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How Do We Educate Children That Live In A Water Rich Environment About The Need For Water Conservation?, Theresa Marie Vermeersch
How Do We Educate Children That Live In A Water Rich Environment About The Need For Water Conservation?, Theresa Marie Vermeersch
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this curriculum development Capstone was to create a unit of lessons to address how we educate children that live in a water rich environment about the need for water conservation. The curriculum contains lessons in a kit that educate children about water cycles, water sheds, water run-off, water pollution, and water conservation. Methods of teaching include hands-on lessons, small and large group activities that incorporate literature. The overall goal is to create curriculum that would foster a sense of water conservation stewardship in students. Included with this curriculum are copies of handouts, assessments, and literature.
A Descriptive Study Of Implementing Tiered Systematic Phonics Intervention Through The Colorado Read Act, Geoffrey H. Stokes
A Descriptive Study Of Implementing Tiered Systematic Phonics Intervention Through The Colorado Read Act, Geoffrey H. Stokes
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question explored in this capstone was, how might I aid schools and districts in implementing district-wide systematic phonics intervention, both instructionally and organizationally? It documents Denver Public Schools (DPS) efforts to implement the READ act, a comprehensive law in which all students are evaluated in reading and assigned intervention if needed. The capstone explores how DPS can implement tiered systematic phonics intervention as part of the READ act. The paper reviews the most current peer reviewed research regarding the efficacy of phonics intervention. Using the methodology of a descriptive study, the capstone lays out a detailed logistical proposal …
How Can Science And Literacy Be Integrated In A Fifth Grade Cirriculum [Sic]?, Kathryn J. Hellen
How Can Science And Literacy Be Integrated In A Fifth Grade Cirriculum [Sic]?, Kathryn J. Hellen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this capstone was, How can science and literacy be integrated in a fifth grade curriculum? This capstone describes current research in science education, reading motivation and engagement, and the science and literacy connection. The goal of this capstone was to create a unit that would captivate students’ interests in science and use that interest as a catalyst to grow their literacy skills. This unit is designed to be used in a 5th grade Spanish immersion classroom centered on the themes of life science and non-fiction reading. The accompanying curriculum utilizes the Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) …
Student Engagement And Project-Based Learning In The Social Studies Classroom, Noelle J. Nelson
Student Engagement And Project-Based Learning In The Social Studies Classroom, Noelle J. Nelson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, how is student engagement affected through Project-Based Learning in an eleventh grade social studies classroom? It documents one teacher’s ability to incorporate Project-Based Learning in an urban high school social studies classroom. It will show that with the use of Project-Based Learning student engagement does increase. Students are pushed to critically think, problem solve, investigate, and collaborate. The author documents the details of a World War II Project-Based Learning unit and uses related research literature to construct meaning and validate the study. She looks into the different teaching strategies and scaffolding to …
World History Unit Plan That Nurtures Habits Of Mind And Integrates Strategies Promoted By The National Urban Alliance, Katherine A. Martin
World History Unit Plan That Nurtures Habits Of Mind And Integrates Strategies Promoted By The National Urban Alliance, Katherine A. Martin
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was: In what ways can I develop a social studies unit plan that fosters Habits of Mind as learning outcomes and integrates strategies that will positively impact student engagement? The author began her research by investigating the topic of student engagement and instructional strategies promoted by the National Urban Alliance to enhance student engagement. The author also investigated Habits of Mind and the writings of Costa and Kallick. The unit plan was designed using the Understanding by Design Model from Wiggins and McTighe. The result of the research was a social studies unit …
High School Water Quality Curriculum For Rural And Urban Areas, James David Mesik
High School Water Quality Curriculum For Rural And Urban Areas, James David Mesik
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this curriculum development Capstone was to create a unit of lessons to address the topic of water quality for high school students in an agricultural class focusing on natural resources. The curriculum contains lessons that tackle issues related to both farmland and nonfarm related water quality issues. Methods of teaching include hands-on lessons, a field trip and a guest speaker. Specific issues are confronted and potential solutions to water quality problems are presented. The overall goal is to create curriculum that would foster a sense of water quality stewardship in students. Included with this curriculum are copies …
How Can Teachers Motivate Struggling Middle School Readers In An Intervention Classroom?, Heather Young
How Can Teachers Motivate Struggling Middle School Readers In An Intervention Classroom?, Heather Young
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this curriculum was: how can teachers motivate struggling middle school readers in an intervention classroom? The author focused her research in the areas of struggling readers, middle school intervention classrooms, and motivation. The research was expanded to include influences on motivation, authentic instruction, and the role of relationships. The goal was to create a curriculum that could be easily implemented and adapted to fit the needs of teachers. A curriculum was created surrounding three main subjects: student choice, building relationships and sustained student reading.
Increasing Joy And Motivation Through Experiential Art Curriculum, Rachel Mejdrich Edstrom
Increasing Joy And Motivation Through Experiential Art Curriculum, Rachel Mejdrich Edstrom
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This Capstone is a collection of visual art lessons for elementary students aged kindergarten through 5th grade. These lessons explore the question, In what ways can experiential learning methods increase joy and motivation in art education? This curriculum provides students the opportunity to explore the human experience through art with joy. By utilizing experiential techniques, these lessons focus on increasing motivation and joy in students. The curriculum is supported by research which draws on theories in art education, motivation, and experiential learning, along with brainbased research on the correlation between happiness and success. Additional ideas explored include the connections between …
How Vocabulary Word Selection, Instructional Strategies, And Assessments Affect Student Retention Of Newly Learned Words, Amber Rustand
How Vocabulary Word Selection, Instructional Strategies, And Assessments Affect Student Retention Of Newly Learned Words, Amber Rustand
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Vocabulary word selection and instruction is hard for educators to grasp, with so many methods to choose from. Focusing on the question of How does the selection of vocabulary words, instruction, and assessment affect the retention of newly learned vocabulary? leads us to our answer. The capstone study focusing around this question made it evident that educators need to select words from text, differ instruction throughout a two-week time frame, and assess on between eight and twelve words for every two-week period. Students need to be given time to connect and work with the words that are new to them. …
Differentiation For All Learners: Applying Theory And Practice So All Children Reach Their Potential, Kathryn Elizabeth Kreitzer
Differentiation For All Learners: Applying Theory And Practice So All Children Reach Their Potential, Kathryn Elizabeth Kreitzer
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Teachers in classrooms today are challenged with students with a ride range of abilities necessitating differentiation in the classroom. Faced with increasingly heterogeneous populations of students, including the mainstreaming of special education students, teachers are challenged to develop curricula that is matched to students’ abilities. This project focused on how to adapt state mandated grade level content to multiple instructional levels. Included in this project is a differentiated unit on the American Revolution based on Minnesota fifth grade standards. The unit is differentiated to first grade, third grade and fifth grade reading and writing levels. This project demonstrates how teachers …
Using A Therapeutic Music Curriculum To Improve The Social And Academic Skills Of Students With Optic Nerve Hypoplasia/Septo Optic Dysplasia, Kimberly Kay Wooster
Using A Therapeutic Music Curriculum To Improve The Social And Academic Skills Of Students With Optic Nerve Hypoplasia/Septo Optic Dysplasia, Kimberly Kay Wooster
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This paper addresses the possibility of improving the academic and social outcomes of students with optic nerve hypoplasia/septo optic dysplasia through the use of a therapeutic music curriculum. Students with these conditions are born with blind or with visual challenges and in the case of septo optic dysplasia are also born with behavioral and physical challenges, including austistic-like traits. By exploring the literature and research available in the use of therapeutic music in improving the academic and social outcomes of young students with autism, I was encouraged to create a therapeutic music curriculum to implement in classrooms from K-3rd grade …
Expeditionary Learning Curriculum For The Seventh Grade Classroom, Nora Denise Krings
Expeditionary Learning Curriculum For The Seventh Grade Classroom, Nora Denise Krings
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, how are the components of Expeditionary Learning used to design an interdisciplinary, project-based expedition at a middle school grade level? It documents the creation of an interdisciplinary unit for a seventh grade classroom using components from Expeditionary Learning. The author uses research on Expeditionary Learning and related educational philosophies to incorporate different structures and components into the design of the curriculum. The unit includes such components as community connections, fieldwork and case studies. It also outlines different classroom structures and protocols that can be used to deliver instruction. The capstone documents some …
The Relationship Between Agriculture And The Environment, Elise Nicole Volz
The Relationship Between Agriculture And The Environment, Elise Nicole Volz
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Southern Minnesota is an agricultural hub, and there is a deeply rooted methodology when it comes to the techniques used to plant, grow, and harvest grain crops. These techniques have come under scrutiny as they are being accused of causing harm to the environment. As an alternative to these conventional agricultural techniques, sustainable agriculture provides an agricultural methodology that aims to grow crops in such a way that the environment is harmed a little as possible. This project was designed to determine awareness of sustainable agriculture among a group of students and develop a curriculum that allows students to explore …
Thematic Learning And English Learners: Integrating Authentic Literacy In An Experience-Based Summer Program For English Learners, Miranda Michelle Gamayunov
Thematic Learning And English Learners: Integrating Authentic Literacy In An Experience-Based Summer Program For English Learners, Miranda Michelle Gamayunov
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Research indicates that the most successful summer programs and after school experiences do not simply mimic the school year but rather complement it. The purpose of this capstone was to create a stronger connection between the district’s school year literacy curriculum and its summer program for English Learners while maintaining the experience-based nature of the program. The research question explored: How can I best integrate authentic reading and writing into a hands-on, experience-based summer program for English Learners resulted in a series of six lessons complementing the program’s varied experiences and the district’s units of study thereby allowing for an …
What Are You Teaching? Curriculums, Expectations, And Experiences Of High School Writing Teachers And First Year Composition, Kathryn Elizabeth Fullmer
What Are You Teaching? Curriculums, Expectations, And Experiences Of High School Writing Teachers And First Year Composition, Kathryn Elizabeth Fullmer
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to explore the teaching of writing in high school and first year composition. In depth interviews and document analysis were employed to allow five writing instructors to detail their curriculums, expectations, and experiences of teaching writing. Findings suggest that the teaching of writing is nuanced and is affected by many outside variables. Implications for future research include the possibility of developing better communication between high school and colleges, more and better professional development for writing instructors at both levels, and an evaluation of current practices at the high school and college level.
Using Critical Literacy To Build Community Among Minority Adolescents, Julia Quinn Moe
Using Critical Literacy To Build Community Among Minority Adolescents, Julia Quinn Moe
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Studies continue to show the alarming achievement gap between white and minority students throughout the United States. The purpose of this capstone was to explore how critical literacy can be used to build classroom community among minority adolescents, with the intention of helping diverse learners feel successful in school. Included is research on the effectiveness of and how to use critical literacy practices, the importance of building community in the secondary classroom, and the state of minority education as a whole, encompassing the unique difficulties encountered by minority students in a primarily white school. Three major themes emerged from the …
Culturally Responsive Vocabulary Curriculum: Third Grade Culturally Responsive Vocabulary Guide, Maureen Mccullagh
Culturally Responsive Vocabulary Curriculum: Third Grade Culturally Responsive Vocabulary Guide, Maureen Mccullagh
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Educational state testing results have shown gaps between students of color and white students for many decades. Research demonstrates that white students perform better on standardized reading tests than do the students of color. The purpose of this project was to create a standardsbased, culturally and linguistically responsive vocabulary guide, to help select vocabulary in order to build a bridge between students’ home vocabulary and academic vocabulary; to support the efforts in closing the achievement gap. Research on best practice for culturally responsive teaching, culturally responsive literacy and vocabulary instruction, including specific strategies to teach vocabulary instruction was integrated. The …
How Can Incremental Rehearsal Be Used To Facilitate Successful Sight Word Acquisition For English Language Learners To Improve Their Sight Word Reading Ability?, Elliot Kohl
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this capstone was, how can Incremental Rehearsal be used to facilitate successful sight words acquisition for English Language Learners to improve their sight word reading ability? It documents one teacher’s creation of a curriculum unit that serves as an intervention for struggling English Language Learner readers in grades K – 3. It draws upon the research done on a flashcard drill method known as Incremental Rehearsal. With this method, the teacher created a curriculum to help struggling readers memorize a sight word vocabulary, with the intent of helping them increase their fluency. The author documents …
Utilizing The Next Generation Science Standards As A Framework To Create A Climate Change Curriculum, Jenna Totz
Utilizing The Next Generation Science Standards As A Framework To Create A Climate Change Curriculum, Jenna Totz
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, how can the Next Generation Science Standards be utilized as a framework to create a climate change curriculum? It documents the creation of the middle school climate change curriculum, Next Generation Climate. The curriculum integrates experiential education, argumentation, and modeling all using the most current climate change science. This curriculum was created out of the need for more resources that aligned with the NGSS and to provide educators with the tools to correctly provide climate literacy to their students. The author documents the details of writing the curriculum and uses research literature …
‘What Do You Do With An Idea?’ Differentiating A Fourth -Grade Reading Curriculum Using Gardner’S Theory Of Multiple Intelligences, Medora Elaine Schou
‘What Do You Do With An Idea?’ Differentiating A Fourth -Grade Reading Curriculum Using Gardner’S Theory Of Multiple Intelligences, Medora Elaine Schou
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This curriculumbased capstone answers the research question: How can a fourthgrade reading curriculum be differentiated using Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences? The research examines the value in differentiating curriculum to meet the needs of learners within classrooms. In addition, the author explores literature on best practices in differentiated reading instruction and its connection to MI theory. A twenty day unit was developed using an Understanding by Design framework (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), wherein Common Core State Standards form the basis for established goals. Student interest, readiness, learning profile, and choice drive the learning activities and assessment options throughout the unit. …
Using Text Sets To Foster Critical Literacy Skills In Fifth Grade Social Studies, Brooke Malyn Haley
Using Text Sets To Foster Critical Literacy Skills In Fifth Grade Social Studies, Brooke Malyn Haley
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this capstone was, How can a text set be used to promote critical literacy skills in a fifth grade social studies unit surrounding the topic of American Colonization? This capstone describes current research on how critical literacy skills are taught by providing students with rich and meaningful texts focused on a chosen topic. The goal of this project was to create a text set that could be used in a 5th grade social studies unit centered the topic of American colonization. The accompanying curriculum utilizes these texts in stimulating activities that challenge readers to look …
The Impact Of Critical Literacy On The Moral Reasoning Of Adolescents, Sierra Mae Gilbertson
The Impact Of Critical Literacy On The Moral Reasoning Of Adolescents, Sierra Mae Gilbertson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study was, in what ways does the implementation of critical literacy impact the moral reasoning of adolescents? It documents one teacher’s use of action research to create a unit that integrated critical literacy methods based on the research of McLaughlin & DeVoogd with moral education methods based on research by Kohlberg. The author documents details of the unit and uses related research literature to construct meaning and validate the study. She describes the effectiveness of each critical literacy activity in terms of the impact it had on the moral reasoning of her students and …
21st Century Literacy: Blending The English 12 Classroom, Natalie Nelson
21st Century Literacy: Blending The English 12 Classroom, Natalie Nelson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, how can the use of formative and summative assessments be used to understand student achievement and learning within a 12th Grade Language Arts blended environment? It documents one teacher’s creation of a unit that uses technology in combination with assessment to determine student success within a Language Arts classroom unit. This research project integrated multiple kinds of technology to help understand if this type of assessment creates better or higher levels of learning for students. The author documents the application of the unit after creation. She describes both the outcomes of the …
Integrating Standards And 21st Century Skills To Increase Engagement, Andrea Michelle Peterson
Integrating Standards And 21st Century Skills To Increase Engagement, Andrea Michelle Peterson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this project was, how can I create curriculum using the principals of project based learning and the Language Arts Common Core State Standards in a fourth grade social studies setting that may increase student engagement? The purpose of this capstone was to create a curriculum that integrates the Language Arts Common Core State Standards and Minnesota Social Studies Standards with project based learning so that students are actively participating in their learning to strengthen life-long and critical thinking skills. The capstone provides an explanation of how project based learning integrates 21st century skills and Common …
How Does Young Adult Literature Foster Reading Growth In The Striving Secondary Reader?, Elizabeth Catherine Jensen
How Does Young Adult Literature Foster Reading Growth In The Striving Secondary Reader?, Elizabeth Catherine Jensen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this curriculum development projects was, how does young adult literature foster reading growth in the striving secondary reader? The author researched issues surrounding current literacy intervention practices, motivation and engagement of secondary readers, and the issues surrounding striving secondary readers. The author focuses on the research of Gallagher, Ivey, and Guthrie as a basis for the curriculum developed. The curriculum project also focuses on the use of Young Adult Literature as a means of intervention for striving secondary readers. The author created an annotated text set of Young Adult Literature that focuses on texts from …
The Effects Of The Image-Making Within The Writing Process On Kindergarten Writing, Samantha Dee Merrell
The Effects Of The Image-Making Within The Writing Process On Kindergarten Writing, Samantha Dee Merrell
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this capstone was how Image-Making within the Writing Process can affect kindergarten student’s writing. Students were surveyed prior to exposure to the Image-Making within the Writing Process about their feelings toward writing. They were asked the same survey questions after the Image-Making within the Writing Process was introduced and the results were analyzed. Students were also interviewed and observed throughout the process. The results of both were analyzed as well.
Using Critical-Thinking Strategies To Develop Academic Reading Skills Among Saudi Iep Students, Betsy Lindeman Wong
Using Critical-Thinking Strategies To Develop Academic Reading Skills Among Saudi Iep Students, Betsy Lindeman Wong
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
This capstone project researches the question, What should be included in a criticalthinking curricular resource guide to address Saudi IEP students’ difficulties with academic reading skills? The author reviews literature documenting the mismatch between the way reading is perceived and taught in Saudi Arabia versus the United States and describes the resulting challenges for Saudi IEP learners seeking to transition to American degree programs. These findings, along with researchers’ recommendations for incorporating critical-thinking strategies into academic reading and writing instruction, inform the design of the author’s curricular resource guide. The guide supports teachers by mapping out specific critical-thinking and reading …
Using A Functional Language Approach To Engage High School English Language Learners In Academic Language Arts Content, Robert Grant Schaller
Using A Functional Language Approach To Engage High School English Language Learners In Academic Language Arts Content, Robert Grant Schaller
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this capstone project was; how can a curriculum, rooted in the experiential metafunction of functional language analysis, be developed to help secondary English language learners gain academic language needed in a language arts classroom? It looks at the struggle high school ELLs face because of the academic language used in content classes. It also looks at the components of functional language analysis and how they can be used to teach the academic language needed for student success. The author utilized the work of Christie, F. (2012), Fang, Z., & Schleppegrell, M. J. (2008), and Martin, …