The mission of the One Sky, Many Voices Project is to create innovative, inquiry-based K-12 weather curricula that utilize current technologies such as CD-ROMs and the World Wide Web for the interactive study of current weather and air quality. Students, teachers, parents and scientists can participate from classrooms, homes, after-school programs or other educational settings. We provide four-week and eight-week programs centeredaround environmental science themes. All our programs run during set time periods so that individuals worldwide can coordinate their learning with many other participants.Kids as Global Scientists' 2000 engaged students in an inquiry-based middle school weather curriculum during the period February 7, 2000 - March 31, 2000. The project focused on maximizing the educational potential of current computer technology in science classes. This eight-week program offered a unique blend of structured weather curriculum, hands-on science investigations, real-time information from the Internet, telecommunication through an electronic message board, and an Internet CD-ROM.
Distinctive features of the program included:
- Classroom learning that includes peer coaching and information exchange world-wide,
- Learning which can capitalize on today's science developments,
- Interdisciplinary connections (i.e. science, language arts, geography, and mathematics), and
- A coordinated, yet flexible curricular shell which allows for local customization by teachers and students at each site.