Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Making Yourself Wild!

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): First Grade
Content Standard Addressed: S.1.L.1. - Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the basic
needs of plants and animals.

Technology Standard Addressed: Knowledge Constructor

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

URL(s) to support the lesson: http://www.buildyourwildself.com/

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom:
I would use this learning project as a supplementary activity in the classroom when we are learning about
plants and animals. I would probably set this up as a computer center that the students can rotate to, among
other centers, when teaching about various types of animals and needs that they have, based on the type of
animal. This is a great activity that will allow for the students to use their creativity and imagination, while
also learning about different animals, and different parts of animals. I would allow for students to rotate
through this activity as a center in order to create their pieces. After they create their pieces, they are able to
either print out the finished product or email the finished product. (The teacher will most likely have to assist
the students during this part, so they will have to call the teacher over when they are finished creating their
final product and the teacher will print out the finished products, and allow the students to glue them to a
larger piece of construction paper or poster board.
Then the next day, the teacher would allow for each student to share their creation with the class and share
which animal parts their creation contains. While presenting their final creations to the class, the teacher can
ask various questions to help them think more deeply about their thought process in creating their final
products. Some of these questions can include: What kind of legs does your creation have? Does this mean
they can run or walk fast? Does this mean that he must be cautious of predators, or can he easily outrun
predators? Does this mean that they are tall or short? Where will they be able to find food? In a tall tree, or in
a small hole in the ground? What kind of mouth does your creation have? What does this contribute to your
creation? What about the type of mouth that your creation has? What does this mean for how he must find
food, or what food he can eat? Etc.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
I would need to have access to a few computers or iPads or other tablets to use in the classroom. If I use this
as a center, where the students rotate to and from this activity, then I would not need to have a whole class
set of computers or tablets, I would only need about 3 or 4.

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:
The students do not really have to collaborate with peers or mentors to complete this project, they are
really just using this as a fun way to use their creativity and imagination, however, the students could
choose to interact and collaborate with their peers, if they wanted to get their peers opinions on their
creations and discuss their ideas.

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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
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 are creating their own original product by using this online learning project.

c. Higher-order thinking: The students will demonstrate higher order thinking during this lesson activity
by answering questions about their creations during their presentations of their creations to the rest of
the class. Some sample questions that the teacher can ask to facilitate the students in higher order
thinking are listed above, under the lesson implementation paragraphs.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: In this case,
the students will be sharing their final products with the rest of the class, which will allow everyone the
opportunity to share and show off their finished product. It will also allow everyone in the classroom
and overview of the various concepts they have learned during this unit of study, about what different
needs animals have, and what different characteristics of animals can contribute to how they live their
lives.

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):

This online learning activity involves a lot of visual aspects for the students and provides students with an
alternative way to learn, other than the traditional method of a teacher lecturing the students on different
types of animals. This online learning activity provides the students with an interactive way to learn and let
their imaginations run wild.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies:

This lesson idea can be implemented while including this online learning project and still complying with all
internet safety procedures for the students. As long as students are not accessing other websites than this
Making Yourself Wild webpage, then they will be able to safely access the internet for this activity. The
teacher will be walking around the room to oversee the use of the internet and technology for this activity,
just to ensure that the students are not straying from the webpage that they are supposed to be on.

Reflective Practice:
I think this lesson activity can help students to learn about the various parts of animals and various things that
different animals require to live, but it can also provide students with a great way to use their creativity in the
classroom. Many kids often do not have the opportunity to use creativity in the classroom when it comes to
teaching the curriculum, but I think that this activity and this use of online learning provides students with a
great opportunity to use their creativity and imagination, which will make it seem as though they are not even
learning the curriculum, it makes them feel as though they are just participating in a fun and interactive
activity where they can create something original.

Spring 2018_SJB