[ Home ] [ Getting Started ] [ Forums ] [ Links ] [ Workshop ]
[ Projects ] [ Schools ] [ Organizers and Mentors ] [ Credits ]
Note: The purpose of this hypothetical proposal is to illustrate the meaning of the various aspects of the proposal. While participants will be chosen on the basis of their cooperative project proposals, it is highly unlikely that the proposals will be complete at this time. A major purpose of the November Workshop is for participants to "flesh out" their respective proposals.
1. Name of Project
Exploring Wetlands Ecology Through Student Research in Two Countries
2. Sponsoring Organizations
Country X: The Association for Science Ecucation
Country Y: The Poseidon School District
3. Major Goal and Short Description
The project aims to raise the students’ understanding of ecological issues, along with cross-cultural development, by developing educational programs that combine computer and technological activities with "hands-on" experimental work.
The proposed project is aimed at the development of student research projects on the topic of wetland ecology. Students from several schools from two countries (X and Y) will study environmental changes in wetland ecosystems through the combined use of field experimental work, computer communication, imaging and remote sensoring by satellite. The resulting student research projects will be of an interdisciplinary nature; they will be conducted by classes and study groups, combining such domains as biology, physics, chemistry, geography, and ecology.
4. Specific Objectives
(a) To have students study environmental changes through the combined use of remote sensoring by satellite, field work, imaging and computer communication, by senior high school students in two separate countries.
(b) To have students in each country to conduct similar interdisciplinary research which combines biology, physics, chemistry, geography, ecology, etc., with computer technology.
(c) To have students share their ideas, techniques and results with each other, as a basis for developing a broad ecological perspective on the problems of the wetlands throughout the world.
5. Rationale
Reflooding part of the Hula Valley to create a new lake is a national project in the country of X. The lake was drained in the early 1950’s, causing the loss of a unique ecology. Native flora and fauna are to be re-introduced, and the area will be developed into a center for tourism. To avoid damage to the environment, careful supervision is essential, and it is our intention to involve local senior high school students in this effort. Students will monitor the changes that will gradually taking place during the reflooding stage and afterwards; they will measure water quality and monitor the site through the integration of satellite sensor data and databases.
Maintaining a healthy wetlands ecology is also a high priority students living in a region in country Y. However, economic pressures favoring urban development, along with the challenge of pollution from local factories, threatens this goal. Scientists in this country are conducting studies to measure and document changes assocated with these developments. In the proposed project, high school students will assist in these research studies.
Students from each country will learn from not only from their own research work but also from similar work of students from the other country. By comparing the techniques and results of their work with those of their student colleagues overseas (as well as the various environmental solutions proposed in each country), students from both countries will gain a broad ecological and cultural perspective.
6. Project’s activities
a) Student Activities.
This cooperative project will allow students in each country to carry out research projects, guided by research scientists, thereby learning many research skills. For example, students will:
- have access to databases in all relevant fields
- make efficient use of spreadsheets and methods of data analysis and presentation
- exchange data and graphic information to combine and summarize experiments
- use international computer mail to share their ideas and results
b) Instructional Aids. We will attempt to use satellite imaging from LANDSAT, METEOSAT SPOT, etc., each for a specific need, according to their sensitivity of resolution, spectral wavelengths, periodicity and, of course, availability. Also,computer communication between students in countries X and Y will be enhanced by mutual access to databases supplied on the Internet.
c) Activity Profile. We estimate that the activities will be conducted about 30% in-doors (in the classroom), about 10% in the chemical laboratory, about 40% outdoors (in the field) and about 20% with computers.
d) What are the main innovative features of your project? The joint project between schools in the different countries will emphasis the similarities and differences in wetland ecology found in each country, in biotic and abiotic parameters. This comparative approach to the study of wetland ecology can be used to study other fields of interest as well. As a result, this cooperative project may generate interest in similar projects in the future.
7. Target population
(a) Number of Participants. The project will involve several schools in each country Currently, we plan on working with 3 teachers and about 100 students in each country, but the scope of our project will depend upon our funding. It is important for us to bring teachers and students who are living in a "peripheral" region, as far as education is concerned, right into the center of activity that makes use of computer technology and the Internet.
(b) Number of beneficiaries: We project that if all goes well, within the next 2 years we should have about 30-50 teachers and 1,000-3,000 students participate in the project.
8. Project evaluation
In this project we will administer three student questionnaires to participants (at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the project the year) to identify their attitudes about their experiences, what they have learned, etc. We will also interview the science researchers who are serving as mentors as well as the participating teachers. Also, the ability of students to understand and present their research will be evaluated by examining the work they present (both written and oral) at the end of the year.
9. Timetable
| Stage | 1-2 | 3-4 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-10 | 11-12 |
| Planning the mutual project (both countries) | X | |||||
| Designing experimental work | X | |||||
| First meeting of teachers on-line | X | |||||
| Visit the Laboratory | X | |||||
| Visit the Local River authorities | X | |||||
| Purchase Kits and material | X | |||||
| Preparation of the Remote Sensoring | X | |||||
| Prepare Databases | X | |||||
| Establish the electronic communication | X | |||||
| Administer first questionnaire | X | |||||
| Practical field work | X | X | X | X | ||
| Laboratory work | X | X | X | |||
| Analysis of pictures and spectrographs | X | X | X | X | ||
| Use of sensoring in aquatic habitats | X | |||||
| Analysis of agricultural activity | X | X | X | X | ||
| Decoding satellite imagery | X | X | X | X | ||
| Administer 2nd questionnaire | X | |||||
| Calibration of imagery and ground data | X | X | X | |||
| Following changes in the field | X | X | X | |||
| Improving calibration | X | X | X | |||
| Analysis of data from other regions | X | X | ||||
| Administer 3rd questionnaire | X | |||||
| Interview research scientists | X | |||||
| Analysis of findings and summary projects | X | X | ||||
| Involve International Agencies | X | |||||
| Find the Funding Agency for continuation | X | |||||
(Note: It will be very difficult, at this stage, for you to make & construct a complete budget. However, it would be a good idea to start thinking about the elements of your budget. Below is a hypothetical budget for the hypothetical cooperative project described here. Participants at the November Workshop will have the opportunity to talk with experienced international consultants about how to construct such a budget and how to secure needed funds through grants, etc.)
Budget for a year, in US$
| Item | Expenses |
| Operation Expenses | |
| Project director | 7,000 |
| Telecommunication supervisors | 5,000 |
| Telecommunication technician + travelling to install equipment | 5,000 |
| Preparing databanks | 3,500 |
| "On-line" researchers and experts for dialogs with students | 2,500 |
| Supervisors’ course | 1,000 |
| Expenses for communication (Internet), telephone lines etc. | 4,000 |
| Hardware and Software for 2 locations | 12,000 |
| Expendable materials for experimental work | 2,000 |
| Trips and Travel | 6,000 |
| Overhead (10%) | 4,800 |
| Total expenses (in US$) | 52,800 |