Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Germination Exploration

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.
b. Plan and carry out an investigation of the life cycle of a plant by growing a plant from a seed and
by recording changes over a period of time

Technology Standard Addressed: 3 –Knowledge Constructor, 6 – Creative Communicator

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Online Project - Kidsgardening,

Publishing site: Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter

URL(s) to support the lesson: https://kidsgardening.org/lesson-plans-germination-exploration/

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom: Using an online project, I am able to open my classroom beyond the four walls of school. My
students are able to use the online resource Kidgardening.com to aid in their understanding of seed
germination. As a teacher, I can use this website to find ideas that are engaging for my students and produce
a product that will create original results. Students are able to publish their findings under this websites
through Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
Computer, digital camera
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 can collect date and write a blog with their findings. The class can send tweets
through twitter. Students will publish findings on Kidpub.

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 data on the germination of seeds of
different ages, different types of plants and the conditions in which the seeds were planted.

c. Higher-order thinking: Students are able to draw conclusion

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: Picture
throughout the process on Kidgardending’s Instagram and Pinterest.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

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

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

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

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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): This lesson provides multiple means of engagement for the student.
They are able to choose what they want their project to look like. Students are able to collaborate with other
students about their findings throughout the project. Students will be able to document the progression
through journaling and pictures and share them via social media like Instagram and pinterest.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies:

I DO: Create background knowledge – I will ask, “Do you remember where plants come from?” “What are
the stages a seed?” “What do you think are some reason why seeds may not germinate?” “Does age matter?
Types of planting material?” “Do you think different plants germinate at different rates?”
Will explain to the class about the Scientific process and how it starts with a hypothesis.
Description of project: Students will plant different types of plants and compare germination rate.
Students will plant seeds of different age and compare germination rate.
Students will plant seeds in different planting material and compare germination
Rate.
Students will choose one of the projects and create a hypothesis statement.
Will explain to the student they will need to keep a journal of their process and the documents finding.
We will be taking pictures throughout the process as visual documentation. Finding will be shared via
Instagram and Pinterest (kidsgardening) and twitter.

You Do: Students will choose a project. Students will create a hypothesis and write it in their journal.
Students will write out their steps. Students will write a journal entry daily and take a picture to document.

We Do: As a class, students will pick their seeds and plant them according to their choice in project. Teacher
will take pictures of the process.

The class will discuss their hypothesis and I will write them on chart paper so we can refer back to them at the
end of this unit.

Since we are planning on sharing pictures and publishing our findings, I will go over internet safety. I will
remind the students they should never share personal information with anyone they meet on the internet.
When taking pictures to post, I as a teacher will not post a picture of a student without first the approval from
my administration and parents. If a student feels uncomfortable with having their picture taken, I will take
picture without using faces.

Reflective Practice: This lesson can be built upon in many different ways. It could lead into a history lesson
and talk about how explorer transported seeds from one place to another.
If the seeds the students used were vegetable seeds, they could design a garden to plant their seeds and
document the whole process from seed, growth, harvest, and seed again. The students could create a
proposal to the principal of the school to create a school garden. They could use the information they have
gained so far to write the proposal and how it will help other students within the school learn about science
and how it affects them.

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