Lesson Idea Name: Knowing Your Neighbor

Content Area: Social Studies

Grade Level(s): 8
Content Standard Addressed:
SS8G10 Describe selected cultural characteristics of Europe

Technology Standard Addressed:

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: epals.com, powerpoint

URL(s) to support the lesson: epals.com

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom: Students will connect with a foreign student on epals.com. There will be a list of European
countries students can choose from and then they will connect with a student from that chosen country. They
will then create a series of questions about that student’s culture, religion, government, geography etc. in
their home country.
This is a way for students to learn about the social studies of that specific country from the perspective of
someone their own age. They will then create an online brochure or PowerPoint of all the information they
learned from the student along with online research to present to the class at the end of the year.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
Epals.com, internet access, and powerpoint

Describe how the following features are addressed in this learning experience (note: all of them may not be
addressed in the project, but most should be if you are reaching a high LoTi Level).
a. Collaboration with peers, near-peers, mentors outside their classroom and often beyond their
school: Students will be interviewing other European students via epals.com They will learn about
that student’s cultures, religion, etc.

b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): The original product created will be a PowerPoint
presentation on the information they have learned from the abroad student.

c. Higher-order thinking: The higher order thinking would be to create compelling and interesting
questions for the international student and to create a meaningful and imformative powerpoint.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: Students
can publish their powerpoints on the classroom blog for others to view.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☒ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level): (Select the best level)

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

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 Universal Design for Learning (UDL):
Engagement: Students will ne engaged by creating thoughtful interview questions and communicating with
foreign students.
Representation: Students can use low tech and high tech tools in order to create differentiation.
Action and Expression: Students can express their opinions on what they have learned from the foreign
student and express that in their presentation.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies: Epals is a safe website for students to use, but
they will have to sign a safety contract in order to communicate with the foreign students.

Reflective Practice: This is a great lesson for students to learn about how other foreign students their age live
and learn in their country. It is a great way for students to gain perspective in an engaging and responsive
way. It is also important for students to create their own interview questions, that way they can learn what
they are interested in!

Spring 2018_SJB