Blog #8 - Actual Lesson Plan

Actual Lesson Plan for the Printing Press and Quill Writing

Blog #8 - Quill Writing/Printing Press -  Crystale M. Straub-Moyer

Objectives - The children will be writing with a quill and then using stamps.  This will help the children understand why a printing press was needed and what the advantages to creating a printing press.  The students will identify Benjamin Franklin as a person who showed patriotism and as an American Hero.  The students will recognize American’s basic freedoms and understand what freedom means to a citizen of the United States. (content)

Materials needed: Hang posters of Ben Franklin and pictures of printing presses on the wall behind this center.  I made the posters on a poster machine prior to these centers being done.  Quills ( pheasant feathers, ink –preferably black, small containers to hold the ink for dipping, upper and lowercase letters, ink tablets, tables, bulletin board paper or newspapers to cover the tables.

Activity- The children will be working in small groups (4 or less children) to write their names and a sentence with a quill pen and then use the stamps to create a sentence and stamp out his or her first name. (creative activity)

Preparation – Creative the posters for this center and setting up the tables with newspaper.  Prior to these centers I do several lessons on Ben Franklin that illustrates him as an American Leader and Patriot who was also a scientist, a printer, an inventor, and a writer.  He was known for his sense of humor and wisdom.  We did a word web on the chalkboard that told about Benjamin Franklin in these roles.  We also learned the word and the meaning “Patriot”.

Questions to ask:  What would our town be like without a Library?  What would our town be like without a Fire House?  How did Benjamin Franklin show patriotism?  Can you tell me of a time you heard the word patriotism used?  What is a hero?  What do heroes do?  What is freedom?  Why was freedom so important to Americans?

1.        The children will write with a quill or pheasant feather by dipping into watered down black tempera paint in small containers.  The children will discover how hard it was to write before pens and pencils were used.  The children will discuss the difference of writing with a pen and a feather.  Mistakes can’t be erased.  There is only the color black, not a lot of colors like we have during our kid writing.  The children enjoyed the novelty but admitted it took longer and was not as colorful as our markers and pens today. (DOK-1)

2.       The children will complete one sentence with a quill or feather then use stamps to make a sentence and compare.  What are the advantages of the stamps?  What were the advantages of using a printing press?  Why was it so important? (Comparing – DOK-2)

3.       Show the children a copy of the Declaration of Independence which was given to me in Philadelphia.   Also show the children pictures of the printing press and the role of each person working in a printing press.  It was very hard and tedious work. We will compare and relate cause and effect of each role. (DOK-3)

4.       Computers and Technology make it easy for us to get our mass mailings and information quickly.  The printing press was the first way to get the same information out to everyone in a quicker more accurate manner.  Discuss and compare today vs. past with letters vs. e-mail.  (DOK-3)

Follow Up Activities: Since Benjamin Franklin was very curious we will do an experiment with butterflies watching, observing, recording, and writing about the four stages of the butterfly to connect Science in our lessons with Benjamin Franklin.  Each child will write 1-3 sentences about what they learned about Benjamin Franklin in Kid Writing the following day. (DOK-4)

Standards:  25.3, 25.4, 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 3.1a, 3.4c, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 1.9, 10.1-3, 10.4, 10.5, 5.1, 5.2, 7.4, 20.3, 2.3, 2.5, 2.7