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WITS IPY/Wayback Lesson Plan

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Subject: Discovering Changes Over Time with the Wayback Machine

Technology Used: ActiveWorlds, Internet, Internet Archive's Wayback Machine

Tasks/Objectives:

  • Develop Internet Research Skills
  • Become Familiar with the Internet Archive & Wayback Machine
  • Learn Basic Graphic Editing Skills & Hone Computer Competency
  • Use Evidence to Draw Conclusions and Work as a Group

Process:

  • Using the Wayback Machine, have students research the website IPY.org. Either doing independent research or through a quick briefing, students should know somewhat about the International Polar Year, to help understand what they are seeing in context. Students should analyze what they see as the website evolves over time. Interpret the findings and theorize why things happen a certain way.
  • Students should piece together a presentation that they can create in ActiveWorlds using the information they find on present and past web pages.
  • Screenshots and pictures should be incorporated into these presentations. A tutorial can be found on the WITS website.
  • To bring the photos into ActiveWorlds, students will need to upload them to the internet. Several good websites exist where users can upload images for free (such as PhotoBucket & Flickr...) and educators can either set up an account for the class or have all students email all photos to one person for upload. A tutorial can be found on the WITS website.
  • Have students set up kiosks in ActiveWorlds describing their findings with text and pictures. Depending on students’ familiarity with ActiveWorlds, you might want to have them create sprites, find objects, or create interactivity that enhance with their displays.
  • Optionally, have students collaborate their findings and aggregate their results in small groups and either compile an oral in-world tour they can present with to the entire group or combine their displays into one. Groups should respectfully determine the strengths and weaknesses of each theory.
  • Have a fair in which students can travel around and see each other's work. Allow each individual or group explain their findings and how they came to their conclusions.