Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: World War II

Content Area: Social Studies
Grade Level(s): 5th
Content Standard Addressed: SS5H4: Explain America's involvement in World War II

Technology Standard Addressed: 6 – Creative Communicator

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Google Docs and Google Slides

URL(s) to support the lesson:

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

This activity I most appropriate after the students have learned about WWII and how it has affected the
United States. This activity will be used anecdotally to see where some students have improved and where
some students might need some help. Additionally, this activity will emphasize the importance of working in a
group and dividing efforts equally among classmates to achieve a higher academic goal and work efficiently
with technology.

Google docs would be used in my classroom to facilitate student learning. Student would collaborate on a
topic before a test to essentially make a study guide. Students have the ability to discuss an array of concepts
under the general domain of America’s involvement in WWII, allowing them room for creativity and
innovation. Their understanding of these topics and concepts will be extended by taking the information that
was put into Google Docs and later making Google Slides presentation. The students will have voice and
choice by being able to choose which subtopic their Google Slides Presentation is about. This presentation
can then be downloaded into a different format and later posted onto a classroom blog, or even YouTube, to
allow the student’s work to reach beyond the 4 walls of the classroom.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
A tablet or computer would be most effective for this activity.
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: Google docs allows for up to 50 users to collaborate on the same document simultaneously.
Also, because Google is rather accessible, students are able to work on this outside of the classroom,
and even publish their work.

b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): Students are able to choose which subtopic they would
like to focus on and what would be included in their Google Slides presentation.

c. Higher-order thinking: Students will be prompted to examine and question the actions and
involvement of the United States in WW2.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: Students will
be asked to post their work on the classroom blog for all students to see. Should their project be well-
produced (and with parental permission) the students can post their product on the class YouTube
channel.

Spring 2018_SJB
 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
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
☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Google Docs is universally designed in various ways. First, for those that
have trouble reading, text can be read to them or even simplified. Secondly, for those that have trouble
concentrating on a single idea, they can highlight text and make citations. Additionally, Google Docs has a
voice typing feature, making it rather user friendly.
Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies: Prior to this activity the teacher will review the
school’s internet safety policies and be sure to explain them efficiently the students. The students will be told
to only provided academic content in their presentations and to only use first names. Should they include
pictures and/or videos, they will be taught how to properly give citations. Additionally, the teacher will
monitor all student work.

Reflective Practice:
I feel as though this lesson impacts student learning significantly because it is more student-led. The teacher
has the ability to facilitate and scaffold by asking higher order thinking questions, but most of the
responsibility is the students. This lesson was designed with the intent to encapsulate al that was learned at
the end of a unit. The extension of this activity would be to create the Google Slides presentation. I cannot
think of any other technologies that might enhance this project.

Spring 2018_SJB