All About Our Traveling Buddy Project

The Second Grade of Brooklyn Elementary School in Brooklyn, Connecticut have become involved in a project with Year Three of St. Helen's School in Barry, Wales. Each class has adopted a class mascot. The mascots are now "Exchange Students", visiting their partner's schools to learn what life is like in a different country. Once a week, the Traveling Buddies will send an email home to tell the students about their adventures.
(These emails address Connecticut Language Arts Frameworks I C.3&4, I D, II D.4, and III C.2. Connecticut Computer Technology Competancy Standards 1B and 4B are also address.)

The project started with both classes reading the book Town Mouse and Country Mouse by Jan Brett. The story is about how two mouse couples decide to switch homes to find out what the other's lives are like. The students talked about how this project would let them learn about other children by using technology. Both classes then looked at photographs of each other's communities. They had lots of questions after seeing the pictures. They are looking forward to the opportunity to having their questions answered by their Traveling Buddies.

Students will learn more about the community of their visiting Buddy by going to specially chosen Internet sites with their teachers.
(This addresses Connecticut Language Arts Frameworks IC5 and II 3. The activities address Connecticut Social Studies Frameworks 9D and 12A&C. Connecticut Computer Technology Frameworks 1B, 2B& C, 4A&B, 5B,C & D are addressed. Also, Connecticut Learning Resources and Information Technology Frameworks 1A,2B, 3E,4B&E and 5B are addressed)