Penpals and Google Maps

For this weeks assignment we need to come up with an assignment that we would do with our class to demonstrate cultural understanding and global awareness.  I know 2 websites I used how some projects on them, but I'll go through and see if can find any that will be good to use for the global/cultural part of this assignment.  We could also use her example of having the students compare and contrast vegetables/plants, but my only concern with this is how many students would say "we have this veggie/plant" when in reality, it was imported.  I figured for starters we could start by answering these given questions to get a better idea of what we are looking for.

• Who are the students your students will communicate with (specific location, grade level)?
• Chanel: I was thinking 5th graders, and maybe somewhere in Norway (just for the fun of it)
• Leah: Man I really like both your ideas. I kind of like Nina's idea because the students would actually be able to see and experience the plants that are also native to other countries. 
• Nina: (if we do not go with Chanel's idea which I think is awesome!) 4th graders and comparing plants we have in Michigan and what other countries have the same plants native to their country (since 4th grade is usually Michigan history)
• When would your students contact these other students (at what point in their project work)?
• Chanel: I think this would be best to deal with when we are discussing what plants we would be selling, and if we would import or not.
• Leah: I think throughout the project from the first few weeks in would be a good idea. It would give the students the most time with the other students as possible. 
• Nina: (going with the 4th grade idea) Mid project to double check our students' findings to make sure those countries have the same native plants, or to see what the countries without the same plant's has as their most popular..?
• What kinds of questions would they ask each other and what kinds of information would they share?
• Chanel:
• Leah: I think we could combine both the 5th grader and 4th grader idea and ask questions from both the categories fairly easily:
• Do flower shops there sell similar arrangements to flower shops here? What kinds of flowers are most popular? What plants do you sell that we don't normally sell here? Do you have different presentation of flowers than here?
• Nina: 
• 5th grade idea: Are there lots of flower shop? What kinds of flowers are in your flower shops? What are your most popular flowers the shops sell? Do most shops have more than just flowers or is it mainly flowers? 
• 4th grade idea: What are your most popular flowers? Our research shows us that we have x plants in common as being a native plant, is this true? What plants other than the same native plants do you have lots of? Are there any plants similar to our native plants in your country? what is the environment like for the pants we do not have in common? What is the ideal environment for your native plants?
• What will they do with the information they get from the other students?
• Chanel: Use the information to help them decide on what plants they were going to sell and if they were going to import plants/seeds.
• Leah: I like both your ideas. I particularly like the decision to import or not import. If they decided to import, they also might want to figure out if they need to provide separate space/greenhouse/temperature for imported goods, and how they would get them shipped over.
• Nina: (I like your idea with the information, Chanel) 
• Make charts of the countries they researched with plants in common and not in common. For the plants not local, use the information to help identify to customers where the imported plants/seeds are located. Provide some information about the environment the foreign plants need to grow by providing information from other students about their country's environment.