Starting Points
Blue Web'n is an online
library of 1200+ outstanding Internet sites categorized by subject, grade
level, and format (lessons, activities, projects, resources, references,
& tools). You can search by grade level (Refined Search), broad subject
area (Content Areas), or specific sub-categories (Subject Area). Each
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The Global SchoolNet Foundation organizes, manages, and facilitates projects for schools. Their HILITES archives and mailing list keeps educators up-to-date on project ideas. The project registry allows schools to register upcoming events in which others might want to participate. Projects range from videoconferencing to e-mail only. If you want to participate with CUSeeMe schools, there is a whole section devoted to those who have the CUSeeMe software.
The Global SchoolNet is part of the Global SchoolNet Organization. It is designed to build an online community.
I*EARN (International Education and Resource Network)
This nonprofit organization creates structured projects that facilitate engaged learning and youth making a difference on an International scale. Project areas include interdisciplinary topics such as the environment/science, art/literature, and social studies/politics. Some examples of past projects are the Holocaust/Genocide, the Building Wells for Clean Water in Nicaragua, and the Planetary Notions, an environmental newsletter.
KidLink is a non-profit grassroots organization aimed at getting as many youth through the age 15 as possible involved in a global dialog. Several languages are supported. From e-mail listservs like KidCafe to live chats to interactive projects from KidProj, this is a great gathering place for students.
NASA has several initiatives with education. One of these is interactive projects utilizing distance learning, telecommunications, and collaborative efforts within the scientific community. Several live interactions with NASA experts are planned each month. There are also collaborative activities where students work with one another.
If you are thinking about organizing an online project, begin with this site. Information about planning along with templates are provided. If you want to join an exisiting project, there are a wealth of links with descriptions.
The Los Angeles County Board of Education sponsors a wonderful collection of projects. These are designed by studio instructors who are interested in student collaborative work. Some examples include The Great Paper Airplane Challenge, Letters from Rifka (family stories), and Spinning Around.
Project Samples
Classroom FeederWatch is an exciting research and interdisciplinary education curriculum designed for students in grades 5-8. It’s been developed by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, with funding from the National Science Foundation. With Classroom FeederWatch, students learn how science and scientists work, and in the process become scientists themselves.
Cranes for Peace began as a project to collect paper cranes to be sent to Hiroshima for the 50th anniversary of the bombing. It was based on the story of Sadako Sasaki who was 2 at the time of the bombing. She later developed leukemia and died at the age of 12. Sadako believed if she folded 1000 cranes she would get well. Her story has been told in many books and serves as an inspiration for children worldwide to fold cranes for peace.
The Global Grocery List Project
Don't have a clue about how much food costs in your town? What about in other towns around the world? Have no idea? Then, take the challenge and go on a shopping spree with the Global Grocery List Project.
From September 9 until
November 15, 2002, students will team up around the globe to test fresh
water. Join us in this collaborative project, comparing the water quality
of your local river, stream, lake or pond with other fresh water sources
around the world.
To look for relationships and trends among the data collected by all project
participants. All students are welcome to participate, however, it is
recommended for high school students (ages 14-18) due to the nature of
the tests required for the project. There is no fee to participate, however,
please read the "Important Information" and "Requirements"
areas prior to registering for participation.
Join JASON XIV: From Shore to Sea, during school year 2002-03. The JASON team will explore the terrestrial and marine ecosystems that extend from California's coast to the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary to learn how such systems affect life on our planet.
Each year students and teachers follow wildlife migrations and participate in a variety of activities during Spring's Journey North and Fall's Journey South. Of particular interest is watching the migration of the Monarch Butterfly.
Motivate students to solve math problems. Challenges in each of four categories (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12) are designed for problem-solving dialog between team members. When an agreement has been reached, one solution is posted for every pair. Exchanges are made through an automated list called a majordomo. A small fee of $12 is charged for each four member team.
Join in this mouth-watering project that teaches fractions and percentages. It is a wonderfully designed activity that is easy to organize and do with students. All you need are some bags of m&m's, calculators, data tables, and a link to the Mars site.
OPERATION
RUBYTHROAT: THE HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT
Everybody loves hummingbirds,
and these tiny feathered dynamos can be used to help students learn about
science, math, geography, culture, and virtually any academic discipline.
Operation RubyThroat is an award-winning cross-disciplinary project in
which participants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Central America collaborate
to study behavior and distribution of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus
colubris). This Web-based project is open to anyone, but K-12 teachers
and students especially are invited to participate. The Operation RubyThroat
Web site--the most comprehensive one available about hummingbird natural
history, banding, and research--is an outreach initiative of Hilton Pond
Center for Piedmont Natural History near York, South Carolina, USA ( http://www.hiltonpond.org
).
The Postcard Geography project is a really easy, fun activity to do with students. You exchange purchased or handmade cards with other classrooms. Your students describe information about the geography of your area on the back of the cards. There are all sorts of tie-in activities you can do with the project.
Through ThinkQuest, young people work together in teams, use the Internet to research a topic in science, mathematics, literature, the social sciences or the arts, and publish their research as an educational web site for peers and classrooms around the world.
September, 2000, The Odyssey launched its current major project – The United States Trek. The US Trek brings US History to life for hundreds of thousands of students who are following along with our ten US Trek Team Members. The Trek will allow students to travel around the US to visit historic places, interview historic figures, and meet experts in US History, all for free via the Internet. Following the same general format as the World Trek, the core content will be supplemented by historic audio/video clips provided by PBS and the Library of Congress, live interviews with important people in American life, live chats with students nationwide, and interactive polls and discussion boards. Like the World Trek, it will be archived for use indefinitely following the Trek.
Load those wagons... Kiss the kin goodbye... You've decided to embark on an extraordinary adventure that will take you and your family across miles of dangerous, unfamiliar territory. You've gathered with other pioneers in Independence, Missouri. Everything that will fit inside is packed into your Prairie Schooner. You are as ready as you can be for the journey of nearly 2,000 miles.
A variety of projects are available. Some like the International Math Olympics run for a certain time period while others like Memories of the 1940s run continuously. Youth Net also is interested in assiting teachers with hosting projects.
