Grade: 3^rd Grade – 12^th Grade   

Apps Used: Teams & Adobe Spark  

Teams Integration: Teams Assignment  

Lesson Idea: 

Finding an authentic audience for our students is imperative. So many assignments are just for the student and teacher. Poetry is a great way to incorporate an authentic audience. We love connecting with classrooms from other countries. During the month of January, our friends in Scotland celebrate one of their own poets, Robert Burns with a holiday called Burn’s Night. They spend the night celebrating with Haggis and reading poetry written by Burns. We love the idea of sending our friends poetry for their celebration. By using Adobe Spark Video our students animate and read one of their own poems and a poem by Burns. They will then upload their Adobe Spark Video into Flipgrid and include a sweet message for our friends. We will then mail postcards to Scotland with our Flipgrid AR QR Codes on the cards for our friends to enjoy on Burns Night. 

Need a contact in Scotland? Become Gridpals with a classroom in Scotland or any location around the world with Flipgrid Gridpals. https://blog.flipgrid.com/news/gridpals  

Here is a breakdown of the steps:  

1. Students will analyze different forms of poetry  

2. Students will see rhythm in poetry by listening to poems that are songs like Auld Lang Syne by Robert Burns.   

3. Students will create their own origins songs/poems to send   

4. Student will read or sing their poetry and one of Burns’ poems in Adobe Spark Video  

5. Students will record a message in Flipgrid and upload their video into a Flipgrid topic  

6. Students will decorate Burns Night postcards   

7. The teacher will place QR codes to the Flipgrid videos on the postcards and mail to their contact in Scotland.   

Coaches’ Corner:  

Take this up a level by incorporating a Teams Meeting afterwards so that students can meet and talk about poetry and the importance of Burns Night.