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Web Page Encourages Kids to "Take a Closer Look"

Web site name: Take a Closer Look

Web site URL: http://takeacloserlook.homestead.com

Web site creator: Paula Fleischer, Peachland Avenue Elementary School, Newhall, California

When technology specialist Paula Fleischer created her Web site Take a Closer Look, she was simply attempting to help teachers at her school use the Internet in their classrooms. She didn't realize that the students at Peachland Avenue Elementary School wouldn't be the only ones to enjoy the new project!

Each week a new picture puzzle is unveiled on Fleischer's site. Students view the picture clue, guess what the picture is, and submit their guesses as a class. The names of the classes that identify the picture correctly are featured on the home page the following week.

"The site provides a simple activity for primary students to participate in a collaborative project," Fleischer told Education World. "Teachers and school librarians use the site as a weekly warm-up activity. They like to check the list of winners for their own class name. Some schools have many classes participating. I even know of a couple of classes that have encouraged their 'e-pals' to participate."

Take a Closer Look is more than a novelty. Fleischer explained that classes can obtain a spreadsheet showing the guesses, schools, grades, states, and countries of the previous week's participants. They can use the data for such follow-up math or geography extension activities as tallying and graphing responses or locating participating schools by country, state, or city.

Fleischer also encourages classes to submit their own puzzles -- created with a digital camera or scanned photo. She wants teachers and students to understand that Web content can be driven by participants.

"Participation is increasing each week," said Fleischer. "One particularly great reaction was from a class in Australia. When the students correctly guessed a puzzle and were listed as winners on the site's home page, they also received media coverage in their local paper. The teacher scanned the article and sent it to me. I was so thrilled!"

Article by Cara Bafile
Education World®
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