Distant Neighbors
|
Distant Neighbors
|
| |
  
 Computer Resources: Read through the entire lesson. Plan to configure the execution of the project to your time and technological availability. For example, if you have a limited number of classroom computers but your students go to a computer lab, you might want to involve the lab teacher in the project. You will need a computer with Internet access to complete this lesson. While many configurations will work, we recommend: -- Modem: 28.8 Kbps or faster. -- Browser: Netscape Navigator 3.0 or above or Internet Explorer 3.0 or above. -- Macintosh computer: System 7.0 or above and at least 16 MB of RAM. -- IBM-compatible computer: 386 or higher processor with at least 16 MB of RAM, running Windows 3.1. Or, a 486/66 with at least 16 MB of RAM running Windows 95. For more information, visit "What You Need to Get Connected" in wNetSchool's Internet Primer. Materials: (per student or per group of students) [Teacher Alternative: This project works best when students work in pairs or groups of three. However, if the technical resources exist, students can work individually.]  HyperStudio Reference Materials
Internet Access (World Wide Web Browser)
Library Resources Encyclopedias (electronic
and paper) Scanner Image manipulation program such as Adobe Photoshop
(recommended) 
There are six components to Distant Neighbors:  Lesson I: Preparing Yourself and Your Students Lesson II: Learning to Use HyperStudio Lesson III: Beginning the Project Lesson IV: Preparing the Storyboard Lesson V: Producing the Project Lesson VI: Presenting Projects Lesson I: Preparing Yourself and Your Students  Begin by discussing the
continent of Africa: its geographic location and its people and history. (See
the discussion sheet in the Organizers for
Students section.)
Assign each student a country or ask students to choose a country. Distribute the
assignment sheet.(See the Organizers for Students
section.) If
time permits, take students to the library or allow them to conduct an Internet
search. Their assignment is to find out interesting facts (their choice) about
the country they've been assigned.  Give students a blank map of Africa. For homework, have them
research and fill in the names for each country on the map.
Lesson II: Learning to Use HyperStudio [Teacher Alternative: This step can be skipped if students already know how to use HyperStudio. Students should be given a complete overview of how HyperStudio works. They should be taught to use the program's drawing tools and how to create a button and a text field. In additon, they should learn how to add sound, graphics, video (if applicable), and animation. (See HyperStudio Overview.) Students should also be taught to use the other electronic resources that are available to them (electronic encyclopedias, Adobe Photoshop, etc., as necessary). Students should relate the concept of non-linear thinking to their project design. Using a table of contents analogy is useful in explaining this concept. Allow students time to begin using Hyperstudio at their workstations. Make sure that they have a clear understanding of all of the resources available to them. Use the HyperStudio Overview when giving a
complete overview of how HyperStudio works. Students should be taught to:
Use the drawing and painting tools Create a button and attach
designating actions such as sound and animation Create a
text field Add a graphic Give
an overview on stack structures. If possible, provide your class with examples of
good stack design. Samples are provided in the HyperStudio CD-ROM. In a linear stack, navigational buttons allow the user to move forward or backward throughout the stack. In a hub structure, all cards are linked to a central card. The user can move through the stacks according to their personal preference. A hub structure is like a bicycle wheel, where all of the spokes come together at the center. A branching structure often begins at a central card but then "branches" off into subtopics. Students can link from subtopic to subtopic. This is the most likely choice when assigning a cooperative class stack. Lesson III: Beginning the Project Allow students to begin their research. They can visit the following sites for information: The National Geographic Map Machine http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/maps/ The Hall of Geography http://www.tenet.edu/academia/geog.html Atlapedia http://www.atlapedia.com/online/contents.htm The World Fact Book Master Homepage http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html The specific components of the project should be outlined for students. Each card should have a topic name, an image, and a text box. Student stacks should be interactive -- users should be able to navigate their way through the stack by clicking on buttons. A sample stack might contain the following cards: Card I: Introduction -- the first screen
that users access provides links to various cards that students have produced.
Card II-IV: The project "content" -- or the
visual and text-based information that students include in their project --
exemplifies their research and expert knowledge of their subject. These cards
may include information on the history of the country, its economy, religious
beliefs, food and agriculture, and/or political structure. Last Card: This final card contains the conclusion or a
summary of what the student has learned about the country. Lesson IV: Preparing the Storyboard A necessary step in the planning and production of work is for students to storyboard their work. Storyboards serve as outlines and/or concept maps that aid students in the planning and development of projects. A standard form for storyboarding for multimedia projects is to have students decide 1) the visual content on each card/of the overall project and, 2) the written content on each card. The storyboard provided in the Organizers for Students section can be copied and distributed to students. Students can outline the image content of the HyperStudio card in the enclosed rectangle on the right and the written content for the card on the lines on the left. Students should present a completed storyboard before beginning work on the computer. This minimizes the amount of composing that students actually do at the computer and will save them time. Using the storyboard, have students decide: The
structure of the stack The images, digitized and/or drawn for each card The text
for each card For management purposes, have each group and/or subgroup create their storyboard and then merge them into one class storyboard. Each sub-group or group's stack should be able to stand on its own. Before sending each group off to plan, design, and execute their project, decide as a class some basic elements that will remain standard throughout the project. For instance, placing the forward and backward navigational buttons in the same place on each card and using the same icon for these functions can help the user navigate with less frustration. The class should choose an easy to read font to be used uniformly throughout the stack. Lesson V: Producing the Project
Before students begin creating their stacks, have them check their project for
the following: A title card A table of
contents A
minimum of 5 cards per stack Navigational buttons that lead to the correct cards A Reference Card
that lists at least two sources Clear and readable text Correct spelling and punctuation Purposeful cards that
point to the content Graphics and animations that support content, not override it
Have
students begin creating their stacks. Print and distribute the HyperStudio Overview for students to
reference. Lesson VI: Presenting Projects (2 class periods) When students have completed their stacks, they should present them to the class. Since the presenting students are now experts on a particular country, they should be the "teachers." Other students in the class should be encouraged to ask the presenting group questions. Assessment Recommendations: Students should be assessed on the accuracy of the information presented in their stacks, their presentation, their technical skills, and their expert knowledge. Overview | Procedures for Teachers | Organizers for Students Software Samples & Projects Thirteen Ed Online wNetStation |