Bucket Buddies
Grab your bucket and join kids around the world in this collaborative environmental project.
GRADE LEVEL: K-5
http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/bucketproj/
CONTENT:
This telecollaborative project from the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) compares pond water samples from around the world.
AESTHETICS:
The site gives the details of a project and has a simple layout with mostly text. Wide margins and a few well-placed graphics make it easy to read.
ORGANIZATION:
A left-side navigation menu takes users to the seven main sections of the site.
REVIEW:
This free environmental project for grade levels 1-5 is run in the fall and repeated in the spring. Participants take water samples from ponds near them and answer the question, "Are the organisms found in pond water the same all over the world?" Information at the site includes a project overview and all the materials necessary for participation. Separate areas for teachers and students provide a list of reference resources and a discussion area. Included is an online help area, where students can e-mail their questions to a freshwater macroinvertebrate expert. All results from the various schools are posted on the site so students can compare the macroinvertebrates from each location and analyze the data for relationships and trends.
