Online Projects, Collaboration Sites, and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Template

Name: Mrs. Reese

Grade Level: 7th
Content Area: a. Develop and defend a model that categorizes organisms based on common
characteristics.

Standards Addressed: S7L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate the
diversity of living organisms and how they can be compared scientifically.

Title of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Bugscope

URL of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity:
https://bugscope.beckman.illinois.edu/

Describe how you would use the Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in
your classroom: This online collaboration would be used as a compliment to the larger lesson
about the diversity of organisms. Insects are a free, relevant, and always present community to
study. It could be an active investigation about the kinds of insects the students could find
around the school yard. Examining the insect community around the school would be an easy
and hands on activity to help them think about the world around them and what diversity there
is. At first glance one would think there is very little diversity in a school yard. After getting out
there and investigating, much will become visible.

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

classroom? The teachers computer would be necessary as a bare minimum.

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 with this activity would consult with an
etymologist, a professional in the insect world.
b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (collecting original data and or
producing original products as a result of engaging in the project): with this
activity the students would work with an etymologist to classify their insects and
examine the physical details of the insects with a high powered microscope.
c. Higher-order thinking: higher order thinking would include classification of insect
types and examination of differences in physical structures of the insects.
d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their
product: their finished insect classification project could be published on the class
blog and visible to family through a password protected site. It could also be
published and posted in the classroom or hallway at school.

Bloom’s Level of Critical Thinking Required (check all that apply):

See http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating CREATING

1
What Level of Technology Implementation best describes this learning activity and Why? Level 3
Infusion, as the students would use the computer to move the microscope at the institute and
then they could chart or graph their date onto spread sheets and make bubble charts linking life
forms relations.
How could you implement this proposed learning experience and still comply with your district’s
Internet Safety and Student Privacy policies? The teacher would check with the administrator
first and also get parental consent. The teacher should regularly discuss internet safety and
monitor the students online activity.