Classroom Blog and Website Creation Tools

Lesson Idea Name: April Showers Bring May Flowers!

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 1st Grade

Content Standard Addressed:

S1E1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate weather data to identify weather patterns.

c. Plan and carry out investigations on current weather conditions by observing, measuring with simple
weather instruments (thermometer, wind vane, rain gauge), and recording weather data
(temperature, precipitation, sky conditions, and weather events) in a periodic journal, on a calendar,
and graphically.

Technology Standard Addressed: Knowledge Constructor

Selected Technology Tool:

☒ Blog ☐ Wiki ☐ Other: Website Creation Tool (list):

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

https://www.brainpop.com/science/weather/weather/
http://eashworth16.edublogs.org

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):

Engagement: This lesson supports multiple means of engagement by putting students in cooperative learning
groups. This supports collaboration and community among students. The students will be provided with clear
goals, roles, and responsibilities in their groups. Grouping students encourages opportunities for peer
interaction. Feedback will be provided for each group of students that will emphasize effort and
improvement, supporting multiple means of engagement.
Representation: This lesson supports multiple means of representation by offering alternatives for auditory
information. In this activity, the teacher creates an audio file and uploads it to the classroom blog. This
supports English learners and auditory learners by providing an alternative method of receiving auditory
information. This lesson is illustrated through multiple media as well. The introductory video and the graph
that is created both present concepts in an alternative form of representation.
Action and Expression: This lesson supports multiple means of action and expression by using multiple media
for communication. The videos that the students create will be uploaded to the classroom blog. The teacher
will provide feedback on their videos by commenting on their videos on the blog. Multiple tools for
construction and composition will be used as well. The students will be provided with sentence starters if
needed. They will also receive an outlining tool when creating their video.
Lesson idea implementation:
As an introduction to the lesson, the teacher will show a BrainPop video to the class. After the video, we
will take the quiz as the class as a quick review and formative assessment. Over the course of the week, the
teacher will take the students outside and ask them to investigate the characteristics of the weather. Each
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time they identify a new weather condition, they will create an anchor chart using specific characteristics.
These anchor charts will be displayed around the room for students to reference. Next, the teacher will split
the class up into 3 or 4 small groups. Each group will receive a rain gauge, wind vane, and thermometer. The
teacher will model how to use each weather instrument. The class will go outside and practice using these
instruments. As students use the instruments, they will record their results. Next, each group will be assigned
a different weather condition, including sunny, windy, rainy, and snowy. Based on the weather condition
assigned, the group will become meteorologists and create a script explaining the weather condition, using a
weather instrument, and recording data on a graph. Students will have access to sentence strips and outlining
tools when creating their script if needed. Once each group’s script is complete and approved by the teacher,
they will record their video. Each video will be uploaded to the class blog for students to see. Student learning
will be assessed through their recordings of weather data and characteristics. If their recordings are accurate
based on the weather condition they were assigned, they have demonstrated understanding.
In order to extend this lesson to a higher learning level, the teacher will ask each student in the class to
create a weather journal. For each day in the month of April, they will record weather data such as
temperature, weather events, sky conditions, and precipitation. At the end of the month of April, they will
bring in their weather journals. As a class, they will create a weather graph using the Microsoft Excel graphing
application. Based on this graph, the students will be able to see basic weather patterns such as temperature,
precipitation, and weather events that happened throughout the month of April. We will upload this graph to
the classroom blog for parents and family to see. In order to conclude this lesson, students will choose one
day in their weather journal and write a few sentences about the weather conditions on that specific day.
Each student will stand up and share with the class. In order to provide feedback to students, I will be able to
comment on their videos on the blog. I will identify their strengths, ask them questions, and give constructive
feedback.

Importance of technology:
In this specific project, a website-creation tool is very important to utilize. While this project could be
completed without technology, it would not be as integrative or efficient. If this technology was not used,
students would not be able to upload their projects for other students, parents, and families to see. This
would majorly decrease parental and familial involvement in the lesson. Teachers would not be able to give
students feedback on their videos via the blog.
Other types of technology used in the learning experience include Instructional Software and Basic
Productivity Tools. Students are using Instructional Software by watching the BrainPop video in the
introductory part of the lesson. Students are using Basic Productivity Tools by creating a graph of the month
of April’s weather patterns using Microsoft Excel.
Inspiration (optional): N/A
Internet Safety and Student Privacy:
One concern surrounding Internet safety and student privacy that could arise throughout this lesson might be
utilizing the classroom blog. Parents and administrators might fear that student privacy can be invaded by
having their videos posted on their blog. This can be alleviated by ensuring that any content containing
student photos, videos, or work is password protected. The password will be given to parents and guardians
only and will be changed periodically throughout the school year. The teacher also must receive permission
from all parents/guardians before videoing students and uploading videos to the classroom blog. Using
password protection on the classroom blog and receiving permission slips from parents and guardians will
ensure that the teacher follows the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The teacher will
constantly monitor students as they complete the project on the computers, which will follow the Children’s
Internet Privacy Act (CIPA).
Reflective Practice:
I believe the activities I have created would have a positive impact on student learning. Students are able to
get hands-on experience using weather tools and record specific data using these tools. They also are able to
observe weather patterns and use this information to make predictions, assumptions, and conclusions. This

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activity requires students to collaborate and work together in creating a product relating to the content area.
In order to further extend this project, the teacher could reach out to parents and family to see if there are
any meteorologists willing to come in and speak to the class about weather. If not, the teacher could reach
out to local news stations and see if there are any meteorologists who could Skype into the classroom and
talk about their job. Other technology tools that could further enhance this project would be Microsoft Office
Excel and EduBlogs.

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