Why-Texas Competition

In viewing the Why-Texas web site, I noticed that the competition date has changed to April 28, 2008. Our students will be taking TAKS testing that week and will be on an adjusted schedule. They will be unable to compete until the following week. Is there any way that the date can be changed to the following week May 5? All 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in Texas public schools will be testing that week.

Thanks for considering.

Contacting Whyville

Here's how to contact Whyville with issues:

Option 1 -- Click on the "About Whyville" link underneath the bus, and click on the "Contact Us" link on lower right corner of the resulting web page.

Option 2 -- Use the "Contact Us" link on the homepage.

Savings account password

One of my students is having difficulty retreiving her password for her savings account. She has requested that it be sent to her e-mail account; however, she has not received a response. How can we access her account if she loses her password and no access to e-mail? Hopefully, everyone is enjoying spring break!

Thanks

Skater Lesson Plan

After TAKS this past week I took my 8th grade Technology Systems students into their first taste of Whyville. I signed on each student to Whyville, ask each student to pass the chat test, and introduced the salary ledger with the Skater Lesson Plan. This completely filled a 45 minute class period. Faster students were encouraged to continue increasing their salaries giving me time to help the slower students.

The second day most students had raised their salary to 5 clams, so I ask each student to raise their salary to a total of 10 clams before individual exploration of Whyville. The students were very easy to manage and learning was exciting and fun. I did not have the problems that I had with my first semester students because of the introduction to the salary ledger using the Skater Lesson Plan.

G W Carver has successfully started Weekly Whyville....

Trouble with Amethyst

While trying to complete the GEODIG while collecting in London, up on the rocks on the left of the screen, using a pick, with my avatar shouting I found something, a piece of amethyst appears on the screen, but it never makes it into my rock collection. What am I doing wrong here? I have ask a helper and the helper suggested that I contact Whyville. I do not readily see a way to make that contact.

Whyville student reactions

This week, my students really received several awakenings while working in Whyville. As I checked each student's salary, I found that some students (not many) had received no salary. One student told the one with no salary: "No work no pay." They really are trying several of the activities in the salary ledger to earn more salaries. Another student found that his stamina was in part determined by what he ate. He adjusted his meals so that he could build stamina. Students are also learning a lot also about eating right through proper diet and sickness.

Test

This is a test of the email feature -- please ignore.