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Vickie Rose Tapping into Treasures to Build Skills Program Title: Treasures of the Sunken City Subject(s): English, History Grade Level: Adult Education

Vickie Rose, right, reviews a final poster project with its author, Shirley Hall.

Adult educator Vickie Rose uses the Seven Wonders to inspire and teach reading and writing skills to her upper level reading and writing students. On the first day of a new session, Rose introduces students to the Wonders unit. Rose meets individually with students, who range in age from 16 to in their 50s, to help them identify their own goals for the eight-week session. Students' objectives include preparing to complete a GED, getting ready for college, or working to improve workplace skills. While students follow a defined syllabus and curriculum, Rose uses individualized assignments to tailor the program to each student's goals.

Following the syllabus, students access NOVA's "Treasures of the Sunken City" interactive, Seven Wonders—Get Clued In, which features a series of science, geography, and history clues that help users identify each Wonder. By answering a series of questions Rose provides, students learn their way around the site before selecting one of the seven Wonders for further research using Web sites and resources in the learning center's community library.

After students have selected their Wonder, they work individually, in pairs, or in small teams to learn more about their chosen topic. At the end of the two-month session, students present their project, choosing the form that best meets their original goals: a student completing their GED might write an essay while someone in the college preparation program might write a research article.

Rose, who has been an adult educator for 11 years and currently supervises programs at the center, says NOVA resources enable her to customize programs for learners. She says that in adult education it is especially critical for students to have individualized plans to meet their specific goals.

Rose says the NOVA Web site also helps students learn more about the world, stay informed about current events, and gain an appreciation for diversity. One student said, "The ...Wonder that I chose to research was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. By using the NOVA site I got to see the awesome sight of the gardens suspended in the air that surrounds plenty of vegetation out in the middle of the desert. I didn't know about this marvelous sight until I researched in class. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to travel to this Wonder."

For more information, Rose can be contacted at: