From: rich@tosh.wcc.govt.nz (Richard Naylor )
Newsgroups: nz.general
Subject: Academy One Activities - comming up
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 92 21:40:01 GMT
Organization: City Net -  Wellington City Council's Community Computer Network

21:38:49
21-Jul-1992

*** NPTN/ACADEMY ONE ANNOUNCES UPCOMING PROJECTS ***

In addition to the on-going projects in Academy One, there
will be several short-duration projects in the months ahead.
We are announcing these in plenty of time for you to plan to
join us.

  ACADEMY ONE SPECIAL EVENTS CALENDER
 -------------------------------------

October           Solar Sailing Simulation and a Science
                  Fiction anthology on solar sailing
Oct - Nov. 6      CAMPAIGN '92
Nov - Dec 20      Letters to Santa Program
December          International Holiday Exchange
January           Future Problem Solving
February          Salute to Space Exploration
April - May       TeleOlympics


Each of the above programs will have several levels of
participation from observer to maximal involvement.  It is
possible to involve many subjects and grade levels in each
project.  We are limited only by our imagination, time, and
desire.

SOLAR SAILING SIMULATION is a tribute to the quincentenary
anniversary of Christopher Columbus and the International Space
Year.  Originally, four nations (Japan, U.S., U.K. and Soviet
Union) had planned to build and launch remote control solar
sail vehicles this year.  The project has been postponed, but
University School in Ohio has organized this simulation for
the schools.  For additional information on this project write
soon to Bob Morgan at aa629@cleveland.freenet.edu and get
involved with the summer planning.  For those schools not ready
to build their own solar sail vessels, there will be a science
fiction writing project for the students which will be compiled
into an anthology.

CAMPAIGN '92 will focus on the Presidential Elections.
There will be information on such topics as WHY TO VOTE and the
HISTORY OF SUFFRAGE.  There will be a student issues board and
debates between schools.  Students can read the position papers from
the major candidates and hold elections on the various issues
and positions.  This project will culminate with a final vote
and compare the numbers of individual student votes with the
electorial votes the students represent for their state.

LETTERS TO SANTA project will involve several grades.  Typically,
the youngest students (5-8) write letters to Santa on either
paper or the computer.  The 9-12 year olds at the same school
might be learning word processing and touch typing and be assigned
to correct spelling and grammar and/or enter the letters into
the computer and upload them.  The letters are then sent across
the network to older students who act as Santa and respond to the
letters.  The letters are returned, downloaded by the 9-12
year-olds, printed on holiday stationary, and then given to the
youngest during the holiday parties before vacation begins.

INTERNATIONAL HOLIDAY EXCHANGE is designed to allow students
around the world to exchange information about the customs they
celebrate at this time of the year.  It can be extremely interesting
to see the variety in customs and reasons for them.  We also
encourage the older generation to share memories of how those
same holidays were celebrated many years ago.  The generational
exchange adds richness to this project.

FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING involves a core team of educators who design
and announce a problem for the students to solve.  Students will
work within their school to solve the complex problem and then
write up their solution, support it, and post it for others to read.
Students will be able to see how others solved the same problem and
why they reached different conclusions.

SALUTE TO SPACE EXPLORATION will allow schools the opportunity to
research and conduct their own space simulation or be a supporting
part of a simulation at another school.  Last year there were four
separate historic missions going simultaneously.

TELEOLYMPICS is a "virtual" track meet whereby schools compete
in their own schoolyards and report the top three contenders in
each age category for boys and girls.  There will be special events
for wheelchair students.  Information is also exchanged about their
schools and communities.  There will be Opening and Closing
Ceremonies as in the real Olympics.


We will be sending out additional details on each of these events
as the time draws closer. These projects are open to any school
in the world with e.mail capabilities.  If you are reading this
announcement from a bulletin board or listserve and would like to
be placed on the Academy One mailing list for further updates to
be sent directly to your mailbox, send a message to John Kurilec
at aa005@nptn.org and simply ask to be placed on the mailing list.

We look forward to your participation.

Linda Delzeit
NPTN Director of Education
Primary Sysop for Academy One
aa002@nptn.org

(Please distribute this message to other networks to help us reach
all possible educators.  Thank you.)



--
rich@tosh.wcc.govt.nz (Richard Naylor )  

 

Newsgroups: nz.general