Communication:

I want to tell you something! Consider how we pass thoughts, opinions, and information to other people. Through our body language and facial expression we communicate much like other animals. We can signal need, fear, or pain without words. However, humans also use speech, writing, and many other forms of communication. Consider the different ways that we express ourselves. You could research the origins of different languages or the development of regional accents and dialects. You could explore storytelling traditions and how humans express themselves through the visual and performing arts. Or, consider how technology allows us to communicate with people all over the world. You could research recent innovations such as email and videoconferencing, or learn about inventions of the past such as the telegraph machine or the first telephone. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Academic Subjects/Standards you could explore in this category: Languages & Language Arts, Technology, Social Studies, Visual & Performing Arts, Civics, Physical Science.

Topic Example One: Body Language

When two people are talking, more is being exchanged than just words. Facial expressions convey meaning in people of all ages around the world. In fact, researchers have shown that there are six facial expressions that are universally recognized and understood: joy, sorrow, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust. No matter where you are in the world, people will recognize a smile and understand that it expresses joy. Body positions also convey meaning. You can communicate nonverbally by crossing your arms, leaning towards someone, or putting your hand on your hip. However, the same position can have different meanings in different countries. For example, people have different standards for “personal space,” or the amount of distance they prefer to keep between themselves and people they don’t know very well. Most Western Europeans and Americans prefer a personal space of 14 to 16 inches (approximately 36 to 41 cm). But many Middle Easterners prefer a closer distance of 8 to 12 inches (approximately 20 to 30 cm) and could perceive wider distances as signaling mistrust. How are facial expressions and body positions interpreted in different regions around the world? How can understanding body language help people communicate better? What are some other ways that humans express themselves nonverbally?

Topic Example Two: Cellular Phone Technology

The popularity of the cellular phone (mobile phone) has grown quickly around the world. Did you know that a cellular phone is basically a radio? Before the invention of cellular phones, people who needed mobile communications (such as police and firefighters) installed large radio phones in their cars. All of the radio signals would go through a central antenna tower in the city. This set-up made the use of radio phones impractical for the general public. Because there was only a single antenna tower, few channels were available. Also, the radio phones required powerful transmitters with large batteries to ensure that they could contact the antenna from great distances. The modern radio phone—known as the cellular phone—was made possible by breaking up the city into lots of small cells, each containing a base station with an antenna. With multiple base stations located across a city, cellular phone users have access to many more channels. Also, cellular phones can be small and portable because their transmitters do not need to be powerful enough to contact an antenna that is far away. How is the switch from analog to digital technologies making cellular phone use even more accessible? How has the wider availability of the cellular phone changed our communication patterns? How are other developments in wireless technology changing our ability to communicate?

Topic Example Three: Poetry Slams

Poetry communicates ideas, values, and emotions. Poetry has been part of oral storytelling for centuries. For example, in the 8th century BC, a Greek poet named Homer wrote an epic poem called the Iliad to tell the story of the conquest of Troy. A much more recent development is the “poetry slam,” or the competitive art of performance poetry. Poetry slams were established in the 1980s in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Since then, poetry slams have become an international art form, emphasizing audience participation and poetic excellence. Poets perform their original work and are judged by members of the audience. Poetry slams are usually boisterous, loud, and passionate because the audience is encouraged to respond to the performing poets in any way they see fit. They can cheer, boo, stamp their feet, and even yell comments. The poets who compete are not allowed to perform with any props, musical instruments, or costumes. The goal is to keep the focus on the words of the poetry. How do poetry slams continue the long tradition of oral storytelling? How do poets communicate to their audiences? How do audiences communicate to the poets? How is performance—poetry, theater, dance, music—a means of expression?

Topic Example Four: Writing systems around the world

Writing systems vary around the world. Many languages have an alphabet of 20-50 letters that can be combined to create words. Letters are symbols that represent the individual sounds of a language. The letters in a word must be read together in order to be understood as a concept. For example, in English, Spanish, and French, the letter “s” doesn’t have any meaning by itself; it’s used to create many different words. One language that does not use an alphabet is Chinese. Individual Chinese characters represent concepts, not sounds. For example, two different Chinese characters could have the same sound, but different meanings. In order to read a Chinese newspaper, a person should know a minimum of 3,000 characters. Although only about 6,000 characters are used in common everyday language, the largest dictionaries contain 40,000 to 50,000 characters! In addition, there are actually two separate forms of Chinese characters. Traditional Chinese characters are mainly used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Simplified Chinese characters were officially issued by the government of mainland China in the 1950s; today, they are used in mainland China and Singapore. What other writings systems are used by people around the world? What are the origins of writing systems around the world? What are the commonalities between different writing systems?

Citations

• Dubuc, Bruno. “Tool Module: Scientific Research on Emotions.” The Brain from Top to Bottom. Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Institutes of Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Addiction. 24 Aug. 2004 <http://www.thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/capsules/outil_jaune03.html>.
• Helenius, Tatiana D. “Body Language Savvy.” CNNmoney. 3 May 2000. CNN. 24 Aug. 2004 <http://money.cnn.com/2000/05/03/career/q_body_language/>.
• “Body Language.” h2g2. 29 Sep. 2000. BBC. 24 Aug. 2004 <http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A427277>.
• Bellis, Mary. “Selling the Cell Phone: The History of Cellular Phones.” About.com. 26 Jul. 2004 <http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa070899.htm>.
• Brain, Marshall and Jeff Tyson. “How Cell Phones Work.” HowStuffWorks. 26 Jul. 2004 <http://www.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone.htm>.
• Smith, Marc. “What is Poetry Slam?” Slampapi.com. 5 Aug. 2004
  <http://www.slampapi.com/new_site/background/
  what_is_poetry_slam.htm>.
• “Poetry Slam Incorporated FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions).“ Home page. Poetry Slam, Inc. 25 Aug. 2004 < http://www.poetryslam.com/modules.php?name=FAQ>.
• “Oral History.” WordIQ Encyclopedia. 5 Aug. 2004 <http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Oral_history>.
• Galambos, Imre. “The Chinese Alphabet: Where is it?” Logoi.com. 2000. 26 Jul. 2004 <http://www.logoi.com/notes/chinese_alphabet.html>.
• Shan, Jun. “The Basics About Chinese Characters.” About.com. 26 Aug. 2004 <http://chineseculture.about.com/library/symbol/blccbasics.htm>.
• “Simplified Chinese Character.” Wikipedia. 13 Aug. 2004. 26 Aug. 2004 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese>.

Helpful Hints:

For each category, we have provided several examples to get you thinking about the wide variety of topics on which you might develop a website. Remember, your website entry is only required to fit into one of the broad categories, such as Communication.

You will notice that many of our examples include cross-cultural references or highlight international aspects of a particular topic. The criteria used to score ThinkQuest entries reward collaboration among student teams in different regions or countries, so we have provided examples that we hope will inspire you to think globally and collaboratively as you choose your topic area and develop your website.

Here is one way you might choose a topic with your team: