Online

Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Insect Hunt
Content Area: life science
Grade Level(s): kindergarten
Content Standard Addressed:
SKL1. Students will sort living organisms and non-living materials into groups by observable
physical attributes. a. Recognize the difference between living organisms and nonliving materials. b.
Group animals according to their observable features such as appearance, size, motion, where it lives,
etc.

Technology Standard Addressed: 2- Digital citizen, 3- Knowledge constructor, 6- creative communicator

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Bugscope

URL(s) to support the lesson:

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom: The assignment will incorporate the online collaboration site Bugscope. Students will be
instructed to venture outside and collect insects either from home or at school. Students will use necessary
tools (microscope, magnifying glass) to further inspect the insects that they’ve collected. Students will
observe the insects and infer what they are and where they come from. The teacher will document the
students’ responses. Students along with the teacher will collect the insect specimens and mail them to the
scientists at the University of Illinois Beckman Institute. Once the scientists have looked over the specimens
and scheduled a time to video chat, students and the teacher will discuss the scientists finding and make
comparisons and contrasts with their own findings.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
Technologies needed for this activity would be Wi-Fi/internet connection, laptop/computer or tablet/iPad.
Students will be able to use the internet to video chat with scientists’.
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 collaborating with scientists at the University via video chat.

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 collect insects to do their own research on
and send their insects to the scientists at the University.

c. Higher-order thinking: Students participate in higher- order thinking as a product of finding specimens
and determining what kind of specimen they have. After receiving information about their specimens
from the scientists’ students will gain insight on what type they have.
d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: Students
will publish their work for others to see such as the scientists, by using Bugscope.


Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

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

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration

☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Universal Design for Learning is addressed throughout this lesson
through elements that address the needs of all students. There will be whole group discussions, multimedia
tools that help students who may have learning disabilities, and collaboration opportunities. Students will be
the facilitators of their own learning by collecting their own insects and inspecting them to find out what they
are.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies: One can comply with your district’s Internet Safety
and Student Privacy policies by reviewing the district policies and reviewing internet safety with your
students. The teacher can discuss the importance of internet safety with the students’ parents so they are
able to follow those same policies at both home and school.

Reflective Practice: This activity contributes to students’ learning because it involves students applying their
knowledge to make observations by analyzing and evaluating. The students are given opportunities to expand
their knowledge on insects by collaborating with scientists.

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