Community Service Lesson:
Saving Peter's Packets
Networking & Positive Uses of Computers
For Middle School Students
Understanding World Problems &
Using Technologies to Help
Lesson Contents:
 Teacher Summary
Objectives
ISTE NETS
Preparations for the Lesson
Lesson Directions
Additional Activities
Additional Resources
Teacher Summary:
In the Instant Intro to Networking lesson, your students learned about servers, packets, routers, and wireless technologies. They were, in addition, introduced to problems in the target countries. It is these problems and possible solutions to them that this lesson features.
Using the material provided about Haiti, India, and Zimbabwe in the game, the lesson should take you one 50-minute class period. Getting involved in online projects or tackling projects in your community will add additional time, which may be extended throughout the school year.
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Objectives:
- To increase understanding of how the Internet can be used to help people around the world.
- To increase student knowledge of selected world problems.
- To introduce students to ways they can work together with others in the world to solve problems.
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Preparations for the Lesson
After reading over this lesson, revise it as necessary to fit the age and ability levels of your students.
Although parts of the lesson can be completed without high-speed Internet access,
to use the Peter Packet information about Haiti, India, and Zimbabwe online, students will
need to use computers that have high-speed connections. If you do not want students to go
online, the game can be downloaded to individual computers. (To download the game, go to
the Peter Packet site and select "Download Game." Once the game is on your computer, click "index.html" to play.)
You will need one computer for each student group of about 2-4.
You will need a large world map. You may have to borrow one from a social studies
teacher. If you can't get a large map, have your students go to
the University of Texas Map Collection to check out the locations needed for this lesson.
Investigate the links to the UN CyberSchool Bus, Red Cross Youth and NetAid in the
"Learn More" section at the end of the game. Think about whether you and your class
will be interested in getting involved in one of the projects offered on these sites
or if your class might want to tackle helping others in their own community.
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Lesson Directions
- In your past discussions with your students, they've become acquainted
with the problems in the target countries. See if they can point out similarities
among the problems faced by students in these nations. (lack of education for children,
poverty, girls not receiving education in India and Haiti, need for the children to help
families survive, lack of help resources, etc.)
- Divide your class into boys' and girls' teams this time. Assign the girls' teams
to skip to the end of Peter Packet to do "Learn More: Haiti," or "Learn More: India."
Have the boys' teams do "Learn More: Zimbabwe." Remind your students that they'll need
to select their target country at the beginning of the program before they skip through
the game to the "Learn More" section. (NOTE: If you have a class that is mostly boys or
mostly girls or all boys or all girls, have some of your students play the roles of
girls or boys.)
- Explain that when they are finished their examination of the content in the
"Learn More" sections, you will expect the girls' teams to present information on why
so many girls in poor nations are not getting an education, the boys' teams to present
information on the problems of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, and both girls' and boys' teams
to discuss the many problems faced by young people in these countries.
- Ask students to explore carefully the three help group resource links provided
in the "Jump to the Internet" section of Peter Packet.
- When students have completed their explorations, put the boys on one side of
the classroom and the girls on the other. Appoint a discussion leader for each
group and have the girls' group and the boys' group come up with suggestions as
to how they can use computers to take part in one of the online projects or to start
a project that will help people in their local community.
- Bring the class together to discuss the ideas generated by both groups.
Make sure to have the students consider what is possible for them to do considering
the time and resources they have available. You might consider having them list
ideas about how they can involve others in the project or projects they select to
carry out.
- Present students with the Service Award (
 PDF - 40KB).
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Additional Activities
- Take Part in International Online Projects
Have your students take part in an international project featuring kids from around
the world. For example, at Schoolnet Global (see link below), students from all over
the world sent in their ideas "to students of the future." The ideas were gathered via
email by a teacher and class in England. The messages sent to England from the children
of many countries asked for world peace, education for all children, health for all,
clean environment, etc. They were posted online and in the Canterbury Cathedral in
London. If your class is interested in working on international projects and getting
to know students in other parts of the world, check out the links below to SchoolNet
Global, Global Schoolhouse, Global Classroom, and KidLink.
- Continue to Learn about Students in Haiti, India, and Zimbabwe
Have your students learn more about the problems of students in Haiti, India and Zimbabwe.
Let the Peter Packet unit continue throughout the school year as your students focus on the
needs of students in these countries.
- Offer Help in the Local Community
Investigate other help groups/charities in the community and online. Have students
consider what they might do for the American Cancer Society, the Humane Society,
the local zoo, local nursing and retirement home residents, community hospitals,
environmental groups, etc. Retirement homes, the Humane Society, local charity
organizations, etc. might love to have your students create newsletters for them,
make posters advertising their activities, carry out publicity campaigns related to
a specific cause (such as finding homes for stray and unwanted animals) with their
computers, write letters for them, etc.
- Using the Packet Materials
Think of ways your students might use the Peter Packet material for community service.
Could your students help others learn about safe and responsible uses of technologies?
Would retirement home residents enjoy having your students help them through the game?
How about parents? Would nursing home residents like to hear your class perform the
Peter Packet song followed by treating them to some fun on computers? Would younger
students at your school or in community groups enjoy learning about the game and careers in technology?
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Additional Resources
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