Tech Integration Project
Lesson Accelerator: Project Overview

School Days Calendar
Software Type: Word Processing/Page Layout
The example project created in this Lesson Accelerator addresses NETS Performance Indicators for middle grades as used in a(n) Fine Arts, Life & Career Skills curriculum. It could also be used with older learners or adapted for lower grades. See the section on Extending and Adapting at the bottom of this page for ideas on how to use this same project for different subjects, grades, and skill levels.
Project Launchers
Lesson Accelerator Project Launcher pages contain video tutorials that show you, step-by-step, how to create this project using specific software applications, as well as a movie showing you what the finished project looks like. They also provide a download of all the example files used in the project, so you can recreate it.
When you've reviewed all the information on this page and would like to go to a Project Launcher, click the application name below that corresponds to the one you'd like to use for the project.
Go to: Word 2004 (Mac) - Project Launcher
Go to: Word 2003 (PC) - Project Launcher
Go to: Word 2007 (PC) - Project Launcher
Description
Students will work in small groups to create a calendar for one month that includes student and teacher birthdays and other classroom events. Each month will contain a picture and any special dates the class wants to keep track of. The example project demonstrates how to create a single month in the calendar and enter information for a number of dates. To extend this project, the class can complete pages in the calendar for the rest of the year.
Goals
To familiarize students with creating a table within a word-processing document and editing table cell contents to produce a classroom calendar. Students will also have the opportunity to collaborate on collecting data for their calendar months.
Objectives
The student will be able to:
  • Create a template page to use for each month in their calendar.
  • Insert pictures into their document.
  • Insert text into table cells for the different days in their calendar.
Preparation and Skill Mastery
Students should have basic computer skills for opening and saving documents within a word processor, and for using input devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, or tablet. If students will be extending this project beyond the single month completed in the example project, they should collect data for other months before beginning this project.
Materials
  • Computer with word processing software installed. The word processor should allow for the creation of tables or "bound" columns.
  • Digital images or clipart for the calendar.
  • Classroom information, if extending beyond the example project.
  • Printer (optional).
Task List
The tasks to be completed for this project include:
  • Collecting pictures for the calendar.
  • Collecting information about student birthdays and other classroom events.
  • Creating the calendar template in a word-processor.
  • Inserting pictures and captions into the calendar template.
  • Inserting event information.
  • Printing the calendar.
Assessment
Assessment can be based on the following:
  • Is the student able to accurately create a calendar template?
  • Is the student able to duplicate their template for additional months?
  • Is the student able to insert text and graphics into their calendar?
Extending or Adapting
Here are some possible ways that this lesson plan might be extended or adapted for different timeframes, grade levels, and skill/ability levels:
  • This project may be simplified by providing the calendar template already completed. Students would then be responsible for inserting the pictures and text.
  • This project can be easily adapted for any subject area. For example: A foreign language or Social Studies class might create a calendar for the country they are studying, including significant dates for that culture.
  • Students could create their own family calendar. They would have to collect family pictures, as well as special dates in the family.