Introduction

This guide was designed to help you utilize this on line resource of Saskatchewan Resources as needed in your classroom. Students may use this guide as a reference to understanding how Saskatchewan Interactive is "put together" and the best ways to use the information contained within. At any time while reading through the following material, the user may exit to the main Saskatchewan Interactive menu by clicking on the Saskatchewan Interactive Main Menu icon located at the top left of the screen.

• Overview of Saskatchewan Interactive (size of files, media, quizzes)
• Overview of Modules
• Accessing Main Menu
• Accessing Main Modules
• Accessing Main Module Sub content
• Accessing Main Module Activities
  • How to use Activities
  • Main Teacher Information Page
  • Student Activities
  • Accessing Main Module Glossaries
  • How to Use Glossaries
  • Accessing Module Section Summary Quizzes
  • How to Use Module Section Summary Quizzes
  • Search for Information within Modules
  • Toggle between Modules
  • Where am I in the Saskatchewan Interactive Site?
  • Using page next/ previous page (using netscape browser - back/ forward)
  • Using index pages to move through module
  • Using Quick Links
  • Accessing all information in each module
  • Accessing information from within module (tables, quizzes etc interactive material within each module)
  • Media
    • Viewing video (with button commands/ as is)
    • Listening to audio
    • Viewing Images
    • Hi-res images
    • Why do images (and other media) not appear on the screen? (check out system requirements
    • Quick Time™VR's (shift zooms in; control zooms out (on PC); alt and control on Mac)
    • Viewing Animations
    • Mouse over Function
    • Links, Active links, visited links
  • Why do images change / sound change?
  • Staying within Saskatchewan Interactive
  
  

  Overview of Saskatchewan Interactive

  Saskatchewan Interactive is the work of many people over several years. It is an information package which contains information about the major resources of Saskatchewan. The content is geared toward a Grade Nine/Ten reading level. This is not to say that the content is targeted for Grade Nine students, but it is intended that the information would be useful to many grade levels and subject areas as well as for general interest for the reader. By making the content interactive through the use of activities, questions, quizzes, various media (including Virtual Field Trips), interactive tables, pages and active links, the reader will enjoy a closer look at our province and the resources contained therein.

  Saskatchewan Interactive contains several thousand files, and covers a variety of topics yet there is still much more information that cannot possibly be included. Throughout the modules, several additional resources are listed to help the reader locate additional information. What Saskatchewan Interactive does offer is the chance for the user to visualize and in some cases actually see parts of the province that would otherwise never be visited by the user. The Virtual Field trips allow the user to view panoramically the inside of a mine or the road travelled by forestry service vehicles.

  Saskatchewan Interactive consists of six main modules (each divided into subtopics which are then subdivided further). These main modules are:

  1. Agriculture
  2. Environment
  3. Fisheries
  4. Forestry
  5. Mining
  6. Tourism

  Each module contains a main index of information, which includes a description of each area that is discussed, as well as a glossary and activities section. As you move through each module, the main topic areas are further subdivided; much like chapters and sections in a textbook. At any time, you may access any of the modules by clicking the Saskatchewan Interactive icon located in the top left-hand corner of your screen. This will take you to the main page of Saskatchewan Interactive that contains the main menu of modules.

  Each module contains information on that particular Saskatchewan resource. For example, if you would like to know about the types of mining that occur in our province, you would access the Mining Module, then the Search, Exploration and Development section, and choose the Types of Mining section. By using the Search feature (located on each section index page), you will be able to locate the information that you seek without having to search "manually" through the modules.

  As mentioned, each section contains activities that are geared to students in the upper grade levels. Many of these activities can be modified for the lower grades, and for learners of varying ages. Each activity specifies its relation to the Saskatchewan Evergreen Curriculum. See activities for more information.

  Contained within each module is a glossary. Accessing the glossary of a module is simple; from the main menu of the module, click glossary and then choose the letter of the term you are trying to locate.

  (size of files, media, quizzes)

• Accessing Main Menu

  In order to access the home page or main menu from any where in Saskatchewan Interactive, click the Saskatchewan Interactive icon located in the top left-hand corner of the side menu bar. As you mouse over the icon, the cursor will change form an arrow to a hand. Once you have clicked the icon, it will take a moment to load the Saskatchewan Interactive home page.

  Alternative methods to access the home page is by choosing the back button on your browser or choosing page previous located at the bottom of your screen.

• Accessing Main Modules

  The main modules of the Saskatchewan Interactive site are:

  1. Agriculture
  2. Environment
  3. Fisheries
  4. Forestry
  5. Mining
  6. Tourism
  Each may be accessed by choosing the home page icon. Once the home page is loaded, choose the module of your choice by clicking the title of the module either on the side bar (quick links) or on the main page. Remember that the cursor will change from the arrow to a hand if the link is active.

• Accessing Main Module Sub content

  In order to access the content of a module, its main page must be loaded. You may then choose any of the subtopics in the same manner as you used to access eh module itself; click the topic by choosing the side bar quick links or choose the title from the index page displayed. It is possible to access subtopics by choosing the page next button. This allows you to move through each topic area of a module sequencially, as you would move through a textbook, page by page.

• Accessing Main Module Activities

  The activities that are part of the Schwa Interactive site are designed to appeal to a variety of learner. There are group activities, individual activities, field trips, projects, presentations and so on. You can choose to do none, some or all of the activities with your students. In each activity, there is a background information page to explain how the activities are set up and to be used. The activities can be accessed by going to the main index page for the module of your choice and then choosing the activates section (side bar as a quick link or text section on page). The activities main menu for that module will appear with choices - choose the activity of your choice or go to the information page. Remember that you may access each activity sequentially by choosing page next from the bottom of your screen.

  • How to use Activities
  • Main Teacher Information Page
  • Student Activities
• Accessing Main Module Glossaries
• How to Use Glossaries
• Accessing Module Section Summary Quizzes
• How to Use Module Section Summary Quizzes
• Search for Information within Modules
• Toggle between Modules
  

• Where am I in the Saskatchewan Interactive Site?

  The Saskatchewan Interactive site consists of six main modules and subtopics within each. Some subtopics may be divided even further. Each document is identified a the top of the page and at the side bar.

  The quickest way to find out where you are in the entire Saskatchewan Interactive site, is to look at the side bar menu. The top left hand corner always has the home page icon. Below this will appear the icon title of the module that you currently in , as well as the subtopic title icon (if you have accessed a subtopic). A quick link menu is provided if you are on an index page if that topic. The quick link menu provides instant access to each of the topic areas within that section (whether you are at the main menu level, main module menu level or at any sub-menu level).

  You may find that when you access a topic from an index, another index menu pops up. By looking at the side bar, you will find that you are indeed in the area that you chose, and that this is now an index of that topic. The index pages are arranged so that you may choose any of the topics, in random order, by clicking the titles on the index page. Quick links work in the same manner, but are arranged sequentially. THe page next button, if used from an index page, will take you through the information sequentially (as in a textbook). Any areas you have visited within the Saskatchewan Interactive site will be indicated by the link color. Generally, links that have not been accessed remain blue in color.

• Using page next/ previous page

  (using netscape browser - back/ forward)

  Three buttons are located at the bottom of each page of the Saskatchewan Interactive site. These are the page top, page previous and page next buttons. In order to jump to the top of the screen, choose the page top button. You may also move back and forth in the document by using the scroll bar and scroll arrows.

  The page previous button is used like the page back button on your browser. By clicking the page previous button, you will go back one page in sequence within the Saskatchewan Interactive site. Using this button will not give you access to the Internet directly.

  If you would like to move forward in the Saskatchewan Interactive site, sequentially one page, then choose the page next button. All documents in the Saskatchewan Interactive site have been placed in a certain sequence. By choosing the page next button at the beginning of each main module, and then on each subsequent page, you will access each page within that document in the order they were placed. Choosing the next page button will not give the user access to the Internet.

• Using index pages to move through module

  You may proceed through the Saskatchewan Interactive site in various ways. One way is to choose a topic from any one of the index pages. These pages contain three or more main headings and a brief description of each topic within that index page. Each heading is linked to the corresponding section. Once a link is established, the link color will change from blue to another, depending on your browser and monitor. As well, you may use the Quick LInks located on the side bar. These are located on each index page and when activated, will take you to that topic area specified.

• Using Quicklinks

  Quicklinks are listed on the side bar to the left of the text on your screen and are present on each main index page. These links outline the main topics for each section and are listed in sequence. Using the Quicklinks will take you directly to that topic, in the same manner that choosing the topic heading from the index page will accomplish.

• Accessing all information in each module

  There are several thousand files in the Saskatchewan Interactive site. The best method to access each and every page is to begin at the Home page and choose one of the main modules, then move through that module using the page next button. To access all modules, return to the home page once you have completed one module and choose another module. Alternatively, you may begin at the home page and choose the first module listed in the Quick links and continue through each module choosing the page next button. Remember that at any time you may jump to a different module by clicking the home page icon and then choosing a new module. You may also use the search mode to find information appropriate to your area of study.

• Accessing information from within module

  (tables, quizzes etc interactive material within each module)

  Saskatchewan Interactive is filled with sections that require participation from the learner. For example, in the Fisheries module, in the Habitat section, the user must access additional information regarding fish spinal diseases by clicking in the table provided in the column "more information". Other sections require the user to answer questions before proceeding to the next section and still other sections may be accessed after the user has read through information that will help them to reach conclusions about that information. In each case, the user has other options that will provide the information (like choosing the page next function).

• Media

  Throughout Saskatchewan Interactive are photos, images, diagrams, movie clips, sound files and virtual field trips. These enhance the material and hopefully "take" the user closer to the actual subject.

  • Viewing video (with button commands/ as is)

    Many movie clips become active in the Saskatchewan Interactive site once the page has completely downloaded from the source. These clips do not require the user to do any more than to sit and enjoy the "movie". Other clips must be "played" in the same manner one would play a video. Click the play button once the document has completely downloaded from the source. You may stop, pause or reverse the clip by using the buttons provided on screen. Volume adjustment is user based on the equipment being used.

  • Listening to audio

    Several audio clips are present in the site. To hear the clip, simply click the play button once the document has completely downloaded from the source. You may stop, pause and rewind the clip by choosing the appropriate buttons on screen.

  • Viewing Images

    The majority of images in the Saskatchewan Interactive site may be viewed full screen by clicking the Hi-res image button located beside the thumbnail image. To return to the page you were on, simply click the close box on the image window.

  • Why do images (and other media) not appear on the screen?

    If you do not see images on your screen or do not have the QuickTime VR's, be sure to check out the system requirements for this site. Access the home page (click the home page button located in the top left hand side of the screen) and click the requirements section. If you do not have the required components, links have been made to the necessary component sites on the Internet.

  • Quick Time™VR's

    Each main index page and a few section pages contain a QuickTime VR (a virtual field trip!) By moving the mouse over the picture, you will observe a type of panoramic view of the image. You may zoom in by holding the shift (IBM) or alt (Mac) key; or zoom out by holding the control (IBM and Mac) key.

  • Viewing Animations

    Saskatchewan Interactive contains animations (check out the Forestry Module, Living Tree section) which, once loaded, provide the viewer with a unique way to see the subject. These animation are active until the user moves on to a new page.

  • Mouse over Function

  • Links, Active links, visited links

• Why do images change / sound change?
• Staying within Saskatchewan Interactive

  Many buttons and titles on index pages change their form as the user mouses over them. This is done using Javascript and enhances the user interface. The button behaves as you expect when you click the mouse - it will load the link. It is possible to remain within the Saskatchewan Interactive site. This is accomplished by using the buttons provided within the site. There are very few links to other web sites. The user may navigate through Saskatchewan Interactive by choosing internal links (like the ones on the main index pages, or on the text pages), Quicklinks on the side bar, page next, page previous, page top buttons or any of the module buttons.