Redo


 * media type="custom" key="4111467"

Culture and Schooling ** How does a country’s culture affect schooling?
 * Essential Question **

Flip cameras, webcams, digital cameras, 1:1 laptops
 * Materials **

A class from the Unites States will partner with a class from another country to discover how culture influences school and to compare school traditions.
 * Introduction **

Assignments and activities will be posted on a Wiki. Students from both classes will be able to post products, comments, and questions on the Wiki. Using a laptop, webcam and projector, the classes will meet over Skype. The teachers will introduce the project and give an overview of learning goals, objectives, and intended outcomes. Students will introduce themselves by name as they meet each other for the first time.

Using a LetterPop, students will write a short biography and read the biographies of students in their partner class.

[|Example]

After meeting on Skype and sharing on the Ning, students will contribute to a KWL Chart posted on Google Docs to determine what they already know and want to learn about their partner class.

The Google Doc KWL chart from both schools will be posted on a large chart in the classrooms and on the Wiki to help guide inquiry questions throughout the unit.

Groups of three or four will be assigned to investigate and report on a specific aspect of their school and culture. Areas of investigation will be: age of students at grade levels, courses of study, school day length, celebrations/holidays/summer vacation, dress code, and the roles of government, economy, religion, and geography in school. Current trends of students will be highlighted.
 * Inquiry Learning **

A link will be posted on the Wiki with a Delicious bookmark so that students can conduct research and answer key questions about countries, culture and schooling.

Google Earth will allow students from both classes to visit their counterpart country.

Groups will use LetterPop to report about the aspect of their culture and school they researched. These will be posted to Wiki for students from both countries view and leave comments.
 * Technology Products **

[|Example]

Students will use Flip Cameras to show characteristics of themselves and their culture as it relates to school. These videos will also be posted to the Ning.

media type="custom" key="4111527"

To demonstrate learning, each class will create a video about their partner country using a Flip Camera. Each student will share one thing they learned and demonstrate with an artifact and/or verbally. The video clips will be compiled into a class video using Windows Movie Maker or iMovie.
 * Culminating Activity **

Students will say goodbye to their partner class in Skype and the culminating videos will be shared on the Ning.