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 …

A Retelling Of An Ancient Indian Epic: The Ramayana, Supriya Himatsingka

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The goal of this thesis is to address the dearth of sub-continental Indian literature in mainstream North American materials for children. The work includes a retelling of sections of The Ramayana, with historical and cultural background, as well as current research on the significance of learning through stories. Transcription and discussion of responses from 4th grade students in a New York City public school are also included.

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 …

When Mom Or Dad Has A Mental Illness: General Information And Memories Of A Girl Whose Father Has Bi-Polar Disorder, Lisa RenéE Levesque

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This original material answers common questions that children in middle childhood (8-12 years) may have about parental mental illness. When Mom or Dad has a mental illness: General information and memories of a girl whose father has Bi-polar Disorder defines mental illness, addresses symptoms, causes and treatments, provides definitions of related terms, and shares personal stories about having a parent with mental illness. A review of current literature shows the lack of similar work, and the developmental theories of Piaget, Kohlberg, Gilligan, Erikson, and Vygotsky confirm the importance and validity of the project. The motivation behind this work is to …

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 …

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 School-Wide Project : Community, Experience And Values, Ilene Harris

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Describes a school-wide integrated curriculum project at Beit Rabban Day School for children ages three to 12 in New York City. The project centers around a five-day, 250 mile bike ride with Hazon (a New York based Jewish environmental group), and Arava Institute of Israel (a center for environmental studies). This paper focuses on the following: shared learning experiences, authentic experiential learning, community, and education rooted in values. Includes lesson plans and work samples.

My Whiteness: A Teacher's Efforts To Explore The Roots Of Her Own Racial Identity, Abigail Johnson

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This Independent study is an attempt to explore the roots of my own racial identity in order to become a culturally sensitive teacher. It is preparation for teaching in a classroom where most of the children will be from a different background than my own.