When the students enter the room today, they find stacks of Dr. Suess books out on each table and the computers ready to go. Before I let them begin, I model making the slide one more time- especially the animation and where each part goes. I am sure to leave my slide as the first one in the sorter for them to refer to. I also remind students that the step by step directions are at each computer if they get stuck.
I then task the students who are not at the computers. Their job is to read the Dr. Seuss books I've laid out. I want them to find two favorites and write about them- preferably a compare and contrast paragraph. Giving students not working on computers a task is essential to maintaining classroom management and allowing you to monitor and assist the pairs who are working on the computers.
I hand out the graphic organizers in the order the students gave them to me yesterday and let the first three pairs begin.
As pairs finish their slides, I show them how to watch the animation so they make sure it looks exactly as they had planned and then I dismiss them to the other task and call the next pair back to the computers. This process continues until all eleven pairs have finished their slides. When I dismissed the last group to read the books, I put all the slides together and show the students the final animation. They are amazed and so impressed with the final product.