Education Commons^™

Recycle Please: Teach Your School To Recycle, To Care, And To Help Solve The Climate Crisis, Ted Wells

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This Independent Study offers one developmentally-appropriate way in which the elementary school teacher can help alleviate the current global warming crisis by leading students to organize a school-wide recycling program carried out in the spirit of service learning. The reader will learn that this recycling work is two-pronged: the physical labor of recycling and the educational outreach to the school community through marketing, using posters, assemblies, videos, and more. A philosophy of education underlying this work is described in detail, as is the journey of the author in discovering this pedagogy that includes tapping into a personal environmental activism for …

Finding Our Way Back Home: Reintroducing Mythology Into The Lives Of Children, Faith Klavan

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Mythology is present in almost all aspects of modern life. Though many books, movies, video games and advertisements make reference to ancient myths, the myths themselves are no longer readily accessible to children. This thesis provides a rationale for writing a children's book which retells an ancient Greek myth. An outline for the book, entitled Perseus, as well as two sample chapters, are included. The thesis deals with mythology's relevance to the modern child asserting that it can help him/her deal with issues such as step-parents, separation anxiety and the need for individuation. The thesis also discusses the ways in …

A Museum-Based Curriculum For Middle School Students In New York City, Nayantara Mhatre

Graduate Student Independent Studies

India Inquiry is a museum-based curriculum designed for middle school students in New York City. The curriculum is organized by the following themes: Geography, Wildlife, Culture and Crafts, and Religion. Within each theme there is one out-of-classroom trip, including three visits to the American Museum of Natural History, and one to the Ganesh Temple in Flushing, Queens. In addition there are seven lessons that compliment and support the organized field trips.

The curriculum was developed to appeal to the social, emotional, and intellectual needs of students emerging from the latency period of late childhood and approaching early adolescence.

India Inquiry …

"That's Your Mother?!" : The Power Of Experience : Reflections And Lessons In Identity, Adrienne Lee

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Documents the creation of a student gallery program for the "Kip Fulbeck: Part Asian, 100% Hapa" exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, CA). The gallery program focuses on the nature of identity and the many factors that make us who we are as individuals. This study employs both learning and human development theories, methods of phenomenology and heuristics, and the author's own biracial experiences and collected reflections to find meaning and project solutions.

Making Sense: Reflections On Developing A Social Studies Curriculum For Five- And Six-Year-Olds, Anne Tobias

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper is a reflection on the writing of a social studies curriculum for five and six-year-olds-a study of a neighborhood construction site. It examines the way in which one teacher's commitment to offering children meaningful content evolved into the formulation of her educational philosophy, as influenced by such progressive educators as John Dewey, Lucy Sprague Mitchell, and Caroline Pratt.

Part One of the thesis is divided into three major sections. The first consists of a developmental overview of five- and six-year-olds. The second describes the connections between understandings of basic child development, understandings of a particular group of children, …

A Reflective Look At The Writing Process For Both Children And Adults: A Memoir Study, Jessica Block

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In order to teach the writing process, one must be a writer. This independent study explores the writing process from the inside out. It investigates the writing process from an adult perspective while also examines the writing process that developed for individual student writers within a second grade classroom. Over the course of three months, the students in my second grade classroom and I developed personal memoirs about a "small moment" from our lives. This study includes a comprehensive breakdown of lessons which scaffolded the memoir writing process.

It also includes a strong reflective component which reveals how we all …

Domestic Life In Dutch New Amsterdam A Social Studies Curriculum For Third And Fourth Grade Children, Michael W. Parrish

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis presents a social studies curriculum for third and fourth grade students on the domestic life of New Amsterdam. Beginning with the geography of the region, the study focuses on the role that the environment has on meeting basic human needs of shelter, food and clothing. Based on a framework of objectives and ideas, the study is divided into three major units: shelter, food and clothing. Meeting each basic need required of New Amsterdam residents a vast amount of time and dedication. As children experience this curriculum, they can begin to understand the effort and many layered processes the …

Studying The Subway: An Interdisciplinary Study Of The New York City Subway For The First Grade, Eve Robinson

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis gives a rationale and overall framework for a four month interdisciplinary study of the New York City subway system for a first grade classroom. The unit will be based around field trips and interviews, where the students will gain hands-on knowledge that will later help them recreate their own "school subway system." Throughout the study, students will investigate all aspects of the subway system, from mapping to mosaics, from fares to fines. The study culminates in a student-led role play where children take on the jobs of subway workers and guide their parents through a system that they …

A Curriculum Unit For 8th Grade Students Of Spanish: ¿CóMo Eras Tú De NiñO? (What Were You Like As A Child?), Cheyenne A. Jones

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The following Independent Study, written in partial fulfillment for a Master of Science degree in Middle-Level Education from Bank Street College, is a nine-lesson curriculum unit on the study of imperfect tense verbs in Spanish. The unit, titled ¿Cómo eras tú de niño? (What Were You Like As a Child?) was designed for 8th grade English-speaking students of Spanish.

Squeezing In Constructivist Mathematics: A Second Grade Curriculum, Deborah Potvin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This curriculum consists of a collection of mathematics activities intended to complement a standard second-grade curriculum. The activities within this collection focus on the topics and concepts addressed by a traditional curriculum; however, they allow the students to approach the subject from a slightly different angle. The problems, projects, and games create situations in which students can create their own understanding of numbers.

By providing ready-to-use, well-organized activities designed to promote constructivist learning, this collection aims to make constructivist mathematics accessible to teachers working within a more traditional curriculum. The inspiration for the activities within this curriculum comes from a …

No More A-/A/-Apple: An Examination Of Kindergarten And First Grade Phonics Within A Progressive Framework, Arielle R. Derby

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Examines the approach to teaching literacy taken by back to basics and progressive educators, and the role of phonics within each type of literacy program. The necessity and application of phonics for kindergarten and first grade children is discussed, grounded in the author's experience teaching in a progressive private school and a back to basics charter school. I found from research and my experience, that phonics is a necessary component for any complete literacy program. In addition, learning phonics has a stronger and more positive effect on children's early reading and writing when it is taught within a developmentally appropriate, …

Collaborating With Colleagues To Improve Student Learning Using The Connected Mathematics Project, Margaret D. Seifer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

I am a teacher of mathematics at Millburn Middle School, Millburn, New Jersey. During my nine years at Millburn, I have taught using the Connected Mathematics Program (CMP) for seven years to eighth graders and before that, I taught CMP in it's pilot stage to sixth graders.

This guide is a result of my thinking and learning during my time at Bank Street College. The guide is based on a journey through my learning as a professional developer. It is a tool which, I hope, will be of some use to other CMP leaders. It is hoped that if such …

Fractions, Decimals, And Percents : A Fifth Grade Curriculum Unit, Jeffrey Li

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study outlines a fifth grade curriculum unit for fractions, decimals, and percents. The unit utilizes a problem-solving approach to lead to deep understanding of fractions and their relations to decimals and percents. The study is influenced by writings by Hiebert, Dewey, Piaget, \/ygotsky, and Fosnot, and uses a lesson planning format created by Hal Melnick. Four explorations drive the unit:

Exploration 1: What is a fraction?

Exploration 2: Going Deeper with Fractions

Exploration 3: Connecting Fractions to Decimals and Percents

Exploration 4: Comparing Fractional Amounts

Bridges To Change: From The Classroom Community To Weeksville An Integrated And Thematic Curriculum, Pamela Jones

Graduate Student Independent Studies

"Bridges to Change" is a curriculum designed for use in a third grade inclusive classroom. This curriculum serves a dual purpose: (1) to provide teachers and students with activities that are designed to build and forge a sense of classroom community and (2) to provide teachers with built-in modifications and adaptations-thereby making the curriculum accessible to students at all levels. A wide array of sources was used in the creation of this curriculum. Understanding by Design and Universal Design for Learning were instrumental in laying the foundation for this work. Understanding by Design's "backwards design" approach was instrumental in the …

A Tree Study Curriculum For Second Grade, Deborah Blankman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A TREE STUDY: For Second Grade, was designed to give students the opportunity to experience and explore first-hand the life cycle of a particular tree in Central Park. Trees are a natural topic for young students to study. They are part of the basic life cycle here on earth. Children are familiar with them having seen or been around them since birth. In my case, because of my school's close proximity to Central Park, the students had the luxury of being able to basically go out in their own backyard any time they wanted a first hand view of what …

A First Grade Social Studies Curriculum: Bread, Dafni Manalis

Graduate Student Independent Studies

I implemented a social studies unit on bread with twenty first graders in a public school setting in the Fall of 2002. The unit incorporated a four month inquiry based study which provided the students with hands on activities, trips, and research based opportunities. Throughout the unit I observed and documented the students work and experiences in a variety of settings. I am presenting the bread curriculum as it was designed this fall with the 6-7 year olds because I believe it is a deeply enriching program that can be molded to fit and be successful with most classroom settings. …

"We're Studying You": Dilemmas In, And Approaches To Social Studies Curriculum About "Other" Cultures, Joseph Bacal

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Studies of "other" cultures are a major part of many elementary school programs. This paper applies some of the recent thinking in anthropology to my own praxis as a teacher. From this standpoint, I ask a number of questions about the theory and practice of "studying" groups of people. How are representations of people created and framed for children? How do children read and interpret these representations? What are different ways that social studies materials construct versions of people? What kind of representations do I want to use in my teaching and how do I want to use them?

I …

Learning Through Meaningful Work: The Post Office Job At City & Country School, Scott Moran

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study is a description of the Post Office job at City & Country School. The school runs a jobs program for children ages eight to thirteen years old (third - eight grades). The eight year old group runs the school Post Office. Chapter 1 presents an introduction to City & Country School. Chapter 2 discusses the Post Office job and its development through the course of a school year. Chapter 3 discusses the developmental orientation of the jobs program. Finally, chapter 4 raises other topics for discussion, including the possible sociopolitical implications and subject integration issues involved in …

A Neighborhood Curriculum For Kindergarten And First Grades, Kathy L. Rubin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper is a curriculum study of a school neighborhood designed for children ages 5 through 7. The goal of this study is to provide an opportunity for students, who at this age are beginning to expand outward from the roots of their homes and families, to understand their next immediate neighborhood (their school). They will have a chance to meet people who work in the neighborhood, learn about how we get around and from where things come. And then, from that vantage point the students can begin to broaden their perspective and view of their world.

This study is …

Multilevel Text Sets In A Middle School Classroom, Merryl Gladstone

Graduate Student Independent Studies

As students reach middle school, they are expected to read on grade level and to have mastered the complex process of reading. In fact, many students are still mastering the skills necessary for fluent reading of grade level material. The struggling readers need to read instructional level material and receive instruction in decoding, fluency and comprehension. Indeed many middle school students would benefit from reading instruction, as the reading demands in middle school are very different than those faced in elementary school. Middle school reading draws much of its material from expository texts, while elementary school programs typically use narrative …

Querida Prima, Dear Prima : A Story For Children Seven To Ten Years Old, Stephanie Hermann

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This project is an original bilingual story of two cousins who live in two different countries. The United States and Costa Rica. They bridge their separation by writing letters and emails throughout the story. Through this correspondence they learn about each other and the have more in common in their seemingly distinct worlds than they realize. The text of the book is written in English. The correspondence between the two characters is in English with Spanish translations.

This thesis includes a rationale which explains the need for this book in a world that recognizes the importance of bilingualism and on …

Water In Our Neighborhood A Study Of The Neighborhood With A Focus On Water An Integrated Curriculum For Six And Seven Year Old Children, Simone Graniela

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This unit was developed and created for children as an interdisciplinary study for a New York City public school setting in the Bronx. Through trips, children learn about the goods and services provided as well as the various ways water is used within the neighborhood The curriculum allows for many opportunities for parents to be partners in their children's education which is emphasized throughout the lesson plans provided.

A Progressive Philippine School For Children: Proposal And Presentation For Prospective Parents, Severina M. Santos

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Presents a philosophical framework for a proposed elementary school in the Philippines, the Philippine School for Children (PSC). It summarizes the major contributions of a family of theorists: Piaget, Dewey, and Vygotsky and applies their theories to the development of PSC. The study also includes a description of several features of a progressive classroom for kindergarten and grade one.

The content of the study serves as a basis for the presentation of a progressive approach to education to prospective parents. Possible questions from prospective parents are raised and addressed at the conclusion of the study.

The Experiencing Of Democracy And Progressive Education: A Constructivist Approach To Mathematics, A Workshop For Teachers, Preminda Langer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Chronicles the history of schooling in India, discusses the development of the constructivist classroom, and shares a series of math workshops for teachers for nursery and kindergarten classrooms in India.

Reflections On A Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum, Laura E. Gerrity

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This curriculum study is a narrative account of a teacher and the social studies curriculum she uses with her third grade class. The curriculum is divided into two main parts. One is a study of the students' culture and family history which involves interviews with the children's parents, an examination of maps and literature from those cultures, and a description of the way the students experience the study through their writings, drawings, and conversation.

The second part of the study is an investigation of the students' neighborhood and community. Through interviews with community members, neighborhood walks, and their own observations, …

Basic Needs: A First Grade Curriculum Study, John Heffernan

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The following first grade curriculum study is an investigation of food, shelter and services in the neighborhood surrounding the school. The activities incorporate hands-on research, discussion, and expressive materials to offer opportunities for children to discover the interdependence and relationships that exist in their immediate environment. The three units of food, shelter and community services have specific goals, and they are:

Food -Investigate how markets, stores and restaurants provide food for the neighborhood, where the food comes from and how it gets to Park Slope.

Shelter - Investigate how and where people house themselves in the neighborhood and what are …

A Call To Movement: Reflections Of An Activist As Educator, Frances Lucerna

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Transformation or reform of public schools may be seen as a product of dual divergent forces - one rooted in the ideology of provider and the other arising from collective self-help initiatives for community self-determination. This paper explores, from a personal as well as community perspective, the socio-political underpinnings of creating a public school focused on human rights and the development of the community that gave it birth. It reveals the influences and principles that shaped my life as a community activist as well as the critical events in the history of El Puente ( a community-based organization ) that …

The Hudson River Museum And The Foxfire School : A Museum/School Collaboration, Leslie K. Butler

Graduate Student Independent Studies

I was hired by the Hudson River Museum during December, 1995 to develop a museum component for a brand new school in Yonkers, New York. This new school was named the Firefox School. It was given this name because of the method of teaching which is based on the Firefox Program, a method of teaching developed 30 years ago in a small community located in the Appalachian Mountains.

From Bulbs To Flowers, Elizabeth Vazquez

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In this thesis, I first developed the notion of a bulb as a means of introducing science to young children (ages five to eight).

First, bulb experiments were implemented. After a literature search, it was discovered that few books introduce scientific concepts with a storyline for young children. Therefore, I developed such a book in the process of writing the thesis. Lesson plans on bulbs for teachers were also developed and can be used in conjunction with the book or independently.

Peds Path: A Journey From Home To The Hospital And Back Home: A Game To Orient Preschool Children To The Hospital Settings, Leslie May

Graduate Student Independent Studies

With all of the cutbacks in the health care system children entering hospitals today have very few planned admissions, with an increasing large number of patients entering the hospital through the emergency room. As a result of this there are many children today who are entering the hospital with absolutely no preparation. This lack of preparation leads children to develop their own ideas and notions about just what the hospital experience will be like. These misconceptions or fears regarding illness or treatment may develop into incredible anxieties which often end up making the hospital experience much more difficult and scary …