Extending the National Geographic Kids Network to the Middle Grades

这个为期三年的项目将为7-9年级的学生制定9个单元（或大约90周）的补充科学材料目标，并围绕以电信为基础的学生合作研究进行组织。该项目涉及协调的课程和软件开发、形成性和总结性研究、传播和教师培训。这项工作将由TERC与国家地理学会合作进行。NGS将配合NSF的资金，并作为联合开发者、制作人和发行商。IBM将为包含基于微型机的实验材料提供额外的支持。每个单元都要求学生收集数据，通过电信网络与其他学区的学生共享这些数据，并分析收集到的数据。这可以让学生像科学家一样工作。在收集数据之前，学生学习基本的科学内容，并学习进行适当测量所需的实验技能。在数据收集之后，学生应用数据分析技术并反思研究中所解决问题的社会意义。建议的研究领域包括：生长条件、树木、学生健康、酸沉积、回收和堆肥、氡、替代能源、汽车事故和温室气体。每个单元都将在典型的教室中进行仔细的尝试和测试。将开发用户软件，该软件将改进为初级NGS儿童网络开发的软件，使用一些类似数据库的功能，大大扩展可能的分析。主机软件也将被开发，以简化和加快数据的收集。

This three-year project will develop nine unit (or approximately ninety weeks) of supplementary science material target for grades 7-9 and organized around telecommunications-based, collaborative student research. The project involves coordinated curriculum and software development, formative and sumative research, dissemination and teacher training. The work will be performed by TERC in collaboration with the National Geographic Society. NGS will match the NSF funding and act as co-developer, producer and publisher. Additional support for the inclusion of microcomputer-based lab material will come from IBM. Each unit requires students to gather date, share these data over a telecommunications network with students in other school districts and analyze the collected data. This allows students to perform like scientists. Before gathering the data, students study the underlying science content and learn the experimental skills required to perform appropriate measurement. Following the data collection, students apply data analysis techniques and reflect on the social significance of the problem addressed in the study. Study areas proposed include: Conditions for Growth, Trees, Student Fitness, Acid Deposition, Recycling and Composting, Radon, Alternative Energy sources, Automobile Accidents, and Greenhouse Gasses. Each unit will be carefully tried and tested in typical classrooms. User software will be developed that will improve upon that developed for the elementary NGS Kids Network, significantly extending the analysis possible using some database-like functions. Host software will also be developed that simplifies and speeds up the collection of data.