Sample Activity Type Brief Description Possible Technologies
Students gain information from teachers, guest
speakers, and peers synchronously/asynchronously,
face to face, or via multimedia
Presentation software, document cameras,
videos/DVDs, videoconferencing, class websites,
Flip cameras
Take notes Students record information from lectures, presentations, or group work Word processors, handheld computers, wikis, interactive tablets
Observe phenomena
Students observe phenomena that raises scientific
questions from physical objects, organisms, or
digital media
Video, digital microscopes, document cameras
View presentation/
demonstration
Ten knowledge-building activity types involve procedural knowledge employed in science learning.
Sample Activity Type Brief Description Possible Technologies
Learn procedures Students learn how to safely and appropriately handle quipment Video/DVDs, document cameras, online videos
Generate data Students generate data (e.g., heart rate, cooling water temperatures) by manipulating equipment
or animations
Record data Students record observational and recorded data in tables, graphs, images, or lab notes
Graphing calculators, probeware, digital
balances
Spreadsheets, word processors, databases,
handheld or tablet computers
Knowledge-Expression Activity Types
Eleven of the learning activity types describe activities that support students in expressing their knowledge.
Sample Activity Type Brief Description Possible Technologies
Write a report Students write a laboratory or research report Word processors, presentation software, videos, wikis, podcasts
Modeling software, drawing tools, Inspiration,
Lego robots
Create/perform Students create and/or perform a script, rap, song, poem, collection, invention, exhibit, etc.
Develop or build a
model
Video/audio recorders, word processors, wikis,
Web authoring software, presentation software
Once teachers have determined the learning goals for a lesson,
project, or unit, they review the activity types in the taxonomy for
that content area, selecting and combining the learning activities
that will best help students achieve the learning goals.
and another that involved comparing
and contrasting Earth to other planets.
To determine how much prior
knowledge the students had about the
planets, the teachers planned to ask
students to draw or create images of
the solar system using the portable
interactive whiteboards or traditional
paper-and-pencil drawings. Students
would then volunteer to do a presenta-
tion of their initial models to the class,
either by projecting from their tablets
or by using a document camera.
