IBM MentorPlace Online Activity: Surf's Up Surfing the Web
    (Read the Project Description and then choose the most appropriate Online Activities to try in your classroom.)
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          The Internet has virtually (no pun intended!) changed almost
           every aspect of our lives. There are those that cannot imagine life
            without it, while others are just beginning to "get connected." In this
            project, mentors and students will discuss the challenges and benefits
            of the Internet and other technology!
 
Activity 1: How Quickly Things Change

       The Internet has changed the way we do many things in our everyday lives.
    Mentors and students should discuss ways that the Internet has affected
them personally:
     
   
  • What do you do differently as a result of using the Internet
    (hints: school, shopping, information)?
  • Jot down at least three things that you did offline five years ago,
     that you now do online. Discuss the differences.
  • How do you think the Internet will change in the next five years?
    How will this make your lives even more different than they are now?
  Activity 2: The "ebay" Craze
   

Do you think the old saying is true: "One man's trash is another man's treasure?" Well, buying
and selling things on ebay, an online marketplace where people sell and buy personal items, has become the new craze. In this project, mentors and students will answer the following questions related to the site:

  • What do you think some of the most unusual items sold on ebay are?
    Visit the site: www.ebay.com. Share your items and the reasons why you
    think they are so out of the ordinary.
  • Decide on an item that the two of you would like to buy. Check the bids.
    Do you consider the item a good buy? Why or why not?
  • How do you know that the item described is what you are really going to get?
    Can you think of some ways to make sure that you are getting what you paid for?
    Discuss these issues with one another.
  Activity 3: "Safety" Net
    You have just been commissioned by your school principal to create a Safety Tips list for
middle school students who "surf" the Internet. You can create it in any format you wish: a letter,
even a David Letterman "Top Ten List." Work with one another to determine the most important information that kids know before going online, and then present it in a clever manner -- one that
kids won't easily forget!