From Our Region to Yours

Participating in a Telecollaborative Internet Project


Grade:    4

Time Allotment:    9/1/08 to 12/15/08    


Curriculum Objectives
  • Create a global community where students use technology to teach one another about their regions
  • Students will use geographic concepts and processes to examine the role of culture, technology, and the environment in the location and distribution of human activities and spatial connections throughout time.
    • Describe geographic characteristics of Maryland/United States using resources such as: photographs, maps, charts, graphs, and atlases.
  • Locate places and describe the human and physical characteristics of those places using geographic tools
    • Describe geographic characteristics of Maryland using maps
    • Identify regions of Maryland by their physical features
  • Describe similarities and differences of regions by using geographic characteristics
    • Explain how natural/physical features and human-made features affect how people live and work, and the population distribution of a region
    • Compare geographic characteristics of different Maryland communities and regions
  • Describe different types of markets in Maryland
    • Describe a producer and consumer, such as farmers, miners or watermen in Maryland past or present
  • Explain the significance and chronology of key historical events during early settlement in Maryland using a variety of primary and secondary resources
    • Explain how the Maryland colony was established including political and economic motives for coming to the new world

Technical Needs
  • Internet access
  • Computer lab or mobile lab
  • LCD projector
  • Wikispaces account
  • Digital cameras
  • CD-ROM: Maryland Geography – Maryland Geographic Alliance
  • Web Resources

Material Needs

Procedures
  1. Introduce each fourth grade class to the internet project using Maryland web page.           
  2. Share the wikispace, From Our Region to Yours, to show the map of where the other schools are located and how we will be sharing our information on Maryland with the other students in this internet project.
  3. Assign students into 5 groups in each class:
    • geographical features
    • history
    • natural resources
    • economy
    • places to visit
  4. Prior to having students use the Maryland Regions wikispace, assign each student in each group a text color (red, green, blue, orange, purple, turquoise)to use when recording information on the wikispace.
  5. Direct students to the From Our Region to Yours website and have students click on the get started link.
  6. Review what a region is with the students by clicking on the button.
  7. Remind students that they have already been assigned a region, a focus group/topic, and a color for the wikispace.
  8. Direct students to click on the link for their focus group to get started on their research.
  9. As students find information on their assigned topic in their region, each student records the facts on the appropriate page on the Maryland Regions wikispace.
  10. Students will continue to research and write posts on the Maryland Region wikispace for several class periods.
  11. During several class periods between September and December, students will go outside to take pictures of our changing environment and climate to upload and share on the From Our Region to Yours wikispace.
  12. Beginning the week of 9/15/08 each class (through the teacher using the LCD projector) will spend approximately 10 of the allotted 20 minutes for the internet project recording information they have found and/or exploring other schools' information.  As the weeks go on, more time might need to be allotted to share, explore, and ask questions on the wikispaces.
  13. After 12/15/08 students will complete and share their final PowerPoint project (see Closure).


Offline Activities

In collaboration with the classroom teacher from the Howard County Social Studies curriculum:

  • Students use the Maryland Adventure books, pgs. 22-25, to gather information on the geographic features, natural resources, and climate on all three regions in Maryland.
  • Students use the Maryland Adventure books, Chapters 2 and 3, to explore the history of Maryland.
  • Students use the Maryland Adventure books, Chapter 11, to identify and explain the kinds of jobs people do in the different regions of Maryland.

Problems Solutions
The teacher in charge of the internet project wikispace could close the wikispace prior to completion of the project. My fourth grade students can continue to gather information about the Maryland regions and ask questions on the wikispace I created for my students.
The internet could not be working for students to record Maryland facts on the wikispace. Students can use the word document to record their information using the Maryland Adventure books.  At a later date when the internet is working, students can use this document to type their facts on the internet project wikispace.

Backup Plans

 If the internet project falls through, students will continue to research the focus groups of each region of Maryland in a webquest format.  The following adjustments will be made:
  • The Maryland Regions wikispace will need to be modified to fit the following activity.
  • Each class will be researching all three regions of Maryland.
  • In each class students will be divided into groups of 5, allowing for 6 if needed.
  • Each group of students will be assigned a region - regions may be duplicated depending on the size of the class.
  • Within each group, each student will research a topic for their assigned region.
  • Students will use the From Our Region to Yours website starting at the Maryland Regions webpage to assist with their research as they would have in the original project.
  • Each student would be assigned a color to use when recording their information on the Maryland Regions wikispace.
  • As a final project each group will create a Maryland Region PowerPoint about their assigned region, including at least 3-5 facts about each topic.
  • To view a Maryland Region PowerPoint sample, click here.
  • As an option, use the Region PowerPoint Scoring Sheet to evaluate the students' final PowerPoint projects.


Closure  
  • Students will create a Region PowerPoint that highlights what they have learned about the regions in Maryland and the regions across the country and world.
    • Each student chooses 3 regions that interests them the most from the Maryland Region wikispace and/or the From Our Region to Yours wikispace.
    • Students will use the template for the project.
    • Students must include 3-5 facts they have learned about each region on each slide.
    • Students have the option of changing the font, size, slide layout and slide design.  They may also add WordArt, clipart, and/or photos to each slide.
  • To view a Region PowerPoint sample, click here.
  • As an option, use the Region PowerPoint Scoring Sheet to evaluate the students' final PowerPoint projects.

Evaluation of Success
  • Students are able to interact with other students around the country and world by sharing and asking/answering questions through the wikispace.
  • Each student has completed the Region PowerPoint project or Maryland Region PowerPoint project and has had the opportunity to share with his classmates.

Back to Home Page

Created by: Laura Hook
Last Updated: August 4, 2008