Looking for a Project Idea?
Music Around the World
Create a global opportunity to perform musical selections with artists from around the world! Work with institutions such as Manhattan School of Music and/or other professional musicians in New York State. Various sites can use Internet2 connections to coordinate a collaborative performance during the Global Summit.
Beyond Earth
Take advantage of Internet2 connections with various observatories, such as Gemini, Mt Washington, and Johnson Ridge! Students can research scientific discoveries and the implications for their own future.
Finding Truth in the Media
Connect with Media Literacy experts to investigate how the media portrayal of current and/or historical events influences cultures. By researching and accessing a variety of Internet2 resources, students can develop in-depth reports which compare various media sources and identify biases and the possible causes for them.
Energy Source Development
Are your students interested in solving the world’s energy crisis? Current drilling and pipeline processes, especially hydrofracture drilling, introduce harmful chemicals into wells and underground waterways. Investigate the cost/benefit of new energy solutions, including health, land use, and toxic waste potentials. Using Internet2 resources and connections to national experts, your students could develop the next new energy source!
One Earth—Yours, Mine or Ours?
Using remote enabled equipment like underwater submersibles and electron microscopes, discover first hand the impacts of global warming. Students can write reports on the effects of global warming and create public service announcements that propose solutions for action!
World Immigration
Ripped from the headlines… What stand should the US take on illegal immigrants? Engage in authentic conversations with classrooms and experts from around the world related to cultural understanding. During the Global Summit, students will report out on the issues and solutions based on their experiences.
Create a global opportunity to perform musical selections with artists from around the world! Work with institutions such as Manhattan School of Music and/or other professional musicians in New York State. Various sites can use Internet2 connections to coordinate a collaborative performance during the Global Summit.
Beyond Earth
Take advantage of Internet2 connections with various observatories, such as Gemini, Mt Washington, and Johnson Ridge! Students can research scientific discoveries and the implications for their own future.
Finding Truth in the Media
Connect with Media Literacy experts to investigate how the media portrayal of current and/or historical events influences cultures. By researching and accessing a variety of Internet2 resources, students can develop in-depth reports which compare various media sources and identify biases and the possible causes for them.
Energy Source Development
Are your students interested in solving the world’s energy crisis? Current drilling and pipeline processes, especially hydrofracture drilling, introduce harmful chemicals into wells and underground waterways. Investigate the cost/benefit of new energy solutions, including health, land use, and toxic waste potentials. Using Internet2 resources and connections to national experts, your students could develop the next new energy source!
One Earth—Yours, Mine or Ours?
Using remote enabled equipment like underwater submersibles and electron microscopes, discover first hand the impacts of global warming. Students can write reports on the effects of global warming and create public service announcements that propose solutions for action!
World Immigration
Ripped from the headlines… What stand should the US take on illegal immigrants? Engage in authentic conversations with classrooms and experts from around the world related to cultural understanding. During the Global Summit, students will report out on the issues and solutions based on their experiences.
Sample Project: Biodiversity and the Evolutionary History of Organisms.
New York State learning Standard: MST
Level: Intermediate (6-8)
Area: Science
Content Standard: 4
Area of Study: Living Environment
Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and species change over time.
Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical
environment.
Key Idea 7: Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environment.
National Standards
Level: Intermediate (7-8)
Area: Science
Content Standard: C
POPULATIONS AND ECOSYSTEMS
A population consists of all individuals of a species that occur together at a given place and time. All populations living together and the physical factors with which they interact compose an ecosystem.
Populations of organisms can be categorized by the function they serve in an ecosystem.
Plants and some micro-organisms are producers--they make their own food. All animals, including humans, are consumers, which obtain food by eating other organisms. Decomposers, primarily bacteria and fungi, are consumers that use waste materials and dead organisms for food. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.
PURPOSE
To assess students’ ability to define key components of a community, understand the interrelationships found in a community, and to value communities that are part of their everyday lives.
GOALS: Students will be...
- Identify an organism that is missing from the phylogenic tree on
Tolweb.org;
- Compile and analyze research conducted using Internet2 resources;
- Contribute to the Tolweb.org website by authoring a page;
- Present the learning products at the Global Summit.
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING
- Communities serve many different functions in students’ everyday lives.
- Humans are interconnected with the environment for their actions effect
and shape the community.
- Human decisions have a profound impact on the physical and living
environment.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
- How do living things change over time to become a new species?
- How do living things and non-living things interact in an environment?
- How are humans dependent on their communities?
- What decisions or activities have had a profound impact on the
community?
Summary of the Project:
The Tree of Life Web Project (www.tolweb.org) is based on the scientific inquiry process and provides students with an opportunity to build on their prior knowledge, reflect on their practice as young scientists, and publish their findings. Through the website and learning activities, students are able to forge connections between science, literacy, and technology. Students create their own online pages, which promotes student writing and scientific inquiry skills, as well as cultivates student technology skills relating to research and information fluency.
During the Project Integration in the classroom, students will be able to complete the following learning tasks:
1) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY: Creating a Family Tree (Show & Tell activity)
2) BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE: Learning about conservation and how the Tree of Life Website is promoting those efforts. Students will also build background knowledge related to core content (ie. animal/life science, habitats, ecology)
3) STUDENT LEARNING PROJECTS: Students will create/contribute to a page on the Tree of Life website, which will be published online. Students may choose or will be assigned an organism that has not yet been represented on the Tree of Life website.
New York State learning Standard: MST
Level: Intermediate (6-8)
Area: Science
Content Standard: 4
Area of Study: Living Environment
Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and species change over time.
Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical
environment.
Key Idea 7: Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environment.
National Standards
Level: Intermediate (7-8)
Area: Science
Content Standard: C
POPULATIONS AND ECOSYSTEMS
A population consists of all individuals of a species that occur together at a given place and time. All populations living together and the physical factors with which they interact compose an ecosystem.
Populations of organisms can be categorized by the function they serve in an ecosystem.
Plants and some micro-organisms are producers--they make their own food. All animals, including humans, are consumers, which obtain food by eating other organisms. Decomposers, primarily bacteria and fungi, are consumers that use waste materials and dead organisms for food. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.
PURPOSE
To assess students’ ability to define key components of a community, understand the interrelationships found in a community, and to value communities that are part of their everyday lives.
GOALS: Students will be...
- Identify an organism that is missing from the phylogenic tree on
Tolweb.org;
- Compile and analyze research conducted using Internet2 resources;
- Contribute to the Tolweb.org website by authoring a page;
- Present the learning products at the Global Summit.
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING
- Communities serve many different functions in students’ everyday lives.
- Humans are interconnected with the environment for their actions effect
and shape the community.
- Human decisions have a profound impact on the physical and living
environment.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
- How do living things change over time to become a new species?
- How do living things and non-living things interact in an environment?
- How are humans dependent on their communities?
- What decisions or activities have had a profound impact on the
community?
Summary of the Project:
The Tree of Life Web Project (www.tolweb.org) is based on the scientific inquiry process and provides students with an opportunity to build on their prior knowledge, reflect on their practice as young scientists, and publish their findings. Through the website and learning activities, students are able to forge connections between science, literacy, and technology. Students create their own online pages, which promotes student writing and scientific inquiry skills, as well as cultivates student technology skills relating to research and information fluency.
During the Project Integration in the classroom, students will be able to complete the following learning tasks:
1) INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY: Creating a Family Tree (Show & Tell activity)
2) BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE: Learning about conservation and how the Tree of Life Website is promoting those efforts. Students will also build background knowledge related to core content (ie. animal/life science, habitats, ecology)
3) STUDENT LEARNING PROJECTS: Students will create/contribute to a page on the Tree of Life website, which will be published online. Students may choose or will be assigned an organism that has not yet been represented on the Tree of Life website.
Snapshot of the Tree of Life Website, Internet2 Resource
4) ADDITIONAL PROJECTS or EXTENSION ACTIVITIES: Students can
- create an online virutal poster (Gloster EDU)
- create a commercial (could be a multicast on the NYSERNet network to promote Global Summit)
5) GLOBAL SUMMIT PRESENTATION: Students will present their work publised on the Tree of Life website and discuss the impact of human decisions and activities on different communities.
During the Global Summit, students should also be able to discuss and present basic information about the Tree of Life Biology Project, including:
How you can browse the ToL website to learn more about biodiversity?
How you can find information and media on a specific organism?
How teachers and learners can contribute pages to the ToL?
A quick demonstration of how to use the ToL Treehouse Editor.
What phylogeny is and how you can use the ToL to learn about Phylogeny?
- create an online virutal poster (Gloster EDU)
- create a commercial (could be a multicast on the NYSERNet network to promote Global Summit)
5) GLOBAL SUMMIT PRESENTATION: Students will present their work publised on the Tree of Life website and discuss the impact of human decisions and activities on different communities.
During the Global Summit, students should also be able to discuss and present basic information about the Tree of Life Biology Project, including:
How you can browse the ToL website to learn more about biodiversity?
How you can find information and media on a specific organism?
How teachers and learners can contribute pages to the ToL?
A quick demonstration of how to use the ToL Treehouse Editor.
What phylogeny is and how you can use the ToL to learn about Phylogeny?
