Rosemary Shaw is
a teacher at Millennium Middle School Orlando, Fl and contributor
to How
to Use the Internet in Your Classroom. E-mail
Rosemary
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Lesson Plan
Shuttle off
to Space
Subject:
Computer Science
Grade:
Middle
Materials Required:
Computers, TV, Internet access, VCR, digital cameras
Concepts Taught:
Students will utilize the Internet, bulletin boards, chats, email, html,
digital cameras, use of scanners and the basics of essays for this project.
Students should realize that they are using the computer as a tool to solve
problems. The Internet and other computer applications should be introduced
and discussed. The teacher should train students on appropriate Internet
behavior and etiquette.
Objectives:
- Students will gather data using the Internet.
- Students will use email as a way of communication and to share information
across long distances.
- Students will collaborate with their peers.
- Students will learn how to use other types of references, such as
first person, via moderated chats with NASA.
- Students will analyze information and solve the given problems.
- Students will learn to write essays in proper form to present their
information.
- Students will use HTML and advanced web design techniques to create
web pages as a showcase for their projects.
- Students will learn about copywrites, plagrism and appropriation
of material from the web.
Problems To Be Solved:
(My students used the SpaceDay.Com Design Challenges)
This year the design challenges included:
- Creating a food with packaging that will last three months, creating
a recipe for the food, and a menu.
- Creating something that will retrieve objects dropped by astronauts
during space walks.
- Create emergency plans for such things as fire, loss of electricity,
and loss of air pressure.
Other possible problems to be solved:
- If the Earth were destroyed or for some reason could no longer sustain
life, which planet would you recommend relocating to and why?
- NASA is preparing to create a new colony on Mars. What will it take
to get 100 people there, and then how will you sustain the colony?
Who would you take choose to take there, and why?
- Life on board the International Space Station is about to become
more exciting as astronauts who are parents are going to be allowed
to take their children. What are the pros and cons of this make-believe
decision and what new emergencies might arise out of this?
Activity 1 - Students watch the Discovery Channel's Inside the
International Space Station. After watching the video, the students' talk
about what they most like about possibly living on the ISS. Next they research
using the Internet, different aspects of the ISS that interest them individually.
Activity 2 - Students will create a basic web page, about whatever
interested them about space or the ISS, which will be the launching pad
for their final web page.
Activity 3 - Students learn how to write an essay using the 5-paragraph
essay form. Using this concept, the students take what information they
have and add the essay as content to their web pages.
Activity 4 - Students create pictures in paint about the information
discussed on their web pages. They learn how to manipulate these pictures
in Microsoft PhotoEditor. Also, the students will learn how to obtain pictures
from the net, get proper authorization and how to save these pictures and
use them on their web pages.
Activity 5 - Students are set up on free-moderated email accounts
and taught how to use email responsibly. Students begin emailing epals
that the teacher has pre-arranged.
Activity 6 - Students will be placed into groups of 2-4, and will
either be assigned, or will choose their problem to research.
Activity 7 - Students use moderated bulletin boards to post queries
and moderated chats to discuss their problems. (Recommended: NASA Quest
chats with NASA engineers, astronauts, etc).
Activity 8 - Students will analyze information, discuss problems,
contact their e-pals about the project, and then write an essay with a
solution to the problem.
Activity 9 - Students will create a web page and include pictures
they have drawn and manipulated, the essay that included the solution to
their problems, and a digital picture taken of the group.
Evaluation:
Students will be graded using a rubric that indicates to what degree
of success the students were able to accurately analyze data and answer
the given problems. They will be graded on grammar and essay style. The
web pages will be graded on correct form; formatting; and use of colors,
graphics, tables, links and lists.
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