Elementary Education Commons^™

"Kids Create" : The Development Of An Out-Of-School Program For Creative, Empowered Exploration In Hudson, New York, Bonnie Scott Jones

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Describes the design and implementation of an out-of-school program that the author developed and facilitated in Hudson, New York. The program, "Kids Create," provides elementary school-aged children with opportunities for creative, empowered exploration through project-based "design and build" workshops.

The Implementation And Modification Of Three 4th Grade Social Studies Content Lessons For English Language Learners And Students With Disabilities, Benelly Peralta

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The focus of this investigation was to take three general social studies content lessons created for a general education classroom and modify them for the particular needs of students with disabilities and English language learners.

Understanding Our Families : A Curriculum For Six-Year-Olds, Sarah Boltz

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Presents a social studies curriculum on families designed for six-year-olds in a New York City charter school. The author designed this curriculum using the "Modified Understanding by Design" format. This format requires the curriculum designer to structure the entire curriculum around a few carefully chosen learning standards. The two standards serving as the basis of this curriculum were selected from the New York State social studies standards for first grade.

12 Museum Theorists At Play, Marian Howard, Lauren Appel, Nicole Ferrin, David Vining, Katherine Hillman, Marissa Corwin, Berry Stein, Nicole Keller, William Elliston, David Bowles, Tiffany Reedy, Kathryn Eliza Harris, Liat Olenick

All Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

Introduction by Lauren Appel
1. Learning by Do-weyan, by Marian Howard, with Nicole Ferrin
2: Dewey Defines Himself and Education, by David Vining
3. Benjamin Ives Gilman: Arts in People’s Lives, by Katherine Hillman
4. John Cotton Dana: The Social Construction of Museums, by Marissa Corwin
5. Piaget in the Art Museum: Constructing Knowledge Through Active Engagement, by Berry Stein
6. Lev Vygotsky: The Social Aspects of Learning, by Nicole Keller
7. Paulo Freire: Literacy, Democracy, and Context, by Nicole Keller
8. Maxine Greene: Aesthetic Education, by Lauren Appel
9. Howard Gardner and Multiple Intelligence Theory: A Practical Application of …

Where The Wild Things Are And Why They Will Endure: An Analysis Of The Longevity Of Maurice Sendak's Work, Ana Appel

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study looks to explain why Maurice Sendak's works have achieved a place in the classic cannon of children's literature. It starts by discussing children's literary theory and looks at the era of children's literature within which Sendak wrote, his illustrations, and his writing. The study then looks at psychoanalytic themes in his work. It analyzes the use of the conscious, unconscious, id, and ego. It further describes the use of archetypes of the collective unconscious in Sendak's work and why this connects to many readers. Then, the study describes bibliotherapy, books as therapeutic aids, and discusses how Sendak's books …

Lessons Of Place : A Critical Look At Place-Based Education, Karen L. Lew

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis consists of: a rationale for place-based education; the developmental appropriateness of place-based education in elementary education; examples of place-based education; and a list of place-based education resources. Also included is an overview of the impact of standards based reform on education in the United States and the author's experience of the Bank Street Long Trip.

The Mobility Impact: Implications And Solutions For Families On The Move With An Original Book For Children., Sarah Willis

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Examines the relationship between student mobility and achievement. Contains a picture book for children four to six years designed to help with the transition from house or neighborhood into a new one. Includes recommendations for ways families and schools can help children with the moving process.

Ash Cans & Corn Fed Hares: Book One Of The Ny Explorer's Club, Corinne Flax

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Ash Cans & Corn Fed Hares is a work of semi-historical fiction (set in the present, dealing with facts of the past), which can be used in a classroom or in a home to help students/children forge connections with past and present. The book also helps students find and use some of the research resources available in New York. Ash Cans showcases alternative methods of information gathering in the context of adventure and mystery, while focusing on the importance of individual meaning-making.

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 …

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 …

"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 …

How Many Blocks To The Empire State Building? : An Original Story, Enakshi Bose

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Presents a children's story for eight and nine year old children that poses several mathematical questions, including the central one of how many blocks it is from the 215th Street subway station in Inwood to the Empire State Building. Photographs and maps enhance the mathematical concepts involved. Discusses the developmental appropriateness of the book's content and how the material meets various standards in mathematics.

Sibling Rivalry, Elana Peninah Pamm

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This Independent Study was inspired by the creation of the children's book Sometimes, I Hate My Brother. The book was written to help children understand that when their brothers or sisters hurt them it isn't their fault, and also to become more aware of the harm caused by them if they hurt their siblings. Family interactions can bring up feelings in children that may overwhelm and confuse them. The book was written with the goal of helping children understand the repercussions of their actions and deal with their feelings when sibling problems exist.

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 …

Educational Programs For School Groups Visiting The Cathedral Church Of St. John The Divine, New York City, Nancy S. Kovaleff

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper outlines three educational programs for the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City. The vast setting of the Cathedral and the variety of its contents suggest a wide range of possibilities for educational programming. The programs described here are designed to meet the developmental stages and curricular needs of the three different age groups: 5-7, 6-9, and 10-13. Each program includes pre-visit and post visit activities as well as material for the actual visit to the Cathedral/ Appendices include a needs assessment for middle school groups and a resource guide for students and teachers.

The Post Office : A Social Studies Curriculum For Seven And Eight Year Olds, Carol Ribner

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper presents a curriculum that I have developed and used with my class of second graders over the past three years. The curriculum is the study of the Post Office as part of a study of the neighborhood, and the subsequent planning and running of a schoolwide post office.

W.E.B. Dubois: On The Importance Of Education, Valerie R. Distant

Graduate Student Independent Studies

How can I introduce a man like William Edward Burghardt DuBois in a few words? I have studied his life and times for little over a year now. For over 30 years, he was undoubtedly the most articulate, fearless and widely read spokesperson for equal rights of black Americans. (Wilson, W., 1970, p. ix) Moreover, he was a college professor, a researcher, an editor, a promoter of peace and a Pan-Africanist. Some would say he was arrogant, vain, and stubborn but I would say he was a self-confident born leader.

I heard the name W.E.B. DuBois for many years but …

Teaching Third Grade Math : A Learning Experience, Emily Terte

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study was based on my experience as a new teacher, teaching math to a group of third graders. The purpose was to examine my methods of planning and teaching in order to better understand how I was learning and changing my views on teaching math. I gathered information by reading educational theorists, observing the children in my group, recording anecdotes and writing about my planning process. I gained inspiration from readings of Piaget's and other cognitive theorists, I gained insights from the ways my children responded to my lessons and I discovered that using manipulatives, examples that the children …

A Surprisingly Special Summer : A Story For Eight-To Ten-Year-Old Children, Connie Biewald

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A Surprisingly Special Summer is a story for children from about eight to ten years old. It's an earthbound fantasy, a story that takes place in the real world but involves a fantastical character and gives an account of the events caused by her presence. The fantastical character is Allura, a tiny person discovered by two children in a fortune cookie. She spends an exciting and growth-filled summer with them. They have many adventures and learn a great deal from one another.

A Description And Analysis Of An Integrated Science-Social Studies Curriculum For A Class Of Emotionally Disturbed Children, Margaret Mcnamara

Graduate Student Independent Studies

While working in a small independent special school, this writer developed an animal curriculum for four emotionally disturbed boys with another teacher. The teaching of this curriculum took place from March to June of the school year 77-78. This independent study is a description and analysis of the animal curriculum done with special students.

This paper is structured so that it begins with a description of the new environment of these children including a daily schedule. A short explanation of the group's functioning and brief case studies are included. Previous curricula and the origin of this curriculum is discussed. …

Once A Teacher: Biography Of Mildred L. Johnson Edwards, Black Educator, Juanita Isabel Coleman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This biography for 8 to 13 year old children describes Mildred L. Johnson Edward's life as a student - one of the few black children at the Ethical Culture Schools for many years, her unsuccessful search for a student-teaching position in New York City's private schools, and her decision at the age of 20 to found a private school where she could give black children an alternative to the kind of public education they were being offered.

Educational Change In A School Mandated "Open": As Seen Through The Eyes Of An Advisor, Helaine R. Meisler

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper is a study of educational change as I observed it during my experience as an advisor in a public school in East Harlem. I had been hired by Creative Teaching Workshop as an advisor in its Advisory Service program. Schools which were involved in the program received two full days per week of advisory time.

British Education: Infant And Junior Levels, Ann Bucken

Graduate Student Independent Studies

No abstract provided.

Diary Of An Open Classroom, Alicia Montalvo

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study describes the use of the open classroom method in a public school in Spanish Harlem.

A Training Program For Non-Professional Headstart Teachers In Mississippi, Diane B. Trister

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis covers the two year period in which the author served as Educational Director for a two county Headstart program in Mississippi. It describes the development of an original training program for non-professional teachers. The type of daily activi­ties program advocated and evolved is implicit in all the training procedures.

The first chapter briefly outlines the structure of the agency as background information. A description of the children and teachers follows. The rest of the paper is concerned with the problems encountered in setting up a daily program based on principles of child development and how they were solved …

Language And Literature In Childhood, Claudia Lewis

Centennial Books

This paper was presented at the Fifty-Sixth Annual Meeting of NCTE in Houston, Texas, November 1966.

A Program For Seven Year-Olds At The City And Country School, Ruth Cushner

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The City and Country School, one of the oldest progressive schools in the country, was founded over forty years ago by Miss Caroline Pratt. It was conceived as a place to find more effective ways of helping children learn and grow.