  
• The assessment of touch keyboarding skills could be recorded as students use the keyboard to process and output the letter.
  
  
• Attitude skills may be assessed throughout the lesson. Teachers could assess whether the students contributed positively to the learning activity, were actively involved in learning, and used time efficiently.

Assessment information may be recorded using checklists, rating scales, or anecdotal notes. (See the Templates for Assessment and Evaluation section of this guide for samples of instruments that may be adapted for use.) Teacher, student, and peer assessment may be conducted.

Assessment information obtained from this lesson may be collected and placed into portfolios for evaluation at the end of the unit. Students may prepare an individual portfolio to collect their assessment information and monitor their own progress. Students may match their self-assessment to that of the teacher to note areas for improvement.