Virtual Appearance/Presentation Activity Examples
Alberta Author Connection Feature
Authors
Grades: K-12
Ongoing? Yes
This project invites young students to respond to literature
by, take online mini-workshops from, and publish work under the guidance
of Canadian children's and young adult authors. Teachers must
register students to participate in activities such as "Finding your
"Writing Voice" and "Write Character Descriptions," though any visitor
to the Web site can access a wide range of writing tips and student
work. A special treat for teachers: each author's session
includes a list of curricular outcomes.
Grades: 3-12
Ongoing? No
This site hosted virtual conferences with NASA scientists. Video, text, graphics, and sound are used to accommodate a range of Internet connection speeds.
NASA Quest Chats
Grades: 4-12
Ongoing? No
Students were thrilled to chat online with real scientists from NASA and top-rate universities about everything from exobiology to space rocks. The site contains archives of previous chats.
Timewitnesses
Grades: 3-12
Ongoing? Yes
Help your students understand the harsh realities of war. The Timewitnesses site tells the individual stories of people who lived during the 1940s (most are European). At the end of each person’s story (many are translated into French and German), they have included an email address for children to ask questions they may have about Wartime life. A recent addition to the site is a list of recipes from the times of severe food shortage. Resources include a searchable archive of stories.
A Visit
with Dr. Francis Crick
Grades: 9-12
Ongoing? No
This site features a transcript of an interview with the co-discoverer
of the structure of the DNA molecule. While this electronic
appearance does not allow students to e-mail the Dr. Crick, they will
get a chance to learn his thoughts on the discovery, in his own words.
Women of
NASA
Grades: 4-12
Ongoing? Yes
Through profiles and weekly web chats, students get a glimpse
of the integral role of women in America's space program. Students
will get a chance to "meet" women of a range of ethnic and cultural
backgrounds, in both English and Spanish.
Writer's
Corner On-Line Chat with Zlata Filipovic
Grades: 4-12
Ongoing? No
This page contains a transcript of a synchronous (real time)
chat between English-speaking students and Zlata Filipovic, a fourteen-year
old Bosnian girl who, in her book Zlata's Diary, wrote of the war
in her country. The participants' bubbling warmth and compassion
transformed this formal electronic appearance into a celebration of
friendship.
©2005-2009 Judith B. Harris, Ph.D.
