School: Bai Chun Primary School
    Hualien, Taiwan, R.O.C

5 students, ages 11-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 16, 2006. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2005

Classes and Teachers: Mr.Yao Zhang, Miss Do I Tian, Miss Chiou Huei Min

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.bcps.hlc.edu.tw

1. Description of Our Community

Hualien is located on the East Coast of Taiwan, nestled against the majestic Pacific Ocean.It has rich natural scenery and beautiful mountains and waters.Added to that is the special geography and position making it a most beautiful sight.It has also be praised as the Eastern Switzerland and the Carrara of Taiwan.

Taroko Gorge located in Hualien’s interior has two high peaks that drop down in a U-shape.These types of gorges are known for dangerous cliffs and deep valleys.Even more important they are known for the aboriginal culture developed there by the people of Taroko and the strong life force the show.All of this shows forth a feeling that really shakes a person.

Taroko is a local name.In the native language Taroko means great or majestic.The interior has high peaks with over 27 mountains higher than 2000 meters above sea level.Some of the more famous ones are SouthLakeMountain, ChilaiPeak and the Hehuan peaks.

Today we hope to share our experiences of walking the paths of our predecessors to provide another way of visiting Taroko and its mountains.We hope to share all that the National Park has to offer in wildlife and plant life.When you are tired of visiting the city, remember to take a walk on the paths of Taroko.You can clean the dust out of your lungs and you stroll through the mountains and water.The book TarokoNational Park will become a book you cherish.

2. Summary of Our Project

1.What tourist information is available for the trails in TarokoNational Park? 2.Besides the information on the trails, what other activities can be developed? 3.In the purpose of recreational travel, what can we do to implement protection of the natural habitat?

The above questions are what we are considering for this research and will make up the basic content of our web page.By taking students to visit respective trails, scenic sites, visitor centers and having students interview appropriate community and departmental personnel, they can plan and record their feelings about the things they learn.At the same time collecting material from literature and the internet.After collecting all the material we will compile, organize, and finally design a web page.Through this all we hope that those classmates unable to participate or others may gain a greater understanding of the trails in Taroko.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

The school’s internet situation Currently our school uses ADSL cable connection in our computer lab.We have 35 computers for the students and one for the teacher utilizing AMD-Sempron-3000 facilities.

Home internet situation Members of the team use 56K dial-up service and ADSL cable connection.At home we utilize MSN messenger, email, and FTP to discuss and to transmit information.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1.We weren’t familiar with the people or the environment, so the principal and other school administrative faculty helped arrange appointments with appropriate departmental personnel. 2.Parents helped us set up appointments for our interviews. 3.Financial support for the activities was collected by the school administration and teachers. 4.Teachers volunteered to drive a van and were responsible for picking up and dropping off the students. 5.Internet articles and specialized contents that the students weren’t familiar with needed to be provided.Thanks to the Taroko Management Department for providing related books and brochures. 6.There wasn’t enough time, so we needed to use afternoon break and time outside of class.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

'Begin from the footstep.' 'Experience life from actions.' This kind of life experiences will be very helpful to increase learning attitudes in the future. Through caring about the nature and approaching the nature, we found out more treasures in the environment we visited. This research activity has broadened our view and extended our breadth. It also let us have more confidence and expectation on our future learning path. These webpage also show the others feeling. http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2006/gsh4688/web/007/007-21e.htm http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2006/gsh4688/web/007/007-22e.htm http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2006/gsh4688/web/007/007-23e.htm

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Language Arts Mandarin In the process of doing research, we cultivate many important basic abilities. For example, we practice reading by browsing monographic websites, books, audio and video products and have learned how to summarize and take notes. While writing our search report, we have learned how to keep track of interviews and put the key points into our article. Eventually, we can practice how to do formal ones and express our questions systematically by asking and answering of interviews.

Social Studies By connecting ecological conservation of Social Science and related topics of conversation, we experience, test and verify what we have learned.In addition, it broadens our learning.

Science and Technology We can cultivate the spirit of science exploring and researching, and the ability of case study. We can solve our daily problems by effective measures we obtain from doing research.

Arts and Humanities It can cultivate our active appreciation of beauty of the nature; then we can express our thoughts by speech and drawing.

Information Technology education In the process of collecting data, we learn to utilize various information around us and learn to use multi-media instruments like Internet, digital cameras, recorders, computers and so on.These help us solve our problems. In addition, we have learned how to integrate these techniques and then become information creators but not a copy machine of data.?

Environmental Education From this topic, we understand the beauty of natural ecology, learn to appreciate, respect and cherish the gift of God.As well, we learn we need to manage this beautiful land continuously.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

We used “computers” and “internet” often. They ware used in writing and uploading our daily reports, searching information, making website, and emailing to each others. Appropriate “software” is needed at the same time. During the interview, we used “digital cameras” and “tape recorders” to get the materials that we want. When we make the webpage, we used a “photo scanner” to input our pictures and a “printer” to output the results we made or searched. Totally, we had used “computers”, the “internet”, some “software”, a “digital cameras”, “tape recorders”, a “photo scanner”, and a “printer”.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

The purpose of this case study is to let persons to know the beauty of Toroko Trail.Therefore, through this web fair, we hope that more people can know that there is not only canal geography but also a integrated bridge—trail in Toroko. Through division of labor, every member of our group finishes each work.We discuss, collect, arrange data.In addition, we learn to apply the knowledge into our real life through interviews and exploration. We use daily life to prove our learning. During every interview and exploration, we all find we pay much more attention on it and the skills of asking questions are more elaborate.We care about and encourage one another and then things go more smoothly.Most important of all, we become more careful.Because of this, the persons who accept the our interviews can feel our ear earnest and effort.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

We did most of activities outside school, for example, collecting data, arranging, discussing, cultivating interview skills, doing program beforehand, writing search reports and making pages. Through these processes, we develop many abilities and get very precious experiences.In the process of doing interviews, those people give much positive recognition of our aims.They think there will be more people love this land with respect through our study.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

We want to thank our principle and all the teachers who have helped us in our schools. They spent lots of time to give us information and to help us to finish all the works we need to do. Teacher Yao, he teach us using the computer skillfully. We also want to thank all the people with whom we had the interviews. They are official members, teachers, and people in the Taroko national park. They are happy about that we work on the project related to local Attractions. They think we are doing an important thing. We are very grateful to some student parents who had been giving us a hand in helping us connect with people whom we want to visit and how to do a good interview. Thanks for the help of these people.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Develop things below your foot, use your feet to experience life.Walking 10,000 miles is better than reading 10,000 books.Real life experiences like these will have a great affect on the students learning attitudes.By show concern for nature, experiencing nature first hand, we were able to discover more treasures in the environment we visited.This research project opened our eyes and filled our breasts with more faith and hope in the future of learning.