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Extending the Lesson
Different Computer-Access Scenarios
One Computer Classroom: Teachers with a one-computer classroom will want to consider the flow of activities carefully, so that while one group is using the computer, other groups are performing other meaningful work. For instance, one group may begin their research with books or other materials while another group researches with the computer. Another group might begin brainstorming ideas on paper and later transfer them to the computer when they have access.
Several Computers in a Classroom: For teachers with several computers in a classroom, there are fewer logistical challenges, and groups may work on the Internet, contact their experts, brainstorm, or work on their presentations or white papers as needed. Ideally, each group of five would have a computer.
Computer Lab: If a computer lab is available, teachers may bring the class, or half of the class, to the lab for Internet reference work, brainstorming, and creation of presentations. Teachers may wish to block out a number of time periods ahead of time so that the flow of information proceeds well and there is not much interruption, especially when students are in the flow of the process.
Keyboarding Computers (e.g., Alphasmarts, Dreamwriters): If keyboarding computers are available to the class, or some members of the class, students can take notes on the keyboarding computers as they do research and brainstorm possible solutions and plans. Information may then be transferred to a desktop computer for import into other programs (e.g., Inspiration, PowerPoint, Word).
Culminating Activity
Each group must present their plan for dealing with the drought, preferably as a PowerPoint presentation, at a town meeting of all "citizens." The meeting should be held in the school auditorium and include any classes or teachers who can attend. Local officials can be invited and shown each group's PowerPoint presentations and white papers. Parents may also be invited. Each group must also have a factual "white paper" for handing out to the citizens. The white paper should have more details, including spreadsheets projecting how the efforts they propose will conserve water, how water is delivered and how much is used, the timeframe of their project, etc.
As with all projects of this nature, there is no "right" or "wrong" answer. The learning process is vitally important, as students learn to work together, research, present theories and ideas, negotiate, and come together as a group with a solution. They must then present the solution in a meaningful, clear way for the "community" so that others will buy into their proposal.
For Extra Credit:
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Make a recommendation for ways the town can circumvent drought in the future. |
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Collaborate on the project with another classroom in a different geographic area over the Internet and see how your issues and solutions compare. |
Extensions -- Additional Activities
- Creating a call for collaboration, and posting it on listservs and/or Internet sites to find other classrooms around the country and around the world wanting to learn more about water in their own community.
- Creation of a Web page with project findings, so that every year the project may be done again and new information posted.
- Entry of the above Web page in a competition such as the International Schools CyberFair (http://www.gsn.org/cf/index.html) or ThinkQuest (http://www.thinkquest.org/index.html).
- Interviewing of local residents who recall past droughts and including their first-person stories in a Web page, newsletter, or multimedia presentation.
- Raising money to support nonprofit organizations favoring the conservation of water or the finding and distributing of clean water to poor countries.
- Conducting scientific experiments on local bodies of water to test alkalinity, potability, etc.
- Implementing an actual water-conservation plan in students' homes or the school building for a trial period.
- Sending the projects to drought-ridden areas around the nation as suggestions and seeing if communities respond.
- Communicating over the Internet with another classroom in a different geographic area and seeing how water issues and student solutions compare.
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