Other Project Formats: Exchange Projects | Academic Challenges | Problem Solving | Debate & Data | Quiz Bowls

Debate, Discussion, Data Collection, and Invention Definition

 These project formats take the exchange project to a new level with more involved interaction and preparation.

Issue Debates

• Topic: This project is similar to the Issue Discussion below but formalized as a debate. Take a current events topic or a challenging issue such as homelessness, terrorism, tax cuts, or an environmental issue.
• Time frame: You will need a few class periods prior to the connection to prepare your presentation and a 45-60 minute videoconference.
• Preparation: Teachers should pick an issue for the debate. Students at each site should be divided into two teams with each team taking one issue. Teams prepare both support and opposition. Teams must also prepare a visual in support and in opposition of the issue for display during debate. Entire class formulates questions for each issue to be asked during the 5 minute Q & A after each debate. Teachers hold a "draw" for positions (support or oppose) prior to the beginning of the debate.
• Agenda: 50-70 minutes (depending on class periods of participating classes)
  
  5 min. Welcome and introductions. Each class shares their location and brief information about their school.
  Visuals: Use document camera or PowerPoint to share a few local pictures of interest.
  50 min. Two 15 minute debates following this schedule. (The number of debates/topics could be adjusted depending on your schedule.)
  
  5 minutes for the support
  2 1/2 minutes for rebuttal from opposition
  5 minutes for opposition
  2 1/2 minutes for rebuttal from support
  5 min. for Q&A from the audience to the presenting teams.
  Questions must alternate between the teams opposed and teams in support of issue.
  5 min. Audience at each site votes on the most persuasive/prepared team.
  Then repeat the schedule for the second issue.
• Visuals: Each team is required to present 1 visual aid for their position. Color cards should be available at each site for voting on most persuasive/prepared team.
  5 min. Debrief and Conclusion. After the discussion, teachers may wish to debrief and comment on the process and content/curriculum discussed. If time is available, students may enjoy asking each other questions about their respective locations and schools.

Issue Discussion

• Topic: You pick! What are you teaching that includes a controversial topic? Take a current events topic or a challenging issue such as homelessness, terrorism, tax cuts, or an environmental issue. Each class takes a side and makes a presentation based on reading and research.
• Time frame: You will need a few class periods prior to the connection to prepare your presentation and a 45-60 minute videoconference.
• Preparation: Have students read and research the various sides of the issue and decide on their personal stance on the topic. Decide how to have students present their stance. Assign tasks and involve as many of your students as possible.
• Agenda: 50-70 minutes (depending on class periods of participating classes)
  
  5 min. Welcome and introductions. Each class shares their location and brief information about their school.
  Visuals: Use document camera or PowerPoint to share a few local pictures of interest.
  15 min. Share Your Stance. Each student/group briefly shares their stance on the topic. Visuals: Illustrations enhance the experience if there is time.
  25-40 min. Discussion. Students from each class take turns discussing the issue. Students should include supporting facts and details from their research in all comments that they make. Participating classes may wish to assign a student facilitator for each class to assist in the flow of discussion.
  5 min. Debrief and Conclusion. After the discussion, teachers may wish to debrief and comment on the process and content/curriculum discussed. If time is available, students may enjoy asking each other questions about their respective locations and schools.
• Read a couple of blog entries by Joan Roehre, Kenosha, Wisconsin on a high school social issue discussion with students in New York. Tremper meets Plainedge HS, New York and Student reflections on Social Issue Discussion.

Data Collection

• Topic: Data collection, analysis, and comparison projects have been popular collaborative projects since the advent of email. Students collect weather data, compare schoolyard animals and plants, observe tourist data such as license plates near their respective locations, count local types of trees, or analyze water quality data to practice data collection and analysis skills.
• Time frame: Prior to the conference, students should spent time collecting the required data. You will need a class period or two to prepare your presentation. The actual videoconference can be 45-60 minutes.
• Preparation: Decide on the type of data to collect and discuss with the other teacher. Collect the data. Decide how to present the data and what questions to discuss with the other class. Plan for visuals. Assign tasks and involve many students if possible.
• Agenda: 50 minutes
  5 min. Welcome and introductions. Each class shares their location and brief information about their school.
  Visuals: Use document camera or PowerPoint to share a few local pictures of interest.
  30 min. Presentations. Each class shares a 10-15 minute presentation of their data collection process and results.
  Visuals: Photos or digital pictures of the process and graphs of the data collected.
  15 min. Discussion. Teachers could team facilitate a discussion of the results and their significance. What can be learned from the information? What further questions arise for study? What issues can be discussed based on the data?
• Real Time Data Collection Projects and Collaborative Projects. You can get some great ideas from web/email data collection projects. Just add a VC component to the project!
• Journey North or the Global Grocery List. Start with an existing data collection project and add a videoconference with a class also following the project. Share your own study & results.
• Planting Lettuce Read this blog entry about a project between an Ohio and Florida class. Then read about the follow-up VC where the students compared the growth of their plants. 

Invention/Hands-on

• Topic: Do you already have your students build something in your science classes? I.e. a bridge, a rocket, a pinewood derby vehicle, a musical instrument, an invention, an egg drop cage, or a kite. Instead of creating alone, build the project in tandem with another class and compare results.
• Time frame: A 45-60 minute videoconference to meet your partner class, introduce the concept, and establish guidelines for building.
  A couple weeks or more to create your invention/project and document the process using a digital camcorder or still camera.
  A couple class periods to prepare your process presentation.
  A 45-60 minute culminating videoconference to present your building process and the final product to each other. Q&A is important in this session as students will enjoy comparing their building process adventures.
• Preparation: Before the first connection: Decide on the project and guidelines. Decide how to introduce the concept. Your students could present, you could present it, or you could team teach with your partner teacher.
  For the building process: Arrange for use of your school’s digital camera or camcorder to record the process. Collect materials necessary. Communicate with partner teacher on the process.
  For the presentation: Decide on visuals and the best way to show the process and final product. Assign tasks and involve as many of your own students as possible. Prepare your presentation. Prepare questions for your partner class.
• Session 1 Agenda: 45-60 minutes
  
  5-10 min. Welcome and introductions. Each class shares their location and brief information about their school and respective classes.
  Visuals: Use document camera or PowerPoint to share a few local pictures of interest.
  30 min. Project overview. Classes could present related scientific concepts to each other. Teachers could team teach. Show sample products. Share the guidelines of the process.
  Visuals: Demonstration, posters, document camera, or PowerPoint.
  5-10 min. Question and answer. Students could ask questions about the process or product. They may have questions for each other related to the content or process. If time they may have questions for each other about their respective locations and schools.
• Session 2 Agenda: 45-60 minutes
  
  5 min. Welcome and introductions.
  30 min. Presentations. Each class shares a 15 minute presentation of their process and final product.
  Visuals: iMovie or PowerPoint or the process or other creative multimedia presentation; live or taped demonstration of final product.
  15 min. Question and answer. Each class has prepared questions for each other on the content and generates questions while/after listening to the presentation. After content questions, if time, students may enjoy asking each other questions about their respective locations and schools.
• For example, read about this robotics exchange between two middle school classes.

Other Project Formats: Exchange Projects | Academic Challenges | Problem Solving | Debate & Data | Quiz Bowls