ALEX Learning Activity

Where in the World Are You? A Mystery Skype

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Mollie Bounds
System:Madison City
School:Madison City Board Of Education
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 1847
Title:
Where in the World Are You? A Mystery Skype
Digital Tool/Resource:
 
Web Address – URL:
Not Applicable
Overview:

Students will participate in a collaborative guessing game with another classroom from a "mystery place" somewhere on the globe through a video conference. This game helps students learn about geography, culture, and the similarities and differences of how children live all over the world. Students are to prepare questions ahead of time to help them pinpoint their location. These questions are not only focused on geography but culture as well. While honing their questioning and conversation skills each class takes turns answering questions about each other until their location has been pinpointed.

This activity was created as a result of the DLCS COS Resource Development Summit.

  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Social Studies
SS2010 (2010)
Grade: 2
Living and Working Together in State and Nation
6 ) Identify states, continents, oceans, and the equator using maps, globes, and technology.

•  Identifying map elements, including title, legend, compass rose, and scale
•  Identifying the intermediate directions of northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest
•  Recognizing technological resources such as a virtual globe, satellite images, and radar
•  Locating points on a grid

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SS.AAS.2.6- Identify Alabama and surrounding states on a map; demonstrate an understanding of map elements including title, legend, scale, compass rose, and intermediate directions recognizing technological resources such as a virtual globe, satellite images, and radar.


Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 2
R1) Identify, demonstrate, and apply personal safe use of digital devices.

Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 2
6) Demonstrate appropriate behaviors for communicating in a digital environment.

Example: netiquette.

Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 2
9) Use a variety of digital tools to connect with other learners.

Examples: Online conferences, blogs, collaborative documents.

English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
2. Present information orally using complete sentences, appropriate volume, and clear pronunciation.

a. Use oral language for different purposes: to inform, to entertain, to persuade, to clarify, and to respond.

b. Use complex sentence structures when speaking.

c. Ask and answer questions to seek help, clarify meaning, or get information.
Learning Objectives:

Students will utilize maps, globes, and previous knowledge of geography to locate a place.

Students will ask and answer appropriate questions to uncover the location of a place.

Students will participate in a collaborative conversation that has agreed-upon rules for discussion. 

Students will speak one at a time, ask for clarification, and link ideas spoken by others about a specific topic.

Students will use a digital device to communicate and connect with others.

  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:

This activity is geared for the end of a Social Studies unit focused on standard LWT2 (2) 6: Identify states, continents, oceans, and the equator using maps, globes, and technology.

•  Identifying map elements, including title, legend, compass rose, and scale

•  Identifying the intermediate directions of northeast, southeast, northwest, and southwest

•  Recognizing technological resources such as a virtual globe, satellite images, and radar

•  Locating points on a grid

The students will design questions based off of the knowledge and skills learned in the unit and participate in a video conference to locate another class from anywhere on the globe.

The point of the game is to use skills and strategies taught through the unit to be the first to figure out where the other class is from.

Instructions:

The teacher will find a classroom to connect with from anywhere in the world and designate a day and time for the session. The Google Plus community Connected Classrooms is a great place to find a teacher/class. Mystery Skype is also a great place to find classroom matches.

Students should be assigned roles for the video conference prior to beginning the activity. These roles could be (but are not limited to):

  • Greeter -1 student – They greet the class, introduce their class, and also say the farewell. They become part of the Think Tank when they are not being the greeter. 
  • Questioner – 1 or 2 students – These are the students that ask the questions to the other class. They should be students that are also capable of coming up with more questions on the fly if needed.
  • Filter – 2 students or more – These kids act as a filter between the runners and the questioners assessing the questions that are coming their way. They have to pay close attention to what answers have been given and what has already been asked as the Think Tank often misses an answer.  They can then use their common sense to filter the best questions to the questioners.
  • Answerer – 1 student – This student answers the "yes" or "no" and should have a good understanding of geography.
  • Runners – 3 students – These students are the only ones moving in the classroom. They run between the filters and the Think Tank Lead Thinker in order to relay information needed to answer and ask questions. 
  • Think Tank
    • Google Mappers – 2 students – Use Google Maps to answer questions and propose questions to ask.
    • Wall map & atlas mappers – any number of students – they are using all sorts of map tools to answer and come up with more questions.
    • Lead thinker – the boss of the think tank – They run the Think Tank. This student needs to be a good thought leader who is kind and patient.
    • Notetaker – 1 or 2 students – Writes down all the answers to questions so they can be accessible for clarifications.

Students are to design questions ahead of time that they believe will get them to the location of the other class. These questions should be able to have "yes" or "no" answers and are focused on geographic and political boundary locations as well as cultural questions about daily life.

Students are to practice their roles and set the norms for expectations of these roles.

On Video Conference Day:

Make sure there is nothing in view of the camera that gives away your location, including shirts of students and items on the wall.

Once connected, the "Questioner" then interfaces with the other class as the two classes take turns asking their questions until one of the classes finds the exact location of the opponent.

It is recommended that students practice their roles before their very first video conference.

Assessment Strategies:

Teacher observation during question development. 

Teacher observation during the video conference session.

Class debrief and reflection after the video conference to discuss what went well and what went wrong. Students are to come up with adjustments to make the process better for next time.

Mystery Skype rubric

Mystery Skype

 

Student Name: ____________________________________   Date: _______________

 

Master (4)

Journeyman (3)

Apprentice (2)

Novice (1)

Participation/ Attitude

The student always provides useful ideas and questions when participating in the group and in classroom discussion

 

The student provides useful ideas and questions when participating in the group and in classroom discussion

The student sometimes participates in the group and in classroom discussion

The student does not participate in the group or in classroom discussion

Collaboration

The student works with partners or small groups, shares the responsibility for the work to be done, helps to make important decisions, and values team members.

 

The student works with partners or small groups, shares the responsibility for the work to be done, as well as helping to make important decisions.

The student works with partners or small groups and does their share of work

The student has difficulty cooperating and having conversations with others and primarily works alone

Resourceful

The student communicates well with their group members.  The student always selects and uses the right tools or technologies to find information and locations.

The student often communicates with group members and has little difficulty using the right tools and/or technologies to locate information.

The student sometimes communicates with group members and sometimes has difficulty using the right tools and/or technologies to locate information

The student rarely communicates with group members and has difficulty using the right tools and/or technologies to locate information.

Content Knowledge

(Maps)

The student always correctly utilizes the content of maps and map elements to find and/or describe a location.

The student often correctly utilizes the content of maps and map elements to find and/or describe a location.

The student sometimes correctly utilizes the content of maps and map elements to find and/or describe a location.

The student rarely correctly utilizes the content of maps and map elements to find and/or describe a location.

Totals:

       /16

 

Comments:

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

 


Advanced Preparation:

Complete this in advance: 

Find a classroom to connect with. The Google Plus community Connected Classrooms is a great place to find a teacher/class. Mystery Skype is also a great place to find classroom matches.

Do a run-through with the technology several days before and the day of the intended Skype/Hangout session to test the sound, video, and bandwidth quality.

Make sure there is nothing in view of the camera that gives away your location, including shirts of students and items on the wall.

Students are to design questions ahead of time that they believe will get them to the location of the other class. These questions should be able to have "yes" or "no" answers and are focused on geographic and political boundary locations as well as cultural questions about daily life.

It is recommended that students practice their roles before their very first video conference.

Variation Tips (optional):
 
Notes or Recommendations (optional):

There are a lot of variations and resources out there for Mystery Skype. Research the many different ways and find one that works for you and your students. 

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