December 2007

Seasons Greetings!

The holiday season has begun and winter break is right around the corner!  During their time off from school, many of your students may be interested in participating in additional educational activities.  As such, we wanted to share with you some winter break options across the nation.  If these camps are not located near you, please feel free to write to us at edguild@ditd.org and we’d be happy to assist in finding one! 

• G-wiz Winter Camp (Sarasota, FL)

• GDS Hopper Heroes Camp (Washington, DC)

• Naperville Park District (Naperville, IL)

• Pacific Science Center (Seattle, WA)

• Dougherty Arts School (Austin, TX)

• STAR Education Winter Specialty Camps (Los Angeles, CA)

• Piedmont Park Winter Camp (Atlanta, GA)

• Riverbanks Zoo and Garden Winter Camp (Columbia, SC)

• Camp Kingfisher Winter Break Camp (Roswell, GA)

WebQuests

A WebQuest is an inquiry-orientated activity in which all or most of the information used by learners is drawn from the Internet.  They are designed to utilize the learner’s time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support the learner’s thinking at levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. 

A Rubric for Evaluating WebQuests, San Diego State University

Here you'll find a ready-made template for scoring or evaluating student WebQuest projects, complete with scoring categories. Checklists with additional scoring criteria to evaluate project fine points are also provided.

Exploring the Oceans! (Science; grades 3-5)
Students will be studying the oceans in groups of four for this WebQuest. They will be also studying the ocean life as well as the continents that border the oceans and the explorers that sailed the oceans.

Gold Rush (Social Studies; grades 6-8)
In this WebQuest, pretend it is 1897 and you and your family have recently left Skagway, Alaska. You are headed to Dawson City in the hopes of striking it rich with gold, like those three sourdoughs did at Rabbit Creek last year.  This task requires that students design and construct tools/machines to aid prospectors in making the trek to the Yukon!

Family Vacation . . . Spanish style (Foreign Language; grades 9-12)
Students work together and choose a destination location in a Spanish speaking region and decide what to do while there. They must keep in mind budget, culture, weather, transportation, celebrities, food, and their own interests.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season!  Please remember, if you are looking for assistance, ideas or resources, please feel free to contact us at edguild@ditd.org.  

Davidson Institute Updates

Applications Available for 2008-2009 School Year

A free, public school for profoundly gifted pupils on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, The Davidson Academy of Nevada is seeking qualified students to apply for the 2008-2009 school year. The Academy is specifically designed to meet the needs of profoundly gifted middle and high school students, starting at the sixth grade level and beyond. For admission details, please visit www.DavidsonAcademy.UNR.edu/Admissions.

On Saturday, January 12, 2008 The Davidson Academy will host a special information session and campus tour for prospective students and their families, and all others interested in learning more about the Academy and the University of Nevada, Reno.  Please visit www.DavidsonAcademy.UNR.edu/Explore for more information.

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2008 THINK Summer Institute Application Available

To download an application, please visit www.THINKSummerInstitute.org. ____________________________________________________________________________________

2008 Davidson Fellows Scholarship Applications Available

For more information on the Davidson Fellows, or to download an application, please visit www.DavidsonFellows.org.

Your smile could be just what your students need today.  –Unknown