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Reading Through Music: A Unit Of Study Designed For Secondary English Language Arts Students, Sean Adams
Reading Through Music: A Unit Of Study Designed For Secondary English Language Arts Students, Sean Adams
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research has shown that music can positively impact brain function, improving areas such as memory, attention, and language skills, which are critical for reading comprehension. This capstone explores the intersection of music and literacy, attempting to answer the following question: How can music inspire reading while enhancing reading comprehension and memory retention of the content for secondary students? In the curriculum designed for this project, students engage in a dynamic learning process integrating singing, piano practice, digital music creation using GarageBand, and reading poetry and a short story to promote robust comprehension and retention of content. The unit plan spans …
Providing Heritage-Based Social And Emotional Learning Opportunities For Middle Grade Latina Students, Brianna Bjorge
Providing Heritage-Based Social And Emotional Learning Opportunities For Middle Grade Latina Students, Brianna Bjorge
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
All students deserve opportunities that help them feel safe and connected to their school environment. For my capstone, I designed a culturally responsive extracurricular program designed for Latina immigrant-origin middle school students, focusing on heritage-based learning and gaining social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies. My capstone project sought to answer the question: “How can Latina immigrant-origin middle school students benefit from a culturally responsive extracurricular program that revolves around the explicit instruction of SEL skills?” In response to this question, I have designed an after-school curriculum that integrates heritage-based elements to address and support the distinct social and emotional needs …
Climate Change Education For Student Agency, Katie Kirschbaum
Climate Change Education For Student Agency, Katie Kirschbaum
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
While there is no single solution to climate change, climate change education has been identified as a key component. This capstone paper and the unit plan developed for this capstone project seek to answer the research question: How can a biology curriculum that incorporates climate change science, impacts, and solutions foster a global citizenship mindset and pro-environmental behaviors in high school students? The literature review covers dimensions of global citizenship, defines climate change education, identifies what influences pro-environmental behavior, and discusses adolescent development as it relates to pro-environmental behavior. The resulting ten-lesson unit plan is designed for high school teachers …
Problem Based Learning And Improved Student Engagement, Equity And Learning Outcomes In High School Social Studies, Nicholas Misenor
Problem Based Learning And Improved Student Engagement, Equity And Learning Outcomes In High School Social Studies, Nicholas Misenor
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research shows that a curriculum with a focus on Problem Based Learning (PBL) can improve student engagement, provide classroom equity and achieve positive learning outcomes to high school students. The core instructional tenets of PBL include student choice, inquiry, and collaborative learning that are key elements in improving motivation, higher order and critical thinking. PBL encourages students to engage in their learning, ask deeper questions, and reflect on the process fostering important metacognitive skills. Assessments in a PBL format are built to gauge student understanding and are used as an analytical tool to close gaps in learning while allowing students …
Using Zombie Literature To Build Skills In Responding To Real Events For High School Students, Sarah Olson
Using Zombie Literature To Build Skills In Responding To Real Events For High School Students, Sarah Olson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This project seeks to enhance student engagement in English language arts through zombie literature, bridging fiction and reality by exploring the question How can zombie literature be used in high school language arts curriculum to discuss and process real-world issues and events? It examines research on fiction's societal impact and horror's ability to boost student interest. The curriculum, adaptable for all high school levels, guides students in connecting fictional narratives to real-life experiences. By exploring the intersection of zombies, literature, and society, the project aims to create a more engaging and relatable learning experience for students.
Creating Culturally Responsive Curriculum For A Special Education Classroom In A Mostly White School, Linda Wozniak
Creating Culturally Responsive Curriculum For A Special Education Classroom In A Mostly White School, Linda Wozniak
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This study explores the impact of creating a culturally responsive curriculum for a special education classroom in a mostly White school on students' social emotional learning. Research was conducted of scholarly articles related to the impact of culturally responsive pedagogy in special education and general education classrooms. The impact of a culturally responsive classroom was compared to the historical nature of the American classroom and evidence has proven that students who are exposed to a curriculum that allows all students to find a connection with the materials do better not only academically, but socially-emotionally as well. The curriculum created for …
An Examination Of The Effects Of Mindfulness Practices On Self-Regulation And Social-Emotional Skills Among Students In The Early Elementary Grades, Erica Sederstrom
An Examination Of The Effects Of Mindfulness Practices On Self-Regulation And Social-Emotional Skills Among Students In The Early Elementary Grades, Erica Sederstrom
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this study was: What are the effects of mindfulness practices on students' self-regulation and social-emotional skills in early elementary grades? The literature topics that were researched and analyzed included the benefits and challenges of mindfulness practices, main categories of mindfulness practices, and steps to implementation in school settings. The five-week mindfulness curriculum I designed for this project includes mindful breathing, movement, and listening activities that can be implemented in kindergarten through second-grade classrooms. The curriculum comprises 25 lessons with discussion prompts and writing responses, a printable parent letter, and pre/post assessments. The lessons are designed …
Increasing Diversity In Advanced Placement Classrooms Through Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Megan Volgren
Increasing Diversity In Advanced Placement Classrooms Through Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Megan Volgren
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This thesis has been designed around the question: How can AP literature teachers use culturally relevant pedagogy to make changes to their curriculum to increase diversity in their classes? Most schools offer advanced classes for students, many of which offer opportunities for them to gain college credit while in school. Yet, these opportunities are not equitably distributed. Students of color are often absent from Advanced Placement (AP) classes. This thesis explores the reasons behind this inequality and considers some changes that can be made to promote equality in schools. The focus of the accompanying project is to create a unit …
Teaching American History In Multicultural Classrooms, Vinita Kartha
Teaching American History In Multicultural Classrooms, Vinita Kartha
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project explores the challenges and strategies involved in teaching American history within multicultural classrooms, focusing on creating a curriculum that addresses the diverse experiences of Black and Indigenous peoples before and after colonization. The project aims to develop a Grade 5 curriculum that highlights the complexity and richness of Black and Indigenous civilizations, offering a more nuanced understanding of history. The curriculum, based on the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework, spans seven days and covers three main strands: the pre-colonization civilizations of Black and Indigenous peoples, the impact of colonization, and the history of British settlers. The project …
Netiquette For Upper Elementary Multilingual Learners: A Curriculum Resource, Denise Price
Netiquette For Upper Elementary Multilingual Learners: A Curriculum Resource, Denise Price
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone paper explores the research question: When teaching computer-mediated communication (CMC) skills to upper elementary students, how can teachers include politeness (netiquette) instruction tailored to meet the needs of multilingual learners (MLs)? After reflecting on her own previous difficulties trying to learn the netiquette rules of another language, the author conducted a literature review that revealed an important gap: despite the increasing prevalence of CMC at the elementary level, little research currently exists on how best to teach netiquette skills to this age group. In the accompanying project, the author wove together ideas from traditional linguistic theories about polite …
Building Skills For Success: An Esol Job Readiness Curriculum For Adult Ukrainian Refugees, Shannon Daniels
Building Skills For Success: An Esol Job Readiness Curriculum For Adult Ukrainian Refugees, Shannon Daniels
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The growing number of Ukrainian refugees in North America has highlighted the need for English language learning resources focusing on employment content. This capstone project aims to fulfill this requirement by developing an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) curriculum on practical employment skills and communication. The curriculum considers the importance of cultural identity and the impact of trauma on the learner. It is based on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) principles and Task-Based Learning (TBL). It is intended to assist refugees in making meaningful contributions to their families and communities through work. The curriculum emphasizes communication strategies relevant to …
The Connection Between Depth And Complexity And Culturally Relevant Teaching, Aisling Schlosser
The Connection Between Depth And Complexity And Culturally Relevant Teaching, Aisling Schlosser
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This paper is the documentation of an educational coach’s journey to find the most effective small group instructional practices for teaching phonemic awareness and phonics to kindergarten and first grade students. The need to share this research led to the development of four professional development sessions for effective instruction of phonemic awareness and phonics instruction specifically created for teachers of kindergarten and first grade students. The Capstone project began by answering the question, How do kindergarten-first grade teachers use best practices in phonemic awareness and phonics to develop effective small group reading instruction that will increase students reading proficiency? The …
Engaging Social Studies Student Through A Culturally Relevant Student Centered Lesson Plan, Chee Kue Lee
Engaging Social Studies Student Through A Culturally Relevant Student Centered Lesson Plan, Chee Kue Lee
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Student learning and engagement with curriculum has greatly decreased as schools transition back from online education to in person instruction. The COVID-19 global pandemic, increased use of technology, and personal electronic devices are all contributors to student disengagement, however research has shown that student centered approaches and culturally relevant approaches to teaching can positively impact student engagement. Investigating the research question: How can understanding and implementing students’ cultural narratives and identities impact student engagement in the classroom?, this capstone project reviews four themes through its literature review: culturally relevant teaching (CRT), student motivation, student diversity in education, and student …
Egan-Inspired Year-Long Lid Project For An Ela Secondary Classroom, William Hoiseth
Egan-Inspired Year-Long Lid Project For An Ela Secondary Classroom, William Hoiseth
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project is a curricular exploration of the educational philosophy of Kieran Egan. Egan's LiD project proposes a student learning project centered on his theory of the development of understanding which posits children as mimicking the process through which society has used language tools in order to develop new forms of thought. The author drew on descriptions of LiD projects to meet a desire to make education a more engaging and natural process. The research question "In what ways can teacher instruction support Learning in Depth in a secondary English and Language Arts classroom?" uses LiD as the magnifying …
Service Learning In The Secondary Classroom, Kristine Putz
Service Learning In The Secondary Classroom, Kristine Putz
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project is entitled “Service Learning in the Secondary Classroom” and explores the question: How can service learning be integrated into high school units to strengthen the connection between the classroom and the community and to make instruction more relevant? This question is answered through the creation of a six to seven week length unit that integrates service learning into a research and writing unit within an upper-level writing course. Specifically, this project is intended for students taking a concurrent enrollment course at their high school through a local community college partnership. Key influences in the creation of this …
Student-Driven Oral Reading Fluency Curriculum, Emily Olson
Student-Driven Oral Reading Fluency Curriculum, Emily Olson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
In recent years, the United States has seen a decline in literacy rates which was made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. This decline has reaching effects on all learners, but most intervention work is done at the elementary level leaving middle and high school struggling readers vulnerable to long term consequences. This capstone project’s creation was driven by the question in what ways might a student driven oral reading fluency (ORF) progress monitoring curriculum support student engagement, reading fluency, and reading comprehension for secondary learners? Oral Reading Fluency is the ability to read texts aloud with accuracy, in a smooth …
The Impact Of Teacher-Led Read Alouds On Middle School Students’ Reading Comprehension And Literacy Skills, Lauren Moberg
The Impact Of Teacher-Led Read Alouds On Middle School Students’ Reading Comprehension And Literacy Skills, Lauren Moberg
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone curriculum project seeks to answer the question: How will middle school students' literacy and reading comprehension be impacted when using the intervention of read alouds? Current research shows that the instructional practice of read alouds encourages students’ reading comprehension, literacy skills, and fosters a love of reading. Based on the resources found in the current literature, this unit was designed as a novel study of Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein that regularly applies read alouds into the curriculum. These lessons provide students with opportunities to apply their learning and includes assessments for teachers to measure comprehension. This unit could be …
Trauma And Executive Function: Discovering And Developing Academic Motivation Interventions For Adolescents In Residential Mental Health Treatment, Jamie Jensen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project is a curriculum for adolescents in mental health treatment to address the impact of trauma on academic performance and determine interventions for the development of executive function (EF) skills, including metacognition, perseverance, planning, and organization. The project's central question explored how teaching these skills alongside academic standards can impact self-efficacy and academic performance. The project examined trauma's impact on EF and academics, emphasizing EF's role in academic success. Trauma can hinder EF development, affecting working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility critical for goal-oriented tasks. The project explored how academic motivation, influenced by mindset and resilience, drives …
A Ninth Grade English Language Arts Supplemental Curriculum That Integrates Language And Content Instruction For English Language Learners Using A Co-Taught Model, Hanna Brown
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this capstone project is: How can ninth grade English Language Arts curriculum be designed to integrate language and content instruction to support academic English proficiency for English Learners using a co-teaching model? The paper provides an in-depth literature review on both academic language development and co-teaching. Topics of this paper are: long-term English language learners (LTELs) in the mainstream, academic and language standards, content instructional models for secondary English language learners which includes co-teaching practices and building academic language. Following this paper, a supplemental curriculum for ninth grade English language arts was created in order …
The Disappearing Of The Hmong Language, Choua Yang
The Disappearing Of The Hmong Language, Choua Yang
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Within my personal and professional experience, I have observed that the Hmong oral language has declined since the Hmong people arrived in the United States. Over the past 50 years in the United States, there have been growing concerns regarding the decline in usage of the Hmong language within Hmong children. In my personal experience, my children who are second generation Hmong, only the five older children are bilingual while my three younger children only speak English. As for my seven grandchildren, who are third generation Hmong, they only speak English. They do not understand nor speak the Hmong language. …
On-Ramps For Refugees: A Workplace Safety Iet Curriculum For Low-Proficiency English Learners, Annamarie Hansen
On-Ramps For Refugees: A Workplace Safety Iet Curriculum For Low-Proficiency English Learners, Annamarie Hansen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project aims to address the question: “How can current career pathway programs be expanded to create more “on-ramps” for Refugee ELL students at lower English proficiency levels? What role can community-based organizations take in creating “on-ramps”? This paper was inspired by the teacher’s professional experiences working with refugees with lower-level English proficiency seeking to re-enter their chosen career fields. The paper provides an overview of the literature with a specific focus on Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL), the Career Pathway model, Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs, and the need for “on-ramps” to create additional points …
Creating First Grade Math Learning Materials In The Chinese Immersion Learning Environment, Huishu Jia
Creating First Grade Math Learning Materials In The Chinese Immersion Learning Environment, Huishu Jia
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Math is everywhere in people’s daily lives. It is also a universal subject taught everywhere. Research has demonstrated that math education includes many different components, the most essential mathematical skill for younger learners is to establish their number sense. Students’ math fluency will increase and will develop their math automaticity once they have strong number sense. According to studies, the Mandarin Chinese language helps students effectively master basic mathematical skills due to the uniqueness of the language, such as the pronunciation of each Chinese character, the “base ten” number system, etc. The project involved creating a pacing chart that aligns …
Role Playing Gamification In The Science Classroom, Timothy Normandt
Role Playing Gamification In The Science Classroom, Timothy Normandt
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Invented in 1972, Dungeons & Dragons was a brand new way to play games—utilizing the strongest computer humans have ever conceived: the human brain. This project strives to categorize some of the techniques used in the classroom as role playing in their own right. The purpose of all gamification, role playing and SEL, and the satanic panic that came out against Dungeons & Dragons are looked at. This paper additionally looks at some examples of role playing in the classroom that have succeeded at a small charter school in Minneapolis. These findings underscore the equity achieved by allowing for student …
An Effective Small Group Reading Intervention Scope And Sequence For Students In Grades Three To Five, Caitlin Phan
An Effective Small Group Reading Intervention Scope And Sequence For Students In Grades Three To Five, Caitlin Phan
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The guiding question of this project is: What is the most effective scope and sequence for a reading academic support curriculum designed for small groups of students in grades three to five? The purpose of the project is to address the critical need for a well-defined scope and sequence for reading academic support teachers. Research that influenced the written scope and sequence includes reading intervention history, elementary students, struggling readers, types of approaches to teaching reading, and three schools of thought regarding teaching reading (Fountas and Pinnell, Orton-Gillingham, and Science of Reading). Integrating this research, the scope and sequence project …
Implementing Inquiry In A High School Economics Course, Nathan Prince
Implementing Inquiry In A High School Economics Course, Nathan Prince
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Inquiry-based learning (IBL) allows students a more authentic learning experience by providing them the opportunity to question, explore, investigate, analyze, draw conclusions and create. In contrast, traditional didactic teaching methods often hinder students' deeper comprehension and disenfranchise students from institutional education as a whole. This paper advocates for the integration of IBL methodologies within high school economics education by exploring the question, how can high school seniors use inquiry-based learning in economics? IBL's cognitive advantages, including heightened student involvement, critical thinking enhancement, and improved problem-solving skills, are explored in this paper. By encouraging active questioning, collaborative investigations, and exploration, IBL …
Critical Literacy And Independent Learning Routines With Opportunity Youth, Natalie Seger
Critical Literacy And Independent Learning Routines With Opportunity Youth, Natalie Seger
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The nation’s population of opportunity youth, those aged 16–24 and disconnected from school and work, has increased since the pandemic. Many of these young people lack a high school diploma or GED. Due to past school experiences, many opportunity youth have not had the same instruction and time necessary to develop their literacy skills when compared to peers with uninterrupted education. This project addresses the research question: How can a high school equivalency curriculum based in critical literacy and independent learning strategies engage opportunity youth and empower them as self-directed learners? Building a classroom curriculum utilizing critical literacy and developing …
Elevating Student Voices Through Rigorous Academic Discussion: A Unit Of Study For The Middle School English Language Arts Classroom, Emily O’Brien
Elevating Student Voices Through Rigorous Academic Discussion: A Unit Of Study For The Middle School English Language Arts Classroom, Emily O’Brien
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Although speaking and listening skills are included in the Common Core State Standards, they are often underemphasized in English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms and across disciplines. Research shows the benefits of cooperative and discussion-based learning for students, yet students are often not provided with the instruction and practice necessary for success in these areas. Especially in middle school, students thrive when given opportunities to connect with others. This project, a unit of study designed for a middle school ELA classroom, was designed to provide students with the academic discussion tools necessary to deepen literacy skills. Written through a culturally responsive …
Utilizing Classical Literature In Kindergarten Classrooms: A Tool For Developing Social Emotional Skills And Reading Comprehension, Madeline Steinhoff
Utilizing Classical Literature In Kindergarten Classrooms: A Tool For Developing Social Emotional Skills And Reading Comprehension, Madeline Steinhoff
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project seeks to answer the question, How can educators use pedagogical storytelling with classical literature to address the social-emotional needs of their students while also increasing reading comprehension in early years? For the purposes of this research, classical literature is defined mainly as fables, folk stories and fairy tales. In answering my research question, I explore the research that underpins the history of pedagogical storytelling, classical literature, best practices in reading comprehension and academic language instruction, and the foundations of social emotional learning. This Capstone Project includes a two week, ten lesson literature unit that weaves together these …
The Ethnic Studies Curriculum: A Student-Centered Approach At The High School Level, Erin Wentzel
The Ethnic Studies Curriculum: A Student-Centered Approach At The High School Level, Erin Wentzel
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Public schools in the United States maintain a position in the spotlight as the debate over what should or should not be taught in public schools swirls amongst headlines and soundbites throughout the media. While some states seek to limit and contain what can be taught, other states and cities seek to expand social studies content in order to incorporate the diverse histories and stories not traditionally taught in the eurocentric, heteronormative system of United States public education. One way such expansion takes place is through the implementation of Ethnic Studies courses. As teachers take on Ethnic Studies for the …
Effectiveness Of Integrating Technology For Improving The Post-Secondary Skills Of Students With A Graphic Novel Based Curriculum, Dana Rosbacka
Effectiveness Of Integrating Technology For Improving The Post-Secondary Skills Of Students With A Graphic Novel Based Curriculum, Dana Rosbacka
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this study was: how can high school teachers design a unit plan, centered around a graphic novel that effectively integrates the teaching of technology skills which students can apply in their post-secondary experiences? Topics explored in the literature review include what student burnout is, in addition to student attention spans. Alongside those, it looks into the best practices of utilizing technology, teaching technology as a skill, and teaching graphic novels. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on the Understanding by Design (Ubd) framework from Wiggins and McTighe (2011) and uses backward design to craft …