Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Animals and their Cells

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 5th
Content Standard Addressed:

S5L3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to compare and contrast the parts of
plant and animal cells.

1. Gather evidence by utilizing technology tools to support a claim that plants and animals are
comprised of cells too small to be seen without magnification.
2. Develop a model to identify and label parts of a plant cell (membrane, wall, cytoplasm,
nucleus, chloroplasts) and of an animal cell (membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus).
3. Construct an explanation that differentiates between the structure of plant and animal cells.

Technology Standard Addressed:

Creative Communicator: Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a
variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their
goals. Students:

c. communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital
objects such as

Global Collaborator: Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning
by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally. Students:

a. use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with
them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learning.

b. use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community
members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints.

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Bugscope

URL(s) to support the lesson: http://bugscope.beckman.uiuc.edu

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing

Opportunity in your classroom:
The teacher will have different type of insects and other small animals that are not alive for students
to look at in class. Students will be able to draw the different type of insects and small animals then
predict what the cells of these organisms would look like. Once students have students have made
their predictions the teacher will send these organisms to the University of Illinois Beckman Institute
so the scientists can approve the examination through a video call.
Once the scientist approves the insects and small animals the teacher can go to Bugscope along with
the students and have a conference call with a scientist at the university. Students will learn about
different parts of the cell including the nucleus, membranes, etc. Once the students and teacher have
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completed their conference with the scientist students will write an informative paper on the
information that was presented in the conference call and the overall lesson. Note- taking sheets will
be provided to students during the conference calls

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

classroom?
For this lesson the teacher will need to use the promethean/ Activ Smart Board so all students can see
the video call as well as access to the internet.

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 when making predictions about the cells of
the organisms and they will also be collaborating with the scientist to view the real cells under a
microscope.

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 view non-
living specimens to make prediction on how the cells of insects and animals will look. Then the
organisms will be sent off to the lab. Then if approved students were able to do a conference
call with a real scientist to get knowledge of cells. Then students would take the information
they learn to write an informative essay on their findings.

c. Higher-order thinking: Students will create an essays describing what they learned about
organisms and their cells. Students will evaluate and analyze the cells.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product:
Students essays will not be published online. The essays will be used to assess students
learning.

Blooms 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

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies

Administrators and parents will know that all Internet Safety and Student Privacy policies when be
followed accordingly. Before the lesson is presented to students the teacher will notify administrator
beforehand about the video with a scientist at the university and the teacher will be supervising the
students as they examine the organisms and participate in the video call with the scientist at all times.

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