Since our first graders are learning about simple maps, I found a video on United Streaming entitled, "Understanding Maps: Key to Everywhere." My class watched the video on the promethean board and discussion followed. We had previously read a story from our Houghton-Mifflin anthology book called "Me on the Map." The students then had to go home and draw a simple map of their bedroom. We have also made a map of our playground. The video gave an overview of maps, explained distance, scale, elevation, and grid maps. It also demonstrated points on a compass, how different types of maps show different things, what symbols are, and what a globe is. I feel that this video really helped my students understand maps in other ways besides the simple maps we are creating in the classroom. The video was 15 minutes long and so it kept their attention.

Jon Fisher and I have done a collaborative fall project together. Jon set up the wiki site and our classes did a fall project together. We took some fall pictures, collected leaves, did leaf rubbings, and wrote fall poems. Jon sent me the lesson plan format. He also sent me a copy of the book that I needed for this project. Jon has been very helpful. Anytime I had a question, he was there to answer it for me and to help me with the project. I feel that I am taking a big risk by trying to do everything that is expected of me as a Global Learner, but I feel that without Jon's support I would not be able to do things on my own. Our project is on the wiki site projectfall.pbworks.com. I have shared the pictures and poems that Mr. Fisher's class wrote with my class. My class was very excited about seeing the poems on the site.