Title: Writer and a computer:

Lesson plan elaborated by: Katarzyna Maciejak

Topic:

From cuneiform to computers – about the development of writing.

Target group:

6th‑grade students of an elementary school.

Core curriculum

I. Literary and cultural education.

1. Reading literary compositions Student:

12) specifies the theme and concept of the composition;

14) names the impressions aroused by a given text;

2. Reception of the cultural texts. Student:

3) specifies the topic and the main theme of the text,

5) distinguishes the important and secondary information contained in the text;

6) distinguishes facts from opinions;

11) refers to the content of the cultural texts to his own experiences.

II. Language skills.

2. Language differentiation. Student:

2) uses the official and unofficial variation of Polish;

3) uses a style appropriate to the communication situation;

6) recognizes neutral and evaluative vocabulary, understands their functions in the text;

7) uses a style appropriate to the intended purpose of communication;

3. Linguistic communication and language culture. Student:

1) identifies a text as a message, distinguishes different types of messages: informational, literary, advertising, iconic;

2) identifies the sender and recipient of the statement;

3) defines the communicative situation and understands its influence on the statement;

III. Creating expressions

1. Elements of rhetoric Student:

1) takes part in a discussion on a given topic, can separate its parts and structural signals strengthening the bond among the participants of the dialogue and explaining the meaning

4) selects information;

2. Speaking and writing. Student:

4) creates notes;

5) talks about the read text;

6) distinguishes modern forms of communication (i.e.: e‑mail, SMS) and can use them respecting the language etiquette rules.

IV. Self‑education Student:

1) perfects loud and silent reading;

2) perfects different forms of writing down the gained information;

3) uses information from different sources, gathers and selects information;

7) develops the ability to assess the gathered information critically;

9) develops the ability to use the information technology and the Internet resources effectively and uses these skills to present his own interests.

The general aim of education

Students learn about the history of the development of writing, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the new forms of communication.

Key competences

• communication in the mother tongue;

• communication in foreign languages;

• ability to learn;

• social and civic competences.

Operational objectives

Student:

• searches the information on the development of writing;

• practices reading comprehension;

• sees the opportunities and threats connected with the communication forms development;

• knows the basic elements of the blog structure;

• creates his own blog entry;

• asks questions about the topic discussed during the lesson.

Methods/techniques

• problematic: conversation;

• practical: the theme text, exercises on the subject;

• programmed: using the computer, using e‑textbook.

Forms of work

• uniform individual activity;

• pair activity;

• group activity;

• collective activity;

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

1. The teacher determines the purpose of the class: students will learn about the development of writing and talk about modern ways of creating text.

2. Students do the interactive exercise number 1 - they solve the jigsaw showing one of the oldest forms of writing (cuneiform writing). Students search for the information about the cuneiform writing and make a note in their notebooks.

Realization

1. In pairs, students (it can be changed to an individual activity), create an interactive timeline showing the most important stages in the development of writing – they search for information in available sources (interactive ex. No. 2). Each stage is accompanied by information about the writer's tools that have changed over the centuries (clay tablets and styluses, papyri, parchments, geese pens, typewriters, computers).

2. Students read a fragment of „Fajdros” by Plato (e‑textbook), in which he criticised writing. Then the students write down (in two sentences) what, according to Plato, were the cons of writing. It is also worth considering with the students what would be Plato's opinion about the computer. The teacher displays on the multimedia table an expression: ADVANTAGES AND DEFECTS OF THE COMPUTER (in the absence of an array, the students draw a table in a notebook and independently complete), the students complete, approaching the board.

It's worth asking questions:

• What do children most often use computer for, and what do parents do?

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of this device?

Working in groups, students perform ex. # 2, they wonder what chances and threats for the development of literature and communication brings with them a computer. Representatives of groups present conclusions.

3. Reading a fragment of the interview with the writer Stanisław Lem. Students perform interactive ex. No. 3, checking the understanding of the text read (single‑choice test).

4. The teacher begins a conversation about the modern form of writing, which is the creation of blogs. He/she asks students if they know what characterises this genre, how it differs from the diary, what blog topics may be, whether they know some bloggers (if so, which ones), etc. Students will get acquainted with the interactive map showing the structure of a typical blog (information about the blogger, table of contents, guest book, commentary field, etc.). They do exercise 9 themselves.

Summary

The teacher divides the class into supporters and opponents of new forms of communication. He/she asks questions and encourages a short discussion:

How do they help us, and how they harm – new forms of communication (computer, mobile phone, internet)?

What are the threats connected with using them?

Homework

Write a blog entry on the topic: „My day without a computer, a mobile phone and the Internet”.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Writer and a computer

Clay tablets, styluses, papyrus, vellum, quill pens, typewriters, computers – writers’ tools have been changing throughout the centuries. Do you know their history?

Not everyone was enthusiastic about the invention of writing. Plato – the well‑known Greek philosopher, criticised writing contrasting it with the spoken word: If men learn this, it will implant forgetfulness in their souls; they will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks. What you have discovered is a recipe not for memory, but for the reminder.

Now you know what did Plato say about the invention of writing. What do you think he would say about the computer? Nowadays, we use the computer to produce the majority of texts. What other advantages does the computer have? What for do you use the computer the most often? What do your parents use the computer for?

Some people use the computer to write texts that later are published on their blogs. Do you know the characteristic features of a blog? How it is different from the diary? What are the topics of blogs? Do you know any bloggers? What do they write about?