This document describes a National Park Project that allows students to research different national parks. Students select a park to research using safe search engines and websites. They find copyright-friendly images to include in their work. Students create online content about their park using Wikispaces. They also have options for differentiated instruction projects involving making drawings, comics, posters, trading cards, or commercials about their park. The project aims to teach students about national parks through collaboration and different learning activities.

1. The National
Park Project
Karen Bosch - K - 8 Technology Instruction/Southfield Christian School
Discovery Star Educator

2. Welcome to:

3. Resources posted at the Apple Learning Interchange:
http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?itemID=17857

4. Why National Parks?
Inspired by my
travels
Interesting topic
w/safe searching
& copyright free
images
Upcoming PBS
documentary

5. Project Purposes
Researching topic
with Google Earth
and search engines
Creating online
content
Collaborating
Differentiated
instructional projects

6. Prior Knowledge - Inspiration

7. Exploring - Google Earth
National
Park
Layer

8. Researching the Parks
Students selected
park to research
Google Safe Search
Discuss .gov, .org,
.com, Google ads
Bookmarked sites
used

9. Searching for Images
Safe unblocked
images
Copyright friendly
images sources
My National Park
Flickr group
Creative Commons
Search

10. Media Kits
Create files or CDs of
images for students to
use
Discovery Streaming
images and videos
Media Kit giveaway

11. Creating Online Content using Wikis
Wikispaces - free, easy,
no emails needed for
student accounts, no ads
Students learned to add
content, text format, add
images, cite sources via
links
Individual/Group
Projects

12. Example Wiki Page

13. Differentiated Instruction
6 different projects -
familiar programs
Activity cards
First person to finish a
project was “expert” to
help others.

14. National Park Drawings using Kidpix

15. Comic Book using Comic Life

16. Travel Poster using Print Shop

17. National Park Trading Cards
http://bighugelabs.com/
flickr/deck.php

18. National Park Trading Cards

19. GarageBand National Park Commercials
Click to Listen

20. Postcards made with Keynote

22. Using the Wiki Content
Fifth graders used
the completed wiki
to learn about a
National Park
Wrote a paragraph
and drew picture
Easy for them to
understand

23. Invitation to Participate
Fall 2009 - September and November
Upper Elementary/Middle School Classes to join
the project
Cover all the National Parks (and parks outside US)
Collaborate with partner in another school
Contact me via email if interested

24. GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

25. Questions?
kbosch@southfieldchristian.org
Resources at:
http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/story.php?
itemID=17857