REDMOND, Oregon—It all began with a letter. Fourth-graders at Vern Patrick Elementary School were on the edge of their seats when their teacher, Heather Renz, read them this surprising news: The National Geographic Society needed their help for an upcoming special edition about life in the polar regions of the world.

The next thing they knew, their teacher stepped out of the classroom and was replaced by an Antarctic tour guide named Miss Windy Wilson. (She looked remarkably like Heather Renz, except for her special expedition coat and an unusual pair of eyeglasses.)

Miss Windy told the class she had heard about their important letter. As luck would have it, she would be leading a cruise to Antarctica within a few days. Would they be interested in taking a look at the cabin layout on her icebreaking vessel?

And so began a dramatic simulation, in which students from a small Central Oregon town experienced a virtual exploration of the polar regions. Renz, posing as Miss Windy Wilson, was using a form of curriculum delivery known as the Scottish Storyline Method. "The students and teacher become characters in a story," she explains. "There are incidents and events that happen, which the students need to solve together."

Technology helped make the exploration more real and helped keep the students engaged in learning. Renz created a "Frozen Worlds" page on the class Web site where she listed sites useful for locating information.

Students formed small teams to take on various research tasks. The Discovery Team was assigned to get up to speed about the current issues facing Antarctica. The Shackleton Team learned about early explorers. The Weddell Sea Team studied polar animals, while the Penguin Team zeroed in on penguins and other birds. The Iceberg Team studied geology. The Endurance Team focused on geography. The Southern Lights Team specialized in climate.

Renz integrated technology in a number of ways. She had students use the Internet for research, word processing software for writing reports, graphics software for producing posters, and digital cameras to take expedition photos. Publishing software enabled production of a class newsletter.

The highlight of the expedition was the chance for students to participate in a live Webcast with a real-life explorer. Students met Dr. Robert Ballard, the scientist and explorer who discovered the Titanic. He's also the founder of the educational Jason Project*, in which Renz's class participated. Ballard and fellow expedition members broadcast live from the Arctic Circle to classrooms participating in The Jason Project.

Renz's students participated in another Jason Project activity. They joined in a live Web chat about the novel Black Star, Bright Dawn. "Students loved sharing their ideas about the book in real time with the chat moderator and other students from around the U.S.," she says.

Renz had no trouble motivating students throughout the ambitious project. "Students took this project seriously," she says. "They really did believe that they were preparing research for the National Geographic Society, though they were a bit upset when they found out I had sent the letter!"

After teaching for 23 years, Renz has no shortage of energy and ideas to share with her students. "I want fourth grade to be the most memorable year for my students. My goal is that they leave my classroom with a passion for learning new things."

If it takes a costume and an alter-ego named Miss Wilson to get students excited about learning, that's fine with Renz. She was delighted when students learned enough about polar life to recognize that her expedition coat was geographically incorrect. (The coat had both penguins and polar bears in the design within the same habitat, but polar bears and penguins live on opposite poles.) She relates with a smile, "They told me I should get my money back!"

More information about The Jason Project is available at http://www.jason.org/*