Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Pollution and its Hazardous Effects

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 3rd
Content Standard Addressed:

S3L2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the effects of pollution (air, land,
and water) and humans on the environment.

1. Ask questions to collect information and create records of sources and effects of pollution on

the plants and animals.

2. Explore, research, and communicate solutions, such as conservation of resources and

recycling of materials, to protect plants and animals.

Technology Standard Addressed:

3- Knowledge Constructor

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: ePals

URL(s) to support the lesson:

1. https://www.epals.com/#/connections - the website the students will use to email their pen pal
2. https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/What_is_Pollution_for_Kids - a websites that contains the
different types of pollutions
3. https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/pollution - a website that provides information about the
causes and effects of pollution

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom:

I will incorporate an online collaboration site into my classroom by allowing students to use the website
ePals to communicate with other students around the world. To do this, students will research the content
and write a letter to another student about pollution, it’s effects, and possible solutions. Before the lesson,
the teacher will need to connect with another teacher that is teaching the same content and set up a pen pal
exchange activity.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?

To complete this learning activity, the teacher will use their interactive white board to teach the students
about pollution and promote discussion. Afterwards, the students will need a device that connects to the
internet, preferably a computer/laptop or a tablet. The students will use their devices to conduct research
about pollution and write to their pen pal.

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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 peers by writing to their pen pal. They will exchange ideas about
pollution, its effects, and possible solutions to protect plants and animals. This activity can be done in the
classroom or at home.

b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project):

Students will gain knowledge about the different types of pollution, its effects, and solutions using
their textbook and the websites listed above. Throughout the lesson, the students will use graphic organizers
to organize their research and writing.

c. Higher-order thinking:

Higher-order thinking will occur throughout the entire lesson. After researching the different types of
pollutions and its effects, students will use their critical thinking skills to come up with different solutions.
Students writing and collaborating ideas with their pen pals will also help promote higher-order thinking.
Students will be more engaged in the content and their writing because they know someone else besides
their teacher will be reading their work. They will take more pride into their work because the task is more
meaningful and engaging.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product:

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

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

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level): (Select the best level)

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

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

This lesson will support students who have difficulties reading, collecting data, and writing. Students will
have the opportunity to learn about pollution from the following resources: BrainPOP, the World Counts and
World Wild Life. BrainPOP can be used for all students, but is mainly helpful for students who have difficulties
reading or reading on a screen. The websites the World Counts and World Wild Life contain more information
and are helpful for students who learn better from reading from a text. Graphic organizers will help students
who have difficulties organizing their data and writing.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies:

To insure internet safety and privacy policies, the teacher will inform administrators and parents about the
lesson and how he or she will protect the students. Students will be required to used pseudonyms furing this
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activity and will not give out their location. The teachers will also supervise the students while they are
interacting with other students around the world.

Reflective Practice:
After designing this lesson, I feel the activities I created will impact student learning because they are
collecting data and using critical thinking skills to form solutions that will protect plants and animals from
pollution. This lesson also raises the LoTi level to level five because it gives the students voice and choice and
allows them to collaborate with other students who are outside of the classroom. This lesson can also teach
students about ways they become an activist and share their ideas to even more people around the world.

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