i3 grant application

8/7/2019 I3 Grant Application

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I3

Innovative Instructional Initiatives

2009-2010 Grant Application Form

Please complete this cover sheet and the Initiative Description forms. The various boxes within the form will, ifneeded, expand to contain your information. However, the entire Initiative Description, excluding this coversheet, must not exceed four printed pages.

IMPORTANT: Since applications will be judged through a blind process, information in the InitiativeDescription (pp. 3-5) should not identify the teacher or the school by name.

Applications are due October 16, 2009.

Todays date: School:October 11, 2009 Walker Upper Elementary School

Full Name of Applicants:Beth Gehle and Jennifer Gaylord

Teaching Assignment/Grade/Subject:Social Studies: 6th and 5th Grades

Title of Initiative:Building Background Knowledge Through I Events:

Stepping Into History Using Role Play, Blogs, and Virtual Field Trips

Email Address of Applicants:[email protected], [email protected]

Signature of Applicant:

Signature of Principal (indicates awareness of proposal and compliance with CCS mission):

Please submit signed cover sheet and three copies of the Initiative Description to:

Gertrude A. IvoryAssociate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

1562 Dairy RoadCharlottesville, VA 22903

Phone: 434-245-2400

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Title of Initiative: Building Background Knowledge Through I Events:Stepping Into History Using Role Play, Blogs, and Virtual Field Trips

INITIATIVE DESCRIPTION

The purpose of our initiative is to give our fifth- and sixth-grade Social Studies students theopportunity to step into history and to build historical background knowledge in a variety of ways:(1) role-playing historical characters and events, (2) blogging historical events from the perspective ofa historical character, (3) having authentic research and questioning opportunities by maintaining an

online class discussion forum and participating in virtual field trips with museum experts, and(4) creating short videos to non-linguistically illustrate the meaning of new vocabulary terms.Historical Character Blogging and Role-Play

We have found that the lack of academic background knowledge on the part of our studentsinhibits their learning of required Social Studies information. In his book, Building BackgroundKnowledge, Robert Marzano states that background knowledge can be significantly improved byproviding students with I events, defined as events in which the student is directly involved by doing,feeling, and describing. By assigning the students to play real historical characters, either in adramatic production or in a blog article, we will increase the number of these I events that take placein our classroom on a regular basis, thus building background knowledge and personal connection tothe subject matter.

Historical role-play will take several forms in our classrooms. Short, impromptu act-it-outs wherestudents step into a background image projected on the interactive whiteboard are an effective wayto check for understanding and personalize that days subject matter. This experience becomes evenmore effective when a student can film that days act-it-outs using a flip video camera so that allstudents can use the role-play later as a way to review that content.

Another form of historical role-play is to guide students in creating scripts, selecting costumes, andacting out longer historical events, debates, or conversations between historical characters. By takingon a historical characters point of view for an extended time, students experience a historical event ortime period at a deeper, more personal level.

Students can also experience historical role-play by blogging as a historical character. Forexample, students could be assigned different historical figures from the Constitutional Convention.

As we learn about the decisions made by the actual convention participants, students could react astheir character would by writing a response on the class blog. A variation on this activity is forstudents to video blog in costumed character.Research and Questioning Opportunities

Robert Marzano also recommends that students be allowed to identify topics of interest to themand reveal their thoughts, questions, and answers related to that topic in an academic notebook. Wewould like to use an online, collaborative model of this academic notebook by creating a class blog ordiscussion forum where students can identify questions, research answers, and share their newknowledge with other students. These questions may relate directly to a students understanding ofan SOL or may be an enhancement or background piece of knowledge that could deepenunderstanding of an SOL.

A key aspect of this question-and-answer blog is that students can access it at any time. We wouldlike to develop a natural, fluid way for students to use available technology by logging in to a computerto ask, research, or answer a question in a spontaneous way, when the interest or need strikes. Thisis only possible when computers are available for student use continually, not on a cart in anotherclassroom.

Increasingly, virtual field trips are available so that students can interact remotely with a museumcurator or other expert. Marzano found that the very best, most direct, way for schools to buildstudents background knowledge is by providing a variety of field trips and other out-of-classexperiences. Working within our budget and time constraints, these virtual field trip experiences will

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provide some of the same benefits for our students.Non-linguistic Vocabulary Representation

Using video cameras, students can film their own non-linguistic representations of new essentialvocabulary terms, thereby increasing their understanding of these new words. Using the computerspurchased for this initiative, short videos can be recorded and stored on computers that are present inthe classroom so that students can view the videos to review.

With the above initiatives, we have created a multi-faceted approach to building the academicbackground knowledge that our students need to be successful. By engaging in more of these I

events (role playing, blogging, and questioning), students will understand and retain Social Studiesconcepts more successfully.

Amountrequested: $7889.73

Target audience5th and 6th Grade students (ages 10-13)

Number of teachers and/or students you expect to reach: 4 teachers and 140 students per year.

Goals and Objectives:The objective of this initiative is that students gain historical background knowledge that they

otherwise lack. It is difficult for students to understand and retain the historical facts necessary tomaster the Social Studies SOLs without this background knowledge.

Because this initiative involves student-driven role-play and questioning, this approach will workboth as an intervention and an enrichment model. It can serve as an intervention model for our

students who struggle with the acquisition of Social Studies information, particularly those that strugglewith reading and writing and our English Language Learners. While we are the primary Social Studiesteachers for the ESL students in fifth and sixth grades, we also have a number of native students withbelow grade-level reading ability. However, this approach will also work as an enrichment model forthose students who are ready to go beyond the Standards of Learning. By using a role-play andquestioning approach, students can go as far beyond the required material as they are capable.

We are particularly excited by the possibility of a cross grade-level initiative. By continuing thisprocess for two years, students will ultimately reach a deeper content understanding. Additionally, wehave planned to implement these new initiatives into our own grade-level units that share commonthemes. For example, in January, both grade levels study the creation of the new nation following theRevolutionary War. Using recorded videos and blogs, students can share ideas and collaborate with

students at other grade levels and in other classes that are discussing similar themes and historicalconcepts.

Our expected outcome is that student scores on Social Studies unit test and SOL tests wilincrease. Our goal is at least an 80% pass rate on unit tests when these new initiatives are usedIncreased background knowledge and a heightened sense of historical curiosity will increase studenengagement levels and ability to understand and retain historical concepts.

Link to 21stCentury Skills:Historical role play, creating and editing videos, blogging, and acting out new vocabulary words

provide many links to 21st century skills. Students will practice learning and innovation skills, as takingpart in historical role-play and assuming anothers perspective requires students to think creativelyand reason effectively. The communication and collaboration aspect of 21st century skills will also be

addressed by this initiative. Student role-play and class blogging requires students to work creativelywith others, communicate clearly, and collaborate with others. Devising questions, researchinganswers, and communicating these answers with other students allows students to practiceinformation literacy, as they access and evaluate information. Students will enhance their medialiteracy by creating their own media products (class videos and blogs). Finally, students willexperience the life and career skills of initiative and self-direction. These class projects will requirestudents to be self-directed learners, as they will be going beyond the basic curriculum.

Alignment with the Virginia Standards of Learning:

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In sixth grade, students will use this new approach to describe the historical developments of theConstitution of the United States (USI 7b) and to describe territorial expansion (USI 8a) and identifythe main ideas of the abolitionist and suffrage movements (USI 8d). When studying the Civil War insixth grade, students will use role play and character blogging to describe the cultural, economic, andconstitutional issues that divided the nation (USI 9a), to describe the roles of major leaders in eventsleading to and during the war (USI 9d), and to describe the effects of the war from the perspectives ofvarious participants (USI 9f).

In fifth grade, students will use this new approach to identify the reasons why the colonies went to

war with England (VS 5a), identify the various roles played by Virginians in the Revolutionary War (VS5b), identify the importance of the American victory at Yorktown (VS 5c) and explain the roles of keyVirginians in the creation of the new American nation (VS 6a and 6b). Fifth graders will also identifythe issues that divided Virginians and led to secession and war (VS 7a) and describe the major battlesthat took place in Virginia (VS 7b). When studying the twentieth-century Civil Rights movement,students will identify the events in Virginia linked to desegregation. (VS 9b)

Date/Timeline: Action:

October /November, 2009

Work with school ITRT to set up class blog or moodle to accommodate studentcharacter blogs, question/answer forum, and student videos.

November, 2009 Teachers will develop lesson plans in preparation to implement the newinitiatives in units that we teach in December and January.

December/January,2010

Incorporate new initiatives into the following units: 6th Grade: The NewRepublic, 5th Grade: The Founding of a New Nation

March, 2010 Incorporate new initiatives into the following units: 6th Grade: WestwardExpansion, 5th Grade: Civil War

April, 2010 Incorporate new initiatives into the following units: 6th Grade: Civil War, 5th

Grade: Civil Rights MovementMay/June, 2010 Present a summary of the program and student progress at a Social Studies

content meeting and submit I3 Post Grant Report form prior to June 1.

ITEMAMOUNTBUDGETED

Qty: six (6); Item: Flip Video-Ultra Series II Camcorder; $149.99 each; Best Buy $899.94Qty: six (6); Item: Apple MacBook with 13.3 Display; $999.99 each; Best Buy $5999.94

Qty: three (3); Item: Rechargeable batteries and chargers; $19.99 each; Crutchfield $59.97

Qty: six (6); Item: White Bonnet; $8.99 each; CostumeSupercenter.com $53.94

Qty: two (2); Item: Tricorn Hat; $10.99 each; CostumeSupercenter.com $21.98

Qty: four (4); Item: Tricorn Hat; $7.77 each; CostumeDiscounters.com $31.08

Qty: six (6); Item: Union Kepi Cap; $5.99 each; Buycostumes.com $35.94

Qty: six (6); Item: Confederate Kepi Cap; $4.99 each; Buycostumes.com $29.94

Miscellaneous role-play clothing: simple dresses and aprons (colonial women), longwhite socks (colonial men), blue and grey sweat suits (Civil War soldiers)

$250.00

13 Hours per teacher for creating lessons and maintaining equipmentHours: 26; $19.50 per hour

$507.00

Total Requested $7889.73

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Reason for Grant:The success of this initiative depends upon consistent computer access for the students in our

classes. We need MacBook laptops that are out and ready for student use at all times. Students willbe recording videos that illustrate vocabulary words; these videos must be ready to be viewed bystudents as a review tool. Students will be creating questions, researching answers, and posting toour class blog on a daily basis. These activities cannot be successful if students cannotspontaneously and regularly access the computers.

Currently, the only computer available in our rooms at all times is one eMac teacher computer.

EMac computers are older models that have a slow processing speed and do not possess a camerafor video conferencing.

Specifically, MacBooks are needed for several reasons. MacBooks have the processing speednecessary for video conferencing and websites with video enabled options, which are both keycomponents of virtual field trips. The built in ISight cameras in MacBooks are necessary for videoblogging as a historical character or for interacting with a museum expert during a virtual field trip.Additionally, the iMovie software on MacBooks is easy for students to use when editing theirvocabulary videos or dramatic productions.

Flip video cameras are preferred for their ease of use for students. These also need to be readilyavailable for students to record dramatic role-plays or vocabulary definition videos.

Our school possesses two MacBook computer carts. Together, these carts contain thirty-two

MacBooks for the shared use of 52 classroom teachers working with 548 students. The demand forthese MacBooks is steadily increasing, as more teachers are working with software such as iMovie.

It is significant to note that these MacBook carts (and the other laptop carts in our building) willincreasingly be used for testing purposes. On days when a particular subject area is giving an onlineunit test, every computer cart in the building is dedicated to that purpose. As we add on more subjectareas testing online, computer access will become more difficult. We need to have some computersthat are consistently housed in our rooms so that we can enact these ongoing academic backgroundknowledge acquisition initiatives.

The costume items are essential for role-playing, especially for the fifth graders who are at a moreliteral developmental stage. When creating dramatic productions, the students will be able tounderstand their own role, and the roles played by other students, more clearly if in costume. At this

point, our school does not possess these types of costumes.Partial Award and Funding:

We do not believe that we can meet our objective with fewer computers or fewer video cameras.With class sizes up to twenty-five students, we believe that three MacBooks for each of our classes(for a total of six MacBooks) is the minimum number of computers with which we could workeffectively. Six Flip video cameras for our shared use would provide us with enough cameras forstudents to work in groups no larger than four in most of our classes. It would be difficult to guaranteeparticipation of all students with fewer technology items.

Sharing with the CCS Community:The online and digital nature of the students products will make it easy to share their work with

other teachers and students. By using our shared server, other Social Studies teachers could access

our students projects to show their own students or to gain ideas and inspiration for their ownclassroom activities.

At our weekly content meetings, we will keep other Social Studies teachers informed of successfullessons and activities that we complete. We will share lesson plans and help other teachersimplement these methods.

We are willing to present our methods and results to other teachers at a staff meeting or otherprofessional development opportunity.

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I3

Innovative Instructional Initiatives

Post Grant Report Form

Report Date: June 1, 2010Title of Initiative: Building Background Knowledge Through I Events:

Stepping Into History Using Role Play, Blogs, and Virtual Field TripsApplicants: Beth Gehle and Jennifer Gaylord

(This report reflects the experiences of Beth Gehle; Jennifer Gaylord has submitted a separate report.)School: Walker Upper Elementary School

Amount of Grant:$7889.73

Activities Conducted:

Town Hall Meeting, Revolutionary War Unit

Mock Constitutional Convention, New Republic Unit

What would the founding fathers say? Historical Blogging Activity, New Republic UnitBill of Rights freeze frames, New Republic Unit

Radio Show with the Framers, New Republic Unit

Presidential Dilemma Plays: Madison and Monroe, Westward Expansion Unit

Gettysburg Address Podcasts, Civil War UnitHistorical Figure Trash Talk, SOL Review

Various student-produced movies for content review, SOL Review

Successes:

How did actual and expected results compare?

I felt that my focus on having kids step into history as often as possible increased engagement levels,

which translated into increased test scores. My goal was for 80% of my students to pass the unit test for eachunit in which these methods were employed. My students did achieve the following pass rates on unit tests:

American Revolution 85%, New Republic 78%, Westward Expansion 80%, and Civil War 82%.

I was also hoping that these methods would increase engagement and content understanding on the partof African-American students. I was pleased with my pass rates among this cohort: American Revolution 87%

(school-wide pass rate 71%), New Republic 70% (school-wide 47%), Westward Expansion 79% (school-wide

58%), and Civil War 79% (school-wide 59%).

Were there any unanticipated problems or challenges?

One unexpected challenge was that we did not receive the laptop computers as early as we had hoped.Some of our ideas were for units that had already passed by the time the materials were received. We will wait

to try those ideas next school year.

One activity that I planned and began with students, but was unable to complete, were the student-produced podcasts in which they would host radio shows as if they were the Founding Fathers (the same

historical characters they had played at our mock-convention). This activity unfortunately had to be truncated

due to snow days in February.

Number of Students Reached: 80

Signature of Applicant: Signature of Principal:

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