Innovative Teaching Grant Recipients • Fall 2005

As American as Apple Pie - $2,876.76
Susan Boyd, Lynne Milner and Steve Sauerwein • Grace Hartman Elementary School
Sixth graders studied various American arts through a variety of media. In band, students learned the history and played patriotic music. Choir performed choral music from Broadway, scat music from the jazz age, and the artistry of Ella Fitzgerald. Art students created projects in the style of American artists such as Bearden, O’Keefe and Warhol. They used a wide variety of media including acrylic and watercolor paints, printmaking, collage, and fabric.

Body Builders - $515.00
Jill Bales, Janelle Graham, Carol Hoye, Dana Johnston and Susan McCartney • Amy Parks-Heath Elementary School
Body Builders is a weeklong journey through five body systems for our second graders. The students had so much fun building 3’ bodies and adding supplies each day to represent different parts of each system. The skeletal and muscular systems used bone cut outs, streamers for muscles, and foam peanuts for the vertebrate. The circulatory system had a red balloon for the heart and red yarn for vessels. A baggie filled with play doh and 25 feet of adding machine tape represented the digestive system. A sponge brain and baggies filled with fiberfill were the lungs. Each student proudly displayed their body that they built in the hallway. This led to many questions from the first graders. What a memorable way to teach body systems.

How Does Your Garden Grow? - $2,267.39
Jason Mitchell and Elena Straight • Ouida Springer Elementary School
Students from Pre-Kindergarten through sixth grade have had the opportunity to experience plant growth with a hands-on approach using our new mobile plant units. Students have explored the properties of soil, seeds, and needs for plant growth. A foundation has been set, and now we are able to build upon student knowledge and understanding, making learning fun and life long!

Just a Stone’s Throw Away - $475.16
Lynne Milner • Grace Hartman Elementary School
Fifth graders at Grace Hartman Elementary discovered “Earth Art,” an art form that uses nature as a canvas. They studied several “earth artists” such as Andy Goldsworthy, Robert Smithson, Christo and Jeanne-Claude to gain knowledge and inspiration for the project. The students then used oil paint to create a design based on nature and painted it on river stones.

Making Work Simple - $954.44
Peggy Ricketts • Virginia Reinhardt Elementary School
Third grade students learned how to make work easier by applying knowledge of simple machines to build a merry-go-round, fan, steering wheel, and winch handle with Legos.

Mathematical Mini Mall - $1,802.85
Carol Anderson, Allison Blair, Sandy Grubb and Peggy Ricketts • Virginia Reinhardt Elementary School
Third grade students “traveled” to the Mathematical Mini Mall at Reinhardt to practice the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills objectives in its life-like setting. Each student was so excited to be able to record their behavioral and academic fines and earnings in a real life check register. The air was full of excitement the first time the students wrote a Reinhardt check using their “workless” balance forward to purchase small toys of their choice.

May the Force Be With You! - $967.84
Julie Anne Anderson • Dorothy Smith Pullen Elementary School
May the Force Be With You! was an exciting hands-on physical science project for fifth graders. Students used PASPORT Motion Sensors in an Inspire classroom to gain new insight into vital science concepts as they engaged in self-directed, interactive and action filled activities. May the Force Be With You! motivated the learners and hopefully cultivated a life-long interest in science.

Medical Marvels - $3,748.94
Denise Hedges and Brenda Kraft • Rockwall High School
The “Medical Marvels” grant was written to get money in order to purchase several digital cameras, camera bags, batteries, memory sticks, tripods, and clay kits for the Medical Terminology and Sports Medicine classes to do a claymation assignment. This past semester, the students in the Medical Terminology class were placed in groups of two or three. Each of the ten groups was assigned a chapter from the book from which they selected and researched a medical process. The groups chose a variety of topics such as: Digestive system, diagnostic procedures, integumentary system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, central nervous system, respiratory system, lymphatic system, and immune system. The instructional technologist gave an overview presentation and showed some sample claymation movies to the students. Students brainstormed and storyboarded their animations of the medical process. After planning the animation, students began creating their clay figures, backgrounds, and props. When the clay creations were finished, pictures were taken of each movement with a digital camera. Students then went to the computer lab to produce their movies by importing the pictures, designing titles for their opening, medical terms, and credits, and arranging their music into Windows MovieMaker. The movies were then shown and viewed in class so students could learn about other medical processes.

Naturally Nature - $950.53
Melissa Peralez • Amanda Rochell Elementary School
The students will learn about change in everyday life through several thematic units that will include posters, big books, fiction and nonfiction literature, plants, manipulatives, games, and models. This unit will give the students an opportunity to observe plants, the human body, and weather.

Pioneer Puppet Plays - $462.53
Jennifer Doss • Virginia Reinhardt Elementary School
Fifth grade students created pioneer puppets representing characters from the novel Caddie Woodlawn. The students then presented puppet shows in which they used their creations to dramatize chosen scenes from the novel.

Quiz Bowl - $569.00
Linda Nash • Grace Hartman Elementary School
Students in grades three through six played a question and answer game similar to “Jeopardy” to review for tests in an entertaining way. Students learned to compete in a positive, supportive environment, while acquiring the facts necessary for academic success.

Sowing Seeds of Service and Success - $1,701.33
Kathy Byford, Patty Canada, Darlyn Hickman, Marsha Johns, Heather Klinkerman, LeAnn Mancias, Domiana Miari, and Marcy Rodsky • Rockwall Quest Academy
Quest Academy students explored the benefits, consequences, and impact of science in their world by experimenting with plant growth in a controlled environment. Real world math skills were utilized to chart plant growth, measure building supplies, and construct planter boxes to beautify the school entrance. In addition, the students profited by giving to others through community service by sharing their plants and companionship with Summer Ridge Assisted Living residents as a means to bridge the intergenerational gap.

Tools for Kids - $996.83
Sharon Parker • Virginia Reinhardt Elementary School
The front of Reinhardt has received a face lift thanks to science elective students who designed a new flower bed. They selected plants and used tools purchased with grant money to complete the project.

Write Around the World - $982.71
Paige White • Amanda Rochell Elementary School
First graders boarded an “airplane” with passports in hand to learn about the culture, animals, geography and history of China, Australia, Poland, and Egypt. They enjoyed authentic writing experiences with travel journals, post cards that were sent home in the mail, and pen pals.