Projects

Engaging Technology Tools Projects

Let's do meaningful, engaging, real-world projects!
General Project Ideas
Starter Project

Provide good practice in learning the tools.
Keep the data set simple.
Add:
- productivity tool features
- graphics, audio, video elements
- high level questions
- meaningful end products

Planets

Why?
- Manageable set of data
- Motivating
- Numeric data for comparisons
- Interesting visuals
Provide a context for learning

Planets

We'd like to build a moon base. We're looking for a planet that contains moons. We also want a somewhat warm planet. Let's look for one that's within 200,000,000 of the sun.
What are our options?

Collect Data

Observations
Books
CD-ROM
Laserdiscs
Internet
Experts

Build the Database

Keep it simple
Remember notation
Double-check data
Add some graphics
Do some preliminary searches

Manipulate Data

Move to spreadsheet
- do calculations
- make charts
Move to word processing
- write a letter to NASA
- write a final report for the "committee"

Semester Project
Starting a Business

Seventh Grade Unit - Rick Yunker
Goal:
- form business team, 4-5 students
- create a small retail business
- each member is a dept manager
Assessment:
- checklists - peer, self, teacher

The Software

You could use:
- Appleworks
- Clarisworks
- Microsoft Works
- Microsoft Office
- Corel Office Suite
Word Processing

Practice Activities
Starting a Business

Chamber of Commerce Letter
Letterhead
Business Letter
Grand Opening Flier
Memo

Data & Calculation

Database
- Client Information
- Credit Data
- Product Inventory
Spreadsheet
- Monthly Budget
- Balance Sheet

More Ideas

Business cards
Announcements
Organizational chart
Annual report
Business form
Employee instructions
Signs
Discount sheet

Interdisciplinary
Strike Up the Band

Interdisciplinary - Elizabeth Raker
Business letter
Management plan
Band members: type, name, bio
Performance tour: 20 cities, hall, ticket sales (%5) of pop, # concert
Budget: lodging, travel, sights
Map: cities & tracing route

Select 4 Activities

Group picture
Commercial
Concert tickets
TV Interview
Concert posters
Newspaper Ad
Performance Video
Buttons of Group
T-Shirt design
CD/Album cover

More Requirements

List of resources
Exhibition or oral report
Extra credit:
- select a vehicle & costs
- log cost of meals, lodging
- pick entertainment, vacations
- write a song

Advanced Projects
Integrate applications

mail merge
graphics integration
community involvement

Architecture
Explore

math
science
writing
history

Word Processing: Design

history reports
business cards
letterhead
letters

Databases: Create

famous architects
architecture in history
friends & family house designs

Spreadsheets: Create

cost of designs
geometry of designs
starting a business

Environment & Arch
Designing living environments

Home energy
Community recycling
Roadside trash
Landscaping

Project Ideas
Gardening

Buying supplies
Laying out plots
Plant database
Garden signs
Tracking growth
Journal writing

Natural Inventory

Collect data on:
- Soil
- Water
- Plants
- Animals
- Trails
- Facilities

Nature Starter

Focus on areas:
- a few feet
- around a lake
- along a path
- in the creek

Our school

Mock elections
Stands of issues
Class sizes and composition
Sports statistics

Our Town

Chamber of Commerce letters
Historical building inventory
Oral history database
Local business inventory
Cost of living
Population patterns
Nature

Trees in Our Town

Type
Age
Condition
Height
Leaves
Seeds & nuts

Leaf Log

Date
Location
Name
Description
- color, size, shape

Our Earth: Explore

habitats
parts of the earth
landforms
pollution
global warming

Trip Planning

Identify countries, states, cities
Plan activities
Plot distances
Plan costs
Convert money
Plan phone calls by time zones

http://mapquest.com
http://www.oanda.com/converter/classic
http://www.mindspring.com/~cavu/sunset.html Transportation

History Chains
Timelines
Cost comparisons
Budgeting
Inner-working
History through roads

Technology

Problems solved & caused
Invention improved & hindered
Invention create uses & problems
Jobs that were created & lost
Why is it better & worse

Taking Action

Explore issues
Track bills
Take polls & surveys
Contact gov't people
Take action

http://thomas.loc.gov Designing Projects
Clarify Your Goal

Information skills
Thinking skills
Spreadsheet skills
Content skills
Should be reflected in assessment

Focus Assignments

Answer a question
Define and relate terms
Provide examples & nonexamples
Represent each side of an issue
Create an illustration for text
Teach someone

Think Questions

Where is the…?
- fat, gold, space, money
What's the impact of…?
- people, fertilizer, adjectives
What's the cause of…?
- war, climate, pollution, mystery
What happens when you…
- heat, freeze, kill, protect…

Think Problems

Build a…
- park, ocean, building, station
Trace the…
- food to table, water to ocean
Make a…
- tower, bridge, apron, book

Narrow Your Focus

You can't include everything
- narrow your fields
Don't focus on one element
- graphics
Compromise information
- averaging male & female data

Provide context

Audience
Metaphor
Task
Mission
WebQuests
Simulations

Specific Assignment

General: Write about an animal.
Specific
Should the loggerhead turtle's breeding ground be protected? Why or why not?

Provide Models

Examples
Nonexamples
The spectrum of possibilities
Options
Relate models to the assessment

Use Templates

Concentrate on content, not setup
Use template as a good model
Develop template ahead
Create template as a class

Build Teams

Form a team
Clarify the goal
Identify tasks
Make process change
Share results as a group

Manage Tech Time

Organize on and off computer activities
Build in time for group and individual work
Develop a project bulletin board

Process Checks

Check who has made their contributions to group or class database
Set up small group meetings
Use process-folios

Vary Assessments

Portfolios
Checklists
Worksheets
Rubrics
Quizzes
Journals

Do It!

Project Development

Brainstorm a project. Answer the following questions:

What's the goal of the project?

What problem or issue will be solved or addressed?

What's the context of the project?

What kind of data needs to be collected?

What's the best tool for organizing, calculating, and analyzing the data?

What's the specific student assignment?

How will student time be spent?

Do students have the resources they will need to be successful?

Will students be working individually or collaboratively?

What procedures will be used to collect, enter, and analyze information?

How will student progress be monitored?

What will the project look like?

What end product will be developed to communicate the results?

How will the student performance and project be assessed?

Developed by Annette Lamb, 7/99.