My name is Carol Sparks; my co-worker (Patsy Stephens) and I teach social studies at Freeport High School in Freeport, Florida. We’ve received a small grant from our school district (Walton County) for a program we are developing, “Our Town, Our Nation.” In this interdisciplinary course, students will conduct oral histories of community members, preserving important links to the past and providing community service. As well, students will work with the community to create traveling and permanent historical displays.
An important part of the program is forging a distance learning partnership via teleconferencing with a sister school in another part of the country. Students will share stories and experiences via interactive televised learning. The remote site will also e-mail their stories and histories to ours. As an end-of-term project, our students will compile both sets of stories—ours and yours— into a completed publication, for both communities.
Why are we doing this? We teach in a small, rural community in northwest Florida. Until recently, our students were largely from traditional, even insular backgrounds. Now, however, our county is undergoing tremendous growth and experiencing consequent stress. We are currently the 5th-fastest growing county in the state. Although there are only about 40,000 people in our district, there has been a 25% growth rate in the last decade. In fact, we expect our county’s population to double in the next decade. Most of this growth is in the southern part of the county, along the beaches. Freeport is the “fault line” where the fast-growing beach area collides with the agrarian north.
We would like to find a school with an interactive distance program that is approximately the same size and composition of our own. Hopefully, by collecting and exchanging stories, identify both what distinguishes them as members of a local community and what ties them together as Americans.
I realize there is little time left in the school year. If you are interested and/or need further information, please e-mail me at [email removed].
Here is some help! We suggest going over the questions several times. You should do this a number of times until you feel comfortable with all questions.
Time is the single most common fault that all test takers have trouble with. If you are familar with these study questions and know them well you will save time without knowing it.
Make sure you pace yourself during the test. Keep track of how much time you have used not how much is left.
Usually two choices can be eliminated from each question.
If you can not eliminate any answers skip this question and come back to it.
When required to read a passage such as in the lab questions you should scan/skim the passage to get a vague impression then read the questions. You will be surprised at how some answers come to you very quickly.
Do not guess. Eliminate 1-2 choices then "pick" out the best choice. You should be willing to bet money on this choice.
Scientific sounding answers are better than slang sounding answers.
Avoid extreme statements such as answers with these key words always...never...completely...
If the answers contain two answers that are opposite from each other then one of these is usually correct.
These are some sample TIPS and you can get the rest of the TIPS from [link removed]
We have a comfortable 3 bed home in a leafy London suburb, looking for a U.S. home exchange during July/August this summer, 2003. Car exchange available. We are High school Heads of Department and experienced house exchangers. Hope to hear from you.
I am a teacher in Augusta, Georgia (USA). Would any of you be interested in participating in an international postcard exchange OR would you be willing to host our FLAT STANLEY? Please let me know... your help would be greatly appreciated!
Hello, If you have not already found an exchange to join, I would love to have you join my exchange. It is international. It will include all 50 states. As of now, Peru, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom and Poland have joined also. If you are interested, please email me your name and address. THANK YOU! :o)
I am setting up a US postcard exchange for the 2003-04 school year. I did it last year and have 20 returning participants. I am looking for ONE classroom from each state. Montana is still available. If interested, please email me and I will add you to our mailing list. You will be responsible for obtaining 50 postcards and stamps. You or your students will write a message including state info, history, landmarks, etc. and send them out during our mailing period, Oct. 1 to Nov. 15. I will supply you with preprinted mailing labels for your convenience. You can also sign up through my website. My students loved it and I am sure yours will too! States available are: AL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, GA, HI, ID, IN, KS, LA, ME, MA, MO, MT, NE, NJ, NC, ND, OH, OK, TX, UT, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY
IF YOU LIVE IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING STATES, PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT NOTICE! Thank You!
Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington DC, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The International Post Card Exchange is up and running! We have a number of participants. We have representation for a vast number of US sites (with the exception of the above listed states). Internationally, the response has been phenomenal!! International representation has been received from several parts of Canada, Germany, Mexico, Singapore, Poland, UK, and Australia. Several US states have not yet joined. If you live in one of the following states, please join and become a part of this WONDERFUL experience!
We REALLY need your state, as well as other western US states for our postcard exchange. If you are not certain what is involved, email me for details. Would love for MT to be represented - any grade is ok.