Christmas newsletters
Outline of the activity
Children are preparing a short newsletter telling their parents of some of their activities in school. Here the children are focusing on some charitable collections they have made for children in Kosovo.
Skills Covered
The children used a range of ICT skills during this activity. The children were using a Sony Mavica camera and Microsoft Publisher. They had to create several picture frames and import images into them. They then created some text frames in which to add their writing. The children had to be made aware of the styles of newspaper writing. They looked at headlines, page layouts and writing styles. Their report was to be of a prescribed length and they had to make sure their word limit was not exceeded. This activity also allowed the introduction of basic keyboard skills as the children added simple labels to their drawings.
Rationale
The lesson lent itself effectively to reinforce the shapes and the art programme at the same time. The children discussed their pictures and the shapes they used. They were displayed in the classroom.
Result
The children produced a visually appealing newsletter that was used to publicise their efforts and promote extra contributions. They had to address text styles and tailor their writing for their audiences. The newsletter format was saved to be reused in other areas and for other occasions. They learned several key ICT skills that can be re-used and applied across the curriculum.
