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January 1, 2003
The Ideal Project
By Rosemary Shaw
Although it's true that Florida has no mandated state technology standards (we observe the recommended national standards), that does not mean that we ignore other standards. Because I don't think of myself as only a technology teacher, for every project that I assign my students I ascertain that it has components involving mathematics, language arts, science, social studies or fine arts. Ideally, the project will touch on all of those subjects. I then check the Sunshine State Standards (Florida) and I try to create a project that will most benefit the students and allow them to fulfill state academic requirements.
For example, this year I took my students on a "voyage" of discovery with a project called Millennium Endeavor. It began with a history lesson about James Cook and his famous voyage aboard the bark Endeavor. (Social Studies A.3.3: understand the historical events that have shaped the development of cultures throughout the world.) First the students used the Internet to research the voyage. Then, they created Web pages with reports about something that appealed to them, for example a particular person, an event, or the boat itself. Then we put these Web pages together and created a Web site about the voyage.
As part of this project students also learned about celestial navigation and did a project where they observed constellations from their own backyards over several nights. (Science.E.1.3: understands the vast size of our solar system and the relationship of the planets and their satellites.) The students Emailed their observations and accompanying diagrams to partners in Australia and Canada. They then made comparisons so that the students could discuss what they saw from their different perspectives. The students also had the opportunity to chat online with Mitzi Adams, an engineer from NASA, who answered their questions about celestial navigation in today's world.
Next the students studied the history of NASA, the space shuttle, and specifically the shuttle Endeavor. They created Web pages about the history of NASA and the different shuttles. We viewed the biography of Christa McAuliffe. The students also made model shuttles, which they could use to study glide slope. (Mathematics.B.1.3: constructs, interprets, and uses scale drawings to solve real-world problems.)
The students then created missions to Mars aboard their imaginary space vehicle the Millennium Endeavor. The students had to "invent" things that would work on Mars, such as rovers. They had to create drawings and diagrams and they had to illustrate the ideas and concepts that were basic to their projects. (Visual Arts.B.1.3: knows how the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes can be used to enhance communication of experiences and ideas. Student will also understand and distinguish multiple purposes for creating works of art.)
Before the semester was over, I had a room full of rovers, two working hovercrafts and a beautiful domed city. The students had to make sure that their ideas would work (with just a few modifications) and to do this they communicated with experts at Lockheed Martin and NASA. These mentors, from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL and Orlando's Lockheed Martin answered questions via email and chats. We also had a mentor from Lockheed Martin visit the classroom. All of the mentors motivated the students just by responding to their questions and finding merit in them.
The students continued to use the Internet to do research and they created Web pages using HTML and Flash. Then we published their Web pages. Besides meeting Sunshine State Standards these activities also fit in with the following National Technology Standards: students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity; students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works; students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences; students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences; and students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
My students used this project as a springboard to many other projects, and by the end of the year, Millennium boasted over 35 winners in five national/international contests. Among these were the first-place winners of the Space Week Web design contest, the first- and second-place winners in the regional NASA Student Involvement Program, and four finalist teams and a "Stellar" winner of the official Space Day Design Challenges.
This project also encouraged other departments to work together and create something meaningful for the students. The Art Department, the Pre-IB team, and teachers from the English and science departments joined together with the technology department to create a memorable ending to this project that involved all of the students at the school.
With the entire school involved, the PTSA decided to also get involved. Next, the community stepped up and decided to help. Soon, volunteers from Lockheed Martin and NASA and even local politicians stepped up to help. In the end there were art contests, writing contests, displays, speakers, and even a chat between students at Millennium and an elementary school. This project was so successful it is already on the calendar for next year!
But the true success behind this ideal project was the fact that it touched upon many different disciplines and so could join together many different departments. The students could then see interrelationships: how art could be connected to technology and how good language arts skills can be related to learning science.
Resources
Millennium Endeavour
Millennium Middle School's Space Day 2002
Email: Rosemary Shaw
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