Lighthouse+database+project

=Lighthouse Database Project= By Kyla Vance and Chris Goodson FDN-5630 - Web Design August 2008

This unit idea is designed for 4th grade students. The unit revolves around a lighthouses database. With guidance from the teacher, students gather data, enter it into a database using a simple web form, and then use the the information they have gathered to create a "Lighthouse-o-pedia" using collaborative wiki software. This initial project will give students experience with databases and web research, but it is only the beginning. The database and "Lighthouse-o-pedia." can then be used to facilitate a number of activities across the curriculum.

Database and wiki creation
At the start of the project, students will be divided into groups of 2-3 students and told that each group is going to be making a database and encyclopedia entry for a particular lighthouse. The teacher will provide the list of lighthouses. With a small class, all of the lighthouses can be from North Carolina. With a larger class, the teacher can expand this to other east coast lighthouses. This first activity will take place in a computer lab. Students will be given the name of their lighthouse and several web sites with data about lighthouses. The students will search the web resources to find data on their lighthouse and then use the data entry web page to enter the following data about their lighthouse:
 * Name
 * Height
 * Year finished
 * Material
 * color/pattern of lighthouse
 * source of light (oil, electicticy, etc.)
 * location (state and town)
 * is it operational?
 * cost to complete
 * number of steps to the top

After the students enter in this data, they can begin working on their "Lighthouse-o-pedia article in the wiki. The first step will be for students to look at a sample article on the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse created by the teacher. The wiki has pre-made blank pages for each lighthouse with section headings and instructions for students to follow. Each lighthouse article should include:


 * Name of lighthouse****Overview** - This section should be a short introduction to your page, including the location of the lighthouse and whether or not it is still in operation. If you find some other important facts, they should go here too.
 * History -** This section should be a paragraph giving a short history of the lighthouse, including when it was completed, how much it cost, and how it is used today.
 * Specifications -** This section is a list of the following facts about the lighthouse height - how tall the tower is materials - what is it made of? color/pattern - what pattern and color is painted on the tower? light source - how is it powered? number of steps - how far is it to the top? fun fact! - something interesting or unusual about the lighthouse. Also, find and insert a picture of your lighthouse - pics for learning is a good spot.

Click here to see the project page. This is the page that students will use as a home page when working on the unit.

Click here to see a list of North Carolina Standard Course of Study objectives met during this project.

The lighthouse database will be the basis for the rest of the cross-curricular unit on lighthouses. Click here to see a few sample lesson plans.