Computer Skills Curriculum
Telecomputing Lesson Plan

Title: Electronic Survey Activity

Other Curriculum Objectives that can be addressed by this lesson plan English Language Arts 2.1, 2.2, 4.1; Social Studies: (Gr. 5) 1.1, 1.2, 2.3, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2, 6.3, 7.2; Computer Skills: (Gr. 5) 3.2

Grade: 5
Competency 3.2: Use telecomputing hardware and software to communicate with a distant computer or an online service.

Measure 3.2.1: Conduct a class survey and share the results with a class in another state via an electronic bulletin board.

Materials Needed: A computer with word processing software, telecomputing software, modem, and phone line; (An LCD panel is optional); an account with an online bulletin board service such as FrEdMail or Learning Link; a wall chart for collecting survey information; a map of the United States. Sample survey message (provided).

Time: One class session and on-going.

Terms: Telecomputing, Modem, Upload, Download, Bulletin Board Service, E-mail, Log on, Log off, Internet, Information Highway

Glossary of Telecomputing Terms
Grade 5 Glossary

Activities

Activity:

  • 1. Remind the class that computers can be used to access information from lots of other people using electronic bulletin boards.
  • 2. Explain to the class that they are going to conduct an electronic survey by sending a message to a bulletin board service.
  • 3. Discuss differences in lifestyles in various regions of the United States. Ask the class how people in the Plains States might have different lifestyles from people on the East Coast. Ask them to try to explain why these differences exist.
  • 4. Hand out a copy of the survey message you are going to send with the questions. Ask the class if there are any changes or additional questions they would like you to include. Add no more than five additional questions since a long survey may not generate as many responses. If there are additional questions, add them using a word processor as your class observes or have the students key the questions.
  • 5. Conduct the survey with your class. Place the results on the survey wall chart so that as results from the electronic survey come in they can be compared with the class data.
  • 6. Take the class to the telecomputing center in the school and arrange the monitor so all class members can see. Dial the bulletin board service, go to the public messaging section (sometimes called bulletin boards, conferences, newsgroups, or forums) and upload your survey message to a section that many teachers at your grade level use. The message can be posted to more than one section.
  • 7. Check you e-mail frequently. As survey responses start coming in, post them on the survey wall chart. You might also mark the locations of the survey responses on a map of the United States.
  • 8. As each new survey response is posted, ask the class to try to explain any significant differences between answers from different regions of the United States.

Measure

Have students write (word process if possible) a paragraph on the benefits of conducting a survey by telecomputing.