As part of Classroom Connect's
MayaQuest experience, the Quest
expedition team posed daily questions to
their online collaborators in Questing
classrooms. To truly experience these
interactions, join a Quest! It is truly a
wonderful experience. Different members of
the Quest Team post challenges every day.
Sometimes an expert poses a question or
theory to participating schools. We're
highlighting our responses that earned gold
stars from the Quest team and have included
responses from schools that are hosting
Quesla after MayaQuest.
See all student artwork in MayaQuest
Quilt
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February 12, 2001
Set the
Course
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This is a brief recap of choices the team
posed to Questing classrooms. To truly
experience these interactions, join a Quest!
It is truly a wonderful experience. Different
members of the Quest Team post challenges
every day. Sometimes an expert poses a
question or theory to participating schools.
Where should the team focus during the
first week?
A. Focus on archaeology and visit Maya
ruins.
B. Study the modern Maya people who live
in the small villages of the Yucatán
today.
C. The coolest stuff may be further south
in Belize and in the heart of the
Petén rainforest.
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We were all a little disappointed with the
way Set the Course was done with two weeks
covered by one. We had both Mondays off so
our class wasn't able to send in their
opinion. I almost did, but I really felt I
needed to get their opinions this time. We
were glad to see that the choice we had was
selected, C.
The
reasons we students selected this option is
that they hope to see more animals. I thought
the team might be more apt to visit Maya
ruins and areas that are less explored by
tourists. The sites in the
Yucatán
are
probably more commonly visited. We have been
enjoying getting prepared for this quest and
are extremely excited.
Mrs.
Vitali's class
Art by
Micklefield Gr. 4
Link
to Feb.
Quesla Calendar
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Buenas
Dias,
Our class
felt the quest team should do a combination
of A, B, and C. Purchase and carry bottled
water as it is available and also use
chlorine to purify water while traveling. The
team might also be able to filter water (as
is often done back packing) to remove harmful
micro-organisms. This will help to minimize
getting ill due to drinking water. It would
still be a good idea to carry plenty of
Pepto-Bismol and Imodium, because the team
can get ill from more than just the water.
Deseando un viaje muy sano.
Alta
Link to
Feb.
Quesla Calendar
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February 13,
2001
Dan's
Dilemma
Which Water
Should We Drink?
A: The team
should always buy purified water.
B: Use the
water we find along the way (from taps,
rivers, streams, etc.) but treat it with
iodine or chlorine bleach.
C: Drink the
water in whatever form we find it!
D: Do you have
another suggestion for how we should handle
our drinking water dilemma?
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Feb.
14, 2001
A. Spend most of your time with
archaeologists exploring ancient
cities. This is where you'll find
the best evidence to solve the
mystery.
B: Spend half of your time with
archaeologists and the other half
with modern Maya people.
C: Don't plan ahead. Just pursue
the best clues as they come up and
follow them wherever they lead.
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Hola
de parte California mucho sol,
We had a
mixed decision. Most students picked A,
because they want to see as many ruins as
possible and experience diggin' it with John
Fox and archaologists. The rest of us chose
B, because without the modern Maya people
archaelogists would never have cracked the
code of the glyps to interpret what they find
in the ruins.
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And
one rebel said, "Nada mas lo hace,
Just do it!"
Alta
Art
by Micklefield
Grade 4
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C is more exciting. We might find the missing
clues especially as the mystery has not been
solved. We need to be free to sniff out new
ideas and places for searching. In A and B,
you are limited to where you can go.
We also
think you learn much more from
self-discovery. We could find different
things thatare not expected.
Maybe we
can give the archaeolgists some ideas. We are
Africans and we have tribes here. They might
be similar so we might know things and have
ideas that can help the archaeologists.
Micklefield
Working on MayaQuest at Alta
Link to
Feb.
Quesla Calendar
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13
is considered an unlucky number, where did
that superstition come from? Losing the
ballgame could really have consequences and
was very unlucky. A person who scored a goal
could plunder the audience! Are there stories
or glyphs with the number 13 that can be
found in Chichén Itzá?
We can
tell this was a very prosperous time for the
Maya. Why? The size of the city and the fact
that it was a later site indicates the Maya
were probably at a peak in their
civilization. 13 tlachtli ballcourts
indicates the ability to build extensively
and the time for this sport. Was the large
ball court the Super Bowl of the period or
used for special religious games? Like the
Colosseum in Rome, it indicates a prosperous
time and a time of dominance by the Maya.
This area may help give real clues into the
downfall of the Maya.
One last
idea, numbers, colors and nature were used in
the names of the rulers like 18 Rabbit. Is
there a ruler with the number 13?
We will
keep looking for clues as we do our research.
Alta
Link to
Feb.
Quesla Calendar
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Feb. 15, 2001
Make a
Discovery
Why Are There 13 Ballcourts at
Chichén Itzá?
Note: When you do a quest you get to read
the experts ideas and the best generated by
over a million schoolchildren around the
world.
The challenges on Thursday are always some
of the most difficult and most intriguing in
the results that come in. Often children's
theories help experts to come up with new
ideas in research!
We read that they believe in 13 heavens and
each one had its own god. There are also 9
underworlds and each one had its own god.
What we think is that everytime someone is
sacrificed on the court that god would take
their blood and take the person to his
heaven.
The big
court is for the rain god and they offered
him blood. They often offer him blood because
he is themost important of all.
Micklefield
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Feb. 16, 2001
Make a
Discovery
Each Friday
of MayaQuest, the Quest team will
report on these issues, encourage
you to do further research, and
challenge you to make a difference
in your world. What actions can you
take to protect the Maya community,
the global community, and your
community?
We would
like you to take this time to
identify some of the issues
currently affecting your local
community. What actions are being
taken to solve these problems? What
can your class do to help? Send in
your responses below.
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Art by Micklefield Grade 4
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El vivir
en marcas de la armonía tiene gusto
más hermoso, living in harmony makes
life more beautiful.
We try in
many ways at Alta Elementary to give to our
community, protect the environment, and help
others. Making a Difference is something that
is practiced by the entire school. Each year
the school has done a Coin for Cats drive
that helps support the Sierra Endangered Cat
Haven. This work helps support actual
research done in the wild to protect
endangered wild cats. Alta helped support
research for the black footed cats of South
Africa and other areas as well. Children have
raised money to support Doctors Without
Borders during the tragedies in Kosovo. They
did a drive to help fight Childhood Leukemia.
Recently the school donated $500.00 to the
City of Reedley to help beautify the recent
Rails to Trails project that beautifies our
city. The school has a recycling program and
does canned food drives and other helps in
many other ways.
Staff
members support scholarship funds and
mini-grants for the schools. The community
support to families in times of need is truly
awesome. When a crisis hits an area of the
community (like a wildfire that threatened
homes in the mountain communities) the
services of the school district rallied forth
to help provide appropriate support. Just
this week in the paper about 10 community
leaders were focused on a trip heading down
to Costa Rica to help build some resources in
the area. During vacation and summer months,
many of the high school students in the area
head to Mexico and other countries to do
charitable projects. Small towns often make a
wonderful area to live, because there is a
tremendous sense of community and giving that
is a wonderful resource.
Link
to Feb.
Quesla Calendar
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GOLD STARS
Preparation Week
Week
1
Week 2
Week 3
Week
4
Vitali's Dilemma
Quest
MayaQuest is produced by Classroom
Connect as part of The Quest Channel series of online
adventures.
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