Part One:

• Open a new tab and go to www.bcps.org.
• Click the Students tab.
• Go to the databases.
• Visit Net Trekker. 
• If you're doing the Strong Bridge Competition, do a simple search for "Bridges." If you are doing the Ice Cold Challenge, do a search for "Insulation."
• Before choosing a site to click on, remember to choose a site that is rated AT LEAST four checks. Read through the descriptions, and choose a site that you think might be useful to you in your research. 
• Take some time to read through your site. After spending a good five minutes making use of your site, post a comment stating the site you visited, how many checks you would rate it, AND WHY. Remember, you want your comments to be useful to fellow students. 
• Read through the comments of your classmates. Visit a site that a classmate doing similar research recommends. Read through it and then make another comment about whether you agree with your classmate's assesment, and why.  

Part 2:

• Take a quick look at Net Trekker, Destiny,  Science Reference Center, Science in Context, World Book Advanced, MasterFILE, SIRS, and Net Trekker with the class.  Discuss strategies for finding a good source.     
• Choose one of the sites and search for ONE useful source. Remember that "Resource" articles are encyclopedia articles. "Periodical" articles are magazine articles. Items identified as  "News" are from newspapers. Items identified as being from an "Academic Journal" are college research papers. The higher the "lexile" or "reading level" number is, the higher the readability will be. These resources can be accessed from ANY computer, anywhere. If you want to use them outside of our school, you'll need to get a password sheet from Mr. Flynn.  

Part 3:

 We will  now try to create our own Voki widgets, which will be based upon our plans for research, and embed them on our very own wiki pages.

Step 1. Make sure your headphones and microphone are plugged in to the correct holes on the computer.

Step 2. Go to www.voki.com

Step 3. Click on the "Voki Classroom" tab.

Step 4. Type in the EXACT user name I gave you on your slip. If your user name was "Period 5.thirty five:jflynn2@bcps.org" type it in exactly like that, including spaces or the colon when needed.

Step 5. Type in the password I gave you on your slip. It will be the word voki followed by four numbers with no spaces.

Step 6. Once signed in, click the orange "Edit" icon.

Step 7. Spend a minute customizing your character, and then click the green "Done" icon.

Step 8. In the "Give it a voice" tab, click on the microphone. If a window pops up that asks you if you want to allow the microphone, click "allow" and "close."

Step 9. Consider these questions: "What is your plan for completing more research for your STEM Challenge project? What are some sources you will try to use further? What are some types of things you would be interested in reading? What would be the very best things you hope to find?"

Step 10. Click "Record" and speak your answers to these questions. You have about a minute to speak. Click "Stop" when you are done. Then click "Save"

Step 11. Tell Mr. Flynn when you are done so he can approve your Voki.

Step 12. Once Mr. Flynn has approved your Voki, refresh your screen and click the orange "embed" icon"

Step 13. Copy the "embed" code.

Step 14. On the Leitner Period 5 page, click on the link for the page I have assigned you.

Step 15. Click the Edit tab.

Step 16. Click the Insert button.

Step 17. Click "HTML/Java Script.

Step 18. Paste the code in the box.

Step 19.  Check the box that says "Allow Java Script."

Step 20. Click "Next."

Step 21. Click "Insert Plugin."

Step 22. Click "Save."