Projects included in this section are of an integrated nature. Where possible the big ideas/concepts have been identified as well as the major learning areas and ‘key’ key competencies.
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Are the organisms found in pond water the same all over the world?
Dates: September 10th – November 28th 2008
Levels: senior
Effort/Time Req: 1 2 3 4 5
Description:
Students around the world will collect samples from local ponds to answer the question:
Are the organisms found in pond water the same all over the world?
Participants will:
- Identify organisms in a water sample.
- Compare their findings with other participating classes.
- Determine which, if any, of the organisms are the same in other, more distant water sources.
- Look for relationships and trends in the data collected by all project participants.
Click here to register.
A well organised project complete with a :
Possible curriculum links: Science
Key Competency: Participating and Contributing
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2008 – A Big Year for Our World
Date: ends 30th Novemver, 2008
Levels: all
Effort/Time Req: 1 2 3 4 5
Description:
In 2008 the world celebrates five major global initiatives:
- International Year of Sanitation 2008
- International Year of Planet Earth 2008
- International Year of the Potato 2008
- International Year of Languages 2008
- Beijing 2008: Games of the XXIX Olympiad, 8 – 24 August 2008
The Global Education website invites students and teachers to develop a visual response to one of these issues.
To participate in this project you must: create a visual story in 5 images. The sequence will present your ideas about the chosen issue. You can use the software or format that you like best – i.e.drawings, photos, cartoons or models.
Give your story a title, and make sure you have permission for all images to be displayed online. Make sure you reference your images telling us:
- who created the image
- the year it was created
- how it is licensed (check out Creative Commons resources)
Send your digital story as a link or an attachment by email to the Global education website by 30th November 2008, email: globaleducation@edna.edu.au
Alternatively you can upload your story here.
Resources such as ‘How to use Flickr to tell the story’ are available at the foot of this page.
Possible curriculum links: Social Sciences
Key Competency: Participating and Contributing
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Doors to the World
Dates: now
Levels: all
Effort/Time Req: 1 2 3 4 5
Description:
In this project, classes send a photo or drawing of the view to the outside world, from their classroom/school door with three clues as to the location of their school. The picture and clues will be posted for other classrooms to browse and attempt to find out where your classroom is located.
Get started by trying to guess the schools that have already posted photos to the site.
Get your class fully involved by emailing your photos and three clues to: gigglepotz2002@yahoo.com
Possible curriculum links: Social Sciences
Key Competency: Relating to Others
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Living Heritage
Coordinators: Living Heritage (Tikanga Tuku Iho) is a project of the 2020 Communications Trust in partnership with The Learning Centre Trust of New Zealand, The National Library of New Zealand, Sun Microsystems, and Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa. This project is managed by Brenda Crozier.
Dates: ongoing
Levels: all
Effort/Time Req: 1 2 3 4 5
Description: A well organised and supported project that involved students researching a local heritage topic in order to create a web-based ‘Living Heritage’ resource. The local heritage topic could be a building, a person, an event, a geographical feature …
See examples:
Bellevue School – The Mysteries of Woodridge Farm – Year 5/6
Mahana School – The Mahana Whakapapa- Whole School
Project details are simple and comprise of the following steps.
1. Find a topic
2. Register with Living Heritage
3. Read the support material in the kit
4. Plan the project
5. Research the topic
6. Write up the findings
7. Get permission to publish information form contributors. Templates provided.
8. Record the work in a digital format. Web template provided if you wish so that no web software or html skills are required.
9. Sign off copyright and privacy release form.
10. Submit webpages to ‘Living Heritage’:livingheritage@cwa.co.nz
Key Competencies: Participating and Contributing, Using Languages, Symbols and Texts.
Possible curriculum links: Social Sciences, English, Technology.
Coordinators: placespotting/igoogle
Dates:ongoing
Levels: mid/snr
Effort/Time Req: 1 2 3 4 5
Description:
In this collaborative activity you are presented with a google earth image and given a few clues before beginning your search for it. Your students can also create and submit their own puzzles.
Possible curriculum links: Social Sciences
NB: Just came across Terraclues, this looks even better as it has a special ‘for schools’ section.
Instructables – Create and Share
Dates: ongoing
Levels: mid/snr
Effort/Time Req: 1 2 3 4 5
Description: This wiki, as its name suggests, is a place to show and tell. Students can contribute by creating ‘instructables’. An instructable is a step-by step guide that shows the audience how you did or made something. A standard login is necessary to make contributions. This site accepts a range of media. A step-by-step template guides participants through the submission process. Check out this instructable on how to make an eruptable volcano birthday cake. Wiki- How is a similar site.
Possible curriculum links: English.
Key Competency: Using Language, Symbol and Texts.
Coordinator: The My Hero Project
Dates: ongoing
Levels: mid/snr
Effort/Time Req: 1 2 3 4 5
Description: This site provides all the tools for students to create a website about a hero of their choice. Question prompts are provided as well as a user-friendly website template that allows students to add their own text and images. The step-by-step online teacher tutorial is a great place to start.
Possible curriculum links: Social Sciences + English.
Big Idea: Community Contribution
Key Competency: Participating and Contributing, Using Language, Symbol and Texts.
Coordinator: Heurisko Ltd
Dates: New projects commence each term. All material from past projects available in archives.
Levels: mid/snr
Effort/Time Req: 1 2 3 4 5 (1-min.—–5-max.)
Description: LEARNZ is an online educational programme for students in New Zealand schools. Students’ participation is supported by online background materials and activities, and is enabled using live audio-conferencing, web-board and diaries, images and videos. LEARNZ offers 18 virtual field trips in 2008. Click here for a description of each experience. To get started first register your school ( check if you are eligible for free registration) once registered you can enrol your class in any of the projects.
Possible curriculum links: Most projects link to Science or Social Sciences
Key Competency: Participating and Contributing
Coordinator: World Vision NZ
Dates: ongoing
Levels:mid/snr
Effort/Time Req: 1 2 3 4 5 (1-min.—–5-max.)
Description: I couldn’t resist including these high-quality, engaging simulation games. All games involve the students ’stepping into the shoes’ of others and facing the decisions they face. The following games are available now:
Eliminate Child Labour - Step ‘into the shoes’ of a social worker with the goal of eliminating child labour in your community.
Timestream Journey - Students ‘walk in the shoes’ of a Cambodian facing the challenges of surviving through civil war, the Khmer Rouge regime and the years of upheaval that followed.
Take a Walk - Found in the Funzone of the Rwanda Family Connection, students ‘become’ the head of a child family in Rwanda.
Decisions made affect the survival rate of your family
Possible curriculum links: Social Sciences
Key Competency: Thinking, Participating and Contributing.
Archives
Registration for the projects below are now closed but the project ideas and resources maybe useful.
Coordinator: Oracle Thinkquest International Foundation
Dates: NOW CLOSED – see site for info. re 09 projects
Levels: mid/snr (ages 9-19)
Effort/Time Req: 1 2 3 4 5 (1-min.—–5-max.)
Description: An annual international website competition. Students work in teams with a coach, using an inquiry based approach, to create a website on a topic that interests them. Categories and ideas provided. Would be suitable for an extension group. Awesome prizes such as laptops up for grabs. Oodles of support material available. Websites must be built to run within a browser based on these guidelines. See library of examples from previous years. Begin by selecting an adult coach, reviewing the rules and completing the online enrolment.
Possible curriculum links: Curriculum links will depend on the category of project. Expect some deep and varied learning from this project.
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