Tour Guide

Location	Activity	Google Earth Content
1. Mendenhall Glacier	Question and answer about glaciers in Alaska.	Terrain
2. Yellowstone	Write a letter to someone who has never seen features in Yellowstone	Terrain, seismic activity
3. Moab	List factors that contributed to formations	Terrain
4. Grand Canyon	Draw picture of what Grand Canyon looked like on the first day a river came through that valley.	Terrain
Details of image overlay / path / polygon:	http://www.danasjeeps.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/Moab_March_2007_006.118204820_std.jpg

The content that will be taught is how geographical formations are formed.  Kids will discover the various forms that water, wind and glaciers erode rocks and formations to create canyons, formations and mountains.

They will learn through discovery activities and research these things.

They will learn by using google earth, and wikipedia.  

Holes: an existential tale of treasure, love, and mystery!

Our TPAC preview of Holes, By Louis Sachar

Coming Soon...

This project is a 30 second or so long preview to the book "Holes" by Louis Sachar.  We thought it would be a good lead, or hook to get the kids that hadn't read the book excited to read it.  The story board explains what we had planned to do, and we anticipated it taking around 10 slides in about 30 seconds.  We would then turn the project over to the students.  They would be instructed to create a similar hook for a book that they had read, citing pictures they captured from the internet, and creating pictures of their own.  

Educational Theorist Alphie Kohn claims that "Children learn how to make good decisions by making decisions, not by following directions".  This project leaves the decisions up to the students so that they can develop those crucial skills.  I might not base my entire lesson plan off of Kohn's views on education, but I can see the value of allowing students to create something out of nothing from the choices they make.

The technology used in the project is pretty obvious.  We would use a movie making program, and digital pictures to create this trailer.  Between the technologies used to create the trailer, the 5th grade science core Standard 1 Objective 2, and the pedagogy of allowing students to make their own decisions, I think this is a fantastic combination of TPAC in the classroom.  

But you don't have to take my word for it... ba dum bum! 

BoryStord.