Kidlink Day

On May 8, 2007  KIDLINK kids from around the world will write a journal, by the hour, of their activities on that day. These journals will be posted (with an illustration if they like), right here in KidSpace. 
Teachers can get a KidSpace login and password by  registering for Kidlink here:
 http://www.kidlink.org/response/index.php

Sample Journal:
7:00 Oh... my alarm clock is so loud. It reminds me that a new day is here. I get out of bed and get ready for the school day. I just remembered! We are doing a special activity in Science. I think I will like today.

8:00 I am on the school bus with my friends. Would you believe I left my lunch on the kitchen table? How could I be so forgetful?

9:00 Now, it is time for art class. I *love* art! My teacher says I have real talent. I'm making a clay pot for my mom for her birthday. I know she'll love it.

[...and on and on ... for the rest of the day until sleep time.]

or the activity might be recorded as a RECOUNT. Features of which are:

-Purpose: The purpose of a recount is to tell what happened.
-Focus: Sequential specific events.
-Types: personal, factual and imaginative
-Text Organization: Setting, Orientation, Who, When, Where and Why. 

Project Purpose:
By looking closely at the descriptions of a typical day across many time zones, our students become aware of our multicultural diversity. Students around the world are basically the same with similar hopes, fears and dreams yet their everyday lives are filled with details that are typical for their place on the planet.

The project provides teachers with an excellent source of data for use across many curriculum areas such as social studies, math and writing.

Social Studies:

1. locating journal writers on the map, latitude/longitude, hemisphere
2. identifying customs and festivals noted in the journals
3. identifying local foods
4. identifying study habits and values
5. comparing the length of school day in various countries
6. identify subject areas that are favorites and those that are unique to the area.

1. writing for a specific purpose - to inform
2. using appropriate style and conventions
3. developing as writers using the writing process having had occasions to prewrite, draft, revise and proofread their journal writings.
4. writing effectively by considering correctness, completeness, and appropriateness of their text.

1. recording, analyzing and comparing weather data and patterns
2. becoming aware that land features help influence recreational activities of students in various parts of the world
3. comparing the kinds of food kids like to eat for meals.
4. observing good health habits mentioned in journals such as dental hygiene

1. recording, organizing and interpreting data
2. comparing standard and metric measurement - daily temperature
3. using percents and fractions to describe daily activity - students spend 10% of their day watching tv and ¼ of the day in school.
4. totaling and averaging the hours of homework classmates are doing on a typical day
5. recognizing and interpreting use of military time in the journals

In typical journals your students might see common threads in their days:

1. The hour kids wake up on a school day
2. breakfast and lunch favorites
3. transportation to school
4. length of classes and school day
5. favorite or least favorite classes
6. after school activities
7. time spent on chores after school
8. time spent on homework or watching TV
9. favorite TV shows
10. the hour for going to bed at night

To Participate:

1. Register for the project by sending a message to the project moderator, Ora Baumgarten orabaumgarten@gmail.com with this information:
   • Teacher's name and e-mail address
   • School, city, country
   • Language (if other than English)
   • age and grade of students
   • number of participating students
2. Students are asked to answer the 4 Kidlink questions before participating in our projects. Students who do this will get a login and password that can be used to post Kidday journals to KidSpace.
3. On May 8, students will write their journals. They make take time to revise and edit their journals before they post them to the kidday mailing list or to KidSpace.  They can post their journals a couple of days (up to a week) after May 8.
4. Publish journals on the web in KidSpace with illustrations (if desired).

Project Management:

Project Moderators:

Ora Baumgarten orabaumgarten@gmail.com
and Patti Weeg patti@globalclassroom.org

Project design:   Patti Weeg

KidSpace developers: Bonnie Thurber and Bob Davis