Online

Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: I am a Scientist!
Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 2nd Grade
Content Standard Addressed: S2L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the life cycles of
different living organisms.

Technology Standard Addressed: 3- Knowledge Constructor

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Online Learning

URL(s) to support the lesson: https://journeynorth.org

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom:
Students will be learning about animals and organisms in the classroom, so this online learning project will
support the students learning. Each student either individually or in a small group will pick a specific animal to
watch live on Journey North. The students will follow along with these animal each day and will collect data
about the animal. Through a certain period of time, the students will create a project to display to the class
showing the animal and the data collected on that animal.

The students should include notes or a journal on the animal so that they are able to see changes, or things
going on with the animal. This project can be a journal, poster, PowerPoint, etc. The students will collect data
on the animal’s life stages, characteristics, movements, environment, food, etc. After about 5 days of
watching the animal, the students will gather the data and create their project. Once they are finished, the
students will present to the class. The teacher will display all of the projects for the students to see. This
online learning project with Journey North will be a fun and engaging learning project. The students will be
able to see real life things that happen with animals as well as learn how to gather and display data.
What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
The classroom would need computers or iPads. Students can work in groups so there needs to be at least a a
few of these for students to use.
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 will collaborate with their peers if they are working in groups to complete the project.
This will allow the students to be discussing data for the animal. Students will also be collaborating
with peers when presenting their projects with each other. Students will collaborate with people
beyond their classroom in which they will see others who gathered data on Journey North.

b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): The students will be creating their own original data by
creating a project to go with what they gathered. Students will be watching live videos on Journey
North and will be reflecting on what they saw.

c. Higher-order thinking: Higher-order thinking will take place when the students are analyzing what is
going on with the animals, the characteristics they have, the changes that happen, etc. The students
will need to gather the data, analyze the data, and form a project about the data. Student’s will
evaluate other’s projects by looking at their project. Students will gain knowledge through each project
including their own.

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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: With
permission, teachers can publish the students work to the classroom bog so that the parents can see
their child’s work. Students will share their work with other students in the classroom.

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):

Engagement: Students will be engaged in this online learning project in which it allows them to choose an
animal to watch and gather data on. Students will be engaged to pick their favorite animal and see what is
going on during the live video. Students will be gathering data, so they will want to see the different changes
that goes on. Each day, the students will be ready to come to class to see their animal on the live video.

Representation: The topic will be introduced in which the students will know what kind of things to watch
and look for. There will be an example of some things to gather data on.

Action and Expression: The students will display what they found through a project. The project can be a
journal, poster, PowerPoint, etc. The students will be gathering data and then displaying the data through a
project. The students will present the projects and then the teacher will display these in the class.

This lesson can be differentiated for students with other specific needs. There are many ways I can implement
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to support student learning for all students in the classroom. For
example, I can use google translate for English Language Learners. For lower level students, I can assist these
students in step by step directions. For students who cannot read, the video will assist them. I can also
include pictures and visuals for the animal they choose. For students who cannot speak, I can have them use a
text to speech app. Lastly, for students who cannot hear, I can write down the directions and include visuals
of what they need to do. I can differentiate this lesson based off of the needs of my students.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies: The idea of different characteristics, movements,
life stages of animals will be covered. Examples of these in an animal will be shown as well. The students will
have the opportunity to work individually or in small groups. The students will choose an animal to watch live.
The students will watch this animal over the course of about five days during class. The students will collect
data each day on what they see. They can keep notes or a journal. This can be the animals characteristic,
movements, life stages, food, environment, etc. At the end of the five days, the students with gather their
data and make some form of a project whether it be a poster, journal, PowerPoint, etc. The students will then
present these projects to the class. This project will last a week in class. The students will be assessed on the
work they turn in and the information they present. At the end of the project, the students will have the
chance to discover other people’s data whether it be within the class or on the Journey North website.

Students will be instructed to only use the Journey North website. Teachers will need to receive parental
permission for their students to use this website. Teachers will need to inform administrators and parents
about this project, what the students will be doing, and how it will support their learning. Students need to
also be aware of how to use the website. They need to be informed that they should not communicate with
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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
others without permission and that their information should be anonymous. Before starting this project,
teachers should receive parental permission.

Reflective Practice:
The students were introduced to the idea of different characteristics, movements, life stages of animals. They
were them able to apply this information by looking for it on the live animal video they watched each day.
They learned how to collect data about their animal by notes or in a journal. This lesson will allow for the
students to learn about animals, characteristics, movements, life stages, food, environment, etc. The students
will learn how to apply this information and collect data. This lesson can be furthered in which students can
study and collect data of different species of animals. This could also be furthered in which the students can
research the animal they chose on other websites and compare the data.

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