"Because schools in the same district often share a similar curriculum, teachers can easily find joint projects, like reading the same book and hosting student conversations over Skype, that can help them construct lessons that map to academic standards."
~ Andrew Schmidt, blogger
science, meet skype...
Grade 7 Structural Science Culminating Task Lesson Plan(s)
The Marble Run Challenge!
The Marble Run Challenge!
The lesson plan outlined below presents a culminating task for the end of a Grade 7 Science - Structures & Mechanisms strand. Taken from the challenge issued over Skype Classroom by the Global School Project in Venezuela, students are asked to work in collaborative teams (ideally, cross-divisionally with Grade 3 students who have also completed their Structures & Mechanisms strand) to combine the challenge of building a creative and functional marble run while simultaneously satisfying elements of a design inquiry involving constructing a strong and stable bridge.
Skype collaboration comes into play at least twice throughout this final task. First, when the class is introduced to the Marble Run Challenge via Global School Project's Skype Classroom lesson page, and second, when groups view finished product videos that have been uploaded and shared. Additional collaboration is possible if teachers choose to coordinate reflection and debriefing discussions, pairing Canadian teams with Venezuelan teams, or meeting class to class. This Challenge could even be presented with an extended hook by starting with a Mystery Skype game!
Skype collaboration comes into play at least twice throughout this final task. First, when the class is introduced to the Marble Run Challenge via Global School Project's Skype Classroom lesson page, and second, when groups view finished product videos that have been uploaded and shared. Additional collaboration is possible if teachers choose to coordinate reflection and debriefing discussions, pairing Canadian teams with Venezuelan teams, or meeting class to class. This Challenge could even be presented with an extended hook by starting with a Mystery Skype game!
bridge_the_gap_lesson_pages.pdf | |
File Size: | 753 kb |
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Ready to dive in and create your OWN lesson to entice Skype-minded collaborators? Here you go...
“I call Skype ‘the great equalizer'. It’s good for teachers to see what’s happening in another school and get another perspective. It’s also cool for students to talk with kids they normally wouldn’t talk to.” How to find other teachers to Skype with...
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