Project Niu will take a three-phased approach to providing students with a Meaningful Outdoor Experience, centered on the deployment into the Hawaii watershed (the Pacific Ocean) of the small, autonomous, GPS-tracked, environmental sensing device called the "Niu".

During Phase I, students will be divided into groups and will learn a wide variety of background knowledge and skills, such as:

• The scientific method, including research methodology, hypothesis generation, and scientific observation. This will be used to form a hypothesis of the path Niu will take and to identify potential factors that may cause variation from this hypothesis.
• Ocean currents, waves, tidal patterns, and weather systems that affect Hawaii and its surrounding waters, as these will be the guiding forces for the path of the Niu. Online research will also be conducted, such as at the NOAA website and NOAA's Oahu webpage.
• Analysis of the elements that contribute to the watershed at the potential launch sites. This includes field trips to the sites and online research into natural factors (flow of streams and river, climate and seasonal rainfall, soil content, flora, and fauna) as well as artificial contributions (agriculture, population, landfills, reservoirs, canals, and sewer systems).
• Current land and water use / management policies as they relate to potential launch sites.
• Historical and cultural relevance of the prevailing currents and wind patterns as they have affected navigation throughout the Pacific and Polynesia.
• Cultural traditions and beliefs of the Native Hawaiians as they relate to the environment, including the concepts of "ahupua’a" and "malama i ka honoua".
• The purpose and capabilities of environmental and remote sensing.
• Investigations into relevant technologies, such as how ocean buoys are being used in surf forecasting.
• The engineering process and stages, such as designing, prototyping, testing, and building.
  

For Phase 2, students will participate in their second field trip, or Meaningful Outdoor Experience. This full-day experience will have three primary objectives: deploying Niu, analyzing the watershed based on detailed environmental observations, and building a sense of responsibility for the environment through a site cleanup. Students will explore the site and the watershed that it is part of in extensive detail. The teacher and Archinoetics’ investigators will guide the students through an interactive learning process that will encourage them to make thorough observations about the factors affecting the watershed. Students will apply the classroom lessons from Phase 1 to help them think about these issues, whether they be natural or manmade.

In Phase 3, the student groups will use this website to track Niu and the data it collects, writing reports, reflections, and Blogs (web logs) to summarize their findings and how they compare to their original hypotheses. The project will conclude with a public display and/or media event to highlight the knowledge learned during the project.