What’s Happening in Kobe?

Image from Microsoft ClipArt: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/HA102379141033.aspxDocuments

About Vitual Classroom Tours

Authors Danielle Gowan, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Locate and research the city and people of Kobe.Gather data to determine the time difference between Seattle and Kobe.Create a collage showing the simultaneous actions of students in Seattle and students in Kobe.

Objectives

Microsoft Office Excel, Bing Search Engine, Bing Maps, AutoCollageSoftware

Description Students will collaboratively research the time difference between Seattle and our sister city: Kobe, Japan. Students will research and graph the time difference between the cities, learning about the city and people of Kobe along the way. The project will culminate with a collage of what is happening simultaneously in Seattle and Kobe.

Learning Areas Science, Math, Information Technology, Culture

Levels 4th/5th Grade

Seattle, Kobe, Japan, Time Zones, Cultural DifferencesKeywords

Project Overview

About Innovative Teachers

About the Use of Sources

Images and Sources Form

What’s Happening in Kobe?

Image from Microsoft ClipArt: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/HA102379141033.aspx

Teacher Planning and ManagementThere are three main parts to this lesson. These parts should be split into separate time frames. Part Two will involve intermittent data gathering over the course of 24 hours, before Part Three can be started.

The classroom for which this project is appropriate has access to and prior experience with technology. Small groups will need access to internet-connected computers, and students should have some experience using Bing Search engine and Microsoft Office Excel. If this is not the case, time should be spent teaching these skills before the lesson. Possibilities for introducing Excel in a less intensive way are presented in the lesson. Students will also be using Bing Maps and AutoCollage, but there is room for exploration of these programs built into the lesson.

This lesson is building toward the scientific concept that the Earth orbits the sun, creating night and day simultaneously on opposite sides of the planet. This is a culture-based exploration of time zones meant to be taught as an introduction to that broader scientific concept.

Documents

Project Background

Classroom Images

What’s Happening in Kobe?

Image from Microsoft ClipArt: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/HA102379141033.aspx

Teaching Resources

Microsoft Office Excel (Free Trial): http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/try/try-office-2010-FX101868838.aspx?WT.mc_id=MiG_HomePage

Bing Search Engine: http://www.bing.com

Bing Maps: http://www.bing.com/maps

AutoCollage (Free Trial): http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/cambridge/projects/autocollage

Microsoft ClipArt and Media: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/HA102379141033.aspx

View “Project Overview” below for an in-depth

explanation of the project.

Microsoft Office Training Resources

DocumentsProject OverviewTime Difference

TemplateSample

AutoCollage

What’s Happening in Kobe?

Image from Microsoft ClipArt: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/HA102379141033.aspx

Assessment and Standards

Click the documents below to see the assessment rubrics and standards cover in this learning project:

Assessment Rubrics: Example of grading criteria for this project

Mapping the Standards: Mapping this project’s learning objectives against Washington State science curriculum standards.

DocumentsAuthentic

AssessmentAssessment Rubric - Kobe

Mapping the Standards

What’s Happening in Kobe?

Image from Microsoft ClipArt: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/HA102379141033.aspx

Teacher and School Information

Danielle Gowan

Masters in Teaching Student

Elementary Teacher Education Program (ELTEP)

University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Contact: daniann@u.washington.edu