DecActivities09-10

|| Students will create a winter picture using any available drawing program such as Microsoft Paint, KidPix, TuxPaint, Kerpoof. The pictures should be saved as JPGs for use in the video. Students will then be recorded singing a Winter themed song such as //Jingle Bells// or //Winter Wonderland// using an available tool such as Audacity or GarageBand. The exported pictures and recorded song will be combined by the teacher to create a Winter Song Video using available tools such as Animoto,iMovie, Movie Maker, MyPlick.com, Smilebox, One True Media, etc. ||  ||   ||
 * = == Activity == ||= == Description == ||= == Files/Links == ||= == Extension == ||
 * = **Winter Song Video**
 * = **Holiday** **Tradi****tions**[[image:featact.png align="center"]]

|| Students will comment on our community VoiceThreads on the **Holiday Traditions** page about their favorite winter holidays and the traditions they observe. Each student can comment individually or you could discuss your traditions as a class and have a few students add comments for the whole class. Here's what you need to do to get started with VoiceThread:
 * 1) You will need an account on VoiceThread. There are 3 options for educators and one is free.
 * Free Option Hints & Restrictions: If you are using the free option, you will have to have your students record one at a time. This may be the way you want to record anyway to reduce background noise but it is the only option with the Free Educator option. If you choose the free option, you may want to set up identities for your students or classes and then have them select the appropriate identity for recording.
 * Pro Educator: This option give you a free Pro Account which gives you more space for VoiceThreads but it would work similarly to the free option as far as your students go.
 * Class Subscription: This can be a great option for any classroom, even a computer lab. It is a more controlled environment if you are going to have your students creating their own VoiceThreads in the future. If you have more than 100 students in a computer lab, set up your students as your Computer Numbers (so if you have 30 computers, you will have 30 student accounts). Then set up identities for your students who sit at that computer. Since you won't have multiple students sitting at the same computer at the same time you can still have all students log in and comment at the same time if you wish. Note, that doing it this way means that all of your grades will share permissions on the VoiceThreads for that computer. You can also set up a School Subscription for $1/user which lets each student have their own account and their own permissions on VoiceThreads they create.
 * 1) It is preferable that you have a microphone for commenting but it is not necessary. You can upload previously recorded comments saved as MP3 from other audio records or you can use a WebCam to comment (this would mean you student's faces would also show so make sure you have permission for that) or you can comment by telephone or you can just type your responses. For the basics on how you navigate and comment in a VoiceThread check out this tutorial.
 * 2) That's all there is to it. We will be moderating all comments so you will see your comments when you are logged in but the public won't see them until they are approved. This will keep these VoiceThreads safe from inappropriate comments. Ready to get started, then:
 * Click on the correct VoiceThread for your class
 * Login to your VoiceThread account
 * Make sure you have the correct identity selected, if you are using identities
 * Click on comment and go! || Direct links to grade level VoiceThreads:
 * Kindergarten Holiday Traditions VoiceThread
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1st Grade Holiday Traditions VoiceThread
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2nd Grade Holiday Traditions VoiceThread
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">3rd Grade Holiday Traditions VoiceThread

If you have a multi-age class or a grade level not included, feel free to participate in the VoiceThread that matches the most closely. ||  || || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Students will add additional decorations to their Gingerbread House. ||
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Gingerbread House Coordinate Graphing** || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Students will use a template to create a Gingerbread House in Excel. Students will also add clip art of a gingerbread man. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 90%;">[[file:gingerbreadhousetemplatenew.xlt]]
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**Holiday Cards** || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Students will create Holiday Cards using Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, any available drawing tool or even any multimedia tool. Have the students design the perfect "card" from your class. For example, have one computer in the lab set up in a drawing program and have each student add something to the drawing or message. Or, have each student create their own card and vote for the one to send (or post) to the other classes or send (or post) them all. Or, just take a fun photo of your class and make a card with that to mail to other classes. Or, poll your class about their holiday traditions and use Wordle to create an image for your card - this could be a good tie in to start adding your voices to our Holiday Traditions VoiceThread too.

It is always fun to get actual mail and it's exciting to receive mail in the classroom. Here's what you need to do to participate: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> If you miss the sign up for the regular mail holiday cards or if you just don't have the budget to send cards, post your holiday cards online! Create a slideshow of all of the cards the students create and share the slideshow. Make a video card on Animoto. Post your online cards and messages on our **Holiday Cards** page. || * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Google Docs Video Christmas Card Template] Stole Christmas** || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Students will read or watch //How The Grinch Stole Christmas//. They will then create a picture illustrating what they love about Christmas or about their best Christmas ever. The teacher will then upload the pictures to a VoiceThread and the students will narrate their pictures as a "letter" to the Grinch about why he shouldn't steal Christmas. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How the Grinch Stole Christmas on YouTube (Narrated by Walter Matthau in 2 parts - other versions also on YouTube) ||  ||
 * Mailing Option:**
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Sign up to take part in the actual mailing of cards to other classes/schools on our **Holiday Cards** page by December 9th. If you wish to mail cards to others and receive cards from others, you will need to provide your school address. The addresses will only be available to schools participating in the mail Holiday Card exchange.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">//If you will be participating in the mail exchange, you will need to budget for the mailing costs for mailing your card(s) to up to 20 schools.//
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Have your students create Holiday Cards or take a fun photo of your class and make a card with the photo.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Mail your cards as soon as you can so the classes can receive them before their Winter Break or make Happy New Year cards that will be waiting for them when they return to school.
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Make sure you post on the [|Discussions tab] of the **Holiday Cards** page when you receive your cards.
 * Online Option:**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[|Google Docs Pass It Around Birthday Blue Template] (change the colors, etc. to make this a holiday card
 * Animoto || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Map where in the world your cards are going either on an actual map or virtually using Google Earth or Google Maps. ||
 * = <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**How The Grinch