Allow the students to be creative and have fun completing this project. Students will come up with many different and off the wall inventions but that is the point in this project, to let the students be imaginative.
Materials: Computers, Digital Cameras, Zip Disks, Floppy Disks, Different Items/objects, Adobe Photoshop, and Netscape Composer Programs.
What You Need To Do:
The best way to start this project is to show the students an example of one. Students will want to know what they need to look for and so on. There are many on the web but if you have your own invention it would be a good idea to show them your own. Break the students up into about four or five groups to pick an object. Then have several different items that you have collected over the years that are old or you may have gotten at a yard sale. Pull these items out and allow each group, one at a time come up and pick out an item they want. MAKE SURE AND EXPLAIN ONE ITEM PER GROUP! Once the groups has gotten an item, tell the group to come up with a modern invention they can use today that is not something we already use it for. Stress that point. Give each group a digital camera and talk them through the ways to operate the camera. Let the students take pictures of themselves with their object giving them different areas to take the picture, just not in the room, maybe outside or around the school. After the students are done taking their pictures let the students put the pictures on their own disk and show them ways to open Adobe Photoshop and talk them through the ways to crop and size a picture. Make sure the students are getting the pictures small enough to show up on their web page. You will need to have permission slips signed by the student’s parents in order for their pictures to be posted on the Internet. This requirement will help our students to model our behavior and also teaches good legal and ethical practice. Next, have the students to do a draft of writing about what their invention is used for and how it works. Each students in the group will have their own write-up and different from the rest of their group. Finally allow the students to create a web page putting a picture of their item, themselves and their write up on the web page. It is a good idea to have the students put a link to their email address incase someone wants to contact them and that way you can send the students feedback on their work.
Suggestions: Put the students in groups and try to put students you know are strong in technology in each group to have better overall groups. Make sure the students are all working together and if there are not enough computers rotate the students around while some students work on drafts of their work or taking pictures. If you have a student with a disability that has trouble using the mouse on the computer you can go to the Settings, then control panel and click on the “mouse” icon and change the mouse settings to accommodate that person. You could also change the color of the screen for a visually disabled student. You will need to go to the control panel, double click on accessibility options, click on display, and turn on the high contrast. This will help the students be able to see the screen better. Make sure the studnets know how to edit their pages if they need to. Remind the students they have to be in composer first, then go to file, edit page and then save.
Assessment:
Based on 100 points
| 40 Points | Completion of Web Page with all Elements included |
| 20 Points | Participation and Group Work |
| 20 Points | Draft of written work turned in on time |
| 10 Points | Proper use of Digital Cameras and Computers |
| 10 Points | Creativity |
North Carolina Competency Goals Met:
Competency Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write (1.02, 1.03).
Competency Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed (2.02, 2.07).
Competency Goal 4 The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts (4.02, 4.05, 4.06, 4.08, 4.10).
Competency Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively (5.06, 5.07, 5.08).
Competency Goal 1: The learner will understand important issues of a technology-based society and will exhibit ethical behavior in the use of computer and other technologies (1.04).
Competency Goal 2: The learner will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the use of computer and other technologies (2.01, 2.04).
Competency Goal 1: The learner will EXPLORE sources and formats for reading, listening, and viewing purposes (1.07, 1.08).
Competency Goal 2: The learner will IDENTIFY and USE criteria for excellence to evaluate information and formats (2.04).
Competency Goal 4: The learner will EXPLORE and USE research processes to meet information needs (4.04, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07, 4.08, 4.09).
Competency Goal 5:
The learner will COMMUNICATE reading, listening, and viewing experiences
(5.05).
| Master Page | Teacher Page | Student Page | Example Page |