Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources

• Grade Level: High School

• Subject Area: Social Studies, Language Arts

Brief Description

    Based on the research they conducted in Lessons One and Two, students identify and flesh out an area of particular interest to them in the field of N/R for the purpose of developing and submitting a more in-depth project on that area of interest. After writing a paragraph describing the area of interest and the proposed method of demonstrating understanding of that area, students conceptualize and develop the in-depth project. The format of the project is up to the student, but may take the form of a hypertext report, a musical composition, or drawings or sketches, among other things.

Note: Depending on the desired complexity of the projects and the level of student familiarity with the software, this lesson could last several days.
Objectives

    Students will:

• Develop an in-depth understanding of one or more aspects of N/R that particularly interest them.
• Develop critical thinking skills by planning and executing a project that demonstrates their understanding of this/these aspect(s) of N/R.
• Use various software applications to present their information.

Materials and Resources

    In developing our lessons and activities, we made some assumptions about the hardware and software that would be available in the classroom for teachers who visit the LETSNet Website. We assume that teachers using our Internet-based lessons or activities have a computer (PC or Macintosh) with the necessary hardware components (mouse, keyboard, and monitor) as well as software (operating system, TCP/IP software, networking or dial-up software, e-mail and a World Wide Web client program, preferably Netscape, but perhaps Mosaic or Lynx). In the section below, we specify any "special" hardware or software requirements for a lesson or activity (in addition to those described above) and the level of Internet access required to do the activity.

1. Special hardware requirements: None.
2. Special software requirements: Multimedia design application such as ClarisWorks, HyperCard, Hyperstudio, or Director; sound editing application such as SoundEdit; storage and publishing space for completed N/R projects
3. Internet access: Medium-speed (28,000 BPS via modem) or High-speed (greater than 1 MBPS via network).

Activity Description

    Pre-Activity Preparation:

• Make sure the software is installed and working on each computer.

• Prior to the day(s) of this lesson, have students submit a paragraph stating their intended research topics and modes of presentation. Be prepared to return these descriptions to students with comments so they can use them to focus their work.

    Activity:

• The purpose of this activity is to enable students to be creative in presenting their research findings. To this end, they will use various multimedia software packages to enhance their presentations with sound, graphics, and interactivity. Classes not equipped with this kind of software can work on regular text-based presentations and still get feedback from peers and N/R experts. Teachers should consider students' level of familiarity with the software when determining the types of projects that are appropriate for this lesson.
• Distribute students' paragraphs with comments. Have them consult these when they start their projects.
• Allow students to present their research findings in a manner of their choosing (textually, graphically, using sound, etc.) using the available applications to create a multimedia presentation. Again, students' familiarity with the software may help to determine the types of activities that are appropriate. Also have students consult the Internet Resources below.
• This process will likely be involved. Provide feedback to students throughout.

Internet Resources

• Multimedia Resources
  [http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/authoring/mm.html]
  Comprehensive listing of multimedia sites, including e-mail discussion lists, sites for downloading graphics, glossaries of tools and terms.

• Rob's Multimedia Lab
  [http://www.acm.uiuc.edu/rml/]
  a vast collection of graphics, sound bites, and QuickTime videos.

• DirectorWeb
  [http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/director/]
  An "unofficial" Web site for users of Director. Includes tips, demonstrations, scripting, FAQs, and new products.

• Listservs on Multimedia and Multimedia Authoring
  [http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/authoring/listserv.html]
  These sites allow students to join groups and have their questions answered. They also could be good places for students to request feedback on the design aspects of their projects.

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