Online Projects, Collaboration Sites, and Publishing Opportunities

Name: Tessa Johnson

Grade Level: 5th
Content Area: Science
Standards Addressed: S5L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information
to group organisms using scientific classification procedures.
1. Develop a model that illustrates how animals are sorted into groups (vertebrate and
invertebrate) and how vertebrates are sorted into groups (fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and
mammal) using data from multiple sources.
2. Develop a model that illustrates how plants are sorted into groups (seed producers, non-seed
producers) using data from multiple sources.
Title of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: CNN iReport
URL of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity:
http://www.cnn.com/specials/opinions/cnnireport
Describe how you would use the Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in
your classroom: For this lesson, students will be in groups. Within their groups they will make a high
intensity documentary about plants and animals that they may find. They can use animals that they see
in the distance, or pets. Students can also find plants and talk about them. Throughout the documentary
they should be explaining more about the organism that we are seeing in their documentary by
applying what we learned in class about animal/plant groups. Students will then be able to edit and
publish their documentary on iReport
What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a
classroom? A classroom set of laptops to create the documentaries on, cameras, and iReport to
publish.
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 be working in groups. They will be posting their work for
iReport viewers to see.
b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (collecting original data and or
producing original products as a result of engaging in the project): Students will be
picking their own plants and animals to base their documentaries on. Editing and
publishing the documentary will be the responsibility of the students and their groups.
Self-pacing is key in this assignment.
c. Higher-order thinking: Students will have to think about what plants and animals they
have access to and how they place in the groups we have learned about in class.
Students have creative freedom for this project.
d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product:
Their work will be reviewed in class. We will have a time period where we will sit as a
class and watch all the documentaries. These documentaries will also be available to
other students in the school as well as parents.

Blooms Level of Critical Thinking Required (check all that apply):

Remembering

Understanding

Applying

Analyzing

Evaluating

Creating

What Level of Technology Implementation best describes this learning activity and Why? Level 4
is reached in my lesson because the students are creating their own product and creating a higher level
of thinking while creating the documentary.
How could you implement this proposed learning experience and still comply with your districts
Internet Safety and Student Privacy policies? It will be important to keep students safety in mind
while carrying out this lesson. It will be required to talk to the parents before posting any type of work
on a public site. I will let the parents know that we will be creating fake names for the students for
them to use when they are posting.