OnlineProjects,CollaborationSites,andPublishingOpportunities

Name:
ErinMcNicholas
GradeLevel:
9th/10th
ContentArea:
Geometry
StandardsAddressed:
Keystandardsaddressed:
MM2G1.Studentswillidentifyandusespecialrighttriangles.
MM2G2.Studentswilldefineandapplysine,cosine,andtangentratiostorighttriangles.

Relatedstandardsaddressed:
MM2P1.Studentswillsolveproblems(usingappropriatetechnology).
MM2P2.Studentswillreasonandevaluatemathematicalarguments.
MM2P3.Studentswillcommunicatemathematically.
MM2P4.Studentswillmakeconnectionsamongmathematicalideasandtootherdisciplines.
MM2P5.Studentswillrepresentmathematicsinmultipleways.

TitleofOnlineProject/CollaborationSite/PublishingOpportunity:
TheNoonDayProject:MeasuringtheCircumferenceoftheEarth
URLofOnlineProject/CollaborationSite/PublishingOpportunity:
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/noonday/
DescribehowyouwouldusetheOnlineProject/CollaborationSite/Publishing
Opportunityinyourclassroom:

TheNoonDayProjectwillallowstudentstocollaboratewithstudentsaroundtheworldtoapply
theconceptsofrighttrianglesandtrigonometrytosolvearealworldproblem.

Inthislesson,studentsfocusontheconceptualbasisforthetrigonometricratiosthrough
examinationofhistoricalandmodernapplicationsofusingthemeasuresknownaboutoneright
triangletosolveforcorrespondingpartsofasimilarrighttriangle(GeorgiaStandards.org)

Inthistask,studentsexaminethemathematicsthatEratosthenesusedtomakehiscalculations
oftheEarthscircumferenceandexplorefurtherthemathematicsdevelopedfromthe
relationshipsheused.

Theonlineprojectallowsstudentsfromdifferentlatitudesoftheearthtosharemeasurement
data,useaspreadsheettomakecomparisons,andthenreplicateandsharetheirresults.Using
thisdata,andthepropertiesofsimilartriangles,studentswilldevelopameasurementfor
circumferenceoftheEarthusingmethodssimilartoEratosthenes.

Whattechnologieswouldberequiredtoimplementthisproposedlearningactivityina
classroom?
Eachgroupofstudentswillhavealaptopwithinternetaccesstosharetheirdata,andanalyze
thedataofotherstudentsaroundtheworld.
1

Describehowthefollowingfeaturesareaddressedinthislearningexperience(note:allof
themmaynotbeaddressedintheproject,butmostshouldbeifyouarereachingahigh
LoTiLevel.):
a. Collaborationwithpeers,nearpeers,mentorsoutsidetheirclassroomandoften
beyondtheirschool:Studentsareworkingwithpeersbothintheirclassroomand
aroundtheworldbysharingdata,andpublishingresults.
b. Studentcenteredlearningandknowledgecreation(collectingoriginaldataandor
producingoriginalproductsasaresultofengagingintheproject):Studentsare
collectingdata,thinkingcriticallytosolvearealworldproblem,andthensharing
resultswiththeotherparticipantsoftheproject.
c. Higherorderthinking:Studentsanalyzedata,examinethemathematicsthat
Eratosthenesandextendfindingsfromtheprojecttodeepentheunderstandingof
mathematicalrelationships
d. Studentspublishingtheiroriginalworktootherswhowilluse/careabouttheir
product:Whilestudentsarepublishingtheirfindingswiththeotherstudents,all
studentswilllikelyhaveasimilarproduct.Thisprojectislessaboutthefinal
productthanitisabouttheconstructivistapproachtolearningabouttheconcepts.

BloomsLevelofCriticalThinkingRequired(checkallthatapply):
See
h
ttp://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy

RememberingUnderstandingApplyingAnalyzingEvaluatingCreating
WhatLevelofTechnologyImplementationbestdescribesthislearningactivityandWhy?

ThisprojectreachesaLoTi5.Theprojectrequiresengagesstudentsatthehighestlevelsof
BloomsTaxonomy,andthelearningisstudentled.Studentsarepublishingfindingstoan
audienceoutsideoftheclassroom.
Howcouldyouimplementthisproposedlearningexperienceandstillcomplywithyour
districtsInternetSafetyandStudentPrivacypolicies?

Whilethisprojectoffersanopportunityforstudentstocollaborateandlearnstudentsaround
theworld,theirsafetyandprivacywillstillbeprotected.Wewillnotdiscloseourschoolsexact
location,therewillbenoanonymousorprivatecommunicationsbetweenanyofthestudents,
andstudentswillnotusetheirrealnamesinthediscussions.