Virtual Trip Lesson Plan

Directions for creating a Virtual Trip Lesson Plan (See Sample)

1. Open a Word 2000 document.

2. Use Format>Document (MAC) or File>Page Setup (PC) and set top, bottom, left, right margins to .5 "

3. Type a title for the page. Make the text of the title larger than 20 point, bold, and center the title. Be sure to include the grade level of the students who will be taking this virtual trip.

4. Type the words "TeacherGrade Level" on the first line. Type "DateSubject" on the second line. Select the text so that both lines are highlighted.

5. Set up tabbed columns for the two lines:

Set a right tab at 3.5" (or close to it!).
Set a left tab at 4.0" (or close to it!).
Set a right tab at 7.5" (or close to it!).
Choose Format>Tabs from the menu bar. In the dialog box beneath the "tab stop position" box, you should see your three tabs stop measurements.
- Click on 3.5, then choose #4._____ in the "leader" box area. Click set.
- Click on the 7.5, then choose #4._____ in the "leader" box area. Click set.
- Click OK.
Place the cursor right in front of the word "Grade Level" in the first line. Press the tab key twice. Place the cursor after the word "level" and hit tab once.
Place the cursor right in front of the word "Subject" and press the tab key twice. Place the cursor after the word "level" and hit tab once.

6. Press return two times. Type "Lesson Objectives" and hit return. Type the objectives here for the activity. Example: The student will be able to locate Washington, DC on the map. Select the written objectives and use the indent marker to hang the objectives (move the bottom triangle to the right.) Press return twice.

7. Type "Focus (Initiating) Activities" and write out the pre-field trip activities, such as locating Washington, DC on the map or looking at pictures of the White House, President, President's Dog. Select the text description you created and use the indent marker to hang the activities. Press return twice.

8. Type "Developmental Activities". Press return. Write out the activities that will lead students through the v-trip, beginning with their transportation to the field trip site (computer), listing the websites to be visited, and discuss the study guide for walking through the trip. Select the activities and use the indent marker to hang the paragraphs. Press return twice.

9. Type "Evaluation Activities". Press return.

Type "Closing Activities:". Beside this statement, write out the questions used to help students share their experiences. Hit return once.
Type "Assessment Activities:". Beside this statement, write out the assignment that the students will complete to demonstrate achievement of desired learning objective, or the information they have learned from the field trip (test, exam, project, written summary, powerpoint presentation, journal entry.)

Example: The students will complete a photo journal page that includes a picture and description of the room of the White House that they liked the best. Students will compile their pages together to produce a Photo Journal of our tour. Select the activities and use the indent marker to hang the paragraphs. Be sure to include any rubric that will be necessary for grading of projects. If a rubric is needed, write out the name and location of the rubric to be used to grade the assignment below.

Press return again.
Use the Indent Marker to move the "Closing Activities" and "Assessment Activities" under "Evaluation Activities". While selected, hang the paragraphs. Press return twice

10. Type "Instructional Materials (Resources)" and list the items you will need. Be sure to include parent volunteers, if you wish to use them in the experience. Select the list of items and use the bullet command to bullet these items. Press return and press the bullet key again to remove the bullet command.

11. Insert a header with the name of the v-trip on the left and a date code on the right:

Header is inserted using View>header and footer from the menu bar
Date codes automatically change this date to the current date and are created using Insert>date from the menu bar (NOTE: Be sure the "update automatically" box is checked when you insert the date!)

12. Insert a footer with the page number centered:

Footer is inserted using View>header and footer from the menu bar.
Scroll down to the footer, and using the AutoText insert from the Header/footer menu that pops up when the header/footer is viewed, insert the page number. Be sure it is centered.

13. Save the file as [yoursecnumber][lastname]vft1.doc.

14. CANNOT DO THIS STEP AT THIS TIME: Print the file to your vft folder as vt1.pdf. (Note: At the present time, we do not have the software in our classroom to convert the files to pdf files. You must use Dr. Figg's laptop or the Dell machine set up in the other lab. You will be given classtime to do the conversions.