Project 4: Endangered Species
General
Information
Project Overview
Grade 6 students at Mary Queen of Peace
School will participate in a resource based unit entitled
Endangered Species. They will be involved in researching
this topic utilizing a variety of media including:
- Books
- Magazines
- Filmstrips
- Videos
- CD-ROMs
- World Wide Web
Students will be grouped and will
complete research on several topics including:
- Causes of Extinction
- Consequences of Extinction
- Protecting Endangered Species
Members of a fourth group will each
choose a species which is presently on the endangered
species list, complete research and write a report about
the species.
All students will write a report and
present their results to their peers.
As an extension to the project, a group
of students will be selected to become involved in the
development of a Web site on the topic of endangered
species. They will be taught to:
- use e-mail (Eudora, Netscape Mail,
and/or Internet Explorer Mail)
- use a web browser (Netscape or
Internet Explorer)
- create web pages (HTML Editor or
WordPerfect 7)
- design graphics (CorelDRAW)
This project will provide opportunities
for grade 6 students to have their work published on the
World Wide Web (WWW).
Curriculum
Connections
This project will be integrated across
several curriculum areas:
- Science
- Language Arts
- Technology Education
Endangered Species will introduce Grade
6 students to the Internet and the creation of a dynamic
WWW site, the contents of which will be updated until the
results of the overall project are published on the web
site.. Students will be given the opportunity to
communicate to a global audience utilizing current
technology.
Learning
Outcomes
At the end of this project students
will:
- utilize print materials to
research endangered species
- utilize audiovisual materials to
research endangered species
- utilize the World Wide Web to
research endangered species
- write a report on the results of
their research
- produce pieces of written prose
- apply the skills of the writing
process
- prewriting (brainstorming,
jot-notes, thought web)
- writing first draft
- revising writing -
changing/evolving ideas
- editing (grammar, language
conventions)
- presenting their information to
their peers
- publish their work on a web site
Students selected for the enhanced
project will:
- use e-mail to communicate with
other students working on similar topics
- use e-mail to ask scientists
questions about endangered species
- visit related web sites
- produce a web site about
endangered species
- produce graphics of endangered
species to be used on a web site
- work as a team to produce a web
site
- teach their peers to use the WWW
and e-mail
Technology Outcomes
At the end of this project students
will:
- utilize the following programs to
produce an Endangered Species web site:
- Microsoft Word
- Corel WordPerfect 7
- Windows 95
- HTML Editor
- Netscape
- Internet Explorer
- CorelDRAW!
- Netscape Mail
- Eudora
- utilize the following hardware to
complete their project:
- computer with mouse
- scanner
- digital camera
Resource
Connections
A Stellar School Internet connection
will give students and teachers the time necessary to
develop and maintain a WWW site entitled - Endangered
Species.
Other resources to be utilized
throughout the length of the project include:
- texts
- CD-ROM
- print materials in the Resource
Centre
- scanner - for inclusion of
artwork/illustrations
- digital camera
Evaluation
This project will be evaluated in
several ways.
The Process:
At the end of the project students will have:
- completed a minimum of one piece
of writing
- presented the results of their
research to a group of their peers
- used a digital camera, downloaded
photos and included them on the web site
- used a scanner to digitize
artwork/illustrations
- incorporated graphics on a web
page
- designed and maintained a web site
on the WWW
- used e-mail to communicate with
teachers, parents and students
This project will have a positive
effect on the school as a whole. The Grade 6 students
will have produced a piece of writing about a topic that
they find extremely exciting. They will have presented
their information to their peers. Several will have
produced a web site. They will have been published in the
true sense of the word. This will have a positive effect
on their perceptions of their school and of themselves.
Finally, the exposure to technology will open their eyes
to the potential of the WWW as a source of information
and communication.
The Product:
The web site will be evaluated by the response students
receive to the project. This may be in the form of
electronic, verbal or written feedback from people who
visit their site.
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