Spring Hill Elementary 1994-95 Action Plan
Spring Hill Elementary School
Action Plan
Project Summary
Students from three classrooms at Spring Hill Elementary School (ages
4-12) will participate in an interdisciplinary Weather Project using the
Internet to collect and analyze weather data locally and worldwide.
Access to the Internet will add other dimensions to computer use, give
students ownership of a wider knowledge base and provide students and
teachers with a link to the world.
Curriculum Project
In Room 10 (ages 4-5) the students will demonstrate knowledge of the
following technical skills:
�parts of a computer
�proper care and maintenance of the computer
�vocabulary necessary to use the computer
�correct use of the keyboard and mouse
�the computer as a communication device
�the use of the Internet as a resource tool
With these skills the students will be able to :
�access MacWeather and document sky conditions, temperature and wind
�graph daily local temperatures for morning and afternoon
�use CAROLINE to locate books about weather topics
�reproduce graphics and visual images of weather data collected from
MacWeather, Blue Skies, and personal observations
�use weather data in dramatic play to become meteorologists
Implementation (Woods, Swartzentruber, Rogers, Sakanich):
In the first reporting cycle (September - December) instruction around the
project will focus on learning the mechanics of the computer and how to
navigate the Internet. Utilizing the Everyday Math Program, children will
be introduced to weather concepts. We will be gathering weather data as
part of our daily opening exercises. Beginning in December, we will
introduce MacWeather as a tool to gather weather data. As we move into
the second reporting cycle (January - April) , we will evaluate the
student's use of MacWeather to determine which students have the interest
and ability to utilize CAROLINE and Blue Skies. A group of no more than 8
students will be involved in the Weather Project.
During the morning block at learning centers all students will rotate
through the computer center. Four students working in pairs will receive
instruction on the computers for 15 minute blocks. Two of these blocks
will be devoted to the Weather Project on a daily basis. Various pieces
of software will be used to meet the above objectives. Students will
independently use the computers in the afternoon.
Evaluation
Documentation of the students' work will be used to determine mastery of
the material. At the end of the first reporting cycle the teachers will
be using a checklist and observations of students' proficiency on the
computers. The second and third cycles will be evaluated by samples of
student work as well as a checklist and observations.
Curriculum Project
In Room 214 (ages 7-10) the students will demonstrate knowledge of the
following technical skills:
�all of the objectives of the 4-5 year olds
�ethics policies pertaining to Internet use
�the process of retrieving data from the Internet
�familiarity with weather vocabulary and definitions
With these skills, by January 1995, the students will be able to:
�pull specific weather-related data from the Internet via MacWeather,
BlueSkies, and Interactive Weather Maps and use that data in a
cooperative learning project
�graph daily temperature figures and weekly precipitation data for the
city of Pittsburgh and a sister city (Rochester, NY and/or San Juan, PR)
�print the daily weather forecast for Pittsburgh each morning and read
it "on air" on in-school TV
�compare the printed morning forecast with actual weather and
temperature during the day
�recognize standard weather symbols and use them to create weather
graphic images to correspond with daily videotaped classroom weather
forecasts
�compare and contrast temperature data collected in Room 214 with
Pittsburgh (Airport) weather information on the Internet
Implementation (Bassett, Rogers, McLaughlin)
Beginning in September, whole group instruction on the care and
maintenance of classroom computers, procedures, Internet ethics policies,
and weather vocabulary will occur for thirty minutes each morning. Four
students, working in pairs, will receive instruction on the two classroom
computers for an additional thirty minutes daily using weather-related
software to reinforce and extend the morning discussions and instruction.
By the second cycle (January 1995), these four students will become
coordinators of small-group cooperative learning projects which will
rotate weekly through the computer center. Students will be given
additional time to work independently to meet weather objectives during
the structured play period or center time. Computers will frequently be
available during the afternoon for individual projects.
Evaluation
The teachers in Room 214 will use various methods to evaluate student
learning outcomes related to the Weather Project. These will include
formal and informal teacher observations of students' interactions and
behaviors as well as student work samples: electronic portfolios,
displays, presentations, and hard copies of their projects.
Curriculum Project
In Room 126 (ages 8-12) the students will demonstrate knowledge of the
following skills:
�use MacWeather and Blue Skies to collect weather data (precipitation,
temperature, sky condition, wind speed) daily local, national, and
international
�measure the temperature inside and outside the building using
interfacing probes
�collect acid rain data and share the information with another site
through the Internet
�download weather maps from the Internet to compare weather conditions
around the world
�prepare charts and tables showing the relationship between collected
data and observed weather (real-world situations)
�create a survey to observe student behavior in regard to the weather
�recognize MacWeather symbols and use them to create weather charts
�use the Internet to collect flood data from the Allegheny County Area
Implementation (Lyden, Yonek, O'Toole, West, Lesniewicz)
By the end of the first reporting cycle a core group of 5 students will
use their basic computer skills to collect weather data from the Internet
and display it. By the end of the second reporting cycle the core group
will be paired with another group of 6 students to train them in the
weather collecting process on the Internet. By the end of the third
reporting cycle, twelve students who are trained will be paired with
classmates to teach the remainder of the class.
Evaluation
Teachers working in room 126 will write observations regarding the
students' work on the Internet. The display of the data gathered will be
evaluated for accuracy through use of a checklist. A task will be
assigned for each student to complete once they have been trained on the
Internet. The students will keep a computer journal writing their
experiences using the Internet.
Support Plan
Technical assistance/support will be needed from the CK:P staff throughout
the implementation of the project in the form of:
�bi-weekly inservice training for the Weather Project staff on the
basic use of the Internet
�weekly on-site meetings with the CK:P staff and the Weather Project
Team
�assist with the parent component (backyard forecasting) by providing
parents with an Internet presentation of weather on the Internet
�assist with the development of a partnership with Channel 11 and the
Carnegie Science Center and Spring Hill Elementary School
�continued support and technical assistance with troubleshooting and
maintaining the server and accessories