Melissa's Classroom Activity, Week 4

I know everyone is excited to read my classroom activity. It seems to just keep getting longer and longer...to make things easier on those who are reading this, I have highlighted all changes in red. If you like them, let me know! If I need work, feel free to throw small stones and hiss.
Title: Let's Eat!
Objectives:
The learner will:
1. Be able to write a basic five-paragraph essay containing an introduction, support, and conclusion.
2. Be able to visually represent a "brainstorm" of ideas using Inspiration software.
3. Be able to visually represent a basic floor-plan using MicrosoftWord drawing.
4. Be able to find area (feet squared) using their floor-plan .
5. Be able to create a menu on Microsoft Word using adjectives.
6. Be able to use the prices on their menu to determine mean, median, and mode.
7. Be able to use Microsoft Excel to determine percentages.
8. Be able to create a commercial script and perform it for the class.
9. Be able to use their experiences to create a basic reflective essay
Prerequisite Knowledge: The learner must have prior knowledge about: Basic typing skills, and basic knowledge about a restaurant (how a menu looks, basic layout.)
Materials Needed: Students will need: Computers (at least one per group), pen and paper, props for their commercial.
Software required: Microsoft Word (processor), Inspiration Software, Microsoft Word (Drawing tools), and Microsoft Excel.
Set Up: The grade level targeted is 6th. This activity will span roughly six to eight weeks, depending largely upon the number of students in the class and their knowledge base. This activity will take place in the classroom/computer lab.
Process: The kids will start by writing a basic five-paragraph essay about their favorite restaurant. They will detail why they like it, who they go there with, and their favorite food. I will then grade the essay and submit it back to the student for revision. Next, they will break off into teams where they will create an inspiration map about the design of their restaurant, with the off-shoots containing design ideas, color schemes, entertainment, etc. Then, they will design a floorplan using Microsoft Word Autoshapes. They will assign dimensions and calculate the area of their restaurant. Next, they will work to design a menu for their guests. They will include prices as well as detailed descriptions of each dish using adjectives. Then, they will calculate the mean, median, and mode price of their menu to get an idea of the basic cost for their patrons. Finally, in their teams, the kids will write a commercial script and assign jobs (director, actors, producer, etc.) and perform their commercial for the class. The commercial must be short and entertaining, but also detail why someone should visit their restaurant. They will be allowed (but not required) to bring in food for the whole class to try (given that an adult has helped to prepare it). Next, I would like to include a brief lesson on percentages and tipping etiquette. The kids will use Microsoft Excel to create a class table of menu averages. They will use the equations in excel to determine the proper tip for each restaurant's average meal. So, the table will include each group's restaurant, the mean, median, and mode prices of the menu, and an 18% tip based on the each. To finish the project off, each student will write a brief reflective essay on their experience as a restauranteur. All of their restaurant materials will be kept in a group folder that will be turned in at the end of the project.
Outcomes: The learners will submit their folders containing-
Individual: five-paragraph essays from day 1
Individual: rewrite of five-paragraph essay
Group: Inspiration map of ideas for decor, color scheme, entertainment, etc.
Group: Floor-plan with dimensions and total area in square feet.
Group: Menu containing food items with prices and descriptions created on Microsoft Word.
Group: Excel spreadsheet containing the mean, median, and mode prices as well as tip information. (I would like this submitted on a disc as to ensure that they used the equation functions in Excel rather than a calculator.)
Group: Script for commercial, as well as everyone's role in the skit.
Individual: Reflective essay on the experience.
Evaluation: By reading the first and second drafts of the students' essays, I feel that I will be able to provide them with constructive criticism as well as check their writing progress. I will use a presentation rubric for the presentations, and hand out guidelines for the menu, floor-plan, spreadsheet, and inspiration map. If the students can effectively follow the instruction set out for them in the guidelines, they will recieve full credit. By allowing for revision of the essay and working with the students as they complete the math portions of their assignments, I can be fairly sure that they will get good feedback and come away with more knowledge about writing, basic math function, and creative design.
Follow-up: The parts of the assignment that will be done for homework will be: the revision of essay 1 and the reflective essay. Throughout the eight weeks that the project will go on, I will also hand out various practice worksheets on area, mean, median, mode, and percentages.
Resources: For this activity, I have taken ideas used by my teachers when I was in school and modified them. I further modified these ideas given the hints from my peers and mentors. I have also consulted with my mom, who is a technology teacher for sixth graders.