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| August, 2006 |
The MarcoGram is an informational newsletter for teachers, principals, teacher trainers, and other users of the resources provided by MarcoPolo, the Verizon Foundation's program for education. Each monthly issue provides innovative ways to use the high-quality, standards-aligned educational resources created by MarcoPolo's Consortium Partners, each a highly-respected and well-known organization in its disciplinary field. In addition, the MarcoGram helps you to take advantage of the full power of the program by highlighting its many features, bringing you news about new offerings, and showing you how other teachers are using it to make their lessons engaging and effective. Subscribe to receive the MarcoGram via e-mail at http://www.marcopolo-education.org/mg/subscribe.aspx.
MONTHLY MARCOGRAM FEATURES
| ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES | Thematically collected lesson plans from multiple subjects, in groupings for each grade band. This month we explore Space: The Final Frontier for K-2 3-5 6-8 9-12
| | MARCOPOLO CONSORTIUM PARTNER FOCUS | A monthly close-up on a special feature of a MarcoPolo Consortium Partner Web site. This month we bring your attention to Science NetLinks' Science Update Podcasts.
| | MARCOPOLO WEB SITE FOCUS | Discover one of the many helpful tools and features provided on the MarcoPolo Web site. In this issue we turn the spotlight on Browse Subjects Feature.
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 | Hubble Space Telescope image of a spiral galaxy.
Courtesy of Space Telescope Science Institute |
| ACROSS THE DISCIPLINESSpace: The Final Frontier
The mysteries of the Red Planet are being demystified, our sight has been extended far into the depths of the universe by the Hubble telescope, developments in technology have made it possible for us to make physical contact with a comet in flight... Is it really so impossible to believe that a colony of human beings may be established on another planetary body sometime in the not-so-distant future? The students you teach today may be part of the teams that develop the ways and means for such an achievement tomorrow. Start them thinking about the challenges to be overcome before mankind can take this next giant leap with the lessons collected below. |
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For Grades K-2Start your students thinking about the heavens with this lesson from ArtsEdge, in which they will focus on the properties of the sun and moon, then create their own drawings based on their knowledge. Once they've set their sights on space, expand their awareness: ReadWriteThink gathers read-alouds, writing activities and an online graphic organizer together to make working independently and in groups a fun way to learn vocabulary centering around a virtual trip to the moon. Next, have your students talk with family members about their experiences as they witnessed the beginnings of space flight and man's first steps on the moon, and learn that history happens to us all, through this lesson activity from EdSitement. Finally, show them how the everyday things around them play a part in the story of mankind's ever-pressing desire to escape the bounds of planet earth with a lesson from EconEdLink that explores inventions such as plastic and the way they have changed our lives and will affect our ability to live in space.
ArtsEdge – The Sun and Moon in Space and Art
Grade: K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
ReadWriteThink – 3, 2, 1...Blast Off! Vocabulary Instruction Using a Virtual Trip to the Moon
Grade: K | 1 | 2
EdSitement – Eyewitness to History
Grade: K | 1 | 2
EconEdLink – Eureka!
Grade: K | 1 | 2back to top
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HOW A REAL TEACHER USED MARCOPOLO
In future issues, this space will present ideas sent in by teachers who read the MarcoGram, telling about how they put together effective and engaging classroom presentations and activities, using the resources found on the Verizon Foundation MarcoPolo Web sites.
Help Us Make the MarcoGram Better
We would love to hear from you about what you'd like to see in the MarcoGram each month, and about how you used the information you received. We'll share the best stories right here in the MarcoGram, so other teachers can benefit from your creative thinking! Take a moment to send us your thoughts, ideas and stories about the MarcoGram and the rest of the MarcoPolo Program.back to top
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For Grades 3-5What do we really face when considering living in space? Start out by having your students compare artistic perceptions of space and stars to scientific representations, with this lesson from ArtsEdge. Having set the stage for a dose of reality, use these lessons from Illuminations and Science NetLinks to explore the challenges of bringing food and water into space, and have your students consider how that would affect the quality of life in space. Take that concept further with a lesson from EconEdLink, which takes your students through the tasks of planning what they will need for an expedition to Mars. Finally, bring them back to Earth with a comparison of our home planet and Mars, as this Xpeditions lesson has them consider whether to recommend to their friends an investment in property on the Red Planet.
ArtsEdge – Sky and Artist
Grade: 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
Illuminations – Water, Water
Grade: 3 | 4 | 5
Science NetLinks – Space Food
Grade: 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
EconEdLink – Destination: Mars
Grade: 3 | 4 | 5
Xpeditions – Martian Real Estate: A Good Investment?
Grade: 3 | 4 | 5
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For Grades 6-8Many factors come into play when humans travel in space. Have your students discuss what can be learned and how it informs the planning of a space mission by presenting this lesson from Xpeditions, which explores various ways to map the features of Mars. Then have them each focus on a single planet and learn about it in depth, considering the impact on a plan for travel to that planet, then complete this lesson from ArtsEdge by creating a mobile representing the planets and their satellites, and presenting what they've learned to the rest of the class. Students must consider the effects of long periods of space travel on the human body in lessons from Illuminations and Science NetLinks, which can lead to thoughtful discussion about how to work toward solutions for the challenges presented. Capture their questions and ideas in communications to astronaut Sally Ride after learning about her own experiences in space in a lesson from ReadWriteThink.
Xpeditions – Mapping Mars
Grade: 6 | 7 | 8
ArtsEdge – Planets in Balance
Grade: 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
Illuminations – Travel in the Solar System
Grade: 6 | 7 | 8
Science NetLinks – Faces in Space
Grade: 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
ReadWriteThink – Sally Ride, the First American Woman in Space
Grade: K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
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For Grades 9-12From the first time human beings looked up into the night sky and saw the moon, the urge to know the truths of the universe has driven the quest to discover a way to leave the pull of Earth's gravity, despite obstacles such as the fears of others and the specter of tragedy encountered upon failed attempts. Use this lesson from EdSitement to explore the significance of Galileo's achievements, and the resistance he faced. Then take them through a study of the impact on American minds of the tragic explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger using an activity from ReadWriteThink that has students interview people who remember that day. With an understanding of the hurdles to be overcome, students will find greater meaning in the effort that went into a Space Settlement Design submitted to NASA that is examined in this Science NetLinks lesson. Finally, have them try their hand at helping to plan a mission to Mars through an activity from Xpeditions that requires them to consider the history of Mars missions to date, and what worked and what didn't.
EdSitement – Galileo and the Inevitability of Ideas
Grade: 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
ReadWriteThink – Space Shuttle Challenger
Grade: K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
Science NetLinks – Designing a Space Station
Grade: 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
Xpeditions – The Red Album
Grade: K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
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| MARCOPOLO CONSORTIUM PARTNER FOCUSScience NetLinks: Science Update Podcasts
Podcasting is a way for you to get radio shows and other audio or video files delivered directly and automatically to your computer, so you don't have to visit a website to download them. The name is misleading — you do not need an iPod or other MP3 player to take advantage of them. All you need is a computer and a software program called an aggregator (or, sometimes, podcatcher ). Popular aggregators include Mac's iTunes and Juice. If you have an MP3 player, you can transfer the podcast to your player. If not, simply listen on your computer.
Science Update shows are now available as weekly Podcasts. The Science Update Podcast covers the latest discoveries in science, technology, and medicine.
These Science Update radio shows can be used as supplemental material for lessons, as resources for project ideas, or as ways to introduce students to certain science topics. They also are a good way to allow students to hear scientists talk about their work and how that work is performed. |
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Verizon Foundation MarcoPolo Professional Development
The Verizon Foundation MarcoPolo Program is committed to the delivery of high quality professional development trainings, courses and materials. Since 1999, the Program has provided professional development to more than 226,000 educators with the objective of helping teachers successfully and seamlessly integrate technology and online resources into their instruction. Opportunities range from one-hour sessions to full-day sessions, and include on-site, online and web conferencing delivery options so teachers can attend the session best suited to their professional needs and schedule. Find out how to bring Verizon Foundation MarcoPolo training to your school or district by visiting the Professional Development section of the MarcoPolo Web site.
The quarterly Trainer MarcoGram is designed especially for MarcoPolo Trainers and professional development specialists. Distributed by e-mail, this publication features training activities, tips and resources, along with news and updates about the MarcoPolo Field and Certified Trainer programs. Subscribe to this e-mail newsletter through the Professional Development section of the MarcoPolo Web site.back to top
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MARCOPOLO WEB SITE FOCUSBrowse Subjects
Ever wish a search engine could give you a little help figuring out what it is you're searching for in the first place? MarcoPolo's Browse Subjects feature might just be what you've been wishing for. Enter the feature via the link in the upper right corner of the MarcoPolo Search. From there you can navigate through the suggested topics within each discipline until you have narrowed down your area of interest. Clicking on your topic of choice will bring up a list of the resources within MarcoPolo that relate to that subject. From there you can narrow your search further by entering terms in the search box at the top of the page, and checking the box to search within the displayed results. |  | | This is the space for putting in an image caption. ©2006 |
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