SOAR-High Earth Systems Science
Activity 1.11 Tour the Course Web Site
Name ____________________ 
Date _____________________ 
The SOAR-High on-line curriculum  has the following areas which are important for you to know about.
  • About SOAR-High
  • Daily teacher messages
  • Online Curriculum Units
  • Symbols 
    		•
    • Pictures 
    • Online Portfolios
    • Class Discussion
      About SOAR-High
    On the front page of SOAR-High, click on "About"  at the top of the side bar.

    1.  What is the SOAR-High Project?
     
     

    3.  What are the names of the schools involved in SOAR-High?
     
     
     

    5.  Read the Project Outcomes and choose one that interests you.  Write it here.  Explain what interests you about it.
     
     
     
     

    Daily teacher messages
    On the front page of SOAR-High you will see the area labeled Daily Teacher Messages.  SOAR-High teachers put class messages here, telling you want to do each day.   Check the messages EVERY  DAY before you begin to work

    There is also a message here (in the red box) to all SOAR-High students.  A new  message will be posted here on THURSDAYS each week.

    1.     What is your Team color?    ____________.

    2.     What do you click (which button) to read the message for your own
             team?  ______________________

    3.   a.  How often will there be a new class message for you?  ___________________________________

          b.   Each day where will your new message be - top of bottom of the list?   ________________________

    4.  You come into class and find out what the day's work is by reading the message.   What learning skills does this help you with?  (name at least 2)
            1.

            2.

    Online Curriculum Units
     
    5.  List the titles of the four curriculum units in SOAR-High.
             1.

            2.

            3.

            4.

    Click on Unit 1.
    6.  Which of the Activities in Unit 1 do you think will interest you the most?  Why?
     
     

    Task For each unit you will find a Task which tells the purpose of the activities for the unit.   Read the Task before you start  the unit to get an idea about what  you will learn.
     
    Click on Unit 1.
    7. Why do you think the Beauty of Trees poem is included at the beginning of this Unit?
     
     
     

    8. How is the Space Shuttle view of southern Sweden connected to this Unit?


     

    Essential Questions An essential question is designed to define the essence of what you will study and learn in this class. Essential questions promote deep and long lasting understanding. They cannot be answered in one sentence.  Essential questions represent the big ideas about  what you will learn for each topic.  They are umbrella like organizers of what your teacher wants you to remember thirty years from now - and longer!

    Click on Unit 1.
    9.  How many essential questions are there for Unit 1?  ______________

    10.  Which Essential Question is most interesting to you?

    11.  Here is a Unit 1 Essential Questions:   "How does the Sun affect our environment during the year?".
            List 3 things you think you will learn under this topic.


    Study guide Each Unit's Study Guide is a list of questions about what you will learn.  Answer the questions as you work through the activities.  Question sets must be done individually.   At the end of each Unit, study the questions to prepare for a quiz

    12.  How do you work on  the Study Guide   - individually or with your partner?  ___________________
     

    13.  What can you study to get ready for quizzes and tests?

    Symbols used on SOAR-High web pages

                14.  What do these symbols mean?  Write the meaning beside each symbol.  Find the information here.
                                                                                                (http://csc.gallaudet.edu/soarhigh/iconmeaning.html)

      Pictures
     Look at pictures from class activities.   Your teacher will sometimes put pictures here for you to use when you write a lab report.   You can use the pictures to show the procedure for your report.

    15.    Later in the year, what kinds of pictures will you be able to find on this page?  (4 groups)
     
     
     
     

    NOTE:  You must have a username and password to enter the On-line Student Portfolios and Class Discussion.
    Answer the following questions AFTER you have done Activity 1.21  Learn about GDOC.

    Online Portfolios
    This area has links to all SOAR-High Student Portfolio pages.  You will be able to read other student's projects and find their email addresses here.

    16.   How many classes are participating in SOAR-High right now?    ________________

    17.   What person has the first block (upper left hand corner) for each class?  ___________________________
     

    18.  Where can you click to see a picture of all the students for each class? _____________________________
     

    Class Discussion
    This link leads you to an area where you will discuss topics with other SOAR-High students.   Your teacher will give you a topic and ask you to contribute to the discussion at least once in each Unit.
    19.    Do you know how to respond to a question in Class DIscussion?  Explain.
     
     

    20,.   You will see the word "thread" on this page.  What does that mean?
     
     
     

    21.  What is the purpose of having a class discussion on-line?