Front Page | Lesson Plans By Grade Level | First Grade Lesson Plans
Students go directly to their workstations and login. Have them go into the Student Programs folder and double click on the KidPix icon to open the program. Do not take control of their screen at this time. Using a projector and having the students do the task with you at the same time is the best method for this lesson.
Opening a Saved Document
Ask the students if they remember what they saved to their file or their F:\ or their username. (Fall picture) Remind them that last week they learned how to use "ABC" text in KidPix and today they are going to put the title and their name on their picture. But first they have to go and get their picture out of their file. We have to "Open" their file and get their picture.
Have the students go to the top of the screen and click on the word "File". When the menu pops down, have the students find the word "Open". Click on it. A new window open. Read the blue bar on the top - "Open Picture". Have them find the words "Look in". Point to it. Where does the computer want us to look in? (My Pictures) Is that your name? (No) We need to go to the end of the white box and click on the black arrow. Do you remember where we put your picture? (Under our username) Go down and click on your username. That is where the computer is going to look now to find your picture.
Do you see the big white box in the middle of the window? Do you see the word "Fall" in that box? Click one time on the word "Fall". Do you see your picture in the little white box at the bottom of the box? That's to check if that's the one you want to open. If that is your picture, click on the word "Open". Your picture is now in your workspace.
Adding a Title and Name
Have the students click on "ABC". Click on the screen to obtain a text box. Ask the students what kind of pictue they made? Tell them that we are going to name our picture "Fall". Do they remember how to make a capital letter? (Shift Key) Find the letter "F". When you have found it, press the Shift key down and then type the letter "F". Now finish the rest of the word - " a - l - l ".
How do we change to size? (Highlight the word and change its size.) Click at the end of the word, hold the mouse down and drag it across the word. Go to the bottom of the screen and scroll up to the number 24. Click again at the end of the word or press the arrow key that points to the right to undo the highlighting.
Next, who remembers how to get to the next line? (Enter Key) Press Enter. Type "by". Now press Enter again. On the next line type your name. Remember to find the first letter of your name, then hold the Shift key and type your letter. Now type the rest of your name.
Lastly we need to center the title. Click on the middle blue box at the bottom of the screen.
Moving the Text Box
Remember the blue bar on the top of the text box lets you move the box. We need to move the text box to a spot in your picture that we can read it. Demonstrate that they may have to move it on top of the grass in their picture or up in the sky. Have the students grab and drag their text box where they think is best.
Changing the Color of the Text
If the black text is too dark for the background, tell the students they may have to change the color of the text. Demonstrate for the students how to change the color of their title. Show them how to highlight all the text, starting at the bottom and going across and up the text box. After the text is highlighted, click on the color splotch and click on a color square of their choice. Tell them the text won't change to that color until you click in the text box to take the highlighting off.
Saving the Picture
With the class, demonstrate how to save their new document. Together, click on File, Save As, check to see if their username is in the Save In box, check that the file name is "Fall", click on Save. An attention box pops up. Do you want to replace the old page with the page that now has the title? (Yes)
Printing (Only the teacher should send the document to print at this grade level)
As the teacher visits each station to print their work, you may choose to move the text box or quicklly change the color to a more readable color for the background. If you do, do a quick Save As with the new changes before you print the document.
Let the students have some free exploration time after the teacher sends their project to print.
When all projects have been sent to print have the students get a new screen by using the firecracker. Remind them when the message comes if they want to save their picture answer "no".
Stamps
Take control of the students' workstations using LanSchool or have the students turn off their monitor as you use the projector. Tell the students that during the remainder of the class they are going to explore something new in KidPix. Click on the rubber stamp icon on the left side to access "Stamps". Show the students how the toolbar at the bottom changed. There is a white box with the words "Ad Lib". This is the category the stamps are from. Next to the word is a number (112). That is how many pictures are in this category. At the end of the row of pictures there is the number 1. Just like with the "Fill Bucket", we can use the arrows up or down to look at more stamps. Also, just like the "Fill Bucket", we know which stamp is chosen because of the red box around it. The size balls are also in stamps. Click on a stamp and just put the mouse on the work area. Tell the students that the mouse changes to the stamp picture you chose. It doesn't stay on the screen until you left click to place the picture on the screen. It is set to the small ball. Change the size ball to medium and place the stamp next to the small one. Do the same for the large ball. (Note: Do not teach what the pencil next to the size balls does at this time.)
Go back to the category box. Tell the students that there is more than one category of pictures. Demonstrate how you can choose a different categories in two ways. Either by using the arrows going up and down one category name at a time or by putting the mouse over the words and left click and hold so a slide up menu appears. Still holding down the mouse slide it to the category you choose and then let the mouse go. That category of pictures will appear on the right. NOTE: The category names are very general. Each category should be explored. For example one type of picture (i.e. dog) can be in four different categories with a different picture each time.
Release the students from LanSchool or have them turn on their monitors and let them explore "Stamps" until the end of class.
Exit the program and have the students logoff.