One of my favorite ways of teaching is to use literature. Microsoft Word: Simple Project Primary is a great resource to meet this need. This project integrates Social Studies with Technology and is suggested for grades 1-3. I teach this lesson to my second graders. After reading The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown, the students will write about important things about their school. I pass out a planning sheet for the students to write down what they want to type in the computer. Next, the students will open an existing word document and modify it with the words that they wrote from their planning sheet.

There are so many ways that this lesson can be extended. Students can make a digital recording of their voice of what they wrote in a power point presentation. A picture of the important things around our school can be added to the power point slide or to their word document.

Here is an example:
The parts not italicized are part of the planning sheet.

The Important Thing About School
The Important thing about school is the students.
It needs students to lean,
and to play during recess,
and to make friends during lunch,
and go to specials,
and come to see their favorite computer teacher,
But the important thing about school is the students.