Smithsonian

Use these projects from the Smithsonian Museum's Smithsonian Classroom REACT projects on [|ePals] to deepen your understanding of the content in some of the Magic Tree House books. These projects can be submitted in the Smithsonian category of the Magic Tree House Adventures Global Multimedia Fair.

[|Watch LIVE Amazonian Fish from the Smithsonian Zoo!!!]

[|Prehistoric Climate Change] **The Following are SHOUT Learning Sustain the Land Projects:** Suggested Grade Level: Elementary and Secondary School (K-12 grade) Curriculum Area(s): ICT, Media, Geography, Science 21st Century Skills: Creativity, Communication, Research Skills Microsoft Tools: Carbon Footprint Calculator, Microsoft Producer, Microsoft Excel
 * 3. Preserving Forests: Can We Learn from the Past to Protect Their Future?**

Trees play a significant part in addressing the issue of global warming. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen, consequently reducing the amount of greenhouse gases -- which heat up the planet. It is important that people also play their part to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide. Use Microsoft‟s Carbon Footprint calculator to measure your school‟s carbon footprint. Research practical steps your school can take to make it smaller. Use Microsoft Excel to create a spreadsheet for a carbon footprint tracker to record your school‟s progress. You can post your tracker to the “Sustain the Land” file folder in the Shout Global Classroom on TIG, or use Office on your Live Account, and share the file with everyone. If you need ideas, want to discuss with other educators or Microsoft Product Managers, join a conversation in the Shout Educator Community on the Partners in Learning Network. Organize a joint Carbon Footprint global project with other schools participating in the Shout program! Use Microsoft Producer for Microsoft.

Office PowerPoint and publish an engaging and effective rich-media presentation that showcases your global project ideas to the Shout Global Classroom on TIG. If you need ideas or want to discuss with other educators, start a conversation on this challenge in the Partners in Learning Educator Community! Suggested Grade Level: Elementary and Secondary School (K-12 grade) Curriculum Area(s): Science, Mathematics, Geography 21st Century Skills: Collaboration, Communication Microsoft Tools: Bing Maps, Shout World Map App, Bing Educator Resource Kit
 * 4. Tree Banding**

Get to know the trees near you! Try to identify and research the trees that you have banded. Are the trees you‟ve identified native or non-native? Take some photos, and with crayon and paper, make a rubbing of its leaves or bark. Do the other trees you‟ve banded have similar leaves and bark? Add to or use Bing Maps to mark the trees on an aerial map. Learners can deepen the detail of their map by adding notes about each type of tree, such as whether or not it is native to the local environment. Educators can join the Bing Maps conversation on the Shout Educator Community of the Partners in Learning Network to share tips and tricks and chat directly with the product managers on the Bing Maps Team. Post a link to your Bing Map and upload your pictures and descriptions of the leaves and trees in the Shout Global Classroom on TIG. Join schools around the world in monitoring the growth of trees. Check out all the participating schools and their Tree Banding results on the Shout World Map App. The Tree Banding challenge is a great way to contribute vital information to a global database of student-generated findings, thereby collaborating on an important ecological study of how trees respond to climate! We require a minimum of two measurements per year: at the beginning and end of the growing season. You may, however, take as many measurements as you like ... daily in fact! The more data we collect, the better! For a tree banding kit, please complete the online tree banding kit request form. If you need ideas, want to discuss with other educators or Microsoft Product Managers, join a conversation in the Shout Educator

Suggested Grade Level: Elementary and Secondary School (8-12 grade) Curriculum Area(s): Geography, Science, Citizenship 21st Century Skills: Communication, ICT Literacy, Collaboration, Problem Solving Microsoft Tools: Several free Microsoft educational products are utilized Join the DeforestACTION Headquarters, and work with other schools around the world on a collaborative project to halt the destruction of important rainforests and create a permanent home for orangutans in Borneo. Each action that students take through DeforestACTION will allow them to earn points. Students with the most points will be eligible for a range of unique opportunities including, personally interacting with orangutans, prizes and more!
 * 5. DeforestACTION**
 * //Young people across the planet have united to create DeforestACTION. Register, create a content-rich virtual classroom, join a DeforestACTION collaboration space, and work with learners to design a local project that impacts your community. See the DeforestACTION teacher‟s guide downloadable from the Teacher‟s Zone, for step by step instructions on how to get started.//**

[|Panda Exploration]

Watch LIVE tigers and lions from the Smithsonian National Zoo! [|LION CAM] [|Cheetah Cam] **The Following are SHOUT Learning Sustain the Land Projects:** __**1. Tigers on the Brink of Extinction (a)**__ Suggested Grade Level: Elementary and Secondary School (6-12 grade) Curriculum Area(s): Science, Geography 21st Century Skills: Communication, ICT Literacy, Collaboration, Problem Solving Microsoft Tools: Bing Maps, Photo Story 3, Bing Educator Resource Kit __**Act Locally:**__ //**How do scientists study tigers and other elusive animals? Learn about camera trapping at the Smithsonian Wild website: http://siwild.si.edu/. In groups, observe and record the daily activities of a pet or common animal (such as a squirrel or cricket) within their own environment. Use Photo Story 3 to produce an informative digital story of your observations and findings and post your movie to the “Sustain the Land” file folder in the Shout Global Classroom on TIG. If you need ideas or want to discuss with other educators, start or join a conversation in the Shout Educator Community on the Partners in Learning Network.**// //**People love to take souvenirs back home when they travel. Have you ever thought about where those products come from and if they are legal? Investigate what is happening with tigers and other animals being threatened through wildlife trafficking to make those souvenirs. Use Bing Maps to mark the locations of souvenirs that are being made out of endangered animals. Learners can deepen the detail of their map by documenting how the souvenirs are made and what animals are being threatened as a result of their production. Share your Bing Map(s) through the Shout Global Classroom on TIG and compare the global issues you addressed with students from around the world. If you need ideas, want to discuss with other educators or Microsoft Product Managers, join a conversation in the Shout Educator Community on the Partners in Learning Network.**//

Suggested Grade Level: Elementary and School (K-5 grade) Curriculum Area(s): Science, ICT, Citizenship 21st Century Skills: Critical thinking, ICT Literacy, Research Skills Microsoft Tools: Microsoft Movie Moviemaker
 * 2. Tigers on the Brink of Extinction (b)**
 * //Only 3,000-3,500 tigers exist in the wild. This animal, voted as the world‟s most charismatic species, is on the brink of extinction. The threats to tigers are vast, ranging from habitat destruction to poaching of tigers and their prey. It will take a concerted effort by many to save this amazing animal. Working in teams, learners develop and create a short film with the aim of raising awareness of the threats to tigers. The short film should teach learner‟s locally and globally about the diverse threats facing tigers today. Use Microsoft Movie Moviemaker to create the short film. Post your videos to the “Sustain the Land” file folder in the Shout Global Classroom on TIG. . If you need ideas, want to discuss with other educators or Microsoft Product Managers, join a conversation in the Shout Educator Community on the Partners in Learning Network.//**
 * //Reach out to a school in another country and exchange your short film. Take it a step further and see if you can get a local TV station to play your short film, and/or invite parents and community members to add their comments and upload their views and ideas to the Shout Global Classroom on TIG. If you need ideas, want to discuss with other educators or Microsoft Product Managers, join a conversation in the Shout Educator Community on the Partners in Learning Network.//**

Learn more about Asian culture with this great game site and art contest: [|Asian Games and Art]

Speak up! Use your voice to participate in these [|VOICE OF THE CHILDREN]activities from the Children Around the World project on ePals Smithsonian Classroom site :-)