Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Bugs under the Microscope

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

a. Ask questions to determine the sequence of the life cycle of common animals in your area: a mammal such
as a cat, dog or classroom pet, a bird such as a chicken, an amphibian such as a frog, and an insect such as a
butterfly.

d. Develop models to illustrate the unique and diverse life cycles of organisms other than humans.

Technology Standard Addressed:

7) Global Collaborator: Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by
collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.

7b) Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community
members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints.

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Bugscope

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

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom:

In this lesson students will be carefully collecting bugs at various life cycle stages. The bug most likely used
will be the butterfly as it should be the easiest to find and use. These bugs will be mailed to BugScope and the
class will engage in an online microscope observation at the given time. Students will write down their
observations at each life cycle stage. What do they see? Does the bug at that stage seem vulnerable or
protected? What is protected it or making it vulnerable? Additionally, students will be writing any
observations and answers to questions throughout the scheduled time. Additionally students will make
illustrations of each stage of the life cycle based from what they have seen. Next each student will write 2-3
sentences above each illustration of what occurs at each stage of the bugs life.The pages will be stapled
together to make a booklet that each student will turn in as a finished product. Finally each student will be
recorded in a mini iMovie or video reading their story to the teacher so the video can be uploaded via the
Seesaw App. to show parents the work of their child. This app is secure in that each video is only sent to the
child’s guardian and not posted publicly.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
Students will each need an ipad or computer to access the BugScope website to view our bugs at the assigned

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time.

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 engage in conversation with the scientists who are controlling the
microscope and to do so in real time. They can ask these scientists questions and answer any questions
these mentors may pose to them. Simultaneously the students are engaging with each other and their
teacher to make observations and illustrations of what they see.

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 be writing any observations and answers to questions throughout the scheduled time.
Additionally students will make illustrations of each stage of the life cycle based from what they have
seen. Next each student will write 2-3 sentences above each illustration of what occurs at each stage
of the bugs life. The pages will be stapled together to make a booklet that each student will turn in as
a finished product. Finally each student will be recorded in a mini iMovie or video reading their story
to the teacher so the video can be uploaded via the Seesaw App. to show parents the work of their
child. This app is secure and each video is only sent to the child’s guardian and not posted publicly.

c. Higher-order thinking:

Much of the higher order thinking will be in what questions they ask the mentors and what questions
are asked of them by the mentors. Prior to the scheduled time the class can collaborate on a list of
“harder” questions to ask the scientists. It can even be set up as a challenge to see if any of their
questions can stump the scientists. The teacher can email the scientists prior to the lesson and
encourage them to ask his/her students tough, out of the box questions. All of this will encourage
higher order thinking within the lesson.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product:

Each student is completing an illustrated narrative on the life cycle of the bug that was observed.
These completed books will be available in the class for the students to view one another's work. This
will allow students to read about aspects of the life cycle that their peers observed and noted that
maybe they did not observe or write about. This expands the whole classes knowledge of the life

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cycle of the chosen bug.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

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

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration

X Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

Engagement:

Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity: Being able to see the bugs up close and being able to find them
in order to mail them all allow for ways in which the teacher can engage the students in the relevance of bugs
and their life cycles.

Foster collaboration and community: By design the BugScope website allows for community among scientists
young and old. It offers opportunity for young budding scientists to be mentored by and collaborate with
seasoned scientists.

Representation:

Clarify vocabulary and symbols: Beforehand all necessary vocabulary terms will be defined and given.
Students needing a translated version will also be given a bilingual worksheet of all the vocabulary used in the
unit.

Activate or supply background knowledge: This is a lesson to be done at the end of a unit covering the life
cycle of bugs and animals. Students will have acquired various worksheets, notes, etc. in their notebooks to
refer to in order to help them complete the assignment.

Action and Expression:

Use multiple media for communication/Use multiple tools for construction and composition: Students are
using the website BugScope for a portion of their assignment. Additionally they are using art and writing to
create a narrative of the bug’s life cycle. Finally each student will be recorded in a mini iMovie or video
reading their story to the teacher so the video can be uploaded via the Seesaw App. to show parents the work
of their child. This app is secure in that each video is only sent to the child’s guardian and not posted publicly
in any way from the teacher.

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Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies:

In order to maintain each student’s privacy and safety the student’s will be using only the school’s iPads or
computers which already are equipped with many safety features. Prior to class the teacher will have all
computers or iPads on the BugScope website so students do not have to do any search that could lead down
a black hole on the internet. The website itself is secure and the interaction between the students and the
scientists is monitored by the teacher at all times to prevent any unwanted conversation topics. No student’s
personal information is given out via the website. The app used to send the iMovie or video to each student’s
parent or guardian is also a securely monitored app with no personal information given and only videos sent
of that child to that parent or guardian alone. Once complete, the videos will be deleted from all devices for
all students safety.

Reflective Practice:

This is a great lesson to be adapted to any upper grade levels as well. Students that are older could do
research on the life cycle of a bug of their choice and each have an individual time in which they collaborate
via BugScope with scientists about their chosen bug. Students could even prepare an interactive powerpoint
or other style presentation to be given to the class in order to teach the class about the life cycle of the bug of
their choice. In this instance the teacher will need to be extra mindful of the students safety while working
online but it can be done.

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