• Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment.
• Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
• Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

• Culture: Students learn how to understand multiple perspectives that derive from different cultural vantage points.
• Time, Continuity, and Change: Students will experience the ways human beings view themselves in and over time.
• People, Places, and Environments: Students utilize technological advances to connect to the world beyond their personal locations. The study of people, places, and human-environment interactions assists learners as they create their spatial views and geographic perspectives of the world.
• Individual Development and Identity: Students learn to ask questions such as: Why do people behave as they do? What influences how people learn, perceive, and grow?
• Individuals, Groups, and Institutions: Students will read about experiences that show how individuals must work together to achieve success.

The following are addressed specifically in this activity: The geographically informed person knows and understands:

• How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
• The physical and human characteristics of places.
• How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions.
• How human actions modify the physical environment.

• The study of mathematics should emphasize problem solving so that students can formulate problems from situations within and outside mathematics.
• Students will compute with whole numbers and fractions to solve problems.

Before beginning this unit, have available a map of the world so that students can see where Mt. Everest is located and the other highest mountains mentioned in this site. Help students compare these mountains' heights with distances that will have real-world meaning to help them comprehend how high Mount Everest is. Ask students to use their prior knowledge to discuss the difficulties of climbing the highest mountain in the world. Also, elicit any information students may have from viewing the IMAX movie "Everest" or from news reports of more recent Everest climbs.

Have students discuss the following questions.

• Why would someone want to climb the highest mountain in the world?
• What qualities would a mountain climber possess?
• What would be some of the dangers of climbing?
• Would the students be willing to accept the risks to accomplish this feat?

• What made Edmund Hillary want to become a mountain climber?
• What incident in his early life did he have to overcome to accomplish his goal?
• What tragedy did he suffer later in his life?

Review with the students all the words they will encounter from the glossary and then, after students have completed the trek, have them write a summary of Hillary's climb, including these same words. Encourage students to use the following problem-solving format to describe how the climbers overcame obstacles:

	Somebody.............
	Wanted...................
	But...........................
	So............................

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Media Center (All grades - Art, Reading, Vocabulary)
Talk with your school librarian or media center director about featuring Mt. Everest through the library setting, providing reading materials and special resources in a specific area.

Time Line Bulletin Board Display (All grades - Art, Vocabulary, Writing)
Assign different groups to create a segment of a mural for each stop on the trek to create a pictorial timeline of the ascent.

Travel Brochure (All grades - Art, Vocabulary, Writing)
Have students create a travel poster or brochure encouraging people to travel to Nepal and make the climb to the top of Everest.

Slide Show (Grades 3-8 - Art, Technology, Research Skills, Writing)
Have students create a slide show about their climb to the summit of Mount Everest using multimedia software such as HyperStudio or PowerPoint. As a culminating activity, invite parents to an electronic fair where students can present their slide shows or parents can go to a computer station to view the presentations independently.

Newsworthy Travelers! (Grades 3-8 - Technology,Writing)
Have each student write an article about the first successful climb to the summit of Mt. Everest as if they were reporting on the event live. Remind them to use the "five W's and an H" (who, what, when, where, why and how) as they write their news articles. Compile the articles into a history newsletter. ClarisWorks, Microsoft Works, and The Writing Center all include newsletter templates.

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Assessment
There are a variety of assessment opportunities built into this project. The use of journals throughout the project will provide an opportunity to assess both historical understanding and writing skills. The "Activity Pack" suggestions at each stop of the trek also provide opportunities for assessment of student comprehension and writing, as well as activities relating to math, science, and other curriculum topics.

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Be sure to visit Nova's site to read about the 1996 expedition to the summit. Here you will be able to compare the technology used today with what was available for Hillary and Norgay. There are also some great photos for students to add to their journals. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/expeditions/96/