Exemplar Projects from Network Schools

Dare to Dream

Washington Discovery Academy

Facilitators: Lindsey Risner, Lorien Goodwin and Courtney Young

Course: Math, Science, Language Arts, Physical Education

Grade 3

Driving Question:

How can we convince people to do something even if it is challenging?

Project Snapshot:

This project was built to develop a sense of agency and perseverance while focusing on our strengths and viewing challenges with excitement and failure as an opportunity to learn.

Student Products:

• Color Run inspired 5K
• 5 Paragraph persuasive essays
• T-shirts with handmade designs
• Commercial for the run
• Map of the path

Assessment:

We used both the Elementary Oral Communication and Agency rubrics, provided from NTN.

Award Acceptance and Project Presentation Video

Teacher Reflection:

“This was a powerful project. It had a huge impact on student mindset. Students encouraged one another and were never afraid to fail. Instead, they were consistently uplifting. Dare to Dream had a huge effect on culture.”

“This project had learning opportunities in all subject areas including science, math, ELA and Health.”

“Dare to Dream fostered great community connections with guest speakers, we partnered with our local park and raised money  for another local park to help build swings.”

Student Reflection:

“I will never forget this project.”

“I can do anything with agency and perseverance.”

“I like that we faced the challenge of weather (it rained :)).”

“I’m glad all of our hard work paid off.”

Tiny Home Builders: Animal Addition

Attwood New Tech Magnet School

Facilitators: Caitlin Donnelly, Haleigh Lane, and Jonathan Rush

Course: Elementary (all subjects)

Driving Question:

How can we design and build shelters that meet the needs of our homeless animals?

Project Scenario:

Partnering with Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter, the Capital Area Humane Society, WILX News 10, Home Depot, and other community members, fifth graders at Attwood New Tech Magnet School designed and built shelters for animals. The focus of the project was on mathematics and design for engineering. Groups conducted research to better understand the needs of their animal clients, designed shelters using graphing paper, and made a 3D model to test. After testing their models to see if they could withstand natural elements (i.e., wind), students made improvements. Finally, students met with expert builders who helped them build their actual shelters which were donated to Ingham County Animal Control and Shelter.

Final Product: Animal shelters

Audience: 

The Attwood community, animals (dogs, cats, chickens, or rabbits), and future builders of animal shelters

Project Video

Project Planning Toolkit

Teacher Reflection:

Caitlin Donnelly (Co-Facilitator and Project Design): "This project was one of the hardest feats to accomplish, but one of the best decisions we’ve made as educators. We were learning along with our students and I’ve never seen them so eager to learn. The biggest surprise to me was just how much the community came to work with us and how much the students were genuinely enjoying what we were doing. Hearing the students talk about how much they were looking forward to building made me super excited to teach them everything leading up to the build. When we conceptualized this project, we knew it was going to be a challenge, but I never could have foreseen how impactful this was going to become for the students, the community, and for us. The shelter we are donating to was so hands-on with the process and we even had an architecture firm come in to discuss designs with students and a construction company come in to help build. There were quite a few students who were considering the construction field because of this project. We started with a lot of standards and ended up with this project that was so much more. Seeing how curriculum standards and “real world” application matched up to create something amazing made me so proud as an educator. That’s what made me believe in this project so much and want to show off all the hard work our students put in."

Haleigh Lane (Co-Facilitator and Project Design): "This project opened our eyes in many ways that we will never forget and not just as educators but as students and community members. As educators, we got to watch our students grow in ways that we normally wouldn’t have. They were finally excited about what they were learning. Every day they would ask when we were going to work on the project because they were so eager to keep moving forward. As students, they got to be more hands-on with their learning and with professionals they may have never crossed paths with if it wasn’t for this project. The tools they used to collaborate and communicate were huge for them. They got to talk to other professionals as equals and to them being an equal at this age makes a great impact. The building skills they learned may be something they use again in the future but, regardless, at least they can say they know how to use basic tools. At the beginning of this project we never would have imagined the amount of community involvement we would end up having. Our local shelter coming into our school and the local news to start off the project was beyond what we imagined. Then we ended up getting even more involvement and they wanted to keep coming back and being involved. Just talking about the involvement with our community makes me so proud."

Student Reflection:

Austin Beachnau (Fifth Grade Student): "The most important thing to me is the animals. I love animals, mainly cats.  The project impacted me because I am sad when I see a lot of bunnies and cats on the streets and that is really sad but I am really happy that we made the bunny house. We are building the houses for the animals to stay safe. It is important to our community, so the city of Lansing is not seeing animals on the streets without a home. I loved the bunny house because of the walls so there’s a place for them to stay. This lets bunnies play with each other and they can go in and be safe. What I learned from the project is math like the feet, length, and the height. What I also learned from the project is making sure that the animals are not all over the place, to keep caring for the animals, and to give them a home. We were able to give animals a place to stay for an owner to have to keep their pet safe and warm."

Angel Hobbs (Fifth Grade Student): "I liked that we got to have fun and learn at the same time. It made me feel like I was doing something good for the world and not just being lazy, it made me feel great. I think that this project is important for our community because it is helping animals be safe and warm. It is also important because it helps other people and animals besides ourselves. It helps other people by keeping animals safe, not cold, and alive. That way people do not have to be sad because their pets died. I learned that it is important to listen, respect others, the space around you, and be safe. I also learned that in order to get anything done you have to listen to other people’s ideas, not just your own, and that you have to cooperate with everyone. This project is impactful to me because it is good for everyone to work together. I loved doing the project and I really had fun doing it!"

Instruments of Hope

New Tech Academy @ Wayne High School

Facilitators: Jeffrey Roberts and Josh Smith

Course: Cross-Curricular: Holocaust Education; Mass Media; Journalism; Psychology

Driving question:

How is music used to save or persecute?

Project Scenario: 

Students were asked to connect the playing of musical instruments and the survival or death of Jewish musicians during the Nazis’ persecutions (Holocaust era) with the impact of music on an individual’s life (including ourselves). Partnering with The Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and “Violins of Hope” author, Dr. James Grymes, students researched the lives of Jews during the Nazi reign and created and displayed art pieces expressing the impact of music on the lives of those that were impacted by the Holocaust. The art pieces were created using community donated musical instruments. Students also created a documentary showcasing the project. Students developed an understanding of how music saved many targeted groups from certain death and persecution because of their musical abilities. They also connected the idea of “music saves” with how music impacts our current world.

Final Products:

Instruments of Hope Gala, Instruments of Hope or Despair Exhibit/Gallery Walk that displayed , student-created documentary that illustrated the project

Audience:

Members of the Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne, University of St. Francis: Staff, Art Students & Music Students, Members of Mynett Music, FtW Philharmonic & Sweetwater, and New Tech Academy Community: Staff, Students, Family, Friends

Project Video

Exhibit/Gallery Walk video

Project Toolkit

Student Products:

Completed Instruments

Completed Music Stands

Spoken Word Poetry

Teacher Reflection:

Jeff Roberts (lead facilitator) – “This project impacted so many people. There were so many staff members, students and community groups involved. It showed that people do care and are willing to support students in their efforts to show empathy and grow from past mistakes. Students sometimes struggle with the connection between past events. This project allowed students to become empathetic towards those individuals impacted by the Holocaust and then connect personally with the nonfictional stories in the book, “Violins of Hope”. The ability of four different elective curriculum areas to come together was a proud moment. To see that students could see the relevance between the Holocaust, current world and more significantly their own lives was powerful. The authenticity of the project and the number of organizations involved (Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Sweetwater, University of Saint Francis Art Department, etc.) allowed students to bring this empathetic approach to more than just our school, this project impacted an entire community. The various emotions that poured out of our students and the community members in attendance, shows that this was more than just a project. It was a symbol of hope.”

Josh Smith (co-facilitator) – “This project was so powerful for me as a facilitator because of the amount of passion and drive that I saw go into it. The amount of community involvement from the Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, University of St. Francis, Sweetwater, Mynett Music and many others will forever be solidified with our school in the development of the project. The highlight of the project for me was the Gala we did last May, when the students were able to see the whole project come together. They were able to show off their work in an amazing and powerful night that Jeff and I worked so hard to develop. From struggling to find a place to hold the event, to renting a moving truck to move two pianos to, and from the event. The collaboration between 4 different elective courses also will leave a profound impact on the school, and provide an example for future projects at New Tech Academy. This project proved that students were able to find true understanding and connection to the Holocaust, in an empathetic way that authentically connected them to their community. These truly were instruments of hope.”

Student Reflection:

Sophia Shaw (sophomore student / freshmen at the time of project) – “The project brought up a lot of emotion to not only myself, but to others who’ve seen what we’ve made and accomplished. I’m super proud of my peers, facilitators, and myself for creating such a meaningful and impactful project that will continue to spark empathy in multiple communities.”

Kevin Chan (sophomore student / freshmen at the time of project) – “The magnitude of this project hit me at the Yom Hashoah Commemoration Event and the Instruments of Hope Gala. I never knew the power of my own artistic designs. A woman, named Ann, came up to me crying because of the connection she had with my violin. The project allowed me to be creative and do my own thing. The project also allowed me to view the different types of emotions that people were feeling at the time of the Holocaust and relate it to me personally.”

Finding a Voice

Burke High School

Teachers: Amelia Navarrete and Edgar Johnson

Course: Government and World Literature

Grade: 10

Driving Question:

How can we, as graphic novelists, use graphic novels to help tell the untold stories of disenfranchised people around the world?

Project Snapshot:

This project was across the dual contents of World Literature and Government and asked students to design graphic novels about disenfranchised and marginalized groups around the world. To assist with the graphic novels, Navarrete and Johnson reached out to the local public library system, which enthusiastically joined the project. The students reached the final creative production by doing independent research and interviewing a student their age who had been a refugee in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The students then wrote first-person narratives about a person in their region and storyboarded all the panels of their graphic novel.

Project Video

Napa Lighted Art Project

New Technology High School, Napa, CA

Teacher: Lisa Gottfried 

Course: Graphic Design