| Description
This learning experience involves students investigating toys
and games in their own and other cultures. The class communicated
with students in other countries via email, to gather information
about the types of toys and games played in different cultures.
View Unit plan (Word
doc, 42kb).
Preparation
Parental permission for students Internet use was obtained by
the teacher (copies of the school Internet policy were provided
to parents along with Internet-use permission forms).
The teacher joined an educational listserv (Yahoo Groups –
worldteachers) and asked for email partners to correspond with
a class of New Zealand students about toys and games in their
country. Once replies were received and email partners were selected,
further information about the proposed learning experience was
sent. View teacher notes
for managing a class email project (Word doc, 39kb).
Introduction
The students explored, shared, and discussed their favourite
games and toys. Brainstorming, categorising, and presenting activities,
were carried out by the class. View details on the Unit
plan (Word doc, 42kb).
The teacher introduced and modelled the procedure of sending
and receiving emails. Using the school intranet, students practiced
sending and receiving emails with other classes in their school.
Process
The class prepared a description of their favourite class games
using a digital camera and Microsoft
Word. Photographs were taken of the games, and then inserted
into a Word document with a description of how to play it. Students
composed survey questions asking the email partners about their
favourite toys and games. These were emailed along with the description
(sent as an attachment) to their email partners. Classes within
the school were also emailed the survey questions.
Email task cards containing screen dumps and other instructions
assisted students with composing and sending the emails. Checkpoints
were put in place for the teacher to monitor emails.
While they waited to receive the email replies, the students
investigated toys and games further by:
- playing familiar games and identifying common rules and the
reasons for the rules
- viewing and responding to pictures of children playing with
toys, and playing games
- using Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats (1985). View
teacher notes on Introducing
the Six Thinking Hats (Word doc, 33kb).
- identifying, sequencing, and drawing the steps involved in
playing a game
- researching toys and games in other countries on the Internet.
Once the email replies were received they were checked by the
teacher. The class then read and discussed their email partner’s
answers to the survey questions.
Students followed the instructions in the emails to play the
favourite games of their email partners. This lead to a discussion
on the similarities and differences between their favourite games
and those of their email partners. A Venn
diagram was used to make comparisons. The emails were printed
out and pasted into a scrapbook for students to read and refer
to.
Students created graphs to display the results of their email
survey. A world map was displayed on the class wall, with labels
identifying countries of origin of each email.
Evaluation
The class reflected on the emailing process. They discussed what
did or didn’t go well, and identified improvements that
could be made for future email projects. View teacher notes for
Class evaluation of the
email process (Word doc, 30kb).
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