Topic: Exemplary Internet-based projects

Conf: 387 1a. Exemplary Internet-based projects

From: Megan Forness (mforness@springfield.k12.il.us)

Date: Saturday, July 11, 1998 12:22 AM

Many components of my project lend themselves to be Internet based. The information students are required to obtain about foreign cities and currency exchange rates is much more efficiently gathered while using the Internet. The following two projects I have found have given me some new ideas for and more confidence about the project I have proposed. Both of these projects have specific goals and questions. They do not have as many branches as my proposal, and I think this is a better strategy to implement this type of project. The projects focus on one basic idea:currency exchange. In my project, I developed a plan that would integrate curriculum as to involve interdisciplinary team teachers. Since much has changed in the past week, I would like to steer my project in a different direction. Since I will be teaching in a high school in a different district, I will no longer be working with an interdisciplinary team. My thoughts are to now focus my project around the mathematical concept of currency exchange rates. By doing this, I will satisfy my subject area, and at the same time students will indirectly learn skills from other disciplines.

PROJECT #1 http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbsmat/travel/bonvoyage.html

Project title: Bon Voyage Level: 9th/10th

This project caught my eye immediately because French was my minor area in college. The project is directed toward the exact age level I will be teaching this fall, and it is very similar to my project proposal. I think this project is simply EXCELLENT! Students are told they have won air fare and travel expenses to two different countries in the world. They will use the Internet to research a place to visit. They will have $3000 to spend while they're away, and they must use a currency converter to exchange this money before they go. They will be required to write functions to describe the currency relationships. There are five clearly written assignment questions that invite enthusiastic student participation. Two examples are included so that students may get a more clear idea of what their task involves. Also included is an evaluation rubric so that the students know what is expected of them. I was so impressed and excited about this project that I sent an email message to the creator. I am hoping to get a response and perhaps more ideas about this project.

PROJECT #2 http://www.landmark-project.com/ggl.html

Project Title: Global Grocery List

Level: All

This is what I would consider an exemplary math project that relates to my project idea. I wanted to focus on currency exchange rates through a vacation type project, and the Global Grocery Project does this beautifully through researching everyday grocery items. The page indicates that it has been in existence for ten years, so it has obviously withstood the test of time! The project supplies the user with a list of items for which they must acquire an average price from their local grocery store. This list may be completed online and sent very easily. There are also prompts for entering average monthly housing costs, per capita income, and longitude and latitude. Students may then consider how these factors influence prices. I would like to use the ideas from this site as part of a project this year. Perhaps my freshman and sophomore students would be interested in comparing car prices from country to country.