Telecollaborative Project

(Across the United States in 10 Months)

Contact Person: Marian Roberts
E-mail: malicia1@comcast.net
Web Page: BCPSS Electronic Portfolio
Organization: Baltimore City Public Schools

Project Summary: Students will be given clues each week about states in the United States and they are invited to use the clues to guess where Mr. Gene the Running Man is. Participants can use on- and off-line resources to find the location and submit the answer to the project’s host. Answer for the week will be posted on Blackboard (TSS) for reference.

Students can work in groups of two-four and can use information learned to compile a “travel” journal of all the locations visited in America. This journal can include the name of the state and two or three interesting facts. This information can later be put into a PowerPoint presentation.

Come join us on our journey!

Participants:
Grades Targeted: 3-5
Number of Classes/Participants: Open
Locations: Anywhere
Special Characteristics: None

Objectives of Lesson
Outcomes: At the end of the project:
Each class will have: important facts about State in America,a map of the United States with states visited highlighted, a completed K-W-L Chart, and access to e-mail.

Each student will have:
a journal of important facts about states in The United States, a map with states visited colored in different colors, a PowerPoint/KidPix presentation of tour to be shared with other students, and access to e-mail.

Skills encouraged:

Subject Area: Technology

skill 1: Writing and sending e-mail
skill 2: Searching on the Internet
skill 3: Collecting data from the Internet
skill 4: Using computer software to record data/facts
skill 5: Using PowerPoint/KidPix to make a presentation

Subject Area: Geography
skill 1: Reading a maps and globes
skill 2: Using data to locate a state
Subject Area: Language
skill 1: Reading to be informed
skill 2: Writing to inform
skill 3: Completing a Venn Diagram
skill 4: Completing a K-W-L chart
skill 5: Keeping a travel log of states visited

Subject Area: Math
skill 1: Calculate distance
skill 2: calculate elapsed time
skill 3: Chart or graph distance

Resources Needed
Telecommunications: Connection to the Internet (modem or server) and e-mail capabilities.

Hardware: Computer
Software: Word Processing Program (Word, etc), PowerPoint or KidPix (for final presentation),Microsoft Encarta/Virtual Globe or other Internet program for Searching.Activities

Introduction: Each class can send an e-mail message to the coordinator describing themselves (school, class, grade, city and state, E- Mail address, and any other information you want to share) to register their class.

Discussion/Analysis: Discuss the story “Around the World in 80 Days”
to be related to this “trip”. Teachers display a map of the United States. Have class complete a K-W- L to be reviewed at the end of “trip”. Have students complete a Venn Diagram comparing the United States with another country (Africa is a continent with countries; USA is a country with states, etc.)

Creation/Synthesis: Each week clues will be posted on the Website. Students will use those clues to research and find out where Mr. Gene the Running Man is in the United States. When they have discovered where Mr. Gene is, they will e- mail the answer in a complete sentence to the host. The first five e-mails received will be posted to the website. Clues will be posted on Mondays and answers should be sent by Friday of that week.

1. Students will complete a travel log of all states visited Log should include, but not be limited to:
         Name of state
         Capital of state
         Population

        One or more pertinent facts about the state as decided by student

2. Students will plot states visited by coloring states visited on a map using different colors.

3. Students will make a PowerPoint or KidPix presentation of at least 5 states visited (individually or as a group). If done as a group of four, each student can be responsible for one state. As a class project, each student can be responsible for at least one state.

4. Students will use Internet, software, or other resources to make an intelligent guess of where Mr. Gene, the Running Man, is every week or month.

Evaluation: Evaluation can be done using a Rubric.

Time Commitment: This project will run for approximately 8 months.

Schedule:
Monday: Receive Clues
Tuesday- Friday: Research and send in answer (location of the Running Man)

Friday or Monday: Location of Mr. Gene, the Running Man, is posted to Website

Evaluating Student Outcomes

Outcomes: By the end of the project, each student will be able to list at least five states n the United States and give at least three facts about that state.

Students will be able to locate the United States and some states in

The United States on the globe.Students will be able to tell the difference between a country and a continent and city and state.

Class Management Strategies

Observation: Teachers can read the messages or let students read them.

Teacher decides if class sends in a guess as a group or individually.

How to Register

Where: Send e-mail to malicia1@comcast.net or go through Blackboard (TSS)
When: Ongoing  07-08
Information to Include: School, Grade, City, State, e-mail address, and any other pertinent information you want to share.

Adapted from NickNacks schubert@minn.net Http://www1.minn.net:80/schubert/NickNacks.html

References:
Microsoft, Microsoft ENCARTA Virtual Globe, 1998 Edition
• http://library.thinkquest.org/J002459F/book.htm , (Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne)
• http://www.plcmc.lib.nc.us/kids/mow/ (USA)
• http://www.schoolicons.com/eng/ , (icons)
• http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/ax/plates_findlocation.html, (maps/United States)
• http://www.afroam.org/children/discover/discover.html, (United States)
• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/label/capitals/

PowerPoint or KidPix Rubric (Tellecollaborative Project)

Rubric

4- Report contains accurate information
   Has 5 or more slides
   Has no grammar or spelling errors
   llustrations are accurate and interesting

3- Report contains mostly accurate information
   Has no less than 4 slides
   Has 1 or fewer grammar or spelling errors
   Illustrations are accurate

2-Report contains some accurate information
   Has no less than 3 three slides
   Has more than 2 grammar or spelling errors
   Illustrations are somewhat accurate

1-Report contains little information
   Has less than 3 slides
   Has more than 3 grammar or spelling error
   Illustrations have little accurate information

0-You did not even try.

Marian Roberts

James McHenry Elementary #10