Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: BUG BLOG

Content Area: Science

Grade Level(s): 5th

Content Standard Addressed: S5L4. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about how
microorganisms benefit or harm larger organisms.

Technology Standard Addressed: 4

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Bugscope

URL(s) to support the lesson: https://bugscope.beckman.illinois.edu/

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom? The
materials required would be a camera, a computer, and a microscope.

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:
Bugscope allows students to send in their questions on an insect or microscopic organisms around the
world and have experts answer them and let you see live footage of the insects and use a digital
microsce to learn and see more about it. This lets the students collaborate with experts around the
world.

b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): This is students centered learning because the student
does research dn find an insect of their interest and goes and submits it to Bugscope to learn more.

c. Higher-order thinking: This is higher-order thinking because the students get to go beyond their basic
knowledge on things we see very day (flies, beetles, spiders, eat.) and get to discover new, unordinary
creators.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: This website
can publish what the students send it, and their discovery. The insect the student picks and learns
about can be published for others to see.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐ Remembering ☐ Understanding ☐ Applying X Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):
☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion X Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): This assignment does meet the qualifications for the UDL. There are
ways for the student to do their project with many other tools. There are many reading and writing online
tools, for ELL students.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies: Since this web base is created for students, it is
internet safe. I would encourage only using given sites for research and teach the students about internet
safety. Although this website, it 100% safe for children.

Reflective Practice: I think to further this lesson I would a second activity to this assignment. I would make a
class blog and allow the students to type about their bug and the information they gained from the
researchers. This allows other students to view what each kid in my class learned. It also provides the students
a sense of confidence and pride knowing their work is published to the web.

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