Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 18 times  Date: 01-Mar-2001 08:42:00 Author: xxxxxxxx Subject: Tenative Project Ideas   [Remove] I think I have decided to do a Web Quest on the preservation of the Loess Hills. Groups of students will be assigned roles in the research and presentation of information about the Loess Hills. Satellite images will be incorporated into a brochure and a PowerPoint presentation. The brochure and PowerPoint presentation will convey the opinion of the group on the issue of the preservation of the Loess Hills. Agronomic, economic, and environmental issues will be discussed in the student presentations. Resources: I have found many interesting web site on the Loess Hills as well as the issue of the preservation of the Loess Hills. There are web resources regarding effective design of brochures, online brochures and presentations. As I become more familiar with Data Slate, I might consider having students present information using Data Slate and have them create the datasets (I don't know how to do that or how difficult it is) instead of the PowerPoint presentation.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 16 times  Date: 01-Mar-2001 13:18:00 Author: xxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tenative Project Ideas   [Remove] Having the 'Hills' in close proximity affords you a unique opportunity for a project. It may be quite useful for the youngsters to present their findings to local organizations interested in the environmental impact. It sounds like a great project. We will be doing some things very soon which may allow you to gather images you might be able to use. We just received an offer this morning (thur) of some Landsat images which might be available through NASA. We'll see.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 13 times  Date: 01-Mar-2001 18:44:00 Author: xxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tenative Project Ideas   [Edit] [Remove] We have written tutorials on creation of your own datasets that you can see in weeks 7 - 9 of the course DataSlate strand. I would love to have someone go down that path and see if the tutorials are extensive enough :) xxxxxxxxx

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 17 times  Date: 03-Mar-2001 23:26:00 Author: xxxxxxxx Subject: Tenative Project Ideas   [Remove] The project theme I have chosen is in the Webquest Strand. This is essential for me to explore, because there is such a push to incorporate Internet use with classes. Many instructors are posting their class syllabus, comments and updates, assignments, and projects on the web. I need to learn how to do it. Furthermore, I have chosen a theme of exploring the effect pivot irrigation has on crop yields, as opposed to yields on land irrigated with gravity irrigation. The PBL will be that the student is a farmer who has been farming a number of years and has both irrigation systems on 2 pieces of land with identical soil make-up. The farmer needs to know if the pivot is significantly effecting crop yield, so he knows whether to invest further in pivot systems. The techniques of statistical analysis and hypothesis testing will be used. The TerraServer will be used to first explore the plots of land and get a visual grasp on the situation. Of course, a second resource will be web links to sights where more can be learned about pivots, other forms of irrigation, and costs of these systems. A third resource will be the software statistical package Minitab. It will be used to run a one-sample t-test on the data.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 13 times  Date: 04-Mar-2001 13:00:00 Author: xxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tenative Project Ideas   [Edit] [Remove] Good idea! You will have a chance in week 6 to locate some of those other resources. The main assignment is web searching.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 19 times  Date: 04-Mar-2001 10:13:00 Author: xxxxxxxx Subject: Tentative Project Ideas   [Remove] My thoughts right now are that my project will take the WebQuest route, however, if I think DataSlate could be incorporated into the theme somehow, I'd be interested in adding that. From Field to Tummy is the project I'd like to research and develop for my students. I think this would be of the most interest to them (being so young). There are lots of different avenues to take with this and incorporate. Plus, I think we could have a lot of fun with this and definately give it a problem based format! Websites that I plan on using are some of the ones I've been introduced to in the class. Others would include: At The Farm, Farmyard, Farms and Farm Animals, Fun on the Farm Unit, and Fun Farm Activities

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 11 times  Date: 04-Mar-2001 13:03:00 Author: xxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tentative Project Ideas   [Edit] [Remove] Great I was hoping someone would do this project! In week 6 you will have a chance to locate some other resources when you do your web searching. Just as a side note are you going to get into the packaging and marketing of food as part of the project? This is where about 75% of the cost of a box of cereal comes from.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 13 times  Date: 04-Mar-2001 11:05:00 Author: xxxxxxxx Subject: Tentative Project Ideas   [Remove] I feel the WebQuest will be the best route. I have been searching for web sites, and thinking of the format. I am thinking about focus on : a.Growing of crops , ( corn, soybeans, wheat) b.Machines used in farming (Tractors and the attachments) 3.Farm animals for food.(cattle, sheep, hogs) I think it will be some kind of choice the groups would persue, from a given list and publication of products on a web page.Small groups will support the variety of abilities in most classes.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 11 times  Date: 04-Mar-2001 13:05:00 Author: xxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tentative Project Ideas   [Edit] [Remove] I think that you have a good idea that could be geared to the third grade level very effetively. Any thoughts about how you will incorporate PBL.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 18 times  Date: 04-Mar-2001 19:36:00 Author: xxxxxxxx Subject: Tentative Project Ideas   [Remove] I've been going back and forth between two ideas. One of my ideas is the effects of flooding on the agricultural success of the area near the Platte River. Since it is an unchanneled river, those who choose to farm there are always at risk of flooding (even though the ground is very fertile). My other idea is to look at the affects of urban sprawl (Omaha) and habitat destruction. I found some images from the USGS that would be very helpful. In addition to that, the National Wildlife Federation has information on their website regarding presrvation of wildlife habitat. With information gathered, my students would present information either in PowerPoint, or DataSlate along with brochures, posters, advertisements, etc. to support habitat preservation. I would like to have them develop some datasets instead of the powerpoint as I think that would make a very powerful presentation. My students are very well trained in PowerPoint, and I think would be willing to learn how to use DataSlate to make datasets. Given the time, I'd like to see them present their information to a community service group, or maybe even the school board. We'll have to see.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 12 times  Date: 05-Mar-2001 07:43:00 Author: xxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tentative Project Ideas   [Remove] Excellent ideas, xxxxxxxx. Either project would be useful in terms of gaining knowledge for the students (and for those of us who carry the 'teacher' label). In addition, having the students do a presentation insures that the project is done well (they don't want to look bad) and it certainly doesn't hurt the Public Relations concept either. Again, good work.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 8 times  Date: 17-Mar-2001 14:05:00 Author: xxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tentative Project Ideas   [Remove] Expanding the students'horizons is so important. If they do know PowerPoint they might use it, but the datasets would challenge them to continue to expand their abilities in using various forms of technology to assimilate information and present it.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 17 times  Date: 04-Mar-2001 22:43:00    (Original: 04-Mar-2001 22:38:00) Author: xxxxxxxxx Subject: Tenative Project Ideas   [Remove] I think I will do a WebQuest about Ag. Literature: Fact vs. Fiction / past vs present. The PBL would involve my students being asked to prepare a library presentation for Ag Week. They would look to a variety of sources and read ag lit (selections provided -- I'll have to search for some newer authors), then research life on a farm through e-mailing rural students, reading non-ficiton articles about farm life, visiting ag web sites etc. I want them to learn as much as possible about the reality of farming in 2001 and be able to compare this reality to what appears in ag literature. Internet use would (could) involve sites that highlight ag lit authors, sites about farm life, rural school sites where students could write to teachers about e-mailing with students, etc. I will need to do some serious web searching for good sites. The project will be to prepare a visual display (including powerpoint) sharing the literature they have read and the information they have learned about farming in 2001. I would like to work with our local and school libraries to see if the presentations could actually be used. An additional paper would be required in which students would compare and contrast farming in 2001 with the farm they read about in their book (or books).

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 14 times  Date: 05-Mar-2001 07:51:00 Author: xxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tenative Project Ideas   [Remove] Another bunch of good ideas! Very impressive. Ag Day occurs on 20 May, 01 and we observe that in Week 8. Perhaps some of the links there will be helpful. The National Corn Growers Associations has a link which you will enjoy sampling. They have included lessons which may be of interest as well.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 12 times  Date: 17-Mar-2001 14:09:00 Author: xxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tenative Project Ideas   [Remove] Look on the web for "the Farmer's wife". I remember finding it a year or so ago. There also was a film by that name that was PBS I think.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 9 times  Date: 18-Mar-2001 15:53:00 Author: xxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tenative Project Ideas   [Remove] correct

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 16 times  Date: 05-Mar-2001 20:18:00 Author: xxxxxxxx Subject: Tenative Project   [Remove] Webquest is a great start to include some of the weather situations and other factors that would affect the increase of the Hantavirus outbreak. Would good weather favor it or what? Farmers are at a risk with safety with all their duties that they do. Other vocations have a lot of safety factors when dealing with regions of high risk like gloves, masks, etc. Insects also have a high input in the situation like bees and Bumble bees. Students would be making power point presentations and exploring the different options of Data Slate when the new computers are put into the school system soon. If the picture is clear, we have a web page and the project is branched off the web page into a quest like situation. The theme is around insects and rodents and how the weather affect their outcome. Would good weather trigger more rodents and insects. Are bees and bumble bees really beneficial to the farming vocation. All to often, we tend to look at the crops and not the hidden enemy or friend. Let's hope for the best.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 9 times  Date: 10-Mar-2001 13:07:00 Author: xxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Tenative Project   [Edit] [Remove] I like the idea of looking at how insects impact agriculture. They do have a huge impact. There is some real issues with not having enough bees around during polenation in some areas of the country resulting in reduced yield in some crops. The whole slant could lead into this area.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 10 times  Date: 10-Mar-2001 10:41:00 Author: xxxxxxx Subject: Possible projects   [Remove] I have come up with a couple ideas for a project. These ideas partly stem from my being a city girl and having limited knowledge about how much farms produce. One idea would be about an average family farm. How big is it? What kind of animals are raised and what kind of crops grown? Look at all the different costs of running the farm and how the farmer makes money. Another idea is maybe have students calculate yields on certain fields based on choices they make about what to plant and linking that to the previous years weather. Another direction I am considering going is a study on the growth of the community of Gretna. Using Data Slate, compare images of several years and calculate rate of growth or have students graphically demonstrate that growth. Determine how much farmland has been lost for a certain time frame and relate that to how many loaves of bread or boxes of corn flakes this amounts to.

Current Forum: Week 5 Tenative Project Ideas Read 8 times  Date: 10-Mar-2001 12:36:00 Author: xxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: Possible projects   [Edit] [Remove] Two great ideas! For an extension in idea 1 how about finding out how the "average" family farm has changed from 20 years ago, or 50 years ago. I think you would be shocked! Idea 2 is a very important problem to consider. We are continually covering up some of our best farmland (along rivers etc.) with urban sprawl. Is there a time that we won't have enough land to produce food for all of us?