A5 Educational Grant Proposal
SEYS 753 - May 5, 2013

Title of your project – The APEC Experience

Goals – The goals of this project is for my 8th grade special ed. students’ to obtain the experiences of having the natural environment as a classroom setting. The trip to Alley Pond Environmental Center (APEC) will give my students an insight and opportunity to explore and discover the ecological successions, biodiversities, and organism’s relationships that thrive in the area. This trip can help raise my students’ cognitive level of science instructions and applications. Students will gain scientific knowledge on how to inquire understanding of how a scientist applies inquiry, preparations, and gathers data for research. Students will be able to connect to what they are learning to their life experiences, skills, and practices. As the students take on their scientific roles and responsibilities they will be able to

•    Identify and organize collected data of the field site
o    botanical and animals organisms
o    geological and meteorology samples

•    Describe the analyzed data of the relationship found among and within the diverse ecosystem and the importance of biodiversity
•    Explain the relationships between abiotic and biotic factors of the field site
 

Materials

Vender

Quality

Price

 

 

 

 

School Bus

First-Students: Charter Bus Rental

1

 

624.00

 

 

 

 

Ozark Trial 5’ Center Folding Table

Wal-Mart

3

82.95

 

 

 

 

Tri-fold Display Boards

Wal-Mart

4

36.00

 

 

 

 

Aqua Culture Aquarium Starter Kit, 5 gal.

Wal-Mart

1

30.00

 

Total Cost: taxes not included                                                                        772.95


All other supplies will be provided by the teacher (Primary Standard GLOBE Kit), camera and students donations, such as Tupper-ware, shovels, and medium boxes to collect specimens.  
Procedure - How will you carry out your project?

For students learning expedition they will be instructed prior to the field trip in collecting data: temperatures of air, water and soil; collect dirt; some organisms: vegetation and pond specimens.
 
For a successful journey towards learning prior to the field trip is as follows:
•    Schedule and planning the trip- done 2-21/2 weeks before actual trip
•    Trip: Full days school work    
•    Singed permission slips for 12 students; and obtain 3 adult volunteers (parents or faculty)  
•    Research data and equipment. Students will be provided instructions in handling equipment and specimens, and they will research the field site
•    Note pads and work sheets for data collection i.e. temperatures, specimens, and other environmental notes
•    A camera to take pictures
•    Equipments (tools) to organize and collect data: temperatures, specimens (rocks) and organisms (plants and invertebrates: insect larvae, water bugs etc- these will be put into the fish tank)
•    Class and group discussions; before and after collecting data
•    Students will work together, as a team: 4 groups of 3 students  
•    Assign groups and assignments
•    Schedule days trip  
•    After data collection students will be given enough time to organize their presentations for their exhibits.  

What will the students do with the resources you have requested?
Having access to transportation will give my students the opportunity to take a trip to the Alley Pond Environmental center and learn ecology through a natural environment. The tables will provide a place for students’ collective work. The fish tank will provide a visual of the live specimens that students will collect from the pond. The poster boards will give students the chance to be creative with their photos, drawing and other information about their trip.  
Evaluation - How will you determine whether your project is successful or not?

Students will write a reflective essay on how the field trip had an impact on their learning. Students’ annotations can be published in the school's paper. Assessments will also include: their notes, drawing and additional information during their exploration of field site. The students will set up their classroom as a tiny museum or gallery to exhibit their project.This will also include using Google earth of field site, and videos of their actual work.

The classroom exhibits will be presented to their peers, faculty, parents and the community. Students will demonstrate and explain what they have learned about ecology. They will be evaluated on answering visitor’s questions, on their performance, and creativity of their final production using a rubric. Visitors will be given an evaluation sheet to obtain their feedback of students’ presentations. This will provide my students and I on how successful was their exhibit.

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