Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Different Animal Skills

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): Third
Content Standard Addressed: S3L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the similarities
and differences between plants, animals, and habitats found within geographic regions (Blue Ridge
Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plains, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau) of Georgia
c. Use evidence to construct an explanation of why some organisms can thrive in one habitat and not in
another.

Technology Standard Addressed: knowledge constructor

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: National Geographic Kids Blog

URL(s) to support the lesson: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom:
Students will use these online tools as resources for their everyday learning. In my classroom students will use
these sites to gather information on class topics. For this lesson students will use the sights to learn about
different animals, the animal’s attributes, and the environment the animals live in. Each group of students will
choose three animals and investigate the differences in the animals and the differences in their
environments.
Students will then create a project showing what they learned about the animals and their environment.
Students will include information about what skills the animals have, to help them fit in with the
environment, this can be based on what they found or why they think that animal has that skill. Finally, the
students will show their projects to the class and teacher. The project may also be posted on the classroom
blog at the teacher’s discretion. Students final projects could be tri-boards, bulletin boards, podcasts, short
videos, a paper, or a mini-book.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
Students will need computers or devices with internet connection to research on, paper and pencil notes or
online word processing software such as Microsoft word, and materials to create the final project of their
choice.
Describe how the following features are addressed in this learning experience (note: all of them may not be
addressed in the project, but most should be if you are reaching a high LoTi Level).
a. Collaboration with peers, near-peers, mentors outside their classroom and often beyond their
school: Students can have their teacher publish their work online through the class blog for other
teachers or classes and work together as groups to create a final project.

b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): Students create an original final project by collecting
data and information. Students also use their own logical thinking as part of the final project.

c. Higher-order thinking: Students must take what they learn about animals and their environment and
apply that information to guess what other traits animals might have because of the environment.
Students must also analyze the data they are working with to decide what information to use.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: Parents,
other teachers, and other students would love to see the students work on the classroom blog. Other

Spring 2018_SJB
 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
teachers may use the student’s work as an example for their students when doing the same or a
similar project.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐ Remembering ☐ Understanding ☐ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Students can type, talk, or write out their final projects to help insure
that students who struggle to write have another outlet, or students who struggle with typing have another
outlet. Students also work in groups, which can help ESOL students practice their English and clear up any
misunderstandings they may have. Students who struggle to focus have other group members to help them
stay on task and are welcome to move around the classroom to get energy out if needed.
Engagement: Most students love animals and learning about the different animals, and love working in
groups. Students are also given the choice of how they want to display their final project and which animals
they want to investigate for the project. Therefore, will be more interested because they have a choice.
Representation: Students will work in different groups and learn about different areas of the world.
Action and Expression: Students are allowed to choose how to display what they have learned via different
outlets allowing students to choose what works best for them.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies:

Students are allowed to use this website with permission of parents or guardians. Students can post
comments after the teacher, parent, or guardian has deemed the comment safe and appropriate. Students do
not have to leave the site to gather information and are only seeing information that has been reviewed by
the site as appropriate for students under the age of eighteen.
Reflective Practice:
The activities created will help students be interested in the content and help students learn to think logically.
This skill will be very useful in every-day problem solving and in other classes. This lesson could be further
extended by having a guest speaker come into class or visiting a local zoo with many different animals. Other
technology tools would be blog sites or video sites that allow students to post their final project online for
other students and teachers to see.

Spring 2018_SJB