This lesson was created using the Nortel LearniT 6E + S template for integrating technology within the curriculum.
 

Overview:
Students will learn how cultures from ancient times to the present have used the sun and other objects in the sky to mark the passage of time. They will see how archaeoastronomers use ancient observatories to predict seasons and special events. Digital imaging (or one or more of the other technologies) will be used to help document and present student observations.

NOTE: The initial part of this lesson plan helps the teacher plan and prepare to teach the lesson; the following sections (Engage through Evaluate) provide instruction for the students and may be printed/provided to students, as desired.
 

Technology Integration:
Digital imaging, PowerPoint, and web content creation
 

Prerequisite Experience:
Students should be able to use a digital camera and upload digital images to a computer. Students with more advanced skills may use these images to create a time-lapse animation. Students may also present their findings either by using PowerPoint or through a web page.
 

Teacher Prep Time:
1– 2 hours

Teachers should review the following tutorials:

imaging: www.NortelLearniT.org/technology/Imaging

PowerPoint presentations: www.NortelLearniT.org/technology/PowerPoint_Presentations

web content creation: www.NortelLearniT.org/technology/Webpage_Creation

Project:
Students view segments of the NASA CONNECT™ program, "Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge": http://nortellearnit.org/LearniT/lessons/Multi-subject_Lesson_Plans/Test/ancient_flash_video

This will allow them to learn more about the sun’s role in past and present cultures as a timekeeping tool. Working in groups, they use simple tools to create a working sundial, which they then use to measure, collect and analyze data to make predictions. Students record what they observe using digital imagery.

Other resources for this lesson plan include the:

• Making a Sun Dial PowerPoint presentation attached here: Student PowerPoint
• NASA Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge (Flash video) at http://nortellearnit.org/LearniT/lessons/Multi-subject_Lesson_Plans/Test/ancient_flash_video
• Smartboard Presentation file available as a compressed zip file and attached here: Smartboard Presentation

For schools and organizations with Smartboard™ access and software, the Ancient Observatories Smartboard™ Presentation file is provided as a downloadable compressed zip file. Smartboard™ Presentations require an interactive whiteboard and compatible software, such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. Note: If you don't have the software, this file will open as simply a character string.
 

Time Management Tips:
Students may need to gain some experience with one or more of the suggested technologies. It would be useful to have the students explore the training videos as they progress through the project

Students should work in teams. Each team should select from the technology options a single technology to use for their project, i.e., digital imaging, a PowerPoint presentation, or developing web page content.
 

Assessment:
Through answers to discussion questions, students will demonstrate their understanding of the use of the sun as a timekeeping tool.

Rubrics (assessment tools) will be used to evaluate their digital images, PowerPoint presentations and web sites, to determine the students’ subject knowledge, analytical skills and applied understanding of the material.

If students create a PowerPoint project, a presentation rubric will be used for this purpose. Similarly if a web site is created, a different rubric will be used. Refer to the Evaluate section of this document. Consult the following URL for help regarding rubrics in general: http://NortelLearniT.org/resources/Handouts/
 

Engage:
Through the centuries, people of all cultures have been curious about the sun and have wanted to better understand and explain how it affects life on earth.  Many cultures have used legends to explain their observations of the sun.  Many have built observatories, marking the position of the shadows the sun casts on specific days like the summer and winter solstices and the spring and fall equinoxes.

People throughout history have been able to use their growing knowledge of the sun to help them make choices concerning the planting of crops, keeping track of time and seasons, and the use of the sun for solar energy.  Additionally, people have learned to deal with safety issues concerning the sun and to better understand the earth’s overall relationship with the sun.

Ancestral Puebloans along the Utah-Colorado border noted the summer solstice by marking the sun’s shadows with petroglyphs.  Do you wonder what significance the sun had for the Ancestral Puebloans?  What did light and shadows mean to ancient cultures?

Do you wonder…

• What causes shadows?
• Why do shadows change throughout the day?
• What do light and shadows mean to people today?
  

Explore:
1. As a group, view segments of the NASA CONNECT™ program Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge, at http://nortellearnit.org/LearniT/lessons/Multi-subject_Lesson_Plans/Test/ancient_flash_video to learn more about the sun-earth connection and timekeeping by shadows and the sun.
 
2. Split into teams of four to six students.  Make a sun-shadow plot by marking the ends of shadows made by the sun and a gnomon (a stick used to cast a shadow) every half-hour throughout the day.  You will observe and record how the length and position of shadows change throughout the day because of the earth’s spin changing its position in relation to the sun.

After you have mapped most of a day’s-worth of shadows, measure and record the shadow angles and lengths.  Directions for this activity, as well as handouts and data charts, can be downloaded from:
http://connect.larc.nasa.gov/programs/2004-2005/ancient/Ancient_Observatory.pdf  (pages 10 - 12 and 17 - 19).

3. You will want to capture the movement of the sun and changes in the gnomon’s shadow through digital imagery and animation.  For this, you will need a digital camera to take still images of the chart and gnomon. Once you have taken pictures of the movement of the shadow, you will want to assemble these images into a presentation. You can use either PowerPoint or Microsoft Word to present your findings.

TIP: Before you begin your research, you might want to review the Nortel LearniT imaging training videos at:  http://www.NortelLearniT.org/technology/Imaging/.

4. Continue your project by exploring an ancient culture that used the sun-earth relationship. Keep an accurate personal journal. Follow the steps below and include lots of details so you can share what you learn. Organize your answers using a word processor.

a. Pick an ancient civilization, e.g., ancient Rome, ancient Egypt, the Aztecs, the Mayans, or ancient Greece, that used the sun-earth relationship, for further study.

b. As you explore ancient civilization web sites, make notes on: major events, time-lines, clothing, architecture, family, traditions, food, marriage, culture, technology, religion, customs, tools and government.  Be sure to note how the sun-earth relationship influenced the society and culture of this civilization.

c. Provide background information on your topic.  Be sure to answer the 5 W's: who, what, when, where and why?
Be sure to save your work at regular intervals.   Also, be sure to document the sources of your Internet research.  This is called "making a citation" of someone else’s work. The format that is typically used is as follows:

Last Name, First Name of Author (if known). Title of work/article/page.  Title of Complete Document (if applicable). Date last modified.  URL (date visited).
 

Explain:
Organize your thoughts by discussing these questions with your class.

• What have you observed about changes in the sun's shadows throughout the day?
• How do these changes reflect the sun-earth relationship?
• Describe the sun-earth movement responsible for changes in the sun's shadow.
• What did you learn about ancient cultures and the sun's importance to these cultures?
• How would you explain the importance the sun plays in our culture?
• How would our lives change without the sun?

Summer solstice, the longest day of the year, occurs when one hemisphere is tilted towards the sun.  Winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, occurs when one hemisphere is tilted away from the sun.  The fall and spring equinoxes occur when light from the sun just reaches both the north and south poles, resulting in the length of day and night to be equal for both hemispheres.

The sun-earth relationship and apparent movement of the sun can be seen in the sun-shadow plots.  Using digital imaging and animation, these changes can be "sped up" and repeated.

Ancient cultures depended on their physical world for information and explanations. Time, seasons and traditions were based on their environment and the natural cycles.  Consider how understanding the connection between the scientific and the cultural, helped or hindered the ancient culture you are studying.  How does science affect our culture today?
 

Elaborate:
Use a gnomon of a different length than the one you used originally.  Predict the shadow plot for this gnomon.  Place small objects or marks where you predict the ends of the shadows will be cast at several times during the day.

1. Capture the new shadow plot digitally.  Could you accurately predict the location of the shadows?

2. As you are collecting images and conducting research, be sure to save backups of your digital data, to avoid losing valuable work.

Record not only your findings, but the sources of the information. Store photos of the other students working on the project, as well as photos of the gnomon.  And, of course, save facts concerning the history of the gnomon technique, e.g., the ancient Mayans.

Remember to cite references for ALL your information, including pictures.

1. Edit your notes and the data that you have collected.  Discuss the material with your team members.

2. Using a storyboard, plan how you will display your digital images, research, graphics and other information, into a “virtual museum.” This information can then be presented to your audience as either a PowerPoint presentation, or as web site content, or both.

3. Create a PowerPoint presentation focusing on past cultures and their use of the sun as a timekeeping tool.  Begin by creating a storyboard to creatively organize your slides.  Here is the storyboard handout to help you with this process: Storyboard Template
 

Evaluate:
Please see the attached: Evaluation Rubrics: PowerPoint & Imaging Project; Web Page Project
 

Extend:
Complete this Squeak activity to demonstrate an animated sundial.

Norbert has lost his watch and needs to be able to tell the time of day so he doesn't miss any important appointments. As you know, the ancients could tell time by looking at the direction of the shadow a gnomon casts.

The direction of the gnomon's shadow is simulated in the activity and a protractor is provided to help you measure angles. There are several challenges in the activity, including challenges relating to: angles, symmetry, measurement, plotting and analysis. You will see how scientists use measurements, plotting and data analysis to learn about nature's secrets.

You can find this activity at http://connect.larc.nasa.gov/programs/2004-2005/ancient/activity.html.

This activity uses a free, exciting, multimedia, programming environment called Squeak that can run on 12 different computer platforms. You can download the plug-in for Squeak at http://www.squeakland.org/. Once the downloaded icon is on your desktop, double-click on it for easy installation. (This activity uses the version of Squeak made available in September 2004. If your version of Squeak is older than that, you need to obtain an updated version—available at http://www.squeakland.org/.)
 
Caution: Although the Squeak plug-in works for Windows 95 and 98, those operating systems are older and less stable and you may experience problems when running Squeak. It is preferable to have a processor speed of 300 MHz or greater and at least 64 MB of RAM.

Resolution: Depending on the resolution of your monitor, we have prepared two different versions of the activity for you. If you have a PC you can check the resolution of your monitor in the Control Panel by clicking on the Display icon and then the Settings tab. If you are using a Macintosh computer with OS 10, click on the System Preferences icon along the bottom, then the Displays icon and finally the Display tab if you need to. The first button on the left is for resolution set to 800x600 and the second is for resolutions set to 1024x768 or higher.
 

Required Attachments:

	ancientevaluate121407rubric.doc
	storyboardtemplateblanktwopagesmsword020408.doc
	ancientobservatoriesstudentsmartboard.zip
	ancientobservatoriesstudentpowerpoint.ppt

This lesson was created using the Nortel LearniT 6E + S template for integrating technology within the curriculum.
 

Overview:

The academic digital portfolio is an excellent way to keep an archive of a student’s work and achievements in school. It is important to begin this assignment early in the school year so that the students can keep documents and digitize their work throughout the term or year. The goal of the lesson is to familiarize them with the concept of digital portfolios, to have them discover the common elements of a digital portfolio and ultimately to create a digital portfolio of their own.

NOTE: The initial part of this lesson plan helps the teacher plan and prepare to teach the lesson; the following sections (Engage through Evaluate) provide instruction for the students and may be printed/provided to students, as desired.
 

Technology Integration:

Video Production, Web Page Creation or PowerPoint
 

Prerequisite Experience:

Experience with Internet research, use of a word processor, digital imaging, video production or web page creation. Students should also have been collecting materials during the year.
 

Teacher Prep Time:

Continues throughout the year

Familiarize yourself with the links in the Explore section. Review the Video Production materials from Nortel LearniT (www.NortelLearniT.org). Eventually you will need to ensure the availability of equipment and supplies.
 

Estimated Time for Completion:

12 weeks (one class per week)
 

Project:

The students will assemble all of their materials for the year and produce their digital portfolio as a video or web page. They should include assignments, accomplishments, photos and clips from the year.
 

Time Management Tips:

Students can produce a web page or younger grades might produce a poster.
 

Assessment:

A rubric for this activity has been provided, however, throughout the year the teacher can assign marks for collected materials in preparation for the assignment.
 

Engage:

Most of you have, at one time or another created an all about me poster or a Coat of Arms that represents who you are or what you do. An electronic portfolio is an excellent way to document your academic and extra-curricular accomplishments throughout the year or term at school. Technology has provided you with many interesting ways to store and present your information. You can create videos, images, photos and web pages that are all about your favorite topic … you. (just kidding).

Before we begin, it is important to do a bit of research and find out what exactly a digital portfolio is and how to create one. As you work through the sites in the Explore section, consider the following questions that follow. You should use a word processor to document your findings.

• What is a digital portfolio? (DP)
• What is the purpose of a DP?
• What types of storage media are commonly used for DPs?
• Are there different types of DP’s?
• How would a professional DP differ from a student DP?
• What materials should you include in your DP?
• How do you create a DP (i.e. list the steps).

Explore:

For this section you will need an Internet ready computer and a word processor.

Electronic Portfolios in the K-12 Classroom: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech111.shtml

Good overview of electronic portfolios (student and professional)

Lots of examples: http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic82.htm

Some tutorials for creating electronic portfolios using a variety of software formats: http://www.electronicportfolios.com/portfolios/howto/tutorials.html

Review materials dealing with video production, digital imaging and web page creation on www.NortelLearniT.org.
 

Explain:

You have been saving samples of work, tests, accomplishments in and out of school and some writings of your thoughts and feelings throughout the school year. It is now time to collect them and create a permanent record or a Digital Portfolio.

Before you begin, take some time with your classmates and discuss electronic portfolios in groups. Talk about the sites that you discovered. Which sites did you find most useful? Compare your notes dealing with techniques for creating the DPs and discuss what materials should be included.

You need to make some decisions about what materials you will use and what additional content you would like to create (i.e. video clips of you talking about yourself, comments from your friends or teachers or coaches). Ask these folks to participate in your project.

Organize all of your materials and scan those that are not in digital format. Select materials that you think are most important and that reflect who you are and what you have accomplished both academically and as a participant in teams, clubs, etc.

You are ready to begin.

REMEMBER: IF YOUR PORTFOLIO IS TO BE PRESENTED AS A WEBPAGE, DO NOT INCLUDE PERSONAL CONTACT INFORMATION AT THIS POINT. DO NOT POST THE MATERIAL IN A PUBLIC AREA OF THE NET.

Be sure to plan out your portfolio first. If you are doing a video, you should create a storyboard outline all of the shots you will use and which material will be added through editing (i.e. photos documents etc.)

You should do similar planning for a web page or slide show.

Plan a few frames at the end to thank those that have assisted you through the year or to acknowledge friends, teachers, or coaches that have had an impact on you. And finally, be sure to extend your thanks to family members.
 

Elaborate:

Time to share your information with your fellow students teachers etc.

Make appropriate arrangements for the equipment you will need to show your video, web page or slide show.

Get some input from your colleagues. What do they think should be added or taken out? What did they think about the presentation? You could have them write out their comments for later review, rather than verbal comments during class.
 

Evaluate:

Please see the attached: Evaluation Rubric & SelfEvaluation: Digital Portfolio
 

Extend:

Continue your work for the rest of your school years. When you graduate your will have a personal history of your time at school.

Be sure to show your Digital Portfolio to parents and extended family members.

Fix up any flaws or areas of improvement suggested by and discussed with your teacher and use your Digital Portfolio as part of your resume for job applications. Perspective employers might find it interesting.

When next year rolls around, talk to the yearbook advisor and discuss offering an Digital Portfolio Yearbook. You could volunteer to help create it.
 

Required Attachments:

allaboutmedigitalportfoliorubric.doc

This lesson was created using the Nortel LearniT 6E + S template for integrating technology within the curriculum.
 

Overview:

Students will work in groups to identify a topic or issue that they feel passionate about and produce a short PSA (digital video) or “uncommercial” that demonstrates their perspective or “The Way We See It”. Possible topics include issues encountered in their school or community (i.e. drunk driving, bullying, etc.).

“PSA’s – Public Service Announcements” make use of a variety of media and advertising techniques to inform and educate the public. Sometimes called uncommercials, this approach generally targets a specific issue or group of issues supported by the organization that has produced or paid for the PSA.

NOTE: The initial part of this lesson plan helps the teacher plan and prepare to teach the lesson; the following sections (Engage through Evaluate) provide instruction for the students and may be printed/provided to students, as desired.
 

Technology Integration:

Digital Video
 

Prerequisite Experience:

Students should be capable of conducting research online and will demonstrate some knowledge of video production and digital video camera operation. Students should understand brainstorming techniques.
 

Teacher Prep Time:

One to two hours
 

Estimated Time for Completion:

Eight to ten weeks (one class per week)
 

Project:

Students will demonstrate their understanding of PSA's and video production by submitting a brief uncommercial.
 

Time Management Tips:

To ensure that students understand the PSA concept, the Teacher can begin by showing a number of PSA’s and discussing the techniques that make them effective.
 

Assessment:

An evaluation rubric has been provided.
 

Engage:

Picture this: A model walks down the runway in a fur coat and suddenly blood drips from the coat and on to the runway. This “uncommercial” continues to point out that wearing furs is a form of cruelty to animals and is sponsored by a group known as PETA.

One can hardly imagine a time when our mass media were more capable of drawing our attention to the problems and issues faced by society. The reach of media has grown from the coverage of local stories in its infancy to its current capability to cover worldwide events in real time. Yet, rightly or wrongly, the mass media is often accused of overlooking issues of the environment, political policy, the economy and the general health of our world.

Some corporations are reluctant to fund public service announcements since they generally do not contribute to their “bottom line” or profits and many in fact, are the actual targets of these types of announcements.

There are many organizations that use short video segments to bring their particular issues to the public (i.e. PETA, Green Peace). These videos are commonly known as “uncommercials”

What are the big issues in your school or community? Who do they impact the most? How do they impact those people? What types of PSAs do you find most effective?

Working in small groups, you will select an issue or current social problem and produce an “uncommercial” or PSA. The final product will be a brief video that sends a powerful message about an issue or problem that has meaning to your group. (i.e. Drunk driving, cigarette smoking, drug use, bullying, etc).
 

Explore:

Your group will begin this exploration by looking at examples of uncommercials and discussing them with the following question in mind:

• Which ones were the most effective to you?
• What techniques do you think made them effective?
• Which ones were the least effective? Why?

Be sure to document the source of your Internet research.

Last Name, First Name of Author (if known) “Title of work/article/page.” Title of Complete Document (if applicable). Date last modified. URL (date visited).

You will need a computer equipped with an Internet connection and a fire wire card, video editing software, and a digital video camera.
 

Explain:

Part I
In your groups, discuss the following questions. Have one of the group members note the major points of your discussions to provide to other class members.

• What is an "uncommercial"? What is its purpose? How does it achieve that goal?
• Which video production techniques were most effectively used?
• What were the most common issues presented in the sites you observed?
• How will you go about producing an effective video?
• Other than the sites listed, what "uncommercial" website do you recommend to the class. Why?

In your small groups;

• Use one of the brainstorming techniques we have studied to produce a list of social, school or community issues/problems.
• Select one topic for your “Uncommercial”
• Do some research to familiarize yourself with the issue.
• Decide who your audience will be
• Decide on an uncommercial concept or format.
• Create your storyboard.
• Plan out a schedule for shooting your video.
• Create a human resource plan that clearly spells out the rolls or tasks for each group member.

Elaborate:

Part I
Your assignment is to produce a 30 – 60 second public service announcement or “uncommercial”.

You have already demonstrated your understanding of the issues and video pre-production techniques by submitting your storyboard and production plan for discussion with the teacher. Review the videos on video production and post-production at www.NortelLearniT.org.

Video Production:

• Organize your materials, props, slides, audio selections etc.
• Gain approvals for your shooting schedule from the school, the talent (your actors) and your team members.
• Gain approvals for copyrighted audio, images, etc. and release forms from your talent.
• Shoot your “Uncommercial"
• Edit your project using video editing software.

Evaluate:

Please see the attached: Evaluation Rubric: Uncommercials
 

Extend:

Students are encouraged to consider the following ways to further develop or use their skills in this area.

Submit your videos to the local cable TV channel. They may want to run some of your uncommercials or psas.

If you have dealt with issues that have been a concern in the schools in your community, why not arrange to show your videos to other schools.

Now that you know what you know, you might want to take a crack at producing another video for a local non-profit.

How about an “uncommercial” film festival?

And of course, have your teacher arrange with www.NortelLearniT.org to devote some web space to upload your videos or upload them to youtube or Google video.
 

Required Attachments:

PSAsUncommercialsRubric.doc