Category: Lesson Plans

Voki Lesson Plans: Lesson Plans on English-Speaking Countries

Voki Lesson Plans: Lesson Plans on English-Speaking Countries

by Voki Blog ♥ 2 Comments

Last month, we introduced three lesson plans on Latin America. This month we are introducing 3 new lesson plans for our English speaking countries that your students will enjoy learning about: United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand! So let’s dive into the past with some famous historical figures from the United Kingdom, travel and explore the great continent of Australia, and test your hidden knowledge on New Zealand!

Remember:  You can use Voki lesson plans for a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach. Also, you can adapt Voki lesson plans to fit your style, or your students’ abilities!

Autobiography(United Kingdom) – In this lesson plan, students will learn about famous historical figures within the United Kingdom. In a 2 page autobiography, students will research about their lives and their influence on society. As an additional classroom activity, students will create Voki clues on the historical figure that they researched.

 

Australia Travel Brochure – Students will learn about the geography and the different territories of Australia. Students are assigned to one of the Australian territories and will be required to create a travel brochure for the territory. A Voki will be created to introduce the assigned territory with 3 interesting facts.

 

New Zealand Scavenger Hunt– Students will go on an internet scavenger hunt on New Zealand. They will learn to locate the islands, cities, and bodies of water located in New Zealand. You will play a Voki with scavenger hunt clues and students will research. Students will be required to create a scavenger hunt Voki to present to the class.

 

We would love to hear how you are using Voki in your class! If you have send it to us at lessonplans@voki.com!

Until Next Time,

The Voki Team

Voki Lesson Plans: Latin America Lesson Plans in Spanish and Portuguese

Voki Lesson Plans: Latin America Lesson Plans in Spanish and Portuguese

by Voki Blog ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Are you thinking about vacation already? Well, this month’s lesson plan theme brings you and your students to three beautiful countries in Latin America.  These three new lesson plans will let your students explore the exotic culture, unique geography, and famous landmarks of Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil. Best of all, these lesson plans are translated into Spanish and Portuguese for our Voki users in Latin America!

¿Estás pensando en vacaciones ya? Bueno, el tema de este mes de planificación de clase trae a usted y a sus alumnos a tres hermosos países de América Latina. Estos tres nuevos planes de clase le permitirá a sus alumnos  explorar la exótica cultura, geografía única, y lugares de interés turístico de la Argentina, Colombia y Brasil. Lo mejor de todo es que estas lecciones son traducidos al español y al portugués para nuestros usuarios Voki en América Latina!

Você já está pensando em férias? Bem, o temado plano de aula deste mês traz para você e seus alunos  três bonitos países da América Latina. Estes três novos planos de aula vão deixar seus alunos explorar a cultura exótica, geografia única, e monumentos famosos da Argentina, Colômbia e Brasil. O melhor de tudo, estes planos de aula são traduzidos para o Espanhol e o Português para os nossos usuários Voki na América Latina!

 
Argentina Weather Forecast (Spanish) – In this lesson, students will learn about the geography and climate of Argentina. They will learn about the different regions within Argentina and the various types of weather in each region. Students will be assigned to a region to write a brief weather forecast. They will be required to create a Voki to practice their public speaking.

Pronóstico del Tiempo en Argentina (Español) – En esta clase, los alumnos aprenderán acerca de la geografía y el clima de Argentina. Ellos van a aprender acerca de las diferentes regiones de Argentina y los distintos tipos de clima de cada región. Los estudiantes serán asignados a una región para escribir una previsión del tiempo breve. Se les exigirá crear un Voki para practicar su discurso público.

Previsão do Tempo para a Argentina (Espanhol) – Nesta aula, os alunos irão aprender sobre a geografia e clima da Argentina. Eles vão aprender sobre as diferentes regiões da Argentina e os vários tipos de clima de cada região. Os alunos serão atribuídos a uma região para escrever uma breve previsão do tempo. Eles serão obrigados a criar um Voki para praticar a sua oratória.

 

Colombian Culture (Spanish) – Students will explore the different aspects of Colombian culture, customs, and traditions. Students will be assigned to one of the Colombian culture. They will create a Voki presenting their findings and what they found interesting.

Cultura Colombiana (Español) – Los estudiantes explorarán los diferentes aspectos de la cultura colombiana, sus costumbres y tradiciones. Los estudiantes serán asignados a un aspecto de la cultura colombiana. Se creará un Voki para presentar sus hallazgos y lo que encuentren interesante.

Cultura Colombiana (Espanhol) – Os alunos irão explorar os diferentes aspectos da cultura colombiana, costumes e tradições. Os alunos serão atribuídos para um aspecto da cultura colombiana. Eles vão criar um Voki para apresentar seus resultados e o que acharam interessante.

 

Brazil Expedition (Portuguese) – This lesson will take your students on an expedition around Brazil. Students will learn new vocabulary words and the five different regions in Brazil. Students will be separated into groups for a six day expedition in one of the regions. Each student will be responsible for one Voki log.

Expedición Brasil (Portugués) – Esta clase  llevará a sus alumnos en una expedición por todo Brasil. Los alumnos aprenderán un nuevo vocabulario y las cinco regiones de Brasil. Los alumnos se dividirán en grupos para una expedición de seis días en una de las regiones. Cada alumno será responsable de un registro Voki.

Expedição Brasil (Português) – Esta lição vai levar seus alunos em uma expedição pelo Brasil. Os alunos vão aprender novas palavras e as cinco diferentes regiões no Brasil. Os alunos serão separados em grupos de uma expedição de seis dias, em uma das regiões. Cada aluno será responsável por um registro Voki.

 

Remember:  You can use Voki lesson plans for a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach. These Voki lesson plans can be adapted and customized to fit your unique style or your students’ abilities!

 

Recuerde:Usted puede utilizar la Planificación de Clase Voki para un grado superior, o inferior, a la que enseñe. Estos planes de estudio Voki se pueden adaptar y personalizar para adaptarse a su estilo único o habilidades de sus alumnos!

Lembre-se: Você pode usar os Planos de Aula Voki para um grau superior, ou inferior, do que aquele que você ensina. Esses Planos de Aula Voki podeM ser adaptado e personalizado para adaptar-se ao seu estilo único ou habilidades dos seus alunos!

 
Have a fun lesson plan that you want to share with us? Send it to lessonplans@voki.com!

Tiens un plan de clase divertida que quieras compartir con nosotros? Envíalo a lessonplans@voki.com!

Você tem um divertido Plano de Aula que você deseja compartilhar com a gente? Envie ele para lessonplans@voki.com!
 
Until Next Time,                         Hasta la próxima,                         Até a próxima,

The Voki Team                            El equipo de Voki                         A Equipe Voki

Voki Lesson Plans: Holiday Lesson Plans

Voki Lesson Plans: Holiday Lesson Plans

by Voki Blog ♥ 1 Comment

Welcome back to school! To kick off the school year, we have prepared 3 new lessons plans your students are sure to enjoy!

This month’s theme is Holidays! Do you think it’s too early to talk about holidays? Well the folks at Voki don’t! It’s never too early to start preparing lessons for the holiday season.

 Remember: The grade level assigned to each lesson plan is not set in stone. You can use Voki lesson plans for a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach. Feel free to customize the lesson plans to for your needs. These Voki lesson plans can be adapted to fit your unique style or your students’ abilities!

Halloween – Scary Stories (Middle School) – Students will learn about the history of Halloween, including the origin of trick or treating, costume wearing, and pumpkin carving. In this lesson, students will learn the elements that go into writing a scary story.  Then they will learn how to write their own scary story and share it with the rest of the class.

Thanksgiving Poem (Primary School) – In this lesson, students will learn about the origin of Thanksgiving and how the first Thanksgiving was celebrated. They will discuss what they are thankful for and what it means to be thankful. Then, they will write special cinquain poem about what Thanksgiving means to them.

Christmas around the World (Middle School) – Students will learn about the different Christmas traditions and customs from different countries and how it is different from their own tradition. They will discuss about the legend of Santa Claus and the different symbols that represent Christmas.

Want to share your own lesson plans with us? Just send us an email at lessonplans@voki.com!

Until Next Time,

The Voki Team

Voki Lesson Plans: Ni Hao! Let’s learn Chinese!

Voki Lesson Plans: Ni Hao! Let’s learn Chinese!

by Voki Blog ♥ 1 Comment

Dà jiā hǎo!

Summer vacation is finally here! We prepared 3 new lesson plans to keep your students thinking during vacation or incorporate into the next school year.

The theme of July’s lesson plans is basic Chinese language. It’s a great way to explore a new language and culture! This series of lessons are unique as they work well individually as well as a way to build on previous knowledge.

Getting to know people in Mandarin – In this lesson, students will learn how to introduce themselves and few simple Chinese phrases, including “Good morning”, “Nice to meet you”, and “Good bye”. They are taught the different between difference phrases between the different tones used in Mandarin Chinese. Students will take turns introducing themselves to other students. Using Voki, students will create a Voki introducing themselves in Chinese.

Small Talk in Mandarin Chinese – Students will review the phrases taught in the previous lesson. They will learn the difference between the formal “you” and the informal “you”. Students will learn short phrases, such as “How are you?” and “Are you busy?”. They will practice the phrases taught with other students. For homework, students will be required to create two Vokis using the phrases taught in class.

Counting in Mandarin Chinese – In this lesson, there will be an extensive review of the phrases taught in the last two lessons. In addition, students are taught how to count in Chinese. Teachers will show the different hand gestures related to each number and the different counting rules for Chinese numbers. Students are taught simple phrases using the numbers taught. Students will introduce themselves with a Voki utilizing all the phrases taught.

Check out our Voki Lesson Plan Database for more interesting ways to teach! If you have a lesson plan that you would like to contribute, please send us an email at lessonplans@voki.com.

Until Next Time,

The Voki Team

Voki Lesson Plans: Lessons in Music, Rhythm, and Rhyme

Voki Lesson Plans: Lessons in Music, Rhythm, and Rhyme

by Voki Blog ♥ 3 Comments

Tra la la! Summertime is near and we bet you and your students hear the summer breeze beckoning you like a song. This May, indulge in that spirit of music and have fun with rhythm and rhyme!

We have developed three music lesson plans that will get you and your students to use imagination and timing to create fun and interactive musical atmospheres. Your class will be able to think about what they will learn in the future by singing a fun song, make up lyrics that rhyme, sing with enthusiasm and learn how to describe music with emotion words!

Sing Out Loud and Learn (Music, Kindergarten) – Students start their school year with a song that talks about all of the new things they will learn in kindergarten. After learning the song and singing it out loud together, students will create a Voki that talks about the things they hope to learn. This activity will help students think about abstract ideas and will be fun to revisit at the end of the year with students and parents.

Down By the Bay (Music, 1st Grade) – Down by the Bay will introduce students to melody, rhythm and rhyming lyrics. Students will learn about singing expressively with their own voice and using tone and pitch to give words emotion and dramatic appeal. Students will create Vokis that sing Down by the Bay with their own made-up lyric.

Describing Music with Emotion Words (Music, 2nd Grade) – Students will develop an understanding of the emotional characteristics of music by learning and using new music vocabulary. The vocabulary includes adjectives that will help students visualize sound and better relate to the music on an emotional level. Students will create Vokis that describe their favorite songs with their new vocabulary.

Singing out loud together in class is an engaging activity that will bring out the best of your class. These interactive singing activities were created to improve students understanding of musical concepts and to boost the happiness level of each class. So stop talking and get singing!

Check out more ways to teach with Voki by visiting our Lesson Plan Page. And if you would like to contribute a lesson plan, please send us an email to lessonplans@voki.com.

Until Next Time,

The Voki Team


Financial Education Starts in the Classroom!

Financial Education Starts in the Classroom!

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Economics and Personal Finance are important topics for students of all ages and should be incorporated into the   standard k-12 curriculum. Educating kids about how to responsibly manage their finances not only improves their mathematical reasoning, but also provides them with meaningful life skills.

This week, we would like to share 3 new lesson plans based on Personal Finance. By introducing lessons that draw on the importance of saving and responsible spending, students will practice basic math, learn economic principles, and gain experience managing their finances.

Remember: The grade level we assign to each lesson plan to is not a requisite – feel free to use lesson plans from different grade levels than the one you teach, if you think they fit! Also, remember that you can adapt Voki lesson plans to fit your style, goals, or your students’ abilities.

Tooth Fairy Economics (Economics, Elementary) – Students learn about the value of currency and the cost of goods and services on a small scale. In this role play activity, the teacher will act as the “Tooth Fairy” and leave different amounts of change under each student’s pillow. Students will compare the amount of money they receive from the tooth fairy to the cost of the items that are available to purchase in the classroom. Next they will have to opportunity to exchange their money for an item within their Tooth Fairy budget. Students will create a Voki that explains how much money they received and what they could and could not purchase.

A Penny Saved (Economics, Middle School and High School) – In this lesson, students will learn about saving money by reading and discussing the comic book, “A Penny Saved,” published by the New York Federal Reserve Bank.  Students will learn how the choices they make with money can determine their quality of life. At the conclusion of this lesson, students will create a Voki that explains how saving money affects the economy and the importance of personal savings..

Let’s Buy a Car! (Economics, High School) – Students will look up cars online and calculate  which one is the best investment over an extended period of time.They will pick a car, consider different interest rates, and explain the costs over a 5 or 10 year period.

As always, we would love to hear how you are using Voki in class. If you have a lesson plan that uses Voki (or that can be adapted to incorporate Voki), please email us at lessonplans@voki.com.

Sincerely,

The Voki Team

Healthy Living Lesson Plans with Voki

Healthy Living Lesson Plans with Voki

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Being healthy is a lifestyle habit that requires guidance beginning at a young age. With some schools serving lunch options  that are highly processed and lacking in nutritional value, students may be confused as to what “good food” actually is. In addition to the difficulties of making healthy eating decisions, students have to balance their personal life with school work, which is often the source of major stress.

In an effort to help students learn how to maintain a happy and healthy life, we have created 3 lesson plans that touch on important health topics. Middle School and High School students will learn techniques on how to cope with stress,  create realistic body image expectations, and understand the potentially harmful effects of some common consumer products.

Stress, unhealthy eating habits, and a lack of regular exercise are a combination that threaten the well-being of many students. These topics deserve much more attention in school than they currently receive, so open up the discussion in your class and let your students share their ideas with Voki!

Remember: The grade level we assign to each lesson plan is not a requisite – you can use most Voki lesson plans that were written for a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach – if you think they fit! Also, remember that you can adapt Voki lesson plans to fit your style, or your students’ abilities.

Coping with Stress (Health, High School) – Students explore the issue of stress in school and daily life, and understand that it is an issue many people have to cope with. Students make lists of things they have to do in the week and organize them in a way to try and reduce stress. The class discusses different ways to cope with stress and decrease it in daily life. The teacher will lead the students in a meditative yoga practice at the end of the lesson. Students will create a Voki that talks about how they plan to deal with stress in the future.

Body Image and its Influencers (Middle School, Health) – Students think about and discuss body image and where body image ideals come from. Students explore different body image influencers, such as the media, family, and culture, and compare and contrast these ideals with reality. Students will analyze their own perceptions and use Voki to talk about positive perceptions of their, and others’, appearance.

Voki Health PSA (Middle and High School, Health) – Students are assigned various popular consumer products and supplements to research and evaluate. After viewing examples of different health PSAs online, students will have the chance to create their own using Voki. Students will learn about how to maintain good health and the insider information on products that should be avoided or reduced. Students will think about healthier alternatives to the products they research.

As always, we would love to hear how you are using Voki in class. If you have a lesson plan that uses Voki (or that can be adapted to incorporate Voki) and you would like to share, please email us at lessonplans@voki.com.

Sincerely,

The Voki Team

Get Creative with Voki – New Arts Lesson Plans!

Get Creative with Voki – New Arts Lesson Plans!

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Get out your paintbrushes, glue, and construction paper! Bring out the lights, your best smile, and a script! It’s time to have fun with Voki and Visual Arts! From color studies and collages to instructional videos and personal short films, you can use Voki to help bring out the artist in every student!

Ranging from 6th to 12th grade, these lesson plans are designed to help students explore art, contextualize its meanings, produce artwork of their own, and make connections with light, shadow, color and mood to create a certain effect.

Along with lesson plans that focus on visual arts, we have also included  two lessons regarding the art of film. Your students will be in charge of writing and producing their own short films and using their knowledge of basic art composition to create entertaining and visually interesting shorts.

(We went a little crazy with the art lesson plans; but hey, what kind of renowned art isn’t a little nutty?)

Remember: The grade level we assign to each lesson plan is not a requisite – you can use most Voki lesson plans from a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach – if you think they fit! Also, remember that you can adapt Voki lesson plans to fit your style, or your students’ abilities.

Art Interpretations (6th Grade, Arts) –  Students are assigned one photocopy of a famous work of art. They research the background and context in which the work was created. Students then create a Voki that interprets the work’s significance at the time it was created, and follow up with a brief, impromptu personal opinion of the piece.

An Artist’s History (7th Grade, Arts) –  Students discover more about notable artists and create a brief presentation that showcases an artist’s information, famous pieces, and a student analysis of the work. Students use Voki to talk about how they feel about the art and what it means to them personally. By the end of the lesson, students will have constructed an artist database to refer to before tests.

Immediate Attraction (8th Grade, Arts) –  This is a quick exercise to help students discover their art preferences and interests. Students will have 45 seconds to flip through art books and find one piece that catches their attention. After they have gone through 3 books, students will analyze each of 3 pieces of art. Students will use Voki to describe the art, how it makes them feel, think, and what kind of reactions their chosen pieces evoke.

A New Family Tree (9th Grade, Arts) –  Students use copies of family photos and magazine clips to recreate a picture of their fantasy family tree. By using various mediums, students will make collages that use real life mixed with various aspects of their imagination to create an avant-garde piece of artwork. Students will then use Voki to describe the brief history of their made-up family.

The Meaning of Color (10th Grade, Arts) – Students work together, and alone, using color to convey a story. Students will be divided into two groups of warm and cool colors. As a team, students work together cutting out colored paper and “collaging” to create a group piece of art. After the group work is done, each student will create a Voki that tells a story that represents the artwork.

The Identity Project (11th Grade, Arts) –  Students use video to create a short film that explores their identity. Students are encouraged to use whatever they would like to make their video and have all creative freedom as long as they remain on topic or can justify any deviation from the topic. Students will then create a Voki that introduces the video to the class.

A Guide to What?! (12th Grade, Arts) – Students draw three cards from a bag that contains different words. Students then create an instructional video that somehow incorporates the three words into the activity or idea being taught. Students will create a Voki that begins the video presentation by explaining what words were drawn and what the instructional video is going to teach.

As always, we would love to hear how you are using Voki in class. If you have a lesson plan that uses Voki (or that can be adapted to incorporate Voki) and you would like to share, please email us at lessonplans@voki.com.

Sincerely,

The Voki Team

Start Fresh: New Year’s Lesson Plans

Start Fresh: New Year’s Lesson Plans

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

It’s 2012 and school is back in session! Instead of forgetting about the happy holiday moments you and your students  experienced, extend the joy just one more day and try out one of our informative and fun New Year’s lesson plans.

With this new set of lesson plans, you and your students can talk about class resolutions and make a pact to work towards your new goals and be supportive of each other. You can also learn about different calendars used around the world and their New Year’s day celebrations.

Remember: The grade level we assign to each lesson plan is not a requisite – you can use Voki lesson plans from a higher, or lower, grade than the one you teach – if you think they fit! Also, remember that you can adapt Voki lesson plans to fit your style, or your students’ abilities.

What is your New Year’s Resolution? (Elementary, Public Speaking, Writing, Other) – A new year can bring a fresh start to your class. With this New Year’s lesson plan, you and your students can reflect on the last year in class and how this year can be better. Students will learn about resolutions and be introspective in order to bring out the best from within.

Calendars Around the World (Middle School, Social Studies, Other) – Students will learn about other calendars that exist in the world and about the cultures that observe different New Year’s days. Each student will create a Voki that teaches the class about the history of a different calendar. They will also use Voki to talk about when and how certain cultures celebrate their New Year.

Celebrating New Year’s Eve (High School, History, Geography, Social Studies, Other) – Students will discover more about the history and traditions associated with the New Year’s Eve celebrations in other parts of the world. In this interactive lesson, students gather into small groups and use Vokis to give an in depth oral presentation about the history of different culture’s New Year’s traditions. They will also do a show and tell with a visual that the students construct that represents the culture they studied. After the presentations are complete, the class can have their own New Year’s party using all of the customs and traditions they learned about.

As always, we would love to hear how you are using Voki in class. If you have a lesson plan that uses Voki (or that can be adapted to incorporate Voki) and you would like to share, please email us at lessonplans@voki.com.

Happy 2012!

Sincerely,

The Voki Team

The Voki Favorites of 2011

The Voki Favorites of 2011

by Ashley Chaney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

We are always impressed to see what educators and students can come up with using Voki. The year 2011 was a good one for Voki as was apparent through the emergence of class videos demonstrating Voki in action, well developed instructional videos for newbies, great lesson plans coming from all over the world, and so much more!

We decided to collect our favorite ways of using Voki here for all to see. Please browse through the list to learn more about Voki and how teachers from around the world use it to make class a virtual blast! Hopefully you will be inspired to come up with other ways to make Voki a part of your class. Below is a short list of some of our favorites but believe us, there are so many more out there!

10 Ways you can use Voki:

  1. Improve Confidence
  2. Learn Chinese
  3. Voki Introductions
  4. Interactive Instruction
  5. Break Barriers using Multiple Means of Engagement
  6. Become Digitally Literate
  7. Voki Dictation for Language Class
  8. “Pass it On” Buddy Method
  9. Update Students and Parents on Class Blogs
  10. Make Learning Exciting!

Thanks to all who made this list possible and to everyone that has made Voki a part of their classroom! We look forward to the new year and to hear back from you about the fun and innovative ways you use Voki in your lessons. Who knows? You and your students may find yourselves and your Vokis on our blog!

Happy New Year to all! May your 2012 be filled with happiness, gratitude, and new experiences!