Weekly News from the Director of Camp Internet.

Mars Essay Contest - Due February 27, 2005

Win an IO digital pen for you and your class. We have been using the IO digital pen at the Camp Headquarters and have found it really helps take notes in an entirely new way. And, for shared class projects, it is a way for a multiple of students to enter in ideas, drawings and charts and have it all download to your computer.

Two IO Pens will be awarded. One for the best Middle School or High School essay and one for the best Elementary School essay.

The Essay is to be about Mars.

Mars is an important subject for science and literature classes. As we learn about the Mars Rovers and their exploration we can have our class go back over "Moon Literature" from the 1800's and 1900's and have students discuss how writers and artists thought Mars would look like. Science classes can prepare essays on a wide range of subjects related to Mars exploration and colonization.

Essay is to be 5 pages. Charts and maps may be added to the essay along with the 5 main pages.

For younger students the essay may be a picture book with drawings, photos and maps.

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There is a new bill pending in the California State Assembly which has to do with violence in games. The issue of computer, console and online games is an important one for every educator. Many of our students play on a Nintendo, Xbox or Playstation everyday. The impact of games which feature overt violence on young people is serious.

Camp Internet has a new course called "Peaceful Gaming Ideas". The PGI web. It is a new and developing online class where you will be able to have your students study the history and development of video games.

The course is designed to provide options for students who would rather not get involved in violent video gaming. Many peaceful and educational games, on all the various platforms, are explored.

The PGI course will be a way to get your students writing and talking about video gaming. PGI provides an excellent addition to your current social studies, science or arts class.

If you have not had the chance recently, take a moment to visit the new American History web and the new Homeschool web.

Both class webs can be accessed from the main Camp Internet menu at http://www.campinternet.net

Camp Internet's ESL web continues to grow. Tools and Lesson Plans are online now. Goto : http://www.rain.org/esl

Have you had any special reports or discussions in class about Camp Internet subjects? If so send a note over and let us know. Send a note over to us here

Go this way for the full Web Quest set of quiz and essay exams for this week

As we move into this Election year a focus on Civics (American Government) is important.

Go to the new American History Civics course at: http://www.rain.org/campinternet/american-history/civics

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Ocean Studies Class
New Ocean Studies class with special video units. Check the interview with Dr. Childress, UCSB and the deep ocean worms he has brought back.

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Homeschool Campus

The Homeschool class provides a good starting point for almost any classroom. With online projects guiding students into every part of Camp Internet the homeschool class provides a cross section of learning resources and exams which weaves together all the various parts of Camp Internet.

New in the Homeschool course are a series of "web quests".

Goto and select any of the 5 current Web Quest quiz and research webs

We are now able to offer our Camp Internet Classrooms and families local, high speed Internet access through a new National Network of over 2,300 phone numbers.

If you are within one of our new line areas try out Camp Internet as your Internet Source.

Special for Camp subscribers, $10 month for a 1 year subscription.

Our new National Network includes Accellerator and spam blocking on all new accounts.

If you are interested in trying our new Public Internet Network go to http://www.rain.org/services and enter to phone number in the search tool to see if one of our new lines is in your area. If you find a match you can request an accout from that same web site and we will have you online right away.

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Where would you like to explore this week?
Camp Internet
Global Garden
Video Library & Broadcasting
Homeschool Campus
American History
ESL
Ocean Studies class Search the Camp web