Instructional Activities Using a Web Cam

 

 

Here are five great activities that use a web cam and direct links to the camera site that go along with them.

 

1.  Plan a Field Trip - The National Zoo – use this web cam site to have students plan a field trip to the national zoo.  Which animals would the recommend to their friends?  Which ones seemed a little boring.  What can their friends expect to see when visiting these animals at the zoo?  Did they do anything cool or funny while you were watching them?  http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/WebCams

 

 

2.  Creative Writing – Animal Planet Tiger Cam – have the students observe the tigers using the 6 cameras available at this site.  Then, have them write a story about what they think the tigers are doing.  What are they thinking?  What are they saying to each other.  Encourage creativity!  http://animal.discovery.com/cams/tiger.html

 

 

3.  Compare the weather – Maryland is very lucky in that we have both the beaches and the mountains.  Use the Bethany Beach web cam and the Frostburg web cam to have the students compare and contrast the weather of Maryland’s opposite ends.  http://www.bethanycam.com/ and http://www.aws.com/camera.asp?id=FRSTB

 

 

4. Predict Tomorrow’s Weather – Around Groundhog’s Day every year, we talk about less-scientific ways that people predict the weather.  Examples of these are if the groundhog sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter and if there is a pink sky at night, the weather will be nice tomorrow.  Use the weather lore website, WEATHER LORE and PROVERBS and a local weather cam like the one at Matsunaga ES to have the students predict tomorrow’s weather.  http://www.meds-sdmm.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/cmos/weatherlore.html  and http://www.aws.com/aws_2001/asp/camera/camera.asp?id=GRMNT

 

 

5.  Study Butterflies – In 2nd grade, students are given their own caterpillar to “raise” from caterpillar to butterfly.  Use the Butterfly Conservatory’s page to have the students study the habits of the butterflies.  Have them keep a log of what they eat, when the fly more and less, if they stay together or alone, etc.  http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/butterflies/cams.html#

 

 

Want more?  Check out the Cam for Kids Website to find tons of great, safe camera links.  http://www.earthcamforkids.com/