Laurie Tilmont (Inspiration)
Grade Level 4
Boyle Road Elementary School
The Orphan Train

Overview

This lesson provides an interactive way for children to gather, infer and organize information in order to gain meaning from the text read. 

Standards

Language Arts Learning Standards

1. Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding. 
2. Students will read, write, listen and speak for literacy response and expression.
3. Students will read, write, listen and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

Skills

1. Critical thinking
2. Inference
3. Synthesizing and analyzing text

Materials needed

1. Inspiration
2. Orphan Train web site

Preparation

1. Introduce the orphan train to the class.
2. Provide background knowledge by reading, Train to Somewhere.
3. Introduce the inspiration program and demonstrate how to write in a text box.

On the computer

1. Have students open to the template on the orphan train.
2. Students will open the web site using the link provided in the directions.
3. Students will enter their responses in the text box provided by each question.

Follow-up activities

1. Students will share the information gathered with the class.
2. Students will be able to create their own web using inspiration on another topic of interest.
3. Discuss student’s feelings about the orphan train experience.