Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Mystery Class - “Global Hide and Seek” (www.Journeynorth.org)
Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 4th grade
Content Standard Addressed: S4E2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to model the effects of
the position and motion of the Earth and the moon in relation to the sun as observed from the Earth.
C. Construct an explanation of how the Earth’s orbit, with its consistent tilt, affects seasonal changes.

Technology Standard Addressed: ISTE-5: Computational Thinker – Students develop and employ strategies
for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop
and test solutions. Students:
b. collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various
ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision making.

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Journey North

URL(s) to support the lesson: (www.journeynorth.com)

Participation Guide:https://journeynorth.org/tm/mclass/guide/participation_guide.pdf

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom: I would incorporate an online project site in the class through a science unit. I love Journey
North’s integration of technological skills embedded within units that classes are already covering in science.
A teacher could also add a publishing component to this sort of lesson by giving a students a writing prompt
based on the online project. These essays could then be published to gain the attention of outside audiences.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
Beyond the use of the online project site, additional technologies that would be used in this lesson are
interactive whiteboards, and productivity tools. The Mystery Class does not teach the student the science
content of length of day and seasons; students need to have this information or be in the process of learning
it alongside use of the project. Because of this, many other technologies would most likely be included, such
as interactive whiteboards, video/audio, and student response systems.

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 are collecting data and posting it on Journey North’s website to determine where
other students live in the world by analyzing the data they post regarding the time of day the sun sets
and rises.
b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): Students in the classroom are recording data according
to the time of day the sun sets and rises. This data is then entered on Journey North’s website.
c. Higher-order thinking: Students are having to evaluate data from other students around the world to
determine in what country/continent they live.
d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: n/a

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

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

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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
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):

Engagement: Encourage individual choice and autonomy. Encourage the use of personal coping skills.
Representation: Customize ways information is displayed. Understanding across languages is implemented.
Clarification of vocabulary introduced in unit. Activate background knowledge.
Action & Expression: Use of multimedia for communication and use of assistive technologies. Varied use of
tools according to students. Appropriate setting of personal goals for students.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies: First, All the necessary components would need
to be in place, such as parental consents. Sites that are available for teachers to use should be accepted
websites as approved by the school and/or school district. When these websites have been determined they
meet the guidelines, teachers should familiarize themselves with their privacy or terms of use statements to
understand what data they collect, etc. If video conferencing is involved, students that are not permitted to
be viewed online, would wear masks for their protection.
Reflective Practice: I incorporated the project, Mystery Class from Journey North, into this lesson. This online
project begins in January and runs until the end of the school year. Using the sunlight, students gather data,
analyze it and determine where other students live in the world, hence the “Mystery Classroom.” It would be
wonderful to see this in action. Based on the participation guide, which is referenced, there are activities tied
to each part. This type of project allows the students repeated use of gathering, posting, and analyzing data.
This unit is based in science, but there is geography embedded as well through the act of determining where
other students live in the world, based on sunlight data.

References:

Participation Guide:https://journeynorth.org/tm/mclass/guide/participation_guide.pdf

www.Journeynorth.org

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