Jill M. Bean: Lansdowne Friends School.  110 N. Lansdowne Ave. Lansdowne, PA 19050

On the second day of the Brain and Behavior Summer Institute 2009 Paul said, "Teachers don't need to stimulate the kids.  They need to provide the kids with things to act on and to see what will happen."  This statement struck a chord with my experiences, combined with some others thoughts I had been having about education, and planted a seed for my Grant Proposal.  I would like to use the money from the Bryn Mawr Mini-Grants towards providing more field trips for my students.  Our school has not budget for field trips and many families are already struggling to pay tuition, making it difficult for teachers to find funding to field trips.  I think the students in my class will learn more content and learn it more deeply, if the curriculum is linked to the real experiences that can arise from field trips. 

During the Inquiry Institute 2009, I began to think about and explore how I could reframe the field trip experience using the Open-Ended Transactional Inquiry model.  I hope that by using this model my students will become more active participants and more interested learners while on field trips. Below the list of costs for the Mini-Grants, I  have included a draft of my thinking on how to change a field trip experience to be more of an inquiry experience and to include it as a part of an on-going Inquiry Investigation. 

Field trips to fund with the Bryn Mawr Mini-Grants:

These field trips correspond to the classroom themes of Colonial Pennsylvania, Our Natural Community, and Oceanography. 

• Colonial Plantation: The cost for the combination of the Standard tour and the Mini-Workshop is $13 per person.  For the anticipated 15 students in my class, the fee totals $195. 
• Historic Rittenhousetowne: The fee for the Historic Tour, Hands-On Papermaking, and Colonial Cooking is $10 per person.  For the anticipated 15 students in my class, the fee totals $150.  
• Tyler Arboretum: The fee for a visit to Tyler and a lesson on Trees is $6 per person.  For the anticipated 15 students in my class, the fee totals $75.
• Adventure Aquarium: The fee for a visit to the Adventure Aquarium is $10 per person.  The fee for a lesson is $65.  For the anticipated 15 students in my class, the fee totals $215. 

The sum of the fees for these 4 field trips is $635. 

Field Trip to Colonial Plantation
A Reframing through Inquiry

As part of a larger thematic inquiry my class takes a trip to the Colonial Plantation.

Beginning: Tell the kids that we are taking a field trip to the Colonial Plantation next week.  The Colonial Plantation is set up like a colonial house and farm. 

What do you think we might see there?  - Oral brainstorm

What do you still wondering about colonial farms, or what do you want to about colonial houses or farms?  - Either teacher or students write down their questions on chart paper.  Hopefully the brainstorming of questions is generative, if not I would try asking them more questions to stir up their own questions. 

Then look over the questions.  Try to combine some similar questions --> condense the list somewhat. 

Ask each child to choose a question that they would like to research while on the trip.  Try to make sure each question has 2/3 kids researching it. 

Tell the students that each of them is responsible for trying to learn more about their questions while on the trip.  After the trip the different students will work together to present their findings to the whole class. 

Brainstorm ways that the class might be able to find answers to their questions while on the trip, (i.e.  Look around, listen to the guide, ask questions, etc). 

While on the trip ask the students if they remembering to research their questions...I would try to divide the class into groups, so that the partners were in different groups (then perhaps each partner might be exposed to slightly different information, leading to dissonance and learning...).

After the trip, the partners/group members would get together and share what they had learned.  Then they would need to decide on a way to share what they had learned with the class --> it could be a skit, an oral presentation, a written essay, a poster, etc. 

I’d the class to include in their presentation a “Now what?” section.  What questions do you still have?  Any new questions?  What could be your next step in researching? 

Identification: Deborah Hazen, Lansdowne Friends School, 110 N. Lansdowne Avenue., Lansdowne, PA

Specific Aim / Goal: I plan to support students in developing a series of open ended transactional inquiries. Pre-college students frequently see science as something that someone else does and expect that their engagement with science is as memorizers and reproducers of facts. This makes science a competitive sport with the end goal being the pursuit of a series of right answers. I would like students to leave my class with a sense that science is a way of thinking, a type of curiosity, and and transactional process that benefits from increased social dialogue around questions and ideas.

 Proposal: To accomplish my goal, students need the resources and time to develop inquiries that are both related to the curriculum and really matter to them. They will have ample opportunity to design an inquiry related to one of our science units this year, either during our study of space, bio-engineered foods, brain and behavior, and crime lab chemistry.

Equipment: The $300 will be used to purchase supplies through Carolina Biological Supply that will allow student groups to conduct their inquiries. Any remaining dollars will contribute toward the purchase of a flip video camera so that student groups can document and share their work.

Syreeta Bennett

Pastorius Elementary School

5650 Sprague Street

Philadelphia, PA 19138

The kindergarten science curriclulum consist of three units. These units are Trees, Friction, and Animals. The primary goals for these units are for students to recognize: 

 -Living things are made up of parts that have specific functions.

 - Trees are growing living organisms that have basic need, including water, light, and nutrients from the soil.

- Living things grow and change over time.

 - Trees are a resource that can provide people with wood and food.

 - Friction is the force that opposes or slows the motion of objects.

- The sun, air, and water cycle work together as a system to give us weather.

- Measurements and records help us predict weather and make decisions about our daily lives.

- All animals have basic need (air, food, water, space).

- Animals have different structures that serve different functions in growth and survival.

 - Animals react to the conditions of their environment.

- All animals change their environment. Some changes are detrimental, some are beneficial.

 In order for my students to achieve these goals, I will need to supplement the materials available in the Science kits.  I also want to enhance the units by doing further inquiry investigations based around each unit. I want to do a herb garden for the tree unit.  I also want a terrarium and aquarium in my classroom.

Materials

Plants (including soil and containers)            $66.50

Herb garden (parsley, sage, dill, etc.)           $25.00

Pillbugs and sowbugs                                   $23.50

Sand                                                              $5.00

Beetles                                                         $25.00

Guppies                                                         $18.00

Snails                                                            $10.00

Science journals                                            $53.65

Books on trees, animals, weather               $50.00

Dry erasers                                                  $19.99

Gloves                                                         $5.00

Butcher paper and posterboards               $25.00

Total                                                            326.64 

Necessary equipment needed for future scientists!

Rachel Michelle Roberts

2400 N. Front St.  #54

Philadelphia, PA 19133

Identification:

My name is Rachel Michelle Roberts and I currently teach in the school district of Philadelphia. I am a fifth grade teacher at William H. Hunter Elementary school located in North Philadelphia.                

Specific Aim/Goal:

I plan to purchase a number of essential materials in order for my students to be successful using inquiry while learning. This will allow each student in my class to become an inquiry based explorer. They will finally get the opportunity to truly examine and explore science. We never have enough of anything in order to do lab projects. This is very frustrating as a teacher because I have to choose who the “scientist” is going to be that day or week. It is unfair for the students to learn in these conditions. I plan to purchase enough materials for each topic during each report card period. In the fifth grade we will explore three main topics of interest. They are Solar Energy, Variables and Ecosystems. These materials I plan to purchase will add to the core curriculum materials and allow students to truly “think outside the box”.

Proposal:

My specific goals for my students are for them to have more inquiry based experiences within our Science curriculum. Unfortunately, they are unable to explore true science because of the lack of finances within the district as well as the enormous number of students in a single classroom. The items I would like to purchase are very simple necessities that a teacher needs to run a classroom of thirty plus students.  I am trying to pull in outside materials that will allow my children to investigate, explore and inquire about science. We are not given enough supplies or funds to supply our students. My hope is that these simple supplies in addition to the supplies I plan to purchase for my students this year will allow for a more organized, yet inquiry based science curriculum.

Equipment:

-Magnetic write and wipe Adjustable Easel   - Classroom Science Corner   $179.00

- Energy for the Future and Global Warming Book Set   $63.95

-Scholastic Ecosystems classroom Book Set   $46.00

-Dialogue, Discussion and Debate Science Book   $24.99

-Standards based Science Investigations Book Grade 5   $16.99

-Science Graphic Organizers and Mini-Lessons Book   $10.99

-Scientific Method Banner for the Classroom Science Corner    $5.50

Total - $347.42 + S/H

Identification: Please give your Name & Name of School where you work or where you intend to use the grant money.

Kathy Swahn, Sandy Run Middle School 

Specific Aim / Goal: A few sentences on the educational goal / outcome for your students and how this is made possible by equipment/supplies purchased with mini-grant.

Describe how voltage difference causes current to flow, describe the difference between series and parallel circuits, recognize the function of circuit breakers and fuses, describe the magnetic field produced by an electric current, explain how a magnet exerts a force, describe properties of magnets, and describe how electromagnets are used, and explain how an electric motor operates. 

Proposal: Brief description of how you plan to use the equipment in your classroom to reach your educational goal.

I plan to use the laboratory kits listed below to encourage more hands on inquiry learning with my electricity and magnetism units. I will be able to cover content that I did not cover in the past due to the lack of lab supplies. 

Equipment: Description of the equipment you plan to purchase.

Carolina Supply Order:

                                                                                                                                Total $293.23

                                                                                                                                 Tax     $17.60     

                                                                                                                                          $310.85

Stephen Cooney

Science Department

Delaware Valley Friends School

19 E Central Ave

Paoli, Pa 19301

 Title:  Assessing the Functionality of Inquiry as an Introduction to a Science Lab

Specific Aim/Goal

The plan is to use Inquiry Instruction as a methodology in a science lab.  The material and essence of the lab will be introduced in an Inquiry Instruction mode (only).  The effectiveness of the Inquiry mode will be assessed in comparing the student’s lab results, with the standard expectations for the lab.  In addition, comparisons will be made to earlier lab work by the individual students as well.  This lab would occur well after the students are fully familiar with lab equipment and methods and standards.

Proposal

Our school makes extensive use of Vernier equipment for studying Newtonian mechanics and Sound and Light.  We have no Vernier equipment for studying electricity.  The particular lab I envision using these probes with (Ohm’s Law) is delightfully suited to Inquiry Instruction as the lab instructions make a metaphorical comparison between electric current and water flow in pipes.  One we cannot see and one we have a real feel for.  The probes I plan on purchasing are required to conduct the lab.

Equipment

We have the necessary interface equipment, and power sources, but need Vernier’s probes to measure the current, resistance and potential difference in a simple circuit and have it integrate with the primary lab analysis tool we use, Vernier’s Logger Pro.

Vernier Current Probe $39 each

Vernier Differential Voltage Probe $39 each

I need 5 pairs as a minimum, a total of $390 + S/H