General Information Project Overview Curriculum Connections Resource Connections Evaluation

  General Information

Project Groundhog is a project designed to introduce young learners to the possibilities of telecommunications technology through a meaningful, curriculum based inquiry. Project Groundhog engages students in exploring whether or not the groundhog is an accurate weather predictor. For the six weeks following Groundhog Day, February 2nd, students monitor and record the daily temperature and sky conditions. Students also record how often school was closed due to weather. The information collected is shared weekly with the participating schools via email and the Project Groundhog website.

  Curriculum Connections

Project Groundhog has a direct curriculum focus. It allows teachers to cover specific objectives in:

Social Studies

- observation and recording of weather data.
- changes in animals according to the season.
- recording, charting and graphing data collected.
- comparing data and observations from many varied areas of the continent.

Math

- introduce concept of average (average weekly temperature)
- creating charts and graphs of data collected
- using charts and graphs to solve problems
- comparing charts and graphs of data from different participating teams
- introduction to basic statistical analysis

Social Studies

- describing our home community
- comparing our home community to others participating in Project Groundhog

Language Arts

- reading and writing factual information and fiction stories, poems about Groundhog Day and groundhogs
- sharing our information with participating schools
- provides an authentic audience for students writing

  Resource Connections

The telecommunications aspect of Project Groundhog is essential to the sharing of data and ideas. Without the STELLAR schools connection the school would be unable to participate in this project.

Other resources used may include library books, reference material, science equipment to observe specific weather phenomena and other materials available within the school and community. The range of other resources possible is limited only by the teachers imagination.

  Evaluation

Project Groundhog is an ongoing project. The effectiveness of the project has been shown through the growth of participation in Project Groundhog over the past 3 years.

Student achievement in Project Groundhog will be evaluated by informal discussion with the students throughout the course of the project and by examining folders of work kept specifically for Project Groundhog.