EXPEDITION PREP - LESSON #1: INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAM
Overview
This is a step-by-step guide that helps you prepare, introduce the Tire Tracks program and use the student activities available in the program. The steps on this page should be used as a guideline, as no one activity is required to participate in the program.
Print/Download this Lesson
- You can print this page by selecting the 'printer friendly version' option above.
- Click here for a Teacher Planning checklist you can use to guide you through the program.
- If you want to download the entire Lesson #1 - Introduction packet (this page and all downloads), click here.
This page includes information on:
1. Teacher pre-program Preparation - Step-by-step Guide that helps you ensure you are prepared for the program. Much of this information is duplicated from the 'How to use the site' web page
2. Pre-program Preparation (students and parents)- Based on teacher feedback, we first offer you the option to introduce parents and your students to the program by using Introduction letters. Many teachers thought that by 'inviting the kids along', the students make the choice to want to participate in the program, which makes their commitment stronger. We recommend you use these before, or in conjunction with this Introduction Lesson.
3. Lesson #1- Introduction to Program- The next step would be to use Lesson #1 (below). These are activities (quiz, class discussion, view website, etc.) we recommend you use to spark student's interest in Africa, the team and program. These activities can be covered in as little as 1 class periods to as many as 2 or 3, depending on how you want to incorporate viewing of the Tire Tracks Kids website (requiring internet access) for the first time.
4. Need help? Want to give us your feedback? Have a lesson or idea to share? - Be sure to tell us how these activities go. Any recommendations or questions you have would be very helpful for other teachers.
- Contribute ideas or tips - Go to right-hand side bar, select Contribute and follow easy instructions
- Read ideas and tips from other teachers - Go to end of page, Teachers Toolkit
- Feedback? Tell us how it goes in the Teacher's forum.
- Questions? First check the Help button on the right hand side bar, then if you can't find an answer, select the Feedback button (right-hand side bar) or email us.
1. Teacher Pre-program Preparation (Step-by-step Guide that helps you ensure you are ready for the program)
- Browse the Teachers website
- 'Read the Overview of Websites'
- Recommended time: 5 minutes (on right side bar, select 'How to' then 'Overview of websites')
- Recommended time: 5 minutes (on right side bar, select 'How to' then 'Overview of websites')
- Read 'How to Use this site'
- Recommended time: 15-30 minutes (on right side bar, select 'How to' then 'How to use this site')
- Be sure to read about the Teachers Toolkit and how your Contributions increase the power of the program
- Note: Much of the info you need to get started is on this page.
- Log onto the Kids website
- Go to http://kids.tiretracks.org.
- Log in (right-top hand corner) with you/your student's given password.
- Note: If you can not get beyond the first page, then your session has timed out. Re-log in with your Kids password.
- Navigate around the site and check out what is there.
- We recommend you try logging into the Kids site where you will be using it with the students, e.g. if you will view it in the computer lab, try to log on there (some schools have certain websites blocked.) If you have any problems or can't view the site properly, email us right away.
- Recommended time: 15 minutes
- Register for the forum, introduce yourself and check it out
- Register
(recommended time: 5 minutes)
- Only if you haven't already done so!
- Select 'Teacher community' then 'Teachers forum' from the left hand side bar, and you will be directed to the forum sign in.
- On the top, right-hand corner, select 'REGISTER'
- Fill in the requested information (More help is in the 'How to use this site guide.' Select 'How to' then 'How to use this site', or use the FAQ at the top of the forum.)
- This is also your opportunity to introduce yourself to other teachers.
- Once your account is activated by our team, you will be able to enter the forum.
- Register
(recommended time: 5 minutes)
- Only if you haven't already done so!
- Browse around the forum topics. Read what other teachers have posted. Ask a question. Post a thought or idea.
Ask other teachers how they use Tire Tracks. (recommended time: 10 minutes)
- Want to check out what other teachers are in the program? At the top of the forum, select MEMBERLIST. You can select any teacher's profile and read all about them.
- Want to check out what other teachers are in the program? At the top of the forum, select MEMBERLIST. You can select any teacher's profile and read all about them.
- Prepare for the Program
- Read through the recommended steps for:
- Pre-program launch (below)
- Lesson #1- Introduction to program (below)
- Lesson #2- Introduction to Africa (Go to 'Expedition Prep' then select 'Introduction to Africa')
- Read through the recommended steps for:
2. Pre-program Preparation (or ways to get parents and your students ready for the Introduction lessons)
- Introductory letter for parents - Letter that you can send to parents introducing them to Tire Tracks
- Download letter here: (Microsoft Word .doc format) or (Adobe Acrobat .pdf format)
- Download letter here: (Microsoft Word .doc format) or (Adobe Acrobat .pdf format)
- Student Invitation - Provide students in your class with this invitation letter to introduce them to the program
- Download letter here: (Adobe Acrobat .pdf format)
3. Lesson #1 - Introduction to the Program (activities to use with your students)
Time to complete: 1 - 3 class periods, depending on your class
IN THE CLASSROOM (no computer access required)
- Student Quiz – Ask students to complete the quiz: GOT SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT AFRICA?
Submitted By: Gary Flossmann, Daniel Webster Middle School, California, USA- 21 questions.
- Time: 15 minutes to 1 class period. Depends on amount of time allocated for research. Consider breaking Kids into groups to do research, if time is limited.
- Download Quiz here: (Microsoft Word .doc format) or (Adobe Acrobat .pdf format)
- Class discussion - Student Quiz answers
- Go over answers in class. Use as a class discussion to prepare them for the next lesson, Introduction to Africa.
- Download Answers here: (Microsoft Word .doc format) or (Adobe Acrobat .pdf format)
- Class discussion - What is Tire Tracks
- Discuss with your class why you chose to use the program and how it fits into your class term.
- Consider using an atlas or map to show the students where Africa is. (alternatively, see computer section below where Kids can explore on their own and learn about Tire Tracks - access to the internet is required)
- Here are selected key points of the program that you may want to highlight:
- you can 'travel' with an expedition team through Africa (2 years, 1 unimog, 50,000 miles, 35 countries)
- you can learn about other students all over the world (from places like Australia, Czech, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, the UK and USA)
- you can view videos and photos, read stories, ask the team questions, and help the team figure out problems by using the online Kids website
- you can learn about the 53 countries of Africa and what life is like there
- you can help name the expedition car, submit questions and weblinks
- Class or group activity- Introduce your class (option to do this now or after the Kids have seen the website)
- Have students write a short introduction about their class and how they will be using the program.
- Optional: Take a class photo and school photo
- Teachers to submit the information and photo. Go to right-hand side bar, select 'submit your school for the Kids website'. Complete the form.
- Optional: Start a Tire Tracks project book or folder for each student and/or the class.
- Many teachers recommended a project book as a good place for students to record their work, vocabulary, thoughts and questions. This could also be used to paste articles, photos, and stories from the website or from other sources as a newspaper.
IN THE COMPUTER LAB (computer access required)
- Introduction to Tire Tracks
- Use as an optional activity/quiz that Kids can use to learn about Tire Tracks. Here is a handout you can give your students:
Tire Tracks- Checking out the website
Submitted by: Tessa Willy, Langford Primary School, London, UK
- Use as an optional activity/quiz that Kids can use to learn about Tire Tracks. Here is a handout you can give your students:
- Introduction to the Kids website (http//kids.tiretracks.org)
- Log into websites. Consider asking the students to 'bookmark' the website so it is easily found again
- Your were given 1 password for you and your class to use. All students need to enter that password in the top-right hand corner. If your session times out (you can't get beyond the home page), then you need to re-log in again.
- Discuss with students what it means to be able to use the program and what user etiquette is required.
- Familiarize students with the program. Allow them to navigate around the site.
- Take a few minutes to read the site:
- play videos of the Team
- check out the route
- view some pictures of the car
- talk about the Car naming contest, submitting questions and links
- read about the Participating Schools page. Discuss what other schools are using the program and what you want to say about your class.
- It is always important to students to check what other students have said/asked first. We want to encourage them to research and think before submitting.
Lessons and activities
Looking for more lessons? Click on the Teacher toolkit (right-hand side bar).
Do you have any teaching material or resources that relate to this topic? Share them with other teachers by submitting them to the program. If you would like to develop a lesson on this subject, please contact the Tire Tracks team.
Useful tips, advice and related discussion
Do you have any useful tips, advice or discussion ideas? Share them with other teachers by submitting them to the program.