Integrate Microsoft Office software and the Internet to create dynamic, student-centered learning experiences. 

Excel-ling Classroom Activities

Lesson Plans Utilizing Word
  1. Around the World Calendar
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=AroundTheWorld
    Summary: Every country in the world has some nationally known landmarks or monuments. Those landmarks can help tell the story of that country and its culture.
  2. Math Newsletter
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=vctmath
    Summary: Students write, design, and format a math newsletter and distribute it to the student body. Math facts, problems or puzzles, mathematician bios, and personal anecdotes are potential topics.
  3. A is for Aardvark
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Aardvark
    Summary: Kids master the art of reading by creating a classroom dictionary. In the process, they build vocabulary and spelling skills, reinforce reading concepts, and have fun with technology.
  4. Algebra and Beyond
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=algebra
    Summary: Students prepare and teach an algebra topic through a multimedia presentation; create an informational brochure on their lesson; and post their lesson to a class Web page.
  5. All About Me
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=aboutme
    Summary: Students create an autobiographical, multimedia presentation that helps them practice public speaking and learn about technology that facilitates presentations.
  6. Around the Pacific Rim
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=pacific
    Summary: Students learn all about the Pacific Rim region beginning with the members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC while conducting and reporting on individual "nation explorations."
  7. Art: A Reflection of America
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=ArtInAmerica
    Summary: Students choose an American artist and conduct research to answer the question: "How is this art a reflection of or reaction against the attitudes in America at the time it was created?"
  8. Attaining Computer Literacy Through the Core Curriculum
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=CPLiteracy
    Summary: Computer literacy basics integrated into language arts and mathematics courses. Includes basic word processing skills, Internet researching skills, spreadsheet skills, and presentation skills.
  9. Bats and Sound
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Bats
    Summary: Students will apply scientific concepts by gathering facts about animals and sound. Their final report in PowerPoint integrates writing, researching, and reading through activities that involve investigating and observing scientific concepts.
  10. Biographies Alive
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=BiographiesAlive
    Summary: Students work in teams as they do in-person research to develop "living biographies" about people in different sectors of their community.
  11. Birdfeeder Cam Project
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=BirdfeederCam
    Summary: Students with learning disabilities construct a bird feeding station and a Web site with a Web camera. They formulate their own inquiry-based science fair projects using data collected from the bird feeding station; develop a PowerPoint presentation for the science fair; work together to develop a Web site featuring their findings about birds.
  12. Biz Start-Up
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=BizStartUp
    Summary: Students are cast in the role of entrepreneurs creating business plans for hypothetical start-up ventures. They use productivity tools to map out each hoped-for development stage of their enterprises.
  13. Bridging the Generation Gap
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=gengap
    Summary: Students get a real life lesson in sociology as they create a hypothesis about the attitudinal differences between generations, test their hypothesis with a survey, chart their findings, and present their answers to the class.
  14. Buy Low, Sell High
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=buylow
    Summary: Students learn how to invest in corporate stocks by creating investment "portfolios." They develop worksheets to track each portfolio's performance, and then report results to the class.
  15. Candy is Dandy
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=candy
    Summary: Students learn the benefits of graphs to communicate information, answer questions, and solve problems as they investigate color distribution in bags of candy M&M's .
  16. Celebrate the U.S.A.
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=celebusa
    Summary: Students act as marketers hired to promote one state in the U.S.A. Each team researches their state, creates a marketing brochure, and gives a presentation to entice people to move to or visit that state.
  17. Clues to Climate Change
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=ClimateChangeClues
    Summary: Students address questions and form opinions about global warming by studying, analyzing, and interpreting weather information and analysis available online.
  18. Concept Books
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=ConceptBooks
    Summary: Students each research and write a short work of nonfiction, "publish" this work as a self-made book designed to fit the subject matter, and then participate in a public exhibition of all the one-of-a-kind "collector edition" books.
  19. Creating Your Own Web Site
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=website
    Summary: Students design Web pages with text, graphics, and hypertext links. They revise their work based on comments from peers and teachers, then "publish" their projects on the Internet for all the world to see!
  20. Discovering Africa and Its Culture
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=DiscoverAfrica
    Summary: A yearlong project on Africa. Students write letters to African pen pals; research African animals; write a country report; use the Internet to gather information; and create a data graph in Excel.
  21. Discovering Native Americans and Their Culture
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=NativeAmericans
    Summary: Students learn about Native American cultures as they develop a newsletter, a PowerPoint presentation, and a Web site to convey what they've learned while studying English as a Second Language.
  22. DNA Technology Research and Short Story Project
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=DNA
    Summary: Students research the latest technology in DNA fingerprinting using this information to produce a newsletter a PowerPoint presentation, and a short story using DNA fingerprinting to solve a crime.
  23. Doing Right by the Net-Generation
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=NetGeneration
    Summary: Teacher Branda Dyck believes that educators must be well-versed on the differences between previous generations and the first to grow up surrounded by digital media.
  24. Extreme Weather
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=weather
    Summary: Students study extreme weather around the globe and then develop a Web page to explain it to the class. Along the way they learn basic meteorology and earth science, reinforce geographical knowledge, and build analytical and presentation skills.
  25. Fastball Physics
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=fastball
    Summary: Students learn about aerodynamics via baseball. Experimenting with wind tunnel simulation software, they learn about the forces that give airplanes lift and curveballs curve. A contest lets students put their aerodynamic insight to the test.
  26. Friends, Romans, Countrymen
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=friend
    Summary: Students study facets of the Ancient Roman Empire while completing a research assignment that combines world history, language arts, and art history.
  27. Fueling the Future
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=picfueling
    Summary: Students explore fuel cells as a potential future automotive power source. They study other technologies, take a position in support of one technology, and weigh consumer and industry interests against broader societal considerations.
  28. Giants of the Century
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=giant
    Summary: Students look at the last 100 years of achievements in science, medicine, human rights, and more. They identify key figures in 20th century progress and then document the life and times of each in a searchable database.
  29. Giving Thanks Parade
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=GivingThanksParade
    Summary: Students identify people and things in their own lives worthy of gratitude, dig a little deeper to see just how far their thanks should spread, and then create a moving display of thanks in the form of a parade - an ideal Thanksgiving-time activity.
  30. Global Environmental Issues: Air and Water Pollution
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=500corner
    Summary: Students work in teams to research air and water pollution and present their findings to a public audience.
  31. Global Internet Projects
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=600corner
    Summary: Students expand their horizons beyond the classroom by interacting with technology to share ideas and experiences with students of different nationalities or from different regions of the country.
  32. Globalization Comes to the Table
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=GlobalTable
    Summary: Students explore the meaning of globalization through research, analysis, and debate by focusing on the subject of food. Teams plan a summit where each presents a position and participates in the development of overall recommendations.
  33. Guardians of Freedom
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=GuardFreedom
    Summary: Students study World War II through a series of lectures, videos, and primary source interviews with World War II veterans; keep a journal; create a Web site about what they've learned; and write an essay.
  34. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=dinner
    Summary: Students work in groups to imagine and simulate a dinner party involving an author, a fictional character, and a significant historical figure as dinner guests. The activity uses Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales as a model.
  35. It's in the (Chocolate) Chips
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=chocchip
    Summary: Students investigate which brand of chocolate chip cookies contains the most chocolate. They analyze and compare data, practice the scientific method, and consider the connections between scientific learning and real-life concerns such as making consumer choices .
  36. Language of the Season
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=language
    Summary: Students use words of the winter holiday season to understand the diversity of languages, their origins, and the people who speak them. In the process, they are encouraged to discover the commonalities between people and their languages.
  37. Leading Lives
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=LeadingLives
    Summary: Students "get personal" about a curriculum area - whether it is science, mathematics, language arts, or social studies - by writing a biography of one of its key figures. In the process, students realize that individuals can make a large difference in the evolution of human knowledge.
  38. Let's Get Warm
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=picwarm
    Summary: Students investigate various methods that animals use to warm up in cold weather - everything from growing new fur to burrowing in mud - and explore the scientific principles involved. They then identify human parallels and create a presentation.
  39. Let's Go Travel
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=travel
    Summary: Students use selected Internet sites together with productivity tools to plan a trip to the country of their choice. They learn and communicate about a foreign country, develop travel planning and budgeting skills, and build key computer skills.
  40. Literary Scavenger Hunt
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=literary
    Summary: Students learn about literature in a new way by searching the Web in a scavenger hunt for information about books and authors. When the hunt is over, students publish their answers in an interactive slide show for presentation to the class.
  41. Making Ends Meet
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=endsmeet
    Summary: Students create a monthly budget, showing income earned from an imaginary job versus estimated monthly expenses. They then encounter unexpected monthly expenses and must adjust their budget.
  42. Marketing: A Multimedia Project
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=marketing
    Summary: Students learn how technology can be used in a marketing career.
  43. Meet Our Class
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=meetclass
    Summary: Kids survey themselves about their likes and dislikes, daydreams, and friends. They then interview classmates to create a classroom gallery of personalities - a great beginning-of-the-year ice-breaker!
  44. Mysteries Around the World
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=mysteries
    Summary: Students practice their research skills while discovering facts and theories about the mysteries of many fascinating locations around the world. They report on their findings with a PowerPoint presentation or newsletter.
  45. News and Ethics in the Digital Age
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=diginew
    Summary: Students explore issues facing today's journalists, comparing and contrasting the ethics of traditional versus cyberspace publishing. They then apply these findings as they create their own online news publication.
  46. Newsworthy Journey
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=journey
    Summary: Students embark on a historical journey to the ancient civilization of Egypt or Mexico. They then produce a newspaper that reflects the cultural, political, economic, and religious views of that time and place.
  47. Oceans of Possibility
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=OceansOfPossibility
    Summary: Students explore the last frontier on Earth - the ocean. After gathering information on the ocean's physical features, resources, and ecology, they debate the merits of developing ocean resources and building undersea human habitats.
  48. Oh, Baby!
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=OhBaby
    Summary: Students indulge natural curiosity as they explore the development of "baby" plants and animals. They discover patterns and common elements, and finally share what they have learned with the rest of the class.
  49. On Our Way
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=OnOurWay
    Summary: Students create personal Web sites portraying themselves and their world in a "best case" scenario ten years from now. Along the way, they interview each other about how much has changed since high school.
  50. Our Class Directory
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=ourclass
    Summary: Students learn how to record and analyze data about their classmates. Using a database students can create charts and graphs, compare, analyze, interpret, and share information about themselves.
  51. Personal Best
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=PersonalBest
    Summary: Students choose one personal goal - anything from improving a class score to perfecting a jump shot - and use a private online journal to chart their own progress as they work toward that goal.
  52. Personal Energy Meter
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=picenergy
    Summary: Students take a look at their own energy use, tally up the costs in dollars and the environmental impact , and then think of ways to save. They explore energy conservation techniques and advocate for conservation in their own communities.
  53. Pondamania: Exploring Pond Viability
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Pond
    Summary: Students learn mathematics, science, and language arts while participating in a community project about water quality.
  54. Student Electronic Portfolios
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Eportfolio
    Summary: Students create an electronic portfolio for posting on their school Intranet. Skills taught include the basics of Web design. The end result serves as a dynamic record of student progress.
  55. The Eruption of Mount St. Helens
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=MtStHelens
    Summary: Students use technology to review the forces of nature at work and the recuperative power of the United States' most active volcano.
  56. The Essence of Technology
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Essence
    Summary: Teacher Robin Morgan lists four important ways that all students must be able to use technology in their learning now and in their working lives later.
  57. The Great War: An Oxymoron
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=War
    Summary: Students study the causes, effects, and continued impact of World War One through the completion of six learning stations. Among other goals students are taught to recognize and explain the power of technology to transform society.
  58. The Inside Story
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=InsideStory
    Summary: Students are inspired to to read and understand non-fiction by reading about common objects in order to write about what they've learned.
  59. The Titanic: A Multidimensional Project
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Titanic
    Summary: Focusing on the Titanic disaster, students practice gathering information from a number of sources; design an ad campaign promoting travel on the Titanic; complete a number of different writing assignments; and upload their work to the school web site.
  60. Three Squirrels and a Pile of Nuts
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=squirrel
    Summary: Students are presented with a fun story problem in order to learn to solve problems using a spreadsheet in combination with problem-solving strategies and simple algebraic variables.
  61. United States History: Revolution, Constitution, and Civil War
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=USHistory
    Summary: Students learn the political, social, cultural, and economic aspects of history during an 18-week course that covers American History from colonization to the present.
  62. Virtual "How To" Library
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=HowToLibrary
    Summary: Students experience new ways of organizing and accessing information in a variety of forms, both print and digital, by creating a "how to" library based on topics they choose themselves.
  63. What's the Real Deal?
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=realdeal
    Summary: Students learn the concept of intellectual property and identify ways to overcome piracy and counterfeiting. Students also practice basic computer and research skills using library and Internet resources.
  64. Your Just Desserts
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=dessert
    Summary: Students write letters to town officials and local businesses asking for favorite dessert recipes, tabulate their responses in a spreadsheet, and then turn their survey results into colorful graphs.
  65. Your Students Can Be Webmasters!
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=StudentWebmasters
    Summary: Students are guided through the creation of a Web site in seven engaging steps.

 

 

Excel-ling Classroom Activities

Lesson Plans Utilizing Excel
  1. Amazing Autobiographies
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=AmazingAutobiographies
    Summary: Students look at autobiographies of famous historical figures, then explore the basic elements of narrative writing by creating their own autobiographies.
  2. Attaining Computer Literacy Through the Core Curriculum
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=CPLiteracy
    Summary: Computer literacy basics integrated into language arts and mathematics courses. Includes basic word processing skills, Internet researching skills, spreadsheet skills, and presentation skills.
  3. Biographies Alive
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=BiographiesAlive
    Summary: Students work in teams as they do in-person research to develop "living biographies" about people in different sectors of their community.
  4. Biz Start-Up
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=BizStartUp
    Summary: Students are cast in the role of entrepreneurs creating business plans for hypothetical start-up ventures. They use productivity tools to map out each hoped-for development stage of their enterprises.
  5. Bridging the Generation Gap
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=gengap
    Summary: Students get a real life lesson in sociology as they create a hypothesis about the attitudinal differences between generations, test their hypothesis with a survey, chart their findings, and present their answers to the class.
  6. Buy Low, Sell High
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=buylow
    Summary: Students learn how to invest in corporate stocks by creating investment "portfolios." They develop worksheets to track each portfolio's performance, and then report results to the class.
  7. Buying a Dream Car
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=dreamcar
    Summary: Students calculate the cost of purchasing a sports car and determine the ultimate price tag after financing. This lesson provides practice in using spreadsheets to solve practical everyday problems.
  8. Candy is Dandy
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=candy
    Summary: Students learn the benefits of graphs to communicate information, answer questions, and solve problems as they investigate color distribution in bags of candy M&M's .
  9. Celebrate the U.S.A.
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=celebusa
    Summary: Students act as marketers hired to promote one state in the U.S.A. Each team researches their state, creates a marketing brochure, and gives a presentation to entice people to move to or visit that state.
  10. Clues to Climate Change
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=ClimateChangeClues
    Summary: Students address questions and form opinions about global warming by studying, analyzing, and interpreting weather information and analysis available online.
  11. Code Crackers Math Game
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=codecrak
    Summary: This engaging and challenging math game provides students with opportunities to work in teams with math operations and simple algebraic equations by creating a spreadsheet-based "rule machine."
  12. Dancing with the Data
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=dancingdata
    Summary: Teacher Brenda A. Dyck shares two electronic tools that help teachers track student grades and quiz results.
  13. Discovering Africa and Its Culture
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=DiscoverAfrica
    Summary: A yearlong project on Africa. Students write letters to African pen pals; research African animals; write a country report; use the Internet to gather information; and create a data graph in Excel.
  14. Do Vampires Really Exist?
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=vampire
    Summary: Students learn how math and computer skills can help to study scary vampires. They identify and extend a number pattern into very large values, create and interpret a graph, and then compare a math model with real-world statistics.
  15. Global Environmental Issues: Air and Water Pollution
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=500corner
    Summary: Students work in teams to research air and water pollution and present their findings to a public audience.
  16. Global Internet Projects
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=600corner
    Summary: Students expand their horizons beyond the classroom by interacting with technology to share ideas and experiences with students of different nationalities or from different regions of the country.
  17. It's in the (Chocolate) Chips
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=chocchip
    Summary: Students investigate which brand of chocolate chip cookies contains the most chocolate. They analyze and compare data, practice the scientific method, and consider the connections between scientific learning and real-life concerns such as making consumer choices .
  18. Leading Lives
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=LeadingLives
    Summary: Students "get personal" about a curriculum area - whether it is science, mathematics, language arts, or social studies - by writing a biography of one of its key figures. In the process, students realize that individuals can make a large difference in the evolution of human knowledge.
  19. Lesson Plan: Geography Geometry
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=GeographyGeometry
    Summary: Students combine math and mapping to explore exciting vacation destinations.
  20. Let's Go Travel
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=travel
    Summary: Students use selected Internet sites together with productivity tools to plan a trip to the country of their choice. They learn and communicate about a foreign country, develop travel planning and budgeting skills, and build key computer skills.
  21. Making Ends Meet
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=endsmeet
    Summary: Students create a monthly budget, showing income earned from an imaginary job versus estimated monthly expenses. They then encounter unexpected monthly expenses and must adjust their budget.
  22. Mysteries Around the World
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=mysteries
    Summary: Students practice their research skills while discovering facts and theories about the mysteries of many fascinating locations around the world. They report on their findings with a PowerPoint presentation or newsletter.
  23. Our Class Directory
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=ourclass
    Summary: Students learn how to record and analyze data about their classmates. Using a database students can create charts and graphs, compare, analyze, interpret, and share information about themselves.
  24. Personal Best
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=PersonalBest
    Summary: Students choose one personal goal - anything from improving a class score to perfecting a jump shot - and use a private online journal to chart their own progress as they work toward that goal.
  25. Personal Energy Meter
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=picenergy
    Summary: Students take a look at their own energy use, tally up the costs in dollars and the environmental impact , and then think of ways to save. They explore energy conservation techniques and advocate for conservation in their own communities.
  26. Pondamania: Exploring Pond Viability
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Pond
    Summary: Students learn mathematics, science, and language arts while participating in a community project about water quality.
  27. Progress By Degrees
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=ProgressByDegrees
    Summary: Students act out the roles of science and society consultants as they create recommendations regarding deployment of "cooling technologies" for developing nations.
  28. Solving Polynomial Equations
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=solving
    Summary: Students learn smart spreadsheet strategies for solving x and y values. Using a spreadsheet as a tool for analyzing and visualizing, students discover new ways of solving mathematical problems.
  29. Three Squirrels and a Pile of Nuts
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=squirrel
    Summary: Students are presented with a fun story problem in order to learn to solve problems using a spreadsheet in combination with problem-solving strategies and simple algebraic variables.
  30. Weights and Measures
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=weight
    Summary: Students measure, record, and analyze their classmates' heights and weights. In the process, they master skills of gathering, averaging, and graphing data - while practicing metric conversion and gaining fluency in use of technology tools for math operations.
  31. World Pizza
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=WorldPizza
    Summary: Students create an imaginary company that makes and sells "global pizza" with ingredients from all over the world. They then develop a savvy, sensitive plan to market the product locally and abroad.
  32. Your Just Desserts
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=dessert
    Summary: Students write letters to town officials and local businesses asking for favorite dessert recipes, tabulate their responses in a spreadsheet, and then turn their survey results into colorful graphs.

 

Lesson Plans Utilizing PowerPoint
  1. Lesson Plan: Boning Up on Bones
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=BoningUp
    Summary: In this month-long unit students learn about the human skeletal system by creating and sharing multimedia presentations, newsletters and Web sites.
  2. Around the World Calendar
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=AroundTheWorld
    Summary: Every country in the world has some nationally known landmarks or monuments. Those landmarks can help tell the story of that country and its culture.
  3. Vocabulary Blast
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=VocabBlast
    Summary: Students use online and print dictionaries to research and master vocabulary words, and then use Microsoft® PowerPoint® templates to build flashcards and interactive, multiple-choice questions.
  4. Virtual Classroom Tour: When Animals Talk
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=vctanimals
    Summary: Students learn about animals found in the Everglades from online research tools and wildlife researchers and then present findings using PowerPoint slides.
  5. Algebra and Beyond
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=algebra
    Summary: Students prepare and teach an algebra topic through a multimedia presentation; create an informational brochure on their lesson; and post their lesson to a class Web page.
  6. All About Me
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=aboutme
    Summary: Students create an autobiographical, multimedia presentation that helps them practice public speaking and learn about technology that facilitates presentations.
  7. Amazing Autobiographies
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=AmazingAutobiographies
    Summary: Students look at autobiographies of famous historical figures, then explore the basic elements of narrative writing by creating their own autobiographies.
  8. American Colonies
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=colonies
    Summary: Students research information about the original 13 colonies; develop a fact sheet, brochure, and PowerPoint presentation. Chief benefit s the integration of technology into a plausible, real-life activity, which is marketing a product. In this case, the "product" is one of the 13 colonies.
  9. Around the Pacific Rim
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=pacific
    Summary: Students learn all about the Pacific Rim region beginning with the members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC while conducting and reporting on individual "nation explorations."
  10. Art: A Reflection of America
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=ArtInAmerica
    Summary: Students choose an American artist and conduct research to answer the question: "How is this art a reflection of or reaction against the attitudes in America at the time it was created?"
  11. Attaining Computer Literacy Through the Core Curriculum
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=CPLiteracy
    Summary: Computer literacy basics integrated into language arts and mathematics courses. Includes basic word processing skills, Internet researching skills, spreadsheet skills, and presentation skills.
  12. Bats and Sound
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Bats
    Summary: Students will apply scientific concepts by gathering facts about animals and sound. Their final report in PowerPoint integrates writing, researching, and reading through activities that involve investigating and observing scientific concepts.
  13. Biographies Alive
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=BiographiesAlive
    Summary: Students work in teams as they do in-person research to develop "living biographies" about people in different sectors of their community.
  14. Biographies Come to Life
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=BiographiesToLife
    Summary: Students read a biography of a well-known individual, create a PowerPoint presentation about that person, and then present to others.
  15. Birdfeeder Cam Project
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=BirdfeederCam
    Summary: Students with learning disabilities construct a bird feeding station and a Web site with a Web camera. They formulate their own inquiry-based science fair projects using data collected from the bird feeding station; develop a PowerPoint presentation for the science fair; work together to develop a Web site featuring their findings about birds.
  16. Bridging the Generation Gap
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=gengap
    Summary: Students get a real life lesson in sociology as they create a hypothesis about the attitudinal differences between generations, test their hypothesis with a survey, chart their findings, and present their answers to the class.
  17. Buy Low, Sell High
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=buylow
    Summary: Students learn how to invest in corporate stocks by creating investment "portfolios." They develop worksheets to track each portfolio's performance, and then report results to the class.
  18. Clues to Climate Change
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=ClimateChangeClues
    Summary: Students address questions and form opinions about global warming by studying, analyzing, and interpreting weather information and analysis available online.
  19. Discovering Africa and Its Culture
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=DiscoverAfrica
    Summary: A yearlong project on Africa. Students write letters to African pen pals; research African animals; write a country report; use the Internet to gather information; and create a data graph in Excel.
  20. Discovering Native Americans and Their Culture
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=NativeAmericans
    Summary: Students learn about Native American cultures as they develop a newsletter, a PowerPoint presentation, and a Web site to convey what they've learned while studying English as a Second Language.
  21. DNA Technology Research and Short Story Project
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=DNA
    Summary: Students research the latest technology in DNA fingerprinting using this information to produce a newsletter a PowerPoint presentation, and a short story using DNA fingerprinting to solve a crime.
  22. Fueling the Future
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=picfueling
    Summary: Students explore fuel cells as a potential future automotive power source. They study other technologies, take a position in support of one technology, and weigh consumer and industry interests against broader societal considerations.
  23. Global Environmental Issues: Air and Water Pollution
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=500corner
    Summary: Students work in teams to research air and water pollution and present their findings to a public audience.
  24. Global Internet Projects
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=600corner
    Summary: Students expand their horizons beyond the classroom by interacting with technology to share ideas and experiences with students of different nationalities or from different regions of the country.
  25. Globalization Comes to the Table
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=GlobalTable
    Summary: Students explore the meaning of globalization through research, analysis, and debate by focusing on the subject of food. Teams plan a summit where each presents a position and participates in the development of overall recommendations.
  26. Happy High-Tech New Year!
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=NewMillennium
    Summary: Teacher Robin G. Morgan offers ten resolutions to make the very most of technology in the classroom.
  27. Innovative Teachers Virtual Classroom Tour
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=InTeachersVCT
    Summary: Take the Microsoft Innovative Teachers professional development Virtual Classroom Tour.
  28. It's in the (Chocolate) Chips
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=chocchip
    Summary: Students investigate which brand of chocolate chip cookies contains the most chocolate. They analyze and compare data, practice the scientific method, and consider the connections between scientific learning and real-life concerns such as making consumer choices .
  29. Lesson Plan: Who doesn't love ice cream?
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=IceCreamScience
    Summary: Students have fun learning how ice cream is made, and master important science concepts of physical and chemical reactions in the process. They top off the experience with a presentation about what they have learned.
  30. Let's Get Warm
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=picwarm
    Summary: Students investigate various methods that animals use to warm up in cold weather - everything from growing new fur to burrowing in mud - and explore the scientific principles involved. They then identify human parallels and create a presentation.
  31. Literary Scavenger Hunt
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=literary
    Summary: Students learn about literature in a new way by searching the Web in a scavenger hunt for information about books and authors. When the hunt is over, students publish their answers in an interactive slide show for presentation to the class.
  32. Marketing: A Multimedia Project
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=marketing
    Summary: Students learn how technology can be used in a marketing career.
  33. Mysteries Around the World
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=mysteries
    Summary: Students practice their research skills while discovering facts and theories about the mysteries of many fascinating locations around the world. They report on their findings with a PowerPoint presentation or newsletter.
  34. No Flakes Like Snowflakes!
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=flake
    Summary: Students explore snowflakes from the inside by making their own snowflake. They learn key concepts of geometry - including symmetry, angles, and scale - bringing mathematics, science, and art together into one creative and insightful activity.
  35. Oceans of Possibility
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=OceansOfPossibility
    Summary: Students explore the last frontier on Earth - the ocean. After gathering information on the ocean's physical features, resources, and ecology, they debate the merits of developing ocean resources and building undersea human habitats.
  36. Pita Tortilla Baguette
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=PTBaguette
    Summary: Students learn about the variety and unity of our world by exploring in depth the "bread" of different nations and then reporting their findings to the class.
  37. Pondamania: Exploring Pond Viability
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Pond
    Summary: Students learn mathematics, science, and language arts while participating in a community project about water quality.
  38. Progress By Degrees
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=ProgressByDegrees
    Summary: Students act out the roles of science and society consultants as they create recommendations regarding deployment of "cooling technologies" for developing nations.
  39. States of the Union
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=states
    Summary: Students use both print resources and the Internet to gather information about a particular state and then to create a Powerpoint presentation to present their findings.
  40. The Eruption of Mount St. Helens
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=MtStHelens
    Summary: Students use technology to review the forces of nature at work and the recuperative power of the United States' most active volcano.
  41. The Great War: An Oxymoron
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=War
    Summary: Students study the causes, effects, and continued impact of World War One through the completion of six learning stations. Among other goals students are taught to recognize and explain the power of technology to transform society.
  42. The Insect Files
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=insect
    Summary: Students find out all about the insect of their choice. They then show what they have learned in a multimedia presentation to the class about the insect's physical characteristics, habitat, and life cycle.
  43. The Inside Story
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=InsideStory
    Summary: Students are inspired to to read and understand non-fiction by reading about common objects in order to write about what they've learned.
  44. The Titanic: A Multidimensional Project
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=Titanic
    Summary: Focusing on the Titanic disaster, students practice gathering information from a number of sources; design an ad campaign promoting travel on the Titanic; complete a number of different writing assignments; and upload their work to the school web site.
  45. United States History: Revolution, Constitution, and Civil War
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=USHistory
    Summary: Students learn the political, social, cultural, and economic aspects of history during an 18-week course that covers American History from colonization to the present.
  46. What's the Real Deal?
    http://www.microsoft.com/education/?ID=realdeal
    Summary: Students learn the concept of intellectual property and identify ways to overcome piracy and counterfeiting. Students also practice basic computer and research skills using library and Internet resources.

Jefferson County Schools