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Integrating Technology Resources
Into Your Comprehensive Literacy Curriculum

   Integration Ideas for Fifth Grade Teachers

Click on any of the underlined unit topics in the right hand column below to link to some curriculum integration ideas using a variety of technology tools.  Use the grey arrow buttons to link to integration ideas at other grade levels or to return to the main menu.
Unit Integration Ideas


Literacy Component
Unit/Topic 
Fiction: Character Study
 The Legend of Maniac Magee
Fiction: Author Study
 Author Study: Jean Craighead George - Julie of the Wolves
Non-Fiction: Science
 Solar System 
Non-Fiction: Social Studies
 The Diary of Anne Frank

 

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Sample Unit: 
The Legend of Maniac Magee

Focus Text: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
A mythic tale about what fearlessness can accomplish.

Type of Reading: Fiction - Character Study
Literacy Objectives / Standards Rationale for Technology Integration
Literacy Responses Using Technology Tools
  1. Connecting with Jeffrey Magee: Use Inspiration to create a concept map for Jeffrey's definition of home and then another for your own definition of home.  Then, arrange your definitions in a Venn Diagram that illustrates the similarities and differences between your definition of home and Jeffrey Magee's. 
  2. The Legends Among Us: The author of Maniac Magee creates personality traits for many of his characters that make them similar to legendary figures.  Maniac, MarsBar, John McNab and Amanda all have legendary traits about them.  Using the Notes feature in Inspiration, choose one of these characters, identify a few of these legendary traits and then use examples from the story (characters actions, words, thoughts) to support your answer. 
  3. How Are Nicknames Earned? Use Inspiration to fill in a template about the nicknames that certain characters are given.  How are nicknames earned or lost? What do these names imply? 
  4. Legendary Jump-Rope Rhymes: Jerry Spinelli begins his story with a jump rope rhyme about Maniac Magee.  After you've read the entire book, reread this poem and see if it has new meaning for you now.  Jot down what you think of as you read this poem in your journal.  Select another character in the story and join a small group to create a jump rope rhymes about this character.  Record your song into PowerPoint or videotape your group performing rhymes and song and then import video them into PowerPoint. Show the video with accompanying text. 
  5. HyperStudio: Create a flow chart of house images on a title card in HyperStudio.  Label each with the name of a place that Jeffrey Magee lived.  Create links to separate cards that describe the dwelling, and tell what it did to Magee and what he did to it. (class project with pairs of students working on each dwelling and it's effect) 
  6. Why Cobbler's Knot?  The expression "to cut the Gordian knot" is used to refer to a situation in which a difficult problem is solved by a quick and decisive action; or solving a difficult problem by bold, unorthodox action. Use the Internet Resources (Encarta article, piece of sculpture, and another definition of the legend) to learn more about the legend of the Gordian knot. Write a journal entry that explains how Jeffrey Magee conquered the wonderful knot at Cobbler's Store. 
  7. The Homeless Among Us: Read about One Families Path to Homelessness and draft a letter to the editor in your community.  Visit some of the student resource l inks below to learn more about the needs of homeless people and read how other young children are making an attempt to end homelessness. 

    8. Many of these ideas are technology extensions of original ideas suggested by Carol Hurst in her article about Maniac Magee.
Screen Shot of Literacy Task

Task #3: Inspiration

  • Comparing Homes Webs
  • Homes Venn Diagram
    		•  Screen Shot of Literacy Task

    Task #5: HyperStudio

    • Title Page with Links
    • Example of a dwelling card 
    Internet Resources for Teachers Internet Resources for Students
    Teachers Sharing Ideas Students Sharing Ideas

    Sample Unit: 
    Author Study, Jean Craighead George

    Focus Text: Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

    Type of Reading: Fiction: Plot, Character and Author Study
    Literacy Objectives / Standards Rationale for Technology Integration
    Literacy Responses Using Technology Tools
    1. Visit some of the biographical web sites about Jean Craighead George. Take notes about the influence of family, education, life experiences, and other factors on her writing. Summarize your notes and create a PowerPoint slide show that highlights her life and influences on her writing.  Make sure one of your slides included a reference to her influences for writing Julie of the Wolves. 
    2. Plot Julie's path through the Arctic: Copy and paste the outline map of Alaska into a new .bmp file in Kid Pix Studio.  Use a map of Alaska to help you label the major cities of Anchorage, Juneau, and the major bodies of water including Yukon River, Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Then use the map to label the following locations from the novel: Point Barrow, Point Hope, Wainwright, Barrow, Beaufort Sea, Nunivak Island, and the Avalik River.  Finally, revisit the story to help you plot the path that Julie traveled during her trek across the Arctic.  Use this map to help you estimate the distance she would have traveled if she had made it to San Francisco. Use the interactive weather map to see just how cold it is in these areas. 
    3. Arctic Animals and Survival:  Use the Artic Animal websites below to learn more about the animals that lived alongside Julie in the Arctic.  Select one of the animals mentioned in the story (lemming, grizzly bear, caribou, wolverine, snowy owl, fox, weasel, snowshoe hare, seal, buting, tern, longspur, ptarmigan, moose, jaeger, walrus) and find out how this animal survives in the Arctic.  Input the information you find about this animal into a PowerPoint slide show that highlights the 
    4. "The old Eskimo customs are not so foolish -- they have purpose." Make a list of all the Eskimo customs that Miyax practices. Then draw a mural reflecting these customs.  Visit the website about the Y'upik people.  Why do you think the older people in this culture are so concerned about teaching their ancestor's ways?What do you think about the title of their slide show "We Are The Real People"? How do you think this compares with Julie's comments on p. 89 that "the old ways are the best"?  What about here comments on p. 104 that "Julie is gone. I am Miyax now." Respond to this in your journal. 
    Screen Shot of Literacy Task
    Task #2
    Kid Pix Studio Map of Alaska
    Internet Resources for Teachers Internet Resources for Students

    Author Biography

    Alaska and Eskimos Arctic Animals
    Teachers Sharing Ideas Students Sharing Ideas

    Sample Unit: 
    Solar System

    Focus Text: Online Resources Star Child and 
    Thursday's Classroom

    Type of Reading: Non-Fiction: Online Science Texts
    Literacy Objectives / Standards Rationale for Technology Integration
    Literacy Responses Using Technology Tools
    (This section is still a work in progress.)
    1. Gather data from Astro for Kids and enter into a database.  Students can later use this database to sort and manipulate to answer questions.  (Create template with categories and notetaking sheet for "Reading for Information") 
    2. Select activities from Star Child: A Learning Center for Young Astronomers. Choose activities from Level I or Level II.   Also interactive activities at Amazing Space. 
    3. Use PowerPoint to create Solar System Flash Cards (lesson idea) 
    4. Mythology of the Sky; investigate legends from many countries; at three different reading levels; "greek legends of the Zodiac" (see Lesson 4-15) (Great Ideas from Constellation List of stories behind Constellations) 
    5. Complete the following activities as extensions of this unit. Classroom Space Centers idea
    6. Read a passage from Thursday's Classroom and complete the three-levels of activities. 
    Screen Shot of Literacy Task Screen Shot of Literacy Task
    Internet Resources for Teachers Internet Resources for Students
    Teachers Sharing Ideas Students Sharing Ideas

    Sample Unit: 
    Holocaust Study

    Focus Text: Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl, 
    written by Anne Frank 

    (Alternative Text) The Story of Anne Frank, 
    written by Brenda Ralph Lewis

    Type of Reading: Historical Novel / Journal
    Literacy Objectives / Standards Rationale for Technology Integration
    Literacy Responses Using Technology Tools
    (This section is still a work in progress.)
    1. Design PowerPoint presentations to present images and provoke thought, discussion, response through writing and art 
    2. Use PowerPoint to make an ABC book about the Holocaust and Anne Frank's experiences 
    Screen Shot of Literacy Task Screen Shot of Literacy Task
    Internet Resources for Teachers Internet Resources for Students
    Teachers Sharing Ideas Students Sharing Ideas

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