Innovative Education Grants

Rebecca Hartness

As 6th grade teachers, we are truly the transition year between elementary and middle school.  We’ve noticed that our students are not quite ready for the leap into middle school.  Through this experience our students will embark on a journey of self-discovery, transforming the way they work together and respond to risk.  In the end, we hope to build self-confidence and team spirit as we develop their ability to problem solve and resolve conflict creatively.  We will implement and revisit the lessons learned throughout the school year so that we can create a more unified, cohesive team.

6th Grade Team

Our 6th grade team would like to implement a project using GPS units in our Science, Math, and Language Arts classes with the introduction of geocaching.  Students will use the GPS along with problem solving and algebra skills to locate coordinates to find hidden caches.  Students will be evaluated through a technical writing assignment.  Utilizing this tool in the middle school classroom will be a way we can integrate technology while implementing an interdisciplinary project.  We will also be “caching in” on the strengths and interests of middle schoolers while promoting physical activity and possibly a lifelong hobby.

Often times while reading Northern Lights in class students will comment that they have visited the area we are talking about.  We would like to have a set of Flip Video cameras available for students to check out to record some of the sites they see while on trips with their families.  They will be responsible for researching the area and making a presentation back to the class.  Students seem to have lost the ability to effectively communicate with others face-to-face.  We would like students to record aspects of our social studies curriculum and bring their presentations back to the classroom.