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1st Grade  Project 1 week

Canva & Seesaw: Creative Tech Adventures!

Elizabeth Y
1-LS1-2
Productive Collaborator
Empowered Learner
Effective Communicator
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Purpose

The purpose of this learning experience is to engage first-grade students in understanding animal survival behaviors through hands-on, collaborative, and digital storytelling activities. By integrating technology tools like Canva and Seesaw, students will creatively present their knowledge, fostering skills in communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. This project-based approach not only meets academic standards but also cultivates a deeper connection with the natural world, encouraging students to explore, inquire, and share their insights with diverse audiences.

Learning goals

Students will explore and understand the patterns of behavior between animal parents and their offspring that aid in survival, using digital tools to creatively present their findings. They will work collaboratively to engage in discussions, actively listen, and contribute to group projects, fostering positive relationships and empathy. Additionally, students will develop skills in effectively communicating their ideas through digital media, enhancing their ability to share information with diverse audiences.
Standards
  • 1-LS1-2 - Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
Competencies
  • Productive Collaborator - Engages with others to achieve a common goal through building positive relationships, actively listening, showing empathy, and making individual contributions to a larger group.
  • Empowered Learner - Demonstrates mastery and application of academic competencies. Develops the skills and dispositions to persist through difficulties and plan for a future of self-improvement.
  • Effective Communicator - Engages diverse audiences respectfully by exchanging ideas and information responsibly, listening actively, speaking and writing clearly, and using print and digital media appropriately.

Products

Throughout the week, students will collaboratively create digital storybooks using Seesaw, showcasing the survival behaviors of animal parents and their offspring. Each group will select an animal, research its family dynamics, and illustrate these interactions through creative storytelling. By the end of the project, students will have a collection of narrated digital storybooks to share during the 'Seesaw Safari Storytime,' engaging younger peers in a virtual storytelling session.

Launch

Kick off the project with a 'Wildlife Film Festival' where students watch short documentaries about animal families. After viewing, facilitate group discussions to identify key survival behaviors observed in the films. Encourage students to brainstorm creative ways to present these behaviors using digital tools like Canva and Seesaw, setting the stage for their storytelling projects.

Exhibition

Students will create and narrate digital storybooks using Seesaw, showcasing the interactions between animal parents and their offspring. These storybooks will be shared during a 'Seesaw Safari Storytime' virtual session with younger students, fostering a sense of audience and purpose. This exhibition provides an opportunity for first graders to communicate their understanding creatively and engage with a wider community, promoting both learning and storytelling skills.