The Task:

 

• First I broke the class up based on the two demands (skill sets) which I perceived the final product might require. I separated the class into the "myspace", web savy group and those familiar with reading Spanish. (there were many self proclaimed crossovers)
• The groups were to investigate a mock crime scene, take digital photos, sketch the scene and make observations. 
• The photos were then uploaded to  global-studies.blogspot.com from there they were able to manipulate them and add them to their project. 
• Groups then were asked to answer a series of scaffolded questions in the form of a Investigation Report which included naming the victim. 
• Here I pointed out the importance of using primary sources to prove a theory.
• Groups were then given an opportunity in class upload findings and create a "blog"
• Blogs were linked in a table and placed in a central location.  

 

 

As a final individual formal assessment students were asked to write an essay using their classmates websites as the sole resource of information. They were given a sample essay from a previous year.  They cited their classmates websites as resources and answered the question; "What caused the collapse of pre-Colombian Meso-America?

 

 

MY Focus Question:

 

Students are able to observe and share thier observations. How can I get our freshmen students (in a project such as this) to move from the mere sharing of their knowledge to critical anaylization and evaluation of their findings?