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Cari Matejka
Tammy Martin
09
Project
Summary
Olean City
Schools
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General Overview of
the Proposed Project-
Students will experience history through
time-period lessons; Each lesson will be broken into the
following sections: historical periodical and/or
traditional legends children’s books literature circle
groups, multi-media representation of era, multi-media
lesson (which includes Photostory and/or United
Streaming) with cloze notes and critical thinking
activity. The start of each new lesson will be reviewed
with a Senteo Responders’ assessment. The final outcome
of our history project will be a play written, directed
and performed by our students. After all history
workshops are completed, students will be placed into
tiered, time-period groups to plan and develop their
skit in the final play. The final performance will be
presented to our school, Washington West Elementary
School, for its premier and will include the enhancement
of technology and period costumes; It will also be
presented to families and open to our community during a
night performance. |
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2. Clear Purpose and Objective:
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Students
will retell American History through time periods.
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Students
will apply their knowledge of history to write and
perform a play.
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Students
will evaluate, judge, justify, criticize, defend and
conclude knowledge of the progression of American
History. |
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3. Stakeholders: grade level, who will benefit, who will
participate in this project.
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Students,
school, teachers and community will benefit from final
outcome.
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Mrs. Martin
and Ms. Matejka team-teach project |
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4. U.S. History Content Area
Exploration and Settlement, Colonization/Conflict/Colony
Life, Pre-Revolutionary War/Declaration of
Independence/Revolutionary War, Constitution/ Branches
of Government, Young America/Westward Expansion/
Louisiana Purchase/ War of 1812, Industrial Revolution,
Slavery Ends/Civil War, World War I/Great Depression,
World War II and Results: Cuban Missile Crisis, Cold
War, Iron Curtain, Arms Race, Big Business/Robber
Barons, Civil Rights, Supreme Court Rulings, A Changing
World/ Vietnam/Persian-Gulf War/Iraq War |
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5. Outline Describing Content-
This comprehensive study
is an approach to teaching American History through the
‘big picture’ and themes that tie time periods together
by making real-life connections. Our objective is for
students to see associations in the progression of time
and make history a more meaningful, comprehensible,
relevant part of life. Lessons encompass time-period
specific themes with an integration of technology,
critical thinking, higher-order reasoning and grand
discussions. Throughout this study, students will be in
tiered groups and become experts of their time-periods.
Each year, we alternate the final outcome. Thus far, we
have produced a time-period museum with artifacts,
multi-media and displays and a student-written and
edited movie. This year, we hope to culminate our
learning experience with writing, producing and
performing a play representing American History in
addition to creating multi-media lessons and Senteo
Responder assessments. We will also create a movie
segment for the finale, “Today’s Times.” We will teach
the content listed in #4 in addition to technology
lessons, grand discussions, and group collaborations.
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6. Software to be used, internet materials, contacts,
etc.
Because our cumulative activity alternates yearly, our
technology, resources, and contacts vary. This year we
plan on utilizing the following:
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Digital
Camera
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Projector
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Movie Maker
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United
Streaming
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Audacity
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Grolier
online
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Photostory
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Power Point
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7. Level of student Involvement
Students are thoroughly involved in every step of the
process. Students will develop, write and edit scripts,
design costumes, and act in a live performance with the
aid of technology. |
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8. Evaluation process (include students when possible)
Students will complete a cloze outline for each lesson.
Literature Circles will be observationally assessed.
Daily lessons will be assessed with Senteo Responders.
Students will complete a self-assessment when project is
complete.
Content of each skit will be assessed with a rubric.
Students will complete a final evaluation.
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9. Timeline: how you envision the project being carried
out between start up and conclusion
Weekly – daily
lessons integrated with technology, grand discussion on
week’s topics, literature circles
Daily –
cooperative group work researching and developing
project
Final Week –
Perform for school, parents and community
We
hope to start the project 3/09 and conclude 6/09.
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10.
Comments or Questions: Over the last two years,
this project has been a great success. Students have
been active participants in their learning and have
always been enthusiastic about the outcome. Our project
aims to involve our local, home and school community.
As a multi-age class teacher, I offer different
opportunities to my children each year with my
grade-level partner. We hope that this grant will
afford us the opportunity to make American History come
alive and impact the learning of our students.
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TAH Grant Reflection: A Walk Through
American History Living Museum
Introduction: Mrs. Martin and Ms.
Matejka introduced A Walk Through American History by performing an
act to our play. We were dressed in period costume and performed
our self-written skit on stage of the pre-Revolutionary,
Revolutionary time period. The introduction revealed the finale to
our history project – a student written, performed and directed
play.
*Students were thrilled about the prospect
that they would have the opportunity to act out history in their own
play.
Lessons: Mrs. Martin and Ms. Matejka
team taught period lessons. This year, we developed several new
aspects to our history teaching repertoire.
- Multi-Media Presentation on each
time period: use of Power Point cloze notes, United
Streaming Videos, DVD/VHS video clips (historical
documentaries/historical fiction), Photostory
-Immediate Performance Assessment:
we developed time period quizzes with Smartbook for Senteo
Responders. This allowed us immediate question and data
analysis.
-Critical thinking: students
worked in groups after each time period to think critically
and make judgments based on their understanding of history.
-Blog: students responded to a
blog discussion board after each time period lesson where
they interacted with each other and used higher-order thinking
skills.
-Student written: we tiered
instruction, and the enrichment students wrote the entire play
after conferencing with each time-period group. These students
broke down acts and scenes and incorporated music. Several groups
furthered history in music class by composing and writing
lyrics for time periods. Other groups also created music
skits, dancing and multi-media productions.
”I think we continually
learn how to teach history more effective so that students are
engaged, interested and have a comprehensible idea of the
progression of time periods. I specifically like how each time
period was organized in their binders so students have a reference
book of American History. My favorite aspect this year was the use
of a history blog. I was always astonished at the interesting,
thought-out perspective each child offered.” –Ms. Matejka
“My favorite aspect of our project
this year was our critical thinking. It helped students develop
perspective and helped them understand themes. My students admitted
that they generally don’t like history, but with teaching it through
a time-period play, they were enthusiastic and engaged – and wanted
to learn more.” Mrs. Martin
Our play is scheduled for June 16th
as an end of the year culminating project. Even though we have not
yet completed the entire process, we have taken time to reflect. We
both agreed that the intensive preparation time was worth the
process. Time period groups now have time specific literature for
discussion groups and literature circles. Critical thinking
exercises included: forced association, classifying/organizing,
viewpoint/brainstorming model, A to Z model, cause and effect,
grouping and labeling of primary documents, and the why model.
In preparation for the finale, students are
responsible for ‘making it happen.’ They enjoy the challenge and
have demonstrated an excitement for history. We know that the
outcome of our project will be worth our effort, and we appreciate
the resources TAH has provided. Our materials allow us to teach
outside the box. We look forward to the play on June 16th
and are both very proud of the effort our students have put forth.
At this event, the families and community members will be invited to
attend – so history will be a lesson for all!
Check out our blog (be sure to click on next
page):
http://www.oleanschools.org/8612082510113743/Blog/browse.asp?A=398&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=53263
Or go to oleanschools.org – schools -
Washington West – Staff – Matejka – blog
Cari Matejka
Tammy Martin
Washington West Elementary School
1626 Washington St.
Olean, NY 14760
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