2009-2010 Teacher Mini-Grants Award Booklet - The Education Fund

TEACHER MINI-GRANTS SPONSORED BYP.L.DODGE FOUNDATIONGAME OF LIFE: FROM “LIFELESSONS” TO BOARD GAMESAfter reading young adult novels, selfhelpbooks and literature offering lifelessons, these ninth-grade language-artsstudents will individually design andcreate board games that share theirinsights and developing wisdom. Thefocus will be on how the studentsprocess the literature into their own livesand uniquely express the knowledgethrough a device (the game) that reachesout to classmates and other students.The best projects will be developed intofunctioning games with pieces and dice.Katerina NadelHialeah Gardens High SchoolHEALTHY CHOICESSMART SNACKSThis nutrition and exercise interventionaddresses first-grade students, parentsand even the school on the urgency ofhealthy lifestyle changes to help kidsbattle the childhood obesity epidemic.Parents will be educated through workshopsand resources on how to makethese changes, starting with introductionsto local youth sports programs and amandate for healthier snacks duringclassroom celebrations. Teachers will betrained to instruct fitness play activitiesduring any recess periods and the schoolwill replace chocolate bar fundraisingwith SMART SNACKS.Aleida MenendezSweetwater ElementaryHEALTHY WITH HYDROPONICSTo address the epidemic of childhoodobesity, this project creates a seed-totablehydroponic vegetable garden tointroduce students to fresh produce andperhaps change their eating habits for alifetime. Pre-k students will be matchedwith a fifth-grade mentor who will keeprecords of what the "buddy teams"discover together. Curriculum will includeplant growth, nutrition, water conservation,composting and the elements ofhydroponics, as students learn tomeasure, graph, maintain and finallyharvest the garden. To further allurestudents to eat veggies, a chef hasvolunteered to show school staff, parentsand the young gardeners practical andenticing veggie dishes.Jan DuemmlingNorth Miami ElementaryTHE HOLOCAUST: CAN ITHAPPEN AGAIN?Starting from the premise of "bullying"and "prejudice," this project will introducethese fifth-grade students to the seeds ofcontempt and fear in the humancharacter that collectively grew to thehysteria, hatred and persecution of theHolocaust. By studying the memoir ofAnne Frank, visiting the HolocaustMemorial on Miami Beach and samplinga taste of Jewish food, they will learnabout and appreciate a new culture andthe diversity upon which a healthy societydepends. Students will develop their ownT-shirts with slogans to promoteHolocaust awareness.Shameeka Lashon AkinsFrances S. Tucker ElementaryI AM MY BROTHER'S KEEPERStudents will grapple with the soulsearchingquestions and implicationsraised by the most horrifying periods ofhistory in this interdisciplinary study ofgenocide, extermination and crimesagainst humanity from Sparta to Darfur.Using novels, Internet research, filmsand documentaries and visits toHolocaust museums, students will beimmersed in a study of human rights,global agreements, and the paradoxes oftolerance and hatred and justice andforgiveness found in the history of theU.S. and around the world. Journals,presentations, photographs and publicservice announcements will be used toshare their findings.Georvonia Bailey & Adrienne HurleyNorland Middle SchoolIN MEMORY OF SIX MILLIONVisiting the Holocaust Memorial on MiamiBeach will introduce these fifth-gradestudents to a period of history and studyof human nature and morality that theymay conceptualize, personalize and passon to other students. Applying a humanface to the history, a presentation by aholocaust survivor will supplement theirin-depth research into the tragic period,and inspire them to communicate theirfindings through a photographic posterpresentation, written reports, and a schoolwideHolocaust Remembrance Day.David JessupMorningside ElementaryLETTERS OF MEIn activities inspired by the book Lettersto a Young Sister, these young womenwill embark on a journey of self discoveryto develop self-esteem, confidence,independence and self-respect at thisvulnerable threshold of adulthood.Chapters of the engaging novel willbenchmark their progress as expressedthrough daily journaling, groupdiscussions and pre- and post-projectsurveys. Critical analyses of the text,interpreting literary elements, themes,and the author's intent will encouragestudents to draw parallels or contrasts intheir own lives.Natalie BaldieMiami Northwestern High SchoolONLY YOU CAN PROTECT THEEVERGLADESThese students have decided to replaceSmokey the Bear with a Florida version,Alligator the Ally, in their mural for themedia center of the flora and fauna of theEverglades. Students research the lifesciences and environmental issuessurrounding the glades firsthand duringon-site field experiences and use thisknowledge to design and create an informationalmural with a call to action tobecome allies of the Everglades.Abena Robinson & Ann LukeBiscayne Gardens Elementary4 The Education Fund - www.educationfund.org