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Does The Mathematics Level Affect Student Success In High School Physics?, Kassandra Surma
Does The Mathematics Level Affect Student Success In High School Physics?, Kassandra Surma
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research question addressed in this study was: does the mathematics class level affect student success in high school physics? Topics explored in the literature review include the context of science course sequencing, the history of physics education in the United States, the disconnect between mathematics and physics in education, the mindsets of parents, students, and teachers about mathematics and science curriculum, and educational policies that affect state standards for curriculum, and graduation. Participants’ previous mathematics class level and success in their high school physics course were studied to find any correlation. To accomplish this, participants’ previous mathematics course and …
The Importance Of Social And Emotional Learning In The Classroom, Kayla Bilotta
The Importance Of Social And Emotional Learning In The Classroom, Kayla Bilotta
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Life changes on a daily basis and that includes the lives of students in the classrooms. Many students seem to be struggling with social and emotional skills that help them be successful in learning and in life. I created this capstone with the purpose of learning how the implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL) can benefit and impact students, with an end focus on students at the elementary school level. I created a professional development presentation for elementary educators that provided the same information I collected during my research stage. My project also includes an example of ten free-standing …
Easing The Transition From Middle School To High School For Long-Term English Learners, Lindsay Luczkowiak
Easing The Transition From Middle School To High School For Long-Term English Learners, Lindsay Luczkowiak
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project was, how do educational stakeholders help to create a successful transition from middle school to high school for our long-term English learners? The author of this capstone documented her personal experience as a middle school teacher of long-term English learners who inspired her to research strategies and methods to help support students in their transition from middle school to high school. The available research on transitioning students from middle school to high school merged with English learner theories and research created a framework for a curriculum unit for eighth grade long-term English learners. …
Embedding Phenomena-Based Learning Practices Into A Middle School Science Curriculum, Allison Kubat
Embedding Phenomena-Based Learning Practices Into A Middle School Science Curriculum, Allison Kubat
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The history of science education has seen dramatic changes since its formal introduction to school curriculum in the last half of the 1800s. Science has moved from a passive learning experience to much more active and student-driven pedagogy. In 2014, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were introduced and states have been adopting these since then. As a way to meet the demands of the NGSS, inquiry-based science lessons have been created. One branch of inquiry-based learning is using phenomena as a way to introduce new content and having students use prior knowledge and models to explain the science behind …
Using Student-Generated Questions To Promote Curiosity And Student Learning, Todd Larsen
Using Student-Generated Questions To Promote Curiosity And Student Learning, Todd Larsen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research has shown the power of curiosity in learning. Research has also shown how rare it is for students to ask their own questions. The gap between theory and practice prompted the research question addressed in this project: how might student-generated questions through the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) be used to boost student learning by promoting curiosity? The result of the question is a curriculum unit for an Advanced Placement Human Geography course that uses QFT to support students in creating essential questions, tracking their responses and creating a visual response to their own questions as a summative assessment. Additionally, …
What Methods And Models Can Be Used To Translate Science To Levels Developmentally Appropriate To Be Taught In Preschool In The State Of Massachusetts?, Donna Phillips
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project examines the changes in curriculum for early childhood education, specifically preschool aged children. In reviewing and learning about the history of preschool education and how its curriculum has evolved over time, this capstone project was developed to understand the question of, what are methods and models that can be used to translate science to levels developmentally appropriate to be taught in preschool in the state of Massachusetts? While preschool's curriculum main focus was in teaching fine and gross motor skills, research has shown that children as young as 3 years old are able to learn basic science, …
Writing In The Math Classroom In Order To Increase The Academic Proficiency In English Language Learners, Daniel Bahnaman
Writing In The Math Classroom In Order To Increase The Academic Proficiency In English Language Learners, Daniel Bahnaman
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
learners. These students specifically struggle with mathematics, as it relies heavily on specific academic language that is constantly being scaffolded. Research has shown that writing in the mathematics classroom can assist English language learners develop academic vocabulary and therefore increase proficiency. This capstone project focuses on the research question: How can writing in the math classroom increase the academic language and proficiency in a classroom of 80% English language learners? The project gives an introduction into implementing writing in the middle school math classroom by providing a one-week introduction to journaling, a two-week eighth-grade curriculum with added writing pieces, and …
Climate Literacy: Designing A Syllabus For A Graduate Level Climate Literacy Foundations Course, Jana Graczyk
Climate Literacy: Designing A Syllabus For A Graduate Level Climate Literacy Foundations Course, Jana Graczyk
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Climate change is a large and multifaceted topic, connected to science, social studies, economics, politics, and more. It cannot simply be approached through one single lens. Climate literacy acknowledges the interdisciplinary nature of climate change by addressing the scientific process of climate change, the human influence on climate, and the influence of climate on society as well as helping develop pro-environmental behaviors. The syllabus designed for this project focuses on teaching climate literacy to graduate-level students. The approach is based on research about general academic motivation, as well as motivation for pro-environmental behavior. The course involves building strong relationships, creating …
Designing A Discussion-Based Social Studies Curriculum, Sara Schmidt-Kost
Designing A Discussion-Based Social Studies Curriculum, Sara Schmidt-Kost
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Implementing classroom discussions in social studies can be a valuable tool for teachers to increase student engagement, critical thinking skills, and writing skills. Classroom discussions in social studies also help students with historical thinking skills, selecting and evaluating evidence, and crafting arguments. Discussion can be in the form of partner, small group, or whole class discussions. This capstone is a discussion-based curriculum that utilizes many modes of discussion in a five-unit human geography curriculum with the goal to answer the question, How can various forms of student discussion before a writing assignment impact the quality of students’ written work in …
Designing Curriculum For Emerging English Learners: Using Science Themes To Teach Productive Academic Language In A High School El Classroom, Cassandra Chandler
Designing Curriculum For Emerging English Learners: Using Science Themes To Teach Productive Academic Language In A High School El Classroom, Cassandra Chandler
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
English Language (EL) teachers often do not have a rigorous curriculum for Emerging students that uses grade-level themes to teach English language acquisition. Additionally, many of the commercially-available English language instructional materials do not have a strong focus on teaching academic speaking. At the same time, writing also continues to be an area of challenge for many ELs. This capstone project addressed the question: How can a science-themed curriculum be designed for Emerging-level high school English learners that focuses on teaching productive academic language? The literature reviewed showed that instruction in academic speaking and writing is incredibly important for ELs. …
Inquiry-Based Learning And Growth Mindset In Third Grade Mathematics, Katherine Klein
Inquiry-Based Learning And Growth Mindset In Third Grade Mathematics, Katherine Klein
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question investigated in this project was: How can inquiry-based learning in Elementary mathematics help create a growth mindset? The negative experiences with learning and teaching mathematics led her to research teaching strategies to help students and teachers have a growth mindset in the math classroom. The research showed how inquiry-based learning can be successful in math classrooms, and have an impact on student’s math mindsets. It also showed that teachers have an impact on students' growth versus fixed mindsets, therefore it is important to teach in ways that help students have a positive relationship with math. The author …
Teaching Social Emotional Skills Through Literacy, Melody Sandell
Teaching Social Emotional Skills Through Literacy, Melody Sandell
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Social and emotional skills are critical to students’ success in school and it is imperative that educators have effective tools and strategies to teach these skills. Social and emotional skills can be taught through an integrated interdisciplinary curriculum where students’ needs are met academically, emotionally, and socially – teaching the whole child. This capstone project creates an integrated social emotional learning curriculum with English language arts curriculum where learning targets encompass both areas of focus thus answering the research question, How can teachers effectively teach Social Emotional Learning skills through literacy in the primary grades ? Research concludes that combining …
Effectively Teaching Reading And Social Studies That Students Will Meaningfully Connect To Their Lives And Experiences, Daniel Zielske
Effectively Teaching Reading And Social Studies That Students Will Meaningfully Connect To Their Lives And Experiences, Daniel Zielske
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research studies have shown that students reading culturally relevant literature have increased reading comprehension and fluency, experienced affirmation of their identity and an increased understanding of other cultures, and increased reading engagement (Ladson-Billings, 1995; Ebe, 2010; Feger, 2006; Freeman, Y. & Freeman, D., 2004; Clark and Fleming, 2019 ). Bringing culturally responsive competent teaching into literacy and social studies by using culturally relevant texts will allow students to connect these texts to their own lives and experiences. Looking at the social studies textbook used in my school district, I felt it was ineffective in helping to connect students to history …
Increasing Student Engagement And Success In Reading: A Reading Workshop Unit For Grade 7 Ela, Megan Wilson
Increasing Student Engagement And Success In Reading: A Reading Workshop Unit For Grade 7 Ela, Megan Wilson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The goal of this capstone project was to design and implement a digital reading workshop unit that is based on the Investigating Characterization: Author-Study Book Clubs (Calkins, Ehrenworth, & Wischow, 2018). This project sought to answer the question Can student-selected texts and the use of a reading workshop model improve student reading engagement and success? My early teaching experiences inspired me to consider whether or not traditional reading instruction methods were resulting in student reading engagement and success. The research studied in this capstone revealed that increasing student engagement in reading is highly reliant upon building student motivation, including student …
Best Instructional Practices For High School Slife: A Narrative Curriculum For A Sheltered El Class, Sarah Jorgenson
Best Instructional Practices For High School Slife: A Narrative Curriculum For A Sheltered El Class, Sarah Jorgenson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
the growing population of English Language Learners (ELLs). One subset of ELLs are students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). These students have primarily been educated through informal education, come from collectivist cultures, and have more experience with oral language versus written language. SLIFE have different needs than formally educated ELLs and instructional practices need to be altered to meet them. This capstone provides a narrative curriculum to answer the research question, What are the best instructional practices for high school SLIFE? Research concludes that the best practices for SLIFE include basic literacy instruction, strong student-teacher relationships, modeling of …
Social-Emotional Learning Integration Into Language Arts Classrooms, Claire Johnas
Social-Emotional Learning Integration Into Language Arts Classrooms, Claire Johnas
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Growing up is hard. Not many people are interested in reliving their adolescent years. One way that school professionals can support students during adolescence is through meeting their social and emotional needs so that they may be successful academically. This led to the question, How can social-emotional learning be authentically integrated into the middle school language arts classroom? To assist in answering this question, expert research was explored and examined around six topics— teacher preparation and professional development, use of social-emotional learning in middle schools and in English- language arts classrooms, other various social-emotional activities, assessments, and parent involvement and …
Addressing Issues Surrounding Food Insecurity And Promote Environmentalism In Urban Settings Using Community Gardens, Tucker Jensen
Addressing Issues Surrounding Food Insecurity And Promote Environmentalism In Urban Settings Using Community Gardens, Tucker Jensen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project reviews the effect community gardens have on the low-income, urban population. After reviewing the history of racism in America, disproportionalities of food insecurity, how poverty correlates to health, and various environmental impacts specific to urban communities, this project was an effort to expand on that research and provide a solution. Food deserts exist in many of today’s American cities, which lead to food insecurity and negative health outcomes. A community garden is a low-cost, effective way to obtain healthy food and simultaneously benefit the environment. This five-day unit of study takes place at an established community garden. …
Improving Writing Skills Through The Use Of Morning Work In The Second-Grade Classroom, Catherine Nelson-Dittmann
Improving Writing Skills Through The Use Of Morning Work In The Second-Grade Classroom, Catherine Nelson-Dittmann
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
In an effort to impact second-grade student writing, the vehicle of morning work was utilized as a pre-existing opportunity to incorporate research-based best practices in writing. To frame this project, the capstone question was asked, “How can morning work be used to improve second-grade student writing skills?” This capstone set out to identify the practices that would yield the best results in a small amount of time and found that authentic, contextual writing experiences would support this goal. While explicit skill instruction is important, authentic writing experiences allow students to, not only practice writing, but also understand and use grammar, …
Finding A Place In Learning: Facilitating Place-Based Writing In The Secondary Classroom, Ella Rausch
Finding A Place In Learning: Facilitating Place-Based Writing In The Secondary Classroom, Ella Rausch
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
How can teachers facilitate place-based writing that improves the writing and research skills of high school students? This project contains a facilitation guide for an expeditionary experience that utilizes place-based writing for secondary students. Research has shown the significant benefits of this learning model for high school students and its far reaching effects beyond writing skills. Project-based learning is used as the foundation for the guide, emphasizing cross-curricular learning experiences and student voice and choice to provide authentic learning experiences. The guide is designed to support teachers as they lead students through individual projects related to a place they visit …
A Framework For Pre-Laboratory Instructional Design To Support Student Inquiry In High School Chemistry, Naomi Golden
A Framework For Pre-Laboratory Instructional Design To Support Student Inquiry In High School Chemistry, Naomi Golden
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
High school chemistry laboratory experiments offer a context-rich environment for learning chemistry. However, the complexity of the lab environment can also complicate the learning experience. This capstone explores the question: How can a pre-laboratory instructional framework help high school chemistry students independently design experiment procedures in order to transform inquiry experiments into an effective tool for content learning? The literature review explores how four instructional approaches (science writing heuristic, writing-to-learn strategies, pre-laboratory instruction, and demonstrations) impact learning outcomes. Using that research as a foundation, the capstone proposes an instructional framework utilizing a teacher-led demonstration to engage prior knowledge and teach …
Teaching And Learning About Linguistic Landscapes In Schools: A Student-Involved Research And Analysis Curriculum For English Language Learners In Middle School, Suzanne Regina Buresh Bullock
Teaching And Learning About Linguistic Landscapes In Schools: A Student-Involved Research And Analysis Curriculum For English Language Learners In Middle School, Suzanne Regina Buresh Bullock
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
We are surrounded by many forms of language every day. This capstone project addresses the research question: how can students learn to research and think critically about the linguistic landscape in and around their school and come up with ideas to create changes in the linguistic landscape of their school? The linguistic landscape (LL) of a neighborhood, of a village, or of an entire city is what we see when we interact with the world: this includes signage such as billboards, signs, advertisements, even the menu scrawled on a chalkboard at the local coffee shop. The languages that are present …
Creating A Theatre Curriculum For Diverse Upper Elementary Students, Sara Feinberg
Creating A Theatre Curriculum For Diverse Upper Elementary Students, Sara Feinberg
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This project was created to answer the question how can a theatre curriculum be created for diverse upper elementary students? The paper follows one teacher’s personal journey toward confronting systemic racism and bias in elementary schools today. Through a new world view, the author addresses the physical and cognitive makeup of the upper elementary student and dissects factors that prevent students of color from academic achievement in drama classes and beyond, such as race, income, immigrant status, trauma, and resistant learners. The author then details how a culturally responsive theatre curriculum will help students of color develop their cultural identities …
Benefits Of Using Play-Based Learning In A Kindergarten Classroom, Courtney Kjoberg
Benefits Of Using Play-Based Learning In A Kindergarten Classroom, Courtney Kjoberg
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project titled, Benefits of Using Play-Based Learning in a Kindergarten Classroom, covers research from Vygotsky, Montessori, and Gardner, as well as a comparison of learning in kindergarten aged classrooms around the world. Research from several theorists and other countries have shown that play-based learning is a developmentally appropriate way to teach the academic standards to kindergarten students. Different models of learning, child-initiated and teacher directed, are examined. Benefits for students, who were engaged in this type of learning, were found in the areas of reading, math, and social-emotional. A play-based, teacher-directed, multiple intelligences curriculum was developed to help …
Helping Secondary El Students Become More Effective Writers, Chanda Mulligan
Helping Secondary El Students Become More Effective Writers, Chanda Mulligan
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Mulligan, C. Helping Secondary EL Students Become More Effective Writers (2020) Secondary EL students do not consistently have access to equitable writing instruction. Students should expect that teachers are delivering writing instruction that will enable them to write successfully for academic and professional purposes. This capstone sought to answer the question: How can teachers of EL learners ensure that students utilize their entire linguistic repertoire to access the linguistic structures they need in order to communicate effectively for academic tasks? The following themes emerged in the literature reviewed: academic language and systemic functional linguistics, writing and grammar instruction for ELs, …
Early Childhood Education In Ethiopia: A Case Study With Implications For Ethiopian Immigrants, Fadila Adam
Early Childhood Education In Ethiopia: A Case Study With Implications For Ethiopian Immigrants, Fadila Adam
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The research study analyzed early childhood education in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to find out about early childhood education in Ethiopia in order to effectively support Ethiopian families in St. Paul, Minnesota. The following are the research guiding questions: 1) What are the early childhood teaching methodologies being used in the Ethiopian education system? 2) What are the teachers’ qualifications in Ethiopian early childhood education? 3) What are teachers’ perceptions of early childhood education in Ethiopia? Studies from the Center on the Developing Child found that learning in early childhood sets the foundation for future learning and …
Redefining Maine: Grade 3 Maine Studies Curricular Unit, Margaret Hutchison
Redefining Maine: Grade 3 Maine Studies Curricular Unit, Margaret Hutchison
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Social Studies is considered an essential element of American public education as an academic discipline that cultivates essential knowledge and skills for meaningful participation in democratic society but has become marginalized in recent decades at the elementary level. The current-day state of Maine passed LD291 in 2001 to require K-12 teachers to include Maine Native Americans in all Social Studies instruction. The full implementation of this vision has not yet been achieved due to various barriers and limitations. Yet this work is more critical than ever in current-day Maine, the Whitest state in the nation and a place where the …
How Can Citizen Science Be Used Effectively Within Environmental Education In Order To Foster Environmental Change?, Michelle Sagers
How Can Citizen Science Be Used Effectively Within Environmental Education In Order To Foster Environmental Change?, Michelle Sagers
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Citizen Science, the crowdsourcing of scientific data collection, is becoming a valuable education tool for environmental educators and classroom teachers. Citizen Science has the capacity to teach students STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math) and inquiry-based learning skills in a real-life setting, close to home, that matters to them personally. It provides participants with the skills to face future environmental problems and become civically engaged on environmental topics. This capstone project focuses on creating an education curriculum utilizing Citizen Science to answer the question: how can Citizen Science be used effectively within environmental education in order to foster environmental change? …
Scaffolding Oral Language For Elementary English Learners In Content Classrooms, Jamie Bushey
Scaffolding Oral Language For Elementary English Learners In Content Classrooms, Jamie Bushey
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This project addresses the question: What strategies could be provided to content and English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers to help scaffold oral language use for English Learners in the elementary content classroom? This project was born from the author’s experience as a language teacher and the need to provide language supports for her students in content classes such as science and social studies. Literature regarding second language acquisition, science education, and oral language supports were consulted in the development of this project. A portfolio of resources to support oral language development was created, which includes an example science …
Implementing Student-Centered Learning Strategies For Multilingual Learners Through A Social Justice Lens, Erik Reynolds
Implementing Student-Centered Learning Strategies For Multilingual Learners Through A Social Justice Lens, Erik Reynolds
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This project answers the question, How can we create an equitable student-centered environment through project and problem based learning? The research focuses on student centered learning, specifically project and problem based instruction, while creating an equitable learning environment, along with supporting learnings through differentiated instruction. The project creates a curriculum for a 7th grade Social Studies unit of study of the Foundations of Systems of Power in the United States from 1787 - 1800. Application of this curriculum is a tool that teachers can use to create a safe and equitable learning environment for all of their students.
Play-Based Curriculum During Literacy Instruction In Kindergarten, Kayla Mertes
Play-Based Curriculum During Literacy Instruction In Kindergarten, Kayla Mertes
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research has shown that play-based learning can be beneficial on students' academic and social growth when incorporated into a classroom. The curriculum designed for this project is designed using Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding By Design framework (UbD) to create a play-based learning curriculum for literacy instruction in a kindergarten classroom. Research has shown that when incorporating play-based learning in a classroom environment it is developmentally appropriate for students. This project is a week long made up of 5 individual literacy lessons that are play-based and can be used in a kindergarten classroom. The goal of this project is to give …