Term Paper on "Grant Proposal for Computers and Software"

Quoted Instructions for "Grant Proposal for Computers and Software" Assignment:

I want like to have T. Lavinder do this assignment.

at the bottom are 2 sample proposal

I need a grant proposal, (please be creative as possible) created and I would like to improve the learning environment by proposing the need for 5 computers in my classroom and supplement software called Middle School Content Library from Plato learning @ www.plato.com for helping struggling middle school readers. You may have to research the site to get more information. The cost is $595.00 per access and I would like access for five students which would be $2,975.00. I would need a 3 day training that cost $1,500 per day for a total of $4,500. There are 756 students in my school and I teach Title 1 reading in a low income school. I have 6 classes and each class has about 15 students, the students are low in vocabulary improvement, locating and recalling information, reading for meaning, and critical analysis, so I would like to have a mini classroom lab where we can supplement our curriculum with Middle School content Library from Plato learning. The students love working on the computers but we just don*****t have enough. Any time technology is involved in their learning process, they excel. We have one computer lab with 30 computers that the entire school has to share. I would like this proposal to simply show how a low income school can benefit from a class set of computers and a supplement software from Plato which is self-paced, engaging, and interactive which has helped hundreds of thousands of students achieve learning success)

Here the parts of the proposal I need:

1)Project Summary/Introduction

This will provide reviewers an overview of the proposal. It is your opportunity to prepare the reviewers for the details that follow.

Checklist for The Introduction:

___ 1. Clearly states who is applying for the funds

___ 2. Describes the applicant and the district

___ 3. Describes the purpose and goals of the program/project

___ 4. Describes the students/staff

___ 5. States what accomplishments in this area may have been accomplished

----------------------------------------------------------

2)Need Statement

The purpose of this section is to demonstrate the degree of need for the project. Your first sentence should briefly state the need. Then clearly and concisely describe the need, its causes, and long-term impact. In explaining these need characteristics, be as specific as possible and indicate the sources of your information. You may use personal experiences as a source of information, but this alone is not sufficient. Use data from a variety of sources, such as the following, to support your analysis of the need:

standardized achievement tests

knowledge or skill mastery tests

attitude, aptitude, and interest inventory surveys

questionnaires, opinion surveys, interviews, and focus groups

direct systematic observation of student behavior

demographic or socioeconomic surveys

school and agency statistics (e.g., drop-outs, suspensions, pregnancies, attendance, referrals, SDE Rankings)

state and local assessment studies by other agencies or organizations

(e.g., health studies, population studies, student follow-up assessments, Kids Count)

Checklist for The Needs Statement:

___ 1. Directly relates to the District's goals as well as the goals of the granting agency

___ 2. Is reasonable---doesn't try to solve all the world's problems in one step

___ 3. Is supported by evidence that it can work.

___ 4. Is stated in needs of the students/staff, not the person/team writing the application

___ 5. Doesn't make assumptions

___ 6. Is short and to the point, interesting and free of educational jargon

___ 7. Makes a compelling argument

-----------------------------------------------------------

3)Goal and Objectives and Evaluation Measures

The goal broadly states the project's approach. Most projects have one goal.

Objectives specify what the students will be able to do as a result of the project. Most proposals include 3-5 objectives. The objectives must be observable and measurable.

(Use verbs such as construct, develop, analyze, compare, identify, explain, etc.).

Example:

Goal: The goal of Danger Along the Oregon Trail is to develop an innovative teaching strategy which will enhance the understanding of American pioneers and their struggles. This simulation of traveling the Oregon Trail will help students overcome deficiencies in science, math, English, and social studies.

Objective l: By May 2004, at least 85% of the students will increase by at least 50% their understanding of why American pioneers went West, what supplies they took, and how nature affected their lives.

Evaluation 1: Pre-tests will be administered September 2003, and post-tests will be administered in May 2004. Results will be compared.

Checklist for The Objectives:

___ 1. Describe the program in measurable terms

___ 2. Describe the students/staff that the program will benefit, and how this will happen

___ 3. Include timelines for obtaining the objectives

Evaluation Measures

Evaluation measures explain how will you know if the participants accomplished the objectives. How will the attainment of the objectives be determined and documented?

Each objective must be evaluated.

Checklist for The Evaluation:

___Presents the plan for measuring how the objectives are met

___Gives a timeline of measurement

___Indicates who will carry out the evaluation(s) and how/why they were chosen

___States the criteria for success

___Describes how the data will be collected

___Explains the tests & instruments chosen to be utilized

___Explains how the evaluation will be reported

------------------------------------------------------------

4)Project Strategies/Activities

Describe the strategies/activities you will develop and use to achieve the objectives. Descriptions should be specific enough to convince the reviewer that they will lead to success and improve teaching practices. List the individuals involved and describe their role in each activity. The activities should show how the grant resources (i.e., consultants, supplies, equipment, field trips) will be utilized.

Checklist for The Activities:

___ 1. Describes the activities that will be used to carry out each objective

___ 2. Relates back to each objective

___ 3. Describes the sequence of events

___ 4. Describes the staffing for the activity

___ 5. Describes the students/staff involved in the activity

___ 6. Is reasonable, and can be completed within the timelines given

-----------------------------------------------------------

6)Timeline

Indicate the chronological order of the major activities or checkpoints that are critical to the successful completion of your project. Be as detailed as possible. Include both program and administrative activities such as:

___administering pre-tests

__arranging and/or conducting workshops, staff meetings, parent meetings

___scheduling field trips and student performances

___completing evaluation of project objectives and final report

------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------

7)Dissemination of Information

Propose a specific method for disseminating knowledge and information obtained through participation in the project to an audience of teachers and/or other school/district personnel.

Provide a description of your dissemination device. It could be audio or videotapes, instructional materials, booklets, etc., which could be reproduced and shared with other teachers and administrators. Your dissemination device need not be in its final form at the end of the grant period.

Example:

Development of a teacher's ocean unit activity manual listing procedures for conducting the ocean unit, strengths and weaknesses of the program, student activity directions and forms, material lists, resource listings, and evaluation forms. This guide will be maintained on-site for future review.

Videotapes and photographs of classroom activities (the building of the whale, the field trips, the "TREASURE OF THE SEAS" scavenger hunt, and beach picnic) will document the progress of the project.

The project leader will conduct an in-service session at the beginning of the next school year to explain the project to teachers and personnel. The presentation will focus on the instructional techniques utilized in the project and the evaluation results.

------------------------------------------------------------

8)Budget

Itemize all expenses for the program, from staff salaries to postage. Specify what the grantmaker*****s funds will be used for.

Make certain that figures are added correctly, that totals from page one of the application, the budget breakdown sheet, and the attached narrative budget agree.

Round all figures up to the nearest dollar. Do not use cents. Use the following categories for your budget.

----------------------------------------------------

SAMPLE PROPOSALS 1

SECTION I Project Summary

This project is designed to introduce the scientific process to very young children in a manner in which they can understand, to encourage their use of emergent math and writing skills to track the progress of their project, and to post their project in a graphic mode on the Internet. It is designed to encourage an appreciation of science as a subject and a career and to encourage use of the Internet by kindergarten students. Rose Raiders & Rooters is a term used to indicate people who find antique & miniature roses which are not under the protection of patent and then attempt to propagate the old roses. Our students will plant the bushes, make cuttings of new growth, and attempt to root the cuttings. They will use plants such as "Champney*****s Pink Cluster" which was originally developed in the early 1800s in South Carolina. Students will plant non-patented antique rose bushes patented miniature roses (permission to propagate has been obtained from the hybridizer Dennis Bridges of Bridges Roses), make cuttings of new growth, and attempt to root the cuttings, with progress, photographs, and information about the project posted on the Internet on the school*****s web site. Visits from botanists will show children how science can be a career as well as a subject in school.

SECTION II Need Statement (15 points)

Our kindergarten students have the highest percentage of developmental delays in our district.

We want to strive to develop a strong science education program, aimed at building critical thinking and problem solving skills in a cooperative learning atmosphere. Our school is a rural school and the students are for the most part disadvantaged. School records show that the majority of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch program. According to our most recent statistics, our school draws from the lowest median family income in the county. Our current unemployment rate has risen dramatically, with several major employers closing down in the last few years. With recent industry closings in our county, these figures will only get worse. The latest data available on the educational background of the area*****s adult population reveals that 40% of adults over 18 have less than a high school education. Thus many of our parents and extended family members are not able to provide the extra educational support their children need.

Because of the low economic status of our student population, opportunities to participate in hands-on science and technology experiences to heighten, reinforce, and complement their studies do not abound.

Target 2000 emphasizes the need for scientific literacy. The BSAP objectives and Science Frameworks all provide a direction for meeting that goal. An old Chinese proverb states "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." We believe that by giving our children a chance to conduct a rooting experience with plants which will continue to grow over the course of their school career, we will enhance their chances for appreciating science and viewing it as a desirable subject area.



SECTION III Goal, Objectives, and Evaluation Measures (15 points)

Goal: to significantly increase the number of kindergarten children who indicate an appreciation and enjoyment of science activities and to encourage them to view science activities as a positive subject matter. Essentially, we want the children to learn that science is an ongoing process, an enjoyable subject, and a viable career option for their future.

Objective 1: Students will create a school garden based upon antique & miniature roses, including roses developed in South Carolina in the early 1800s.

Evaluation method for objective 1: A yes/no checklist will be utilized to determine achievement of this objective. Achievement will be obtained if the garden is: 1) actually created on school grounds; 2) created through the use of antique roses; and 3) includes roses such as Champney*****s Pink China (a rose developed in the early 1800s at the Champney plantation in Charleston). A Consulting Rosarian from the American Rose Society will conduct this evaluation.

Objective 2: Students will indicate an increase in positive attitude toward science.

Evaluation of Objective 2: Students will be surveyed regarding attitudes toward science. The survey, to be administered in August and in April, will use a Likert-scale. 90% of children reporting an increase in positive attitude toward science at the end of the year will be considered achievement of this objective.

Objective 3: Students will be able to conduct propagation through a hands-on rooting project involving antique & miniature roses.

Evaluation of Objective 3: 80% of students who are able to root a rose cutting successfully will be considered achievement of this objective. The rooted cutting may be kept at either school or at home, if the parents would like to participate.

Objective 4: Students will use a special web site for highlighting progress of their project.

Evaluation of Objective 4: Achievement of this objective will be attained if the web page (including photos of the children and their projects) is created, placed on the school web page, and updated at least monthly during the year. The building principal will verify achievement of this web page.

Objective 5: Students will increase understanding about the relationship between careers and future employment, which will be enhanced through visits from local botanists, Agricultural Extension agents, rose growers, and others that work with plants or weather.

Evaluation of Objective 5: A teacher-made checklist will be created to determine the number of students who wish to enter science as a career. An increase in the number of children indicating interest in science careers between August and April will be considered achievement of this objective



SECTION IV Relationship of Objectives to Curriculum Frameworks or School/District Renewal Plan (10 points)

Science frameworks call for students to use the process skills to observe, classify, measure, infer, predict, and be able to communicate science principles and to design, conduct, and evaluate a scientific investigation. (Objectives 1, 3, 4, 5)

Knowledge of science standards for Area II Earth systems includes properties of earth materials, interactions of the earth, and changes on earth. Activities include daily observation and recording of weather data, growth, and changes of mother pants, growth and changes of cuttings. (Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Science frameworks professional development standards include trying new strategies in the classroom and involving students as active participants. All objectives in the project relate to this standard. (Obj. 1-5)

SECTION V Project Strategy/Activities (20 points)

Explanation of program:

Meetings will be held to assure complete understanding between principal, media specialist, teachers, and volunteers.

A newsletter will be sent home to parents explaining the project.

In class, the project will be explained to the children.

At Open House, the program will be presented to parents.

Program Implementation/Measurement of Progress:

Students will use the scientific method as a guide for their activities.

A minimum of 20 varieties of antique and miniature roses will be purchased for the school garden to be used as "mother plants" for cuttings. These will be posted on the Rose Rooters web page. (relates to objective 1)

Students will "adopt" a rose to observe all year (seasonal changes, flowers, seeds, leaves, etc). Plant observations will be recorded and posted on the Rose Rooters web page. (relates to objective 3 & 4)

Plant studies will be ongoing in the classroom (observe process or rooting cuttings, shared responsibility of baby plants, growth of plants in garden). Charts in classrooms will measure the progress. (objective 2, 3, 4)

Reading, math, and writing lessons will utilize concepts being taught. (objective 2, 3, 4)

Activities integrating the teaching of science, reading, math and writing will include thematic units.(objectives 2, 3, 4, 5)

Students will be designated as monthly photographers to take pictures with digital camera, so that progress of rooting experience can be placed on class web page.

Monthly centers will be themed around roses.

Journal writing experiences will highlight students***** progress in growing the plants.

Measurement activities will be used throughout (how much potting soil, how high the plants grow each month, etc.)

Students will hold a "Stinger Rose Show" in the school library. Ribbons and awards will be given to each participant. (Stinger is school mascot.)

Pictionary units will be changed every two weeks, utilizing terms from rose culture (example: bud, root, leaf, flower, etc.).

Community support is evidenced though plans for a rose garden planting on the town square, to be attended by the Mayor and members of town and county council, as well as visits from the Honea Path Senior Citizens.

School support is evidenced through the use of the school web page for the children*****s project. Also, use of school equipment such as printers, browser software, and access to the school web page are indicators of school support.

The school media specialist has agreed to create the web page for the Rose Raiders and Rooters project, and to teach the kindergarten teacher and children to maintain it for the kindergarten class. (objective 4)

Outside Resources/Volunteers (relates to objective 5)

A weatherman from the local TV station will visit the school to talk to students.

Seth Benson, consulting rosarian & high school technology specialist from Augusta (GA) Rose Society and Jenkins County (GA) High School, will speak to the children and assist in their introduction to rose care.

A local consulting Rosarian will assist guiding the students in the process.

A local rosarian has offered to make her garden available for field trips and to assist as needed.

A specialist from the state*****s AOP Science Hub will visit the classes each season.

A specialist from the Weather Station at the Anderson Airport will speak to the class.

A botanist from Bridges Roses (Shelby, NC), Wayside Gardens (Hodges, SC), Roses Unlimited (Laurens, SC), The Mini-Rose Garden (Cross Hill, SC), or Park Seed Co. (Greenwood, SC) will visit the classes.

Students may take rose cuttings home to root in a home window, encouraging parent involvement in the project.

SECTION VI Timeline (5 points)

August, 1998

Order materials for grant program

Prepare materials to send home with children explaining program.

Rose hybridizer Jeff Bridges will visit the school and give a demonstration on roses to the children.

Field trip to the garden of a local rosarian to observe various types of roses (hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, old garden/antique roses, shrub/species roses, miniature roses) in a garden setting. Demonstration of pruning and of taking cuttings for rooting will be given.

September

Purchase supplies for plants.

Pick up roses at sources.

Prepare soil and make garden bed for the "mother site."

Plant roses for "mother site."

Water roses and mulch.

October

Take cuttings of rose bushes for rooting.

Establish identification system for plants and children.

Students develop "baggie" greenhouses.

Students plant cuttings in baggies.

Students care for cuttings and note progress.

Develop web page for class.

November

Photograph cuttings and note progress in rooting.

Botanist will visit class to explain how roots help the plant grow.

Students explain what they have done thus far and post on web page.

Consulting Rosarian from American Rose Society will visit class to help students.

December

Visit from AOP Hub Science specialist to explain the growth process of plants during winter.

Students continue to care for their rootings and post progress.

January 1999

Visit from meteorologist to explain weather and its impact on agriculture.

Student roses should have developed strong roots by this point, and will need ongoing fertilization and care.

February

Visit from consulting rosarian to demonstrate pruning techniques on "mother" plants.

Plant some of the rooted plants outdoors.

Students will water and care for newly planted roses.

March

Visit from botanist to explain how growth occurs in springtime.

Plant some of the rooted plants outdoors.

Students will invite Honea Path Senior Citizens to visit the garden and demonstrate how they raised their plants.

April

Students continue to care for outdoor garden and monitor progress.

Plant remaining rooted plants outdoors.

Students will plant some rooted roses in the Honea Path Community Garden, with Mayor and Town Council present.

Compare progress of plants which were planted outdoors in Feb., March, and April.

Evaluate progress and final results.

Consulting Rosarian from American Rose Society will visit and evaluate.

Exportable product will be developed and submitted to district.

Final report will be sent to State Dept. of Education.



SECTION VII Dissemination of Information and Exportable Product (10 points)

A pictorial record (videos, still photographs) of the activities and projects will be kept through the year. Students will have a responsibility to contribute throughout the year to this record. The progress of the program and its final evaluation will be distributed internationally through the school web site.

The project will be described in a brochure made available to state teachers, and placed at the school district office. The project will additionally be submitted as a proposal for presentation at the SCAEYC conference. An article about the program will be submitted to the American Rose Society magazine. Additionally, television and newspaper coverage will be requested.





SECTION VIII Budget Form and Narrative (10 points)

Expenditures are grouped by object numbers, which are explained in the instructions on pages 14-15. Seek assistance from your district finance office to ensure that expenses are identified and entered correctly. Round numbers to whole dollars.

Functions

Major Heading Series

Salaries

100

Employment Benefits

200

Purchased

Services

300

Supplies &

Materials

400

Capital

Outlay

500

Total

Instructional Series 100 1606 2394

Budget Narrative:

Source for non-plant supplies: Lowes of Anderson, SC

Pruners (4 @ 30.00) $120.00 Potting soil $135.00

ZipLoc Bags $50.00 Fungicide $40.00

Gloves $150.00 Plastic pots $150.00

Sprayers $50.00 Shovels $90.00

Garden hoses 30.00 Soaker hoses 55.00

Fertilizer 37.00 Pinebark mulch 200.00

Tumbling composter-130.00

Plant material: Rose bushes 300.00

Miniature roses *****“ (source: Bridges Roses, Shelby, NC) Varieties to be selected as available

Antique roses*****” (source: Roses Unlimited, Laurens, SC) (Examples of varieties to be selected upon availability from list as follows:) Bourbon: Mme. Isaac Pereire (dp) 1881; Zephirine Drouhin (mp) 1868; Hybrid Musk: Ballerina (mp) 1937; China: Green Rose *****“ 1855; Old Blush (pb) 1793; Noisette: Champney*****s Pink (lp) 1811

Equipment: (Source: Vendor with best price in Fall, 1998)

Computer with network card 1995.00

Digital camera (D-220L) 399.95

Supplies (paper for newsletters, envelopes, etc.) 70.00

Total: 4,001.95

Total requested: 4,000

Project Name: Rose Raiders and Rooters School: Honea Path Elementary School

Signature: Signature

District Finance Officer District Grants Contact

----------------------------------------------------------

SAMPLE PROPOSAL 2

Project Summary -- Stinger Lab: Science Lab Experience for the Very Young Child

The purpose of this project is to increase science understanding among the students of Honea Path Elementary School (school mascot: Stinger) and to ensure students' future interests and success in science. There is a low percentage of students in the school district selecting the sciences for careers, especially among females and minorities (as reported by curriculum supervisor for District 2). The negative perception of science as either "boring" or "hard" begins at an early age. The Stinger Lab project is designed to hook children into enjoying science at a very early age, and to encourage this positive attitude in older years. The goal is to improve students' attitudes toward the study of science, and to increase students' level of knowledge and skill acquisition in science.. The exportable product for this program will be a brochure which can be used by other teachers in South Carolina who may wish to duplicate the program.

Problem Area

Honea Path Elementary School is a school which serves the children of a small community. The school is located in a working-class area, and there is very low parental involvement with school activities. This is due primarily to the fact that both parents work outside the home in 86% of the families of students in the school (based upon information from school records). According to census records and home surveys, 54.7% of parents have no education past the high school diploma; 23.0% have less that a high school education (Southern Assn. Report, 1994). The parents appear to have neither the time nor the educational background to support their children in appreciation of the sciences. The school faculty believes that an intervention is necessary to increase student achievement in science. Teachers established a rudimentary lab using an unused classroom, but little equipment and reference material is available in the lab. Data regarding the problem is as follows:

1. Honea Path Elementary has the highest percentage of students with developmental delays in the district, which places these students at risk for future school failure. South Carolina's average first grade retention rate is 12.4%; Anderson County's average is 10.0%; Honea Path Elementary's retention rate is 19.7% (SC Dept. of Education Data).

2. State average of readiness for first grade details that 25.6% of SC children are not ready for first grade, whereas Anderson County's level of not meeting standards for readiness is 24.9%. Honea Path Elementary's level of students not meeting standard is 27.9%. (SC Dept. of Education Data)

3. Twenty percent (20%) of the student population has been retained at least once during the Pre-K through Grade 4 time period, many having been retained more than once (School records, 1993-1994).

4. Forty percent (40%) of the children scored below the national standard in Science (grades 1-4).

5. According to an evaluation by teachers in March, 1994, all fourth grade teachers reported that the girls in their classrooms were already exhibiting negative attitudes toward science, and three of five reported negative attitudes toward science among minority race children. This indicates that the negative attitude toward science is emerging at a young age among the students at Honea Path Elementary School.

6. According to the 1994 Ten-Year Self-Study for the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools, the #1 need listed for the school's short-range plans was for an inservice education program for teachers in science.

The above data supports the need of Honea Path Elementary School to institute a program of hands-on science in the primary grades.



Goals & Objectives

The goal of the Stinger Lab program at Honea Path Elementary will be to significantly increase the number of children who indicate an appreciation and enjoyment of science activities, and to encourage them to view science activities as a positive subject matter. By the end of the project year, the grantee will develop, incorporate, and evaluate the use of a hands-on and laboratory science program to improve the levels of awareness and appreciation of science among the schools primary & elementary population. The grantee with organize for use by other primary/elementary teachers a brochure on developing the program which can be used as an exportable product by other teachers throughout the state.

Objective 1: The teachers in the primary & elementary program will significantly increase their skills in science instruction of very young children.

Objective 2: The students in the primary and elementary classes will exhibit a positive attitude toward science.

Objective 3: The students will increase understanding about the relationship between careers and future employment, which will be enhanced through visits from local veterinarians and others who work with animals.

Objective 4: Females and minorities will indicate an increased positive attitude toward science as a future career.

Objective 5: Parents will report an increase in awareness of the need for science appreciation.







Evaluation Plan

The principal and lead science teacher will conduct formative and summative evaluations of the progress of the program during the school year, at regularly scheduled intervals. Any modifications needed to improve the program will be implemented as required.

Objective 1: The teachers in the primary and elementary program will significantly increase their skills in science instruction of very young children as measured by 100% participation in an inservice training program by primary science specialists designed to improve and reinforce classroom science instruction ..

Objective 2: The students will exhibit a positive attitude toward science, as measured by a survey administered in March of 1995. 95% of children who report a positive attitude toward science, using a Likert-scale evaluation, will be considered achievement of this objective..

Objective 3: The students will increase understanding about the relationship between careers and future employment, which will be enhanced through visits from local veterinarians and others who work with animals, as measured by a survey of student attitudes. 85% of children who express an interest in science as a career will be considered achievement of this objective..

Objective 4: Females and minorities will indicate an increased positive attitude toward science as a future career, as measured by an evaluation of teachers in March 1995. 100% of teachers who report that females and minorities have exhibited a positive attitude toward science will be considered achievement of this objective..

Objective 5: Parents will report an increase in awareness of the need for science appreciation, as measured by a survey to be administered by the PTO. 70% of parents reporting an increase in awareness of the need for appreciation of science will be considered achievement of this objective.



Description of Activities

The proposed program goals encompass a wide range of curricular areas. The program encompasses the affective, cognitive, and psychomotor domains of learning. The Stinger Lab program will utilize a multi-media approach which encourages young children to explore the world using all of their senses. It combines classroom teaching with laboratory activities and experiences, so that the lab visits will become a powerful stimulus to science learning in the early grades.

During the 1993-94 school year, teachers developed a rudimentary lab using an unused classroom. There is only a minimum amount of equipment and reference material available. In order to create more interest and individual active participation in the subject area of science, hands-on laboratory experiences will be developed to correlate with topic areas studied during the school year. This program will greatly supplement laboratory materials and reference materials in the school's media center.

This program includes a teacher training component. Before the teachers introduce the program in their classroom, they will receive workshop training from science specialists and educators. Training will be conducted both at the local school and at science centers such as Roper Mountain Science center and Clemson University planetarium. Teachers will be introduced to materials and offered specific ideas and lesson plan suggestions for implementing the program in the classroom and in the lab. Teachers will be exposed not only to the science content that the children with learn, but to additional information that will enrich their understanding and performance as teachers. From a trained science specialist, they will learn how to use specific types of lab exhibits to reinforce classroom science instruction. For continuing support, the teacher is provided with instructions that include a mastery list of concept for the primary and elementary program. There are also scope and sequence charts keyed to each book.

Children learn that science is an experience to be shared. Their understanding and excitement may take them beyond their regular reading levels. Books are provided for the appropriate reading level which can be ready by parents or teachers to the students. Books will be available in both the science lab and in the school library.

The program presumes that science is as basic to education as reading and mathematics and should be presented to children at the same time. It has been designed to educate young children in the fundamental skill of science--observation. Numerous games and physical activities will be included in the program. The lab visit will be the earliest laboratory experience for young children.

The program will be modular and flexible. It will be used as a supplement to the school science curriculum. The program will also enhance other areas such as understanding and expressing spoken language and developing reading and writing skills. The program consists of books and science kits, each devoted to a different science topic. Lab lessons will be planned for each class. These thematic lab trips relate closely to the content of the program materials and serve as the earliest and most enjoyable laboratory experiences for this age group.







Time line

August 1994

· Director of Roper Mountain Science Center will be contacted to establish a date for inservice activities for teachers. Materials for the teachers will be ordered..

September

· Lab educational specialists from science centers will provide training program for all teachers involved in the program.

October 1994-April, 1995

· Teachers will begin teaching the students in the primary & elementary program about the sciences using materials and using strategies learned in seminar by lab representative.

· Students in the primary & elementary grades will visit the Honea Path Elementary School Stinger Science Lab for continuing laboratory experiences.

November-May, 1995

Teachers will increase in-depth instruction, teaching the students in the primary & elementary program about science topics (such as air, water, force, mechanical energy, heat, sound, light, magnetism, earth & space, animals) using materials and using strategies learned in seminar by science specialist.

Formative evaluations will be conducted each nine weeks by the principal and science specialist to determine the effectiveness of the program and to allow for modifications which might improve the service.

May, 1995

A summative evaluation of the project will be conducted and report submitted to the State Department of Education.











Exportable Product Description

A brochure will be made detailing the program and explaining how it could be used by other schools. The brochure will be printed on a laser printer in camera-ready format which can be duplicated with minimal cost for other schools who request the information. The brochure will be provided to the State Department of Education without copyright protection to allow for duplication for other schools.



Section X--Budget

Salaries

Eight substitute days, to release teachers for inservice training 400.00

Employee benefits

Purchased services

Supplies & Materials



400 Supplies and Materials

Kits for Laboratory Experiences:

Primary Sci-Quest Kit for grades K-4 193.00

Teacher guidebook for Primary kit 20.00

SciQuest Weather Kit 109.00

Air MiniKit 39.70

Force, Mechanical Energy & Work mini kit 25.80

Water Mini kit 31.80

Heat MiniKit 34.95

Sound 23.80

Light 29.29

Magnetism 27.30

Earth & Space 11.60

Subtotal: 518.94

AudioVisuals

Science Videos (National Geographic, SVE, etc.) 438.00

Subtotal: 438.00

Books for Science Lab

2000 Gooey, Slippery, Slimy, Weird & Fun Experiments 12.95

Animals 9.95

Astronomy for Every Kid 10.95

Biology for Every Kid 10.95

Chemistry for Every Kid 10.95

Earthquakes 9.95

Earth Science for Every Kid 10.95

Gravity 9.95

Machines 9.95

Magnets 9.95

Microscopes and Magnifying Lenses 9.95

Molecules 9.95

Physics for Every Kid 9.95

Everyday Science Sourcebook 21.00

Subtotal for Science Lab Books $157.35

Other science books to be ordered by media specialist library $485.00