Wakelet Collaboration Weather Project

Creative Communicator, Global Collaborator
tornado

Overview

Wakelet is a free platform where teachers and students can save/post links, videos, images, and articles. You can easily share your page with others. Collaborators can also add notes or comments to each item.

Students will learn about weather and collaborate together using Wakelet to share their research and findings. 

Students will:

  • Be exposed to Wakelet as a communication tool.
  • Be able to post pictures, videos, links, stories, etc. on Wakelet.
  • Understand and learn what it means to work together as a team and collaborate effectively with others.
  • Will be to research different kinds of weather, find images and videos representing that weather and post it on Wakelet.

Vocabulary Words:

  1. Digital Etiquette (Netiquette): Digital etiquette is a basic set of rules you should follow in order to make the internet better for others, and better for you. It's just as important to treat people with courtesy and respect online as it is in real life.

To prepare for this lesson:

  • Sign up for a free Wakelet Account

  • View this VIDEO on how to use Wakelet.

  • You can choose to have an anchor chart ready with a list of different kinds of weather.

  • Create your Wakelet Weather page and add students on as collaborators.

See Accommodations Page and Charts on the 21things4students.net site in the Teacher Resources. 

Directions for this activity:

  1. Have students come up with a list of different kinds of weather and record this on the anchor chart (tornado, hurricane, tsunami, floods, blizzard, drought).

  2. Have students choose which topic they would like to research. Depending on the number of students, you may have 4-6 in a group.

  3. Brainstorm as a class a list of what NEEDS to be included on the Wakelet page (dangers, safety tips, cause & effect, true story, etc.)

  4. Students will watch this video from Brain Pop on Digital Etiquette.

  5. Students will have a designated time frame every day where they will meet together and work on their weather project. Students can add comments, images, videos, stories, etc. to their Wakelet weather topic.

  6. Show students how to use Wakelet. Pull up the example you created and show them how to add videos, photos, pdfs, etc.

  7. Students will spend about a week preparing their Wakelet page and working on a presentation to share with the class. They will present their Wakelet page on a designated day.

Different options for assessing the students:

  • Observations
  • Check for understanding
  • You can make a checklist for each section students are responsible for (dangers, safety tips, cause & effect, true story, etc.).
  • You can give each student a copy of a rubric and as the teams present, they can grade how each student presented (eye contact, illustrations, spoke loud enough to be heard, etc.).

MITECS: Michigan adopted the "ISTE Standards for Students" called MITECS (Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students) in 2018.

Creative Communicator
6a. Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.
6c. Students communicate complex ideas clearly using various digital tools to convey the concepts textually, visually, graphically, etc.
6d. Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.

Global Communicator
7a. Students use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learning.
7b. Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints.

Device: PC, Chromebook, Mac, iPad

Browser: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, ALL

App, Extension, or Add-on:

Websites:
Digital Etiquette Video from BrainPoP

Sign Up For Wakelet Account

Wakelet in 5 Minutes

CONTENT AREA RESOURCES

Students will write a personal short story about a time when they experienced one of these storms.

Students add video and images to Wakelet.

Students will research different types of weather.

Students look at past history and how storms may have affected society.

Credits
This task card was created by Dawn Phillips, Wyoming Public Schools, August 2020. Updated May 2022.