LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

E-pal adventure

Students will be paired with an e-pal they will hopefully meet during their 8th grade trip to the coast.

A lesson plan for grade 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies

By Hilda Hamilton

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Learning outcomes

  • Students will develop a relationship with a student from another area of our state.
  • Students will research information about the area in which they live.
  • Students will share information about the area in which they live with students that live in a completely different area.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

4 months

Materials/resources

  • E-pal registration forms (see attachment: regis.htm)
  • E-pal instruction sheet (see attachment: epals.rtf)
  • Two teachers from two different schools willing to coordinate the program.

Technology resources

  • Computers
  • Internet access

Pre-activities

Students will already be familiar with how e-mail works.

Activities

  1. Each year our 8th graders are invited on the “Mountains to the Sea” trip. This year we offered them the opportunity to link up with a student in Manteo (one of their coastal destinations) through e-mail. Students participated in the e-pal program voluntarily.
  2. Students will receive an e-pal registration form, fill out if interested; and turn in to teacher. Teacher gives Yahoo! e-mail address to students needing an e-mail address.
  3. The two teachers that are setting up the e-pal project must communicate regularly to pair students. After a student is paired with an e-pal, he receives an e-pal instruction sheet informing him of his e-pal’s name and e-mail address. The sheet also directs weekly topics that the student is to write about. The e-pals can write more often, but they are asked to write at least weekly. A student can print his outgoing e-mail message and turn it in for extra credit in the subject corresponding with any given week’s topic.
  4. Our ultimate goal was to have e-pals meet each other at Manteo Middle School. Unfortunately, that could not be arranged. However, the Manteo students were told when they could meet their e-pals at Jockey’s Ridge (one of destinations during our trip) if they could make arrangements with their parents. Several students arrived to meet their e-pals!

Assessment

Teacher can regularly assess the students’ research and writing through e-mail printouts.

Supplemental information

Comments

The e-pal registration and e-pal instruction sheet will need to be edited to fit your school’s needs.

Susan Blackwell, a teacher at Manteo Middle School, was kind enough to coordinate this program with me.

This concept could be used with any grade level. My partner, Patricia Maxwell, has paired her eighth grade Language Arts students with students in a second grade class in the same county. She culminates the project with a picnic where e-pals have the opportunity to meet each other and read a book together.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Computer Technology Skills (2005)

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: The learner will understand important issues of a technology-based society and will exhibit ethical behavior in the use of computer and other technologies.
    • Objective 1.03: Model ethical behavior relating to security, privacy, passwords, and personal information, and recognize possible consequences of misuse. Strand - Societal/Ethical Issues
    • Objective 1.16: Use multimedia terms/concepts correctly to describe and explain projects/products. Strand - Multimedia/Presentation
    • Objective 1.17: Recognize, discuss, and establish ethical guidelines for use of personal and copyrighted media (e.g., images, music, video, content, language) in multimedia projects and presentations as a class/group. Strand - Multimedia/Presentation
    • Objective 1.19: Use appropriate terms/concepts to describe telecommunications tools and resources used to develop and complete assignments. Strand - Telecommunications/Internet
    • Objective 1.20: Demonstrate knowledge of responsible, safe, and ethical use of networked digital information (e.g., Internet, mobile phone, wireless, LANs). Strand - Telecommunications/Internet
  • Goal 2: The learner will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the use of computer and other technologies.
    • Objective 2.06: Select and justify use of appropriate collaborative tools to survey, collect, share, and communicate information in content areas. Strand - Telecommunications/Internet
  • Goal 3: Select and use a variety of technology tools to collect, analyze, and present information. Strand - Societal/Ethical Issues
    • Objective 3.01: Select and use a variety of technology tools to collect, analyze, and present information. Strand - Societal/Ethical Issues
    • Objective 3.07: Plan, design, and develop a multimedia product using data (e.g., graphs, charts, database reports) to present content information. Strand - Multimedia/Presentation
    • Objective 3.10: Use evaluation tools to select Internet resources and information for content and usefulness in content area assignments. Strand - Telecommunications/Internet

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: The learner will use language to express individual perspectives through analysis of personal, social, cultural, and historical issues.
    • Objective 1.01: Narrate a personal account which:
      • creates a coherent, organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context.
      • establishes a point of view and sharpens focus.
      • uses remembered feelings.
      • selects details that best illuminate the topic.
      • connects events to self/society.
    • Objective 1.04: Reflect on learning experiences by:
      • evaluating how personal perspectives are influenced by society, cultural differences, and historical issues.
      • appraising changes in self throughout the learning process.
      • evaluating personal circumstances and background that shape interaction with text.
  • Goal 6: The learner will apply conventions of grammar and language usage.
    • Objective 6.01: Model an understanding of conventional written and spoken expression by:
      • using a variety of sentence types, punctuating properly, and avoiding fragments and run-ons.
      • using subject-verb agreement and verb tense that are appropriate for the meaning of the sentence.
      • applying the parts of speech to clarify language usage.
      • using pronouns correctly, including clear antecedents and case.
      • using phrases and clauses correctly, including proper punctuation (e.g. prepositional phrases, appositives, dependent and independent clauses.)
      • determining the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words using context clues, a dictionary, a glossary, a thesaurus, and/or structural analysis (roots, prefixes, suffixes) of words.
      • extending vocabulary knowledge by learning and using new words.
      • evaluating the use and power of dialects in standard/nonstandard English usage.
      • applying correct language conventions and usage during formal oral presentations.
    • Objective 6.02: Continue to identify and edit errors in spoken and written English by:
      • using correct spelling of words appropriate in difficulty for eighth graders and refining mastery of an individualized list of commonly misspelled words.
      • producing final drafts/presentations that demonstrate accurate spelling and the correct use of punctuation, capitalization, and format.
      • self correcting errors in everyday speech.
      • independently practicing formal oral presentations.

Information Skills (2000)

Grade 8

  • Goal 3: The learner will RELATE ideas and information to life experiences.
    • Objective 3.01: Describe personal cultural heritage and environment.
    • Objective 3.04: Relate cultural similarities and differences to personal heritage and environments.
  • Goal 4: The learner will EXPLORE and USE research processes to meet information needs.

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 8

  • Goal 9: The learner will explore examples of and opportunities for active citizenship, past and present, at the local and state levels.
    • Objective 9.01: Describe contemporary political, economic, and social issues at the state and local levels and evaluate their impact on the community.
    • Objective 9.02: Identify past and present state and local leaders from diverse cultural backgrounds and assess their influence in affecting change.