Telecollaborative Project Lesson Plan

Instructors Name: Mary Forgione Grade: First (Above-Grade Level)

Lesson Intent: This lesson will connect your classroom with a classroom from a different location
using Skype. Students will ask and answer yes/no questions to help each class determine the state
and county of the other school. The first school to guess correctly wins! Once the location of both
schools has been determined through research, teamwork through assigned roles, and knowledge of
Social Studies objectives, each class will ask and answer questions to compare and contrast the
human and physical characteristics of both counties.

1. Essential Question(s):
- Where is the other classroom located?
- How can I use my knowledge of the cardinal directions on a compass to pin-point a location?
- How can I use a map to help me pin-point a location?
- Are human characteristics the same or different in each location?
- Are physical characteristics the same or different in each location?

2. Learning Objectives/Goals:
- I can communicate with another class using Skype.
- I can use the cardinal directions on a compass to pin-point a location.
- I can interpret a map and use it to help me pin-point a location.
- I can use Google Maps and Google Earth.
- I can ask and answer questions.
- I can compare and contrast human characteristics in two locations.
- I can compare and contrast physical characteristics in two locations.
- I can complete my assigned role in the Mystery Skype.

3. Assessment/Evidence of Learning:
After the Mystery Skype is over, the class will reflect on each students role. The class will provide
feedback to each student on what they did well and what they can do better next time.

After reflecting on the effectiveness of the Mystery Skype, students will independently complete a
Google Form quiz (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAO-i0rsbdzv13-0CLvahsezcBb-
q0VmNNHdkk9gTrMe37tQ/viewform?usp=sf_link). On the quiz, students will show knowledge of
learned physical characteristics from the other schools county and apply understanding of cardinal
directions. Students will also have the opportunity to give the teacher feedback on the lesson by
answering questions about resources used and questions asked/engagement level.

4. Materials/Resources:
- Internet access
- Skype account
- Webcam
- Microphone
- Laptops (1 per student)
- 2 digital cameras/ iPads with cameras
- Laminated maps of the United States
- Access to Google Maps and Google Earth
5. Lesson Development and Procedures:
1) Students will be engaged by being asked to make a prediction about where the class could be
from. Students will use their maps of the United States to familiarize themselves with some possible
locations.
2) The instructor will connect the Mystery Skype call to the other class. The classes will wave to
each other and the two Greeters will introduce the class. The Greeters will then ask the first
question provided on the collaborative Google Document.
3) While the Greeters ask the first question, one Data Enterer will gray out the question on the
Google Spreadsheet (to communicate to the class that is has already been asked) while another
Data Enterer types the given answer into the same box. After the answer is given, all students/
Researchers will work together to X out states that do not fit the criteria on their laminated maps.
(Researchers will continue working to add questions to ask to the Google Document that take the
answers to previous questions into account.)
4) One Questioner, or pair of Questioners will then walk up to the computer and ask the other
class another yes/no question from the Google Document. Each time a question is chosen from the
Google Document, the Transferrer will copy the question from the collaborative document to the
Google Spreadsheet.
5) After no more than 2 initial questions and 2 initial follow-up questions, the Signers will hold up
the Your Turn sign so that other class knows to ask their first questions.
6) When the other class asks their questions, all the students/ Researchers will use their maps,
Google Maps, Google Earth, and/or compasses to research the answer to the question. Once the
class verbally agrees to the answer, they will inform an Answer-Giver.
7) The Answer-Givers will walk up to the computer to answer the question. The Data Enterers
will continue to gray out asked questions and record the answers to each question.
8) These steps will repeat until each class has correctly identified the state in which the other class
lives in. The class will circle the state on their laminated maps.
9) Once both state have been identified, all Researchers will type the other schools state into
Google Maps. Students will begin thinking about which county the other school could be in.
10) Again, the questioning and answering process will repeat until each school has correctly
identified the other schools county.
11) After the correct county has been identified for both schools, the Greeters will then share the
name of the school.
12) The instructor will facilitate a brainstorm by asking the class to look their maps and think about
the following questions:
- Do you think the other schools county has the exact same or different physical characteristics than
we do?
- Do you think the other schools county has the exact same or different human characteristics than
we do?
Students will raise their hands to share their thoughts.
13) The Signers will then hold up the sign to the other class that says Human Characteristics.
The Questioners will use the questions in the Google document under the Human
Characteristics tab to ask the other class about the human characteristics that are in their county.
The classes will take turn until each class has correctly identified and recorded 5-10 human
characteristics.
14) The same process will, again, repeat as students ask and input data about the physical
characteristics in each county.
15) The Questioners will then ask:
- Which human characteristics that we identified are the same?
- Which human characteristics that we identified are different?
- Which physical characteristics that we identified are the same?
- Which physical characteristics that we identified are different?
16) The Closers will thank the other class and what they learned from the Mystery Skype.
Everyone will wave goodbye to the other class as the instructor closes the session.

6. Questioning and Discussion Techniques:

- Is that a good question to ask given what we already know about the other class location?
- How are you using your compass to help you?
- How are you using your map to help you?
- Is that human characteristic the same or different than here in Howard County?
- Is that physical characteristic the same or different than here in Howard County?
- Are all human characteristics the same in every state?
- Are all physical characteristics the same in every state?

7. Lesson Closure Notes:

After the session has been completed, students will be asked to take 10 minutes to write about their
Mystery Skype experience. Several students can read what they wrote to the class. The class will
then reflect on each students role. The class will provide feedback to each student on what they did
well and what they can do better next time. The Google Form assessment will be completed.