Kindergarten Science Wiki Activity
Source: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp
This scholastic site is great. You can view activities by Grade & Subject. The wiki activity I chose is underneath and it is science related. Please read below:
After selecting the science activity, I chose the online bug field trip below. Online Bug Field Trip (2-3 Day Length of Activity). As a group we would visit Internet Field Trips. My students will visit image sites in the field trip, such as the Entomology Image Gallery . We would point out names of bugs, their habits, and habitats. We would go to the following website and each student would be give time to select a ‘bug’ (I would collect this data) and assist with posting them on our classroom wiki. The Skill Focus of the assignment are: Have students learned anything new about bugs? Can they describe characteristics that organize bugs into separate categories? Add students' responses to a classroom created K-W-L poster then post the results on our wiki! http://www.ent.iastate.edu/ -
After seeing pictures of a bug, exploration field trip, I would organize to have students go out into the playground/field to ‘explore’ the surroundings and see if any bugs can be found. This would be a class activity and we would organize a time when students can focus and there are not other students out. We can also request the use of grade appropriate magnifying glasses from the science teacher. I want to teach the student on appropriate use of science equipment and how we handle things with care. We will then take pictures and post them to our classroom blog- along with the new and informative images we find on the Iowa State Entomology Site. For such activities parents are always invited to edit our findings on our wiki and view our classroom blog and wiki for this exercise. I will also ask students to explore their ‘home’ backyards or nearby parks and bring a picture of bugs they found and we can add further items to our wiki. During reading time, I will add a book to our reading about bugs with a lot of illustrations and pictures. This project will take us about 2-3 days.
An interactive internet game for our wiki assignment.
One of the specimens on the Iowa State Site.
An Online Zoo Visit also from Iowa State.
I really like the use of the asignment for two reasons. First, the students must become researchers and look up specific information online. This aids the students in knowing how to effectively use web resources. Second, the students are posting to a college website. I know that when I challenge my students with high school science and math problems, you can see their confidence rise whether or not they got them correct. By having students post to a college site will increase their confidence and self esteem tremendously. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think the wiki provides a great opportunity for students to virtually take a field trip without physically having to. Students can also take virtual tours of places around the world. How great would it be for students to virtually visit Spain through videos, podcasts, and actual interviews with Spanish students. I think including Skype would be beneficial as well. For example, students may have a project in which they are to find certain facts of a particular country. By using Skype our students can actually get in touch with and have a conversation with a student from that country. Why read the material from a book when you can actually speak with someone wh lives there? Wow!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea for using a wiki in grade school, I could really see Kindergarten loving this. Thank you for the sites and information. I love learning about bugs!
ReplyDelete