Can Animals talk?

This activity is designed to let students collaborate and

exchange online and to have them create a
collaborative article as the final product. The
environment of Office 365 allows them to share
documents, have discussions, read instructions and
more.
Tools Used:
Learning Objectives:  Bing
 Office 365
 Microsoft Word
1) Students prepare and deliver a spoken assignment.
2) Students select the best resources to write an article. Subjects Covered:
3) Students collaborate to write an article about the Science, Reading, Writing

communication of animals. Age Range:

11-13

Time Required:
135 minutes

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 Process

Step 1:

The teacher needs to create a site on Office 365 to manage the activity. The space is only accessible to the teacher and
the group MEMBERS. Ahead of time, the teacher added an item on the NEWSFEEED, TASK description, LINKS to online
resources and shared a DOCUMENT. There is also a DISCUSSION forum.

Find out how to set up a shared team site on Office 365 or Set up a Class Website video (YouTube).

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 Essential question:
Are animals able to communicate like human beings?
The teacher organizes a Speakers’ Corner. The students who have a pet each get 2 minutes to persuade the audience
that their pet is the smartest of all.

 The students get a few minutes to prepare the activity and then try to convince the audience that their dog, cat
etc. is very clever.
 After the speeches the class votes on who has the smartest pet.
 The teacher makes a link to the subject. Are animals smart because they can communicate?
 The students work in pairs. The students find in the Office 365 space a list of about 10 quality resources
selected by the teacher. The resources all deal with communication and the language of animals. The students
read the resources (about 5 resources each) and highlight (or copy-paste in a Microsoft Word file) the parts of
the resources that can be connected in one way or another to the pets they have at home.
 The students share their thoughts with the project partner.

Step 2

The next lesson(s) focuses on collaboration in the Office 365 environment. The students have the freedom to organize
the work in the way they think it is best. The work can continue at home.

The final product of the activity is to write an article about the communication of animals. The article should contain
personal experiences with animal communication but also information coming from quality resources. The article
should give an answer to the essential question: are animals able to communicate like human beings?

 The students develop an outline for the article. They discuss the content of the Introduction, Conclusion and the

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 different paragraphs. The outline will be added as a shared document.
 In pairs, the students share the work and co-write the article.
 The text is revised and checked on spelling errors, style differences etc.
 The bibliography is added, by making use of the built-in tool to add references. Only the main resources must be
mentioned. Find out how to do this here.

Step 3:
1. Students pair up with another group to provide feedback on each other’s articles. They should be using the
teacher’s rubric to provide feedback.
2. Groups have a chance to revise and improve their paper before final publication to the Office 365 site.
3. All the articles of the class group are shared on Office 365 and as a further activity you could ask:
 The students to read each other’s articles.
 The students to vote on the best article.

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 21st Century Skills Alignment

The learning activity is assessed using 21st Century Learning Design Framework. This brings together groups of teachers
and offers a detailed set of definitions and strategies that act as a lens for the collective analysis of 21st century learning
opportunities. Read more.

21st Collaboration Knowledge Use of ICT for Real World Skilled Self-
Century Construction Learning Problem Solving Communication Regulation
Skill and Innovation

Code 4 3 4 2 3 4

 Students are  Students must  The students  Students are  Students are  This activity is
Evidence

required to synthesize the have the developing a communicating a could be

work in groups. information opportunity to solution to a set of connected considered a
 Students have from the use ICT. problem that is ideas during the long term
shared various  The ICT tools new to them. “hot seat” part of project if
responsibility resources in support the the activity. students are
 Students make order to knowledge  The students are given ample
substantive interpret if construction. required to time to write
decisions animals can  IF the student provide their papers.
together about communicate. use Office 365 to supporting  Students do
the content of  Knowledge collaborate evidence in their plan their own
the article. construction is together from final paper. work.
 Students work the main home, then the  The  If students are
is not requirement. ICT tools are communication is given time to
interdependent Students are required for not crafted for a revise based on
not required knowledge specific audience. feedback.
to apply their construction.
knowledge to  Students are not
a new designers of an
situation. ICT product.

Alignment to the U.S. Common Core State Standards (find out more here)

The learning activity meets the following U.S. Common Core State Standards

Reading Standards Grades 6-12

Key Ideas and Details

 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual
evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details
and ideas.

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Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as
well as in words.

 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as
the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the
approaches the authors take.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

 Read and comprehend complex informational texts independently and proficiently.

Speaking and Listening Standards Grades 6-12

Comprehension and Collaboration

 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building
on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the
organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Language Standards Grades 6-12

Conventions of Standard English

 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when
writing.

Knowledge of Language

 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective
choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

 Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for
reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in
gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

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Writing Standards Grades 6-12

Text Types and Purposes

 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant
and sufficient evidence.

 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately
through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details,
and well-structured event sequences.

Production and Distribution of Writing

 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.

 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge

 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.

 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each
source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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