Tool #7:

As I mentioned in Tool #6, I think Skype has unprecedented capabilities in the classroom.  The lesson idea that I intend to try to implement with one of my 5th grade team members in Virginia involves looking at the differences between the seasons in Virginia and Texas.  Knowing the curriculum of these two grade levels in both states, I can see how it could easily be tied in to both.  I love the idea of creating a list of scientific inquiry questions for identifying and observing when the seasons start to change, how it looks, how it feels, how it smells, etc.  After recording observations and taking photographs to share with the other class, we could then Skype and talk face to face about all of our findings.  If weather and technology permitted, we could perhaps even take our conversations outdoors !