NewsFaculty/StaffPre-K to 8Academics
Fifth grade publishes class newspaper
Oct 29, 2004 8:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
While all students at the Lower School are improving their keyboarding skills, the fourth and fifth graders are working diligently to learn how to use Microsoft Word effectively.
According to Cheryl Matthews, computer lab instructor, the students have learned how to type their own papers, use spell check, choose fonts, change text colors and use borders and Word Art.
“Most fifth graders can type at least 15 to 20 words per minute by the time they leave the Lower School,” she said. “They are also learning to do guided research online and use the library pages on the Darlington Web site to learn about interesting topics.”
Fifth grade students recently put all their skills together to produce a fifth grade newspaper called “Big Dogs Journal,” in which they wrote and typed their own articles and worked together in groups to produce a masthead.
“I did not assign topics, but made suggestions of some categories I thought would be interesting, and it came together like a pot luck supper,” said Matthews. “I really did not edit, except to help them use spell check and grammar check. Then I spent some time assembling the stories into categories. I was proud of the final product and so were they.”
Categories include: School News, Student Travel, Sports and Activities, Book Reviews, Movies, Video Game Reviews and Creative Writing. The articles were written in one English class and typed in one computer class. Another computer class was spent using Word Art to design mastheads and learning how to put work into columns.
“I want the students to learn to be creative with the uses for Word. Most everyone has it on their computers, and they can use it for more than they imagine,” said Matthews.
According to Cheryl Matthews, computer lab instructor, the students have learned how to type their own papers, use spell check, choose fonts, change text colors and use borders and Word Art.
“Most fifth graders can type at least 15 to 20 words per minute by the time they leave the Lower School,” she said. “They are also learning to do guided research online and use the library pages on the Darlington Web site to learn about interesting topics.”
Fifth grade students recently put all their skills together to produce a fifth grade newspaper called “Big Dogs Journal,” in which they wrote and typed their own articles and worked together in groups to produce a masthead.
“I did not assign topics, but made suggestions of some categories I thought would be interesting, and it came together like a pot luck supper,” said Matthews. “I really did not edit, except to help them use spell check and grammar check. Then I spent some time assembling the stories into categories. I was proud of the final product and so were they.”
Categories include: School News, Student Travel, Sports and Activities, Book Reviews, Movies, Video Game Reviews and Creative Writing. The articles were written in one English class and typed in one computer class. Another computer class was spent using Word Art to design mastheads and learning how to put work into columns.
“I want the students to learn to be creative with the uses for Word. Most everyone has it on their computers, and they can use it for more than they imagine,” said Matthews.
