REF, MIDDLE, SEC, TARGET: Route 12 curriculum ideas

["Karen G. Schneider" <kschneid@UMICH.EDU>]

(Surfwatch aside)  I'm working on a project with two other library students
to design an electronic resource that will parallel curriculum designed
around a particular road--specifically, Route 12 (Detroit to Aberdeen).
Our role is to help the (nonexistent) teacher identify and gather useful
and interesting data related to Route 12, which could include historical
informatoin, traffic data, ecological info, weather, climate,
demographics--you name it.  We are using this data for a software tool (an
informatoin-visualization device) that will allow kids to visually "travel"
Route 12 (with their mice) and when they zoom in on an area find out more
about it.

The data sets are arbitrary--we're pretending they were submitted by
teachers.  The question then becomes, what kind of data would you expect to
see on this curriculum?  I am going to the state library to dig up some
historical data, and have been scouting around for more.

Also, the team hasn't narrowed the school ranges yet, but I've emphasized
to them that we need to--and of course some kinds of data, and different
types of presentations, are more appropriate to some ages than others.

If we get enough ideas, I'll post a HIT.

TIA,

Karen <kschneid@umich.edu>