Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Life Cycles

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 2nd Grade
Content Standard Addressed:
S2L1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the life cycles of different living organisms.

Technology Standard Addressed: Knowledge Constructor

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

URL(s) to support the lesson: https://journeynorth.org/

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom:
I would use the online project, Journey North, to study the life cycle of the monarch butterflies. This is one of
the most basic life cycles and a great introduction to the topic of life cycles. With this online project, the
students will be able to learn about the migration patterns of the monarch butterfly from the winter months
to the spring. The students can put this information onto a map, so they can see it on a larger scale and really
track where these butterflies are moving during the year. Then, when we actually see a monarch butterfly, we
can record this onto the Journey North website for others to see where the butterfly is at a specific time.

Through the use of this website, we can also track the life cycle of a butterfly. We can see what others have
posted about the life cycle and we can record our data too. The students can reach out to the other students
from around North America to see what they might be seeing during these months as well. Also, this site
allows you to reach out to scientists, so the students can ask them any questions that they may have. We
could use the information that we have gathered from this website and talking to others around the world
and create a project about all of our findings to share on the website and even on a classroom blog.
What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
To complete this learning activity, we would need access to computers to do our research. We would also
need tools to collect our data and record it, so we could also use iPads, since they are mobile.
Describe how the following features are addressed in this learning experience:
a. Collaboration with peers, near-peers, mentors outside their classroom and often beyond their
school: The students will be able to talk with their peers inside the classroom, but they will also be able
to connect with other students and scientists from all over North America. Students from all over will
also be able to access the data that we input and use it for their own research. To take it a step further,
we could write letters to the scientists or students to have a more direct line of communication.
b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): The students would be collecting their own data about
the environment and how the weather affects the life cycle or habits of the butterfly. They would then
be posting this data to the website for others to see.
c. Higher-order thinking: This lesson presents higher order thinking because the students are collecting
their own data and analyzing it. They will also be looking at other student’s data and comparing it.
They will also be looking at the migration map and tracking where the butterflies are moving. They will
have to use this data to figure out where the butterflies are going.
d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: The students
will be uploading their own data that they have collected to an online database and scientists and
students from all over North America will be able to look at it and use it. The data will be used to track
other butterflies and where they are moving.

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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):
☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

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):

This lesson supports Universal Design for Learning because students are collecting data in the way that est
suits them. Then, they are talking to other students to find out about the migration and life cycles of the
monarch butterflies. This supports UDL because EL can connect with others from around the world to
compare the information that they have gathered and communicate in their home language.
Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies:
Journey North is a well trusted and known website that has been used by educators and students for years.
This site allows students to safely communicate with other students and scientists from around the world.
The students do not have to use their own names and no personal information is needed either, which makes
this a safe website for students.
Reflective Practice:
This lesson impacts student learning because it is being taken outside of the classroom. Students are
collecting their own data and collaborating with scientists and other students from around the world to track
the migration of these butterflies. This project could be used as an introduction to the topic of life cyles and
the migrations of animals and the students can refer to this project when they are researching the
information for other animals.

Spring 2018_SJB