VIRTUAL PENPAL LESSON PLAN

1. Topic & Audience:

In the lesson we will be focusing on the cultural differences between two countries and how
those differences affect and reflect the recycling habits of said countries.
- Recycling: How do different countries compare and contrast in the ways they recycle
We will be communicating with another fifth grade class in India via the ePals website.
https://www.epals.com/#/connections
2. Objective Statements:
Students should be able to…
Objectives:
1. Analyze the differences in recycling practices in their country and someone else’s
country.
2. Think critically about the information they collect from their pen pals.
3. Interpret the information they collect from their pen pals in order to better understand
the culture of the country their pen pals are from.
4. Effectively communicate with the partners and pen pals

3. Outcomes/Assessment (Student product - acceptable evidence for objectives)

● Students will create a Venn Diagram of the information they have collected during this
lesson. They will then include the information they’ve learned, and the Venn Diagram,
in their final presentation they will make at the end of the PBL unit.
● Students will organize the information they’ve collected from their pen pals and create
a Venn Diagram. They will use the diagram to display the similarities and differences
that they have found between their country and the country of their pen pal.

Formative Assessments:
- After each round of questions and responses the teacher will ask the students to
assess both the question they asked and the response they got. They will be asked if
their question elicited the information they were looking for, if they thought they
could’ve asked the question differently, if what they think the response they got is
applicable to the question they asked, and will end with a mini brainstorm for the
student so they can decide which question they want to ask next.

Summative Assessment:
- The summative assessment will be the Venn Diagram each student creates. The
teacher will check for a proper Venn Diagram as well as information organized
accurately within the diagram.
4. Standards:

ISTE Standards:
● 6a Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired
objectives of their creation or communication
● 2b Students engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using
technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices.
● 3d Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems,
developing ideas, and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.

Common Core:
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic
and convey ideas and information clearly
● W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge
through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
● W.5.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from
print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished
work, and provide a list of sources.

5. Timeframe:
● This lesson will take place after the students have done group research on information
regarding recycling. The students will know who regulates recycling, what is recycling,
when can things be recycled, where do recyclables go, why do we recycle, and how
many people recycle before they communicate with students in India. The students
having this prior knowledge will allow them to talk with the other students in a
knowledgeable manner. This lesson will last 5 days, but the lesson will not go in
consecutive order since the students will have to wait on responses from the
corresponding class.

6. Learning Activities & Procedure:

Procedure:
We are thinking about this being a 5 day lesson. The first day will be introducing the
lesson. We also are introducing the pen pal website that we eventually choose, and
teaching them how to use it. Then explaining how at the end of the lesson they will be
creating a venn diagram so they should be note taking during the conversations with
their pen pal. We then will be explaining some of the guiding questions that we created
to give them an idea of the questions they can ask. At the end of the first day they will
 be asking their pen pal’s their first question. For day 2, 3, and 4 they will have to ask at
least one question and take notes each day. For day 5 they will be creating their venn
diagram. They will then present it. If extra time is needed because of technology or
communication issues it will be given.

Delivery:

The teacher will be communicating with the teacher of the other class and figure out
the best time of each day for the students to communicate. The teacher’s will make
sure the students are able to read and answer their pen pal’s questions eac day. The
students are given some guiding questions on day one, and are able to use the internet
to look up more guiding questions if needed. They can't copy the questions they find
but are allowed to use them as guiding questions. Their questions should go into detail
to find the answers to complete their venn diagram about the difference and similarities
on recycling between their country and their pen pal’s question. At the end of the
lesson they should be presenting what they found about similarities and differences in
the recycling process between them and their pen pal’s. The teacher should be
monitoring the students' questions every day. The teacher also should be constantly
checking in with students on their progress. This may be through one on one check
ups, or walk around monitoring.

**7. Technology

Since this lesson will be focused heavy on technology, the students will be doing
almost everything through technology. For communication purposes we are still
deciding on which website is the best way for the students to communicate through.
Here are a couple options that we are thinking of.

PenPal: http://www.penpalworld.com
Global Penfriends: https://www.globalpenfriends.com
InterPals: https://www.interpals.net

Students will also be creating a venn diagram at the end of the week. They will be
doing this after their communication with their pen pals are done. The students will
either be allowed to create this venn diagram on paper or through a website that they
think is the best. They will be presenting this once they are finished. Some of the
options for online they can use are:

Venn Diagram Maker:

https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/examples/venn_diagram_maker
Visme: https://www.visme.co/venn-diagram-maker/
 Prezi: https://prezi.com

Students will not be penalized if technology fails on them. There will be time allowed for
students if they need to learn a learning curve with certain technology that they may choose.
Students should always ask for help from the teacher if they need help with technology.
Students will not need access to the technology at home, because all of the technology will be
provided during school hours, so the lesson will be fully completed in class time. In order to
embrace and learn from ISTE Standard 2 students will learn valuable lessons through this
lesson when it comes to communication within technology. Students will learn how to connect
with people within the technology world. Students will also be learning how to appropriately
talk to people even though it's online. Students will also learn how to choose a reliable and
safe website to communicate with people.

8. Rubric:

Resource: https://rubric-maker.com/

9. Sample of high-quality student work:

This is what the pen pal website looks like and there was even a section during earth day for
recycling. This question above is where students would get their information from. They would
be able to answer this and then look through all the other responses from students across the
world.
I expect students to say responses such as:
● I see plastic in bottles and straws that we use at lunch. One way we can reduce this
plastic is to not drink our milk with straws and just out of the carton. We could also use
a colorful water bottle so that we can use it more than once.
● We see plastic on pop bottles in the supermarket. We also know that there is plastic in
bubble wrap when we get packages. In order to reduce this plastic consumption, we
can return pop cans in the can return at Walmart or Meijer. For bubble wrap we can
reuse it when we send someone a package.
10. Accessibility:
Students that have IEP’s or other individualized programs will still be able to complete this
project. Some of the extra help that could be provided would be to make groups that have
students that are in general education classes with students that may not be to provide a
different kind of support system. Along with this, students that do have an IEP, or other
problems, may need extra support such as a paraprofessional; In this case, the
paraprofessional could be another resource in asking guiding questions to further along the
thinking process. The needs of these students can be accounted for also by splitting up all the
students with IEP’s or other programs into different groups so that they can be able to grow as
well as their peers. Since this project is more of a prepared idea the project could be worked
on in school a day or two early to prepare them with the idea that this is long term and all of
the other conflicts that could occur. Another idea could be to have their deadlines be a rough
draft instead of a final so that they can have it be looked over with the rest of the group to get
feedback from the teacher.