LESSON IDEA: WEBSITE-CREATION TOOLS

Name: Meghan Goodall

Directions: Using the template below, describe how students could use a blog, wiki, or other websitecreation tool to learn required learning standards in your content area: For an A grade provide an idea that
reaches a Level of Technology Implementation of 4 or above. Remember higher levels (4-6) require that
students assume adult/professional roles; engage in higher-order thinking; and use technology
create/publish original content for their classmates and/or others beyond their school/classroom. The
learning activities and products should be engaging and meaningful to the students and to others who will
view/use/benefit from students work. Review your handouts on Engaged Learning, Authenticity, and LoTi.
Grade Level: 4th grade
Content Area: Social Studies and Language Arts
Technology Used (check all that apply):
Blog
Wiki
Content Area/Grade/Standards/Topics Addressed:

Other Website Creation Tool (list):

SS4H6 The student will explain westward expansion of America between 1801 and
1861. Part A Describe territorial expansion with emphasis on the Louisiana Purchase, the
Lewis and Clark expedition, and the acquisitions of Texas (the Alamo and
independence), Oregon (Oregon Trail), and California (Gold Rush and the
development of mining towns).
ELACC4RI3 Key Ideas and Details: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical,
scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
ELACC4RI9 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Integrate information from two texts on the same topic
in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
ELACC4RI10 Range of Reading and Complexity of Text: By the end of year, read and comprehend
informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 45 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as necessary at the high end of the range.
ELACC4W3 Text Types and Purposes: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events
using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
ELACC4W4 Production and Distribution of Writing: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
ELACC4W6 Production and Distribution of Writing: With some guidance and support from adults, use
technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with
others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single
sitting.
ELACC4W7 Research to Build and Present Knowledge: Conduct short research projects that build
knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
ELACC4W9 Research to Build and Present Knowledge: Draw evidence from literary or informational
texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Brief Description of Learning Experience: After spending time learning about the Oregon Trail as a
class, students will conduct their own research on the topic. They will use their research to create a diary
that will be posted to our classroom blog for others to view and learn from. Students will pretend that they
are traveling on the Oregon Trail and the diary entries will tell about their journey along the way. The
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LESSON IDEA: WEBSITE-CREATION TOOLS

students will use factual information they have retrieved from their research to mix in with their imaginary
journey. The teacher will be available for assistance when needed and will be monitoring the students work
throughout the entire process. Students will have multiple class periods to work on the research and project,
but will also be working on it from home on their own or with the help of their parents.
Blooms Level of Critical Thinking Required (check all that apply):
See http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating
Student Engagement: The engagement level of this activity would be very high. Students would be
working on may standards using one project and will be challenged to research information and use it in
their finished product. It gives the students a chance to be an explorer, teacher, and a producer. The teacher
will facilitate and guide the students along the way, but students would be doing the bulk of the work all on
their own.
Level of Technology Implementation (LoTi): This would be fall into the integration LoTi level because
students are using technology to conduct their research and create their project. All levels of Blooms
Taxonomy will be addressed in the lesson and students are discovering information on their own.
Importance of technology: This project could be completed without using technology by having students
use books for their research and making a diary by hand. In my opinion, it would be a more effective
project to do online because it is giving the students an opportunity to learn about how to research online
and giving them a chance to publish their work for others to see and learn from.
Inspiration (optional):

Internet Safety and Student Privacy: To ensure internet safety for the students, they will be using school
computers which only allow access to school-approved websites. At home, they will have the help of
parents to be sure they do not enter into an inappropriate website. The students will be encouraged to use a
fake name for their character, or use just their first name. The teacher would also be able to create a
password that must be entered in order to view their classroom blog. This would keep an outside parties
from viewing the works of students.
Describe your personal learning goal for this activity. I hope that this activity will get students excited
about learning the content. I also hope that having the opportunity to create an original product will help
students to learn and retain the information they research.
Other comments about your proposed activity: