Their goal is to convince the commissioner of baseball to visit your division in the next season. Budgeting the limited funds you have for the trip, planning your route, as well as planning the commissioner's visit give the students practice in everyday math. An aging billionaire is offering a prize to a team of travelers who will plan the best adventurous trip in the United States. Groups of students will research and plan a trip full of adventure and then make a videotape to convince the billionaire that their group's plan is the best. The process involves writing, math and US geography.
Students work in cooperative groups of four to study basic concepts about energy.
They complete a scavenger hunt and an energy quiz. They analyze different sources of energy and develop a persuasive presentation using HyperStudio, PowerPoint or Netscape Composer. With the help of their entymologist aunt the kids learn about metamorphosis, butterfly anatomy, and the ecological impact of caterpillars and butterflies. Students then study a species native to their state and create a presentation incorporating what they learned about butterflies in general and their species in particular. Develops understanding of the people, the events, the leaders, the documents, and the emotions of the people involved.