School: Jin sha middle school
    Wu wei, Gan su, China

6 students, ages 13-15 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 18, 2008. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): none

Classes and Teachers: Pei Haiming, Qi Zuofeng

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://htt://www.gs000071.edu.com

1. Description of Our Community

Wuwei was called Liangzhou in the ancient time. It is located in the east of Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province and is renowned as the hometown of champagne in China and the hometown of white yak in the world. Lanzhou is on the east, Jinchang on the west, Qilian Mountain on the south and Tengger Desert on the north. The long history of the area makes it the important passage on Silk Road. The climate here also makes it famous as the base of grain in Gansu Province and the base of commodity grain in our country. In the recent years, the agriculture, industry, science and technology have been greatly developed and the living standards of people has also been improved. However, due to the consumption of water, increase of population, and warmer climate, the amount of water in this area has been reduced greatly, which makes Minqin County and other villages suffer the damage of desert. Minqin County has been one of the sources of sandstorm. The central government has paid great attention to the problem. Premier Wen shows his concern towards the harnessing of the sand in Minqin County. Under the guidance of the local government, people of Wuwei are accelerating in harnessing the sand along Shiyang River basin including adopting a series of measures to save water and preventing of the sand. We believe we can harness the sand and make best use of the sand. Minqin will always be full of vitality.

2. Summary of Our Project

In the late 1950s, the harnessing of the sand has been started in Wuwei. Through the effforts of the following governments, of the local people, some achievements have been made, in which some examples should be learned from by us such as Shi Shuzhu, Wang Yinji and the six old men in Babusha. However, due to increase of population, and cutting of trees, the amount of the water in this area has been reduced. Through our research including interviewing and data collecting, we want to know more about the desert and the importance of harnessing of the desert. We want to call on more people to protect the environment, to save water and become a protector of the ecosystem. All of us should make our own contributions to protecting our hometown.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:none

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:1

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:2-3

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

The speed of connecting to the Internet of our computers is rather slow, and the time spent on Internet is also rather limited. We cannot exchange our ideas on the Internet.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

This is the first time for us to attend the web design competition, so we have no experiences. At first, we encounter a lot of difficulties. Thanks to the employees in Town and Talent Co.,Ltd, we learn a lot from them and start our work. The locations of the interviewees are far away from us including two counties and a district. It costs us more time and energy. There is only one computer in our school connecting to Internet and the speed is rather slow. Our time is also rather limited. It is very difficult for us to collect materials on the Internet. We are living in the village, so the electricity here is also rather limited. Sometimes our materials cannot be stored timely in the computer. However, under the guidance of Mr. Pei and Mr. Qi, we try our best to overcome the difficulties and complete our task. Our knowledge of computer is very limited. Thanks to Mr. Pei’s instructions, we learn how to collect materials on Internet and how to design web pages. We are very busy with our daily studies, so our time is also limited. We have to spend the time after school and weekends on interviewing and collecting materials. Thanks to the support of the leaders and teachers in our school, we cannot complete our work without their help.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Through the efforts for nearly half a year, we finally complete our task. although there are still some shortcomings in our web, we still feel very happy to complete it. We have not only learned a lot of knowledge that cannot be learned in class such as the significance of the harnessing of the sand, but also learned the truth: union is strength.

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

Using computers have become a necessary skill of the modern people. The web design competition can not only broadened the horizon of the teachers and students, but also can improve the students’ability to practise, to learn how to use computers, and to collect materials and sort out materials. The students can also learn how to cooperate with each other. The harnessing of the sand has become a hot topic in the modern world. As the damage of the desert becomes more and more serious in Wuwei, the most important measure is to save water. We want to let students know more about the desert, form a good habit of saving water and protecting the environment. This activity can also improve our ability to collect materials, learn autonomously and to actively practise.

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

1,Hardware: DV(from School):Recording of pictures DC(from Town and Talent Co.,Ltd):Recording of pictures MP4(from Town and Talent Co.,Ltd):Recording of interviews Library(from School) :Data collecting Computer(from School):Collecting data and sorting out 2,Transportation Bicycle :Interviews and field study Taxi:Interviews and field study Motorcycle:Interviews and field study 3,Software Dreamweaver MX2004:Web design photoshop 7.0:Processing of pictures Microsoft Word 2000:Sorting out of materials FTP:Uploading of web pages

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

Through this activity for more than half a year, we have learned a lot about the desert and about the significance of harnessing of the desert. We also get to know more about the current situation and history of harnessing of the sand, as well as some examples in this field. In the activity, our team members go to the schools and villages to call on people to protect the environment, to make them know the harnessing of the sand should be done by all of us, rather than only by some of the people.

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

All the people in Wuwei have the responsibility for preventing and harnessing of the desert. All the people have got to know the significance of protecting the environment. All the interviewees give us their cooperation such as the expert in this field, the examples as well as the average people. They introduce to us what they have done to harness the sand. Through our activity, they can consciously save water, plant trees and make their own contributions to the harnessing of the sand along Shiyang River basin.

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

Our research covers a lot of people such as leaders, experts, examples in this field as well as the average people. In the beginning, we encounter much difficulty and want to give it up. Throught the encouragement of the leaders and teacher of our school and Peng Haina in Town and Talent Co.,Ltd, we gain our confidence and go on our research. All the interviewees give us their cooperation such as answering our questions patiently and giving us relevant materials. The example Shi Shuzhu guides us to the memorial tower an shows us how to hraness the sand. And the local people in Babusha also show their concern towards us which makes us deeply moved. We owe our gratitude to all of them. Without their help, our web cannot appear as it is now.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

This is the second time for us to attend the competition. We gave it up in the first time, so all of us want to win this time. Through the cooperation and research, we finally complete our task. Although there are still some shortcomings in our web, it is done through the efforts of all of us and we are very happy to complete it. We have learned a lot through this activity such as the theme of our web. We have never felt the great charm of the desert before. We also get to know we have the responsibility for protecting the environment and protecting the oasis in our hometown. Our ability has also been improved through this activity such as using computer more skillfully, processing the pictures and designing the web pages. Although we have encountered a lot of difficulties in the research such as the bad weather and misunderstandings of parents and some teachers, we have the confidence of ourselves and complete our interviews at last. We also learn some lessons in the process. At beginning, we often spend the class time collecting data and using computers, so our teachers have complaints about us. Afterwards, we try to find time after school or on weekends to hold interviews and collect data so that we can balance the daily studies and our activity.