I3 – Innovative Instructional Initiatives

2009-2010 Grant Application Form

Please complete this cover sheet and the Initiative Description forms. The various boxes within the form will, if
needed, expand to contain your information. However, the entire Initiative Description, excluding this cover
sheet, must not exceed four printed pages.

IMPORTANT: Since applications will be judged through a blind process, information in the Initiative
Description (pp. 3-5) should not identify the teacher or the school by name.
Applications are due October 16, 2009.

Today’s date: School:

October 11, 2009 Walker Upper Elementary School

Full Name of Applicants:

Beth Gehle and Jennifer Gaylord

Teaching Assignment/Grade/Subject:
Social Studies: 6th and 5th Grades

Title of Initiative:
Building Background Knowledge Through “I” Events:
Stepping Into History Using Role Play, Blogs, and Virtual Field Trips

Email Address of Applicants:

elizabeth.gehle@ccs.k12.va.us, jennifer.gaylord@ccs.k12.va.us

Signature of Applicant:

Signature of Principal (indicates awareness of proposal and compliance with CCS mission):

Please submit signed cover sheet and three copies of the Initiative Description to:

Gertrude A. Ivory
Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
1562 Dairy Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Phone: 434-245-2400

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Title of Initiative: Building Background Knowledge Through “I” Events:
Stepping Into History Using Role Play, Blogs, and Virtual Field Trips
INITIATIVE DESCRIPTION
The purpose of our initiative is to give our fifth- and sixth-grade Social Studies students the
opportunity to step into history and to build historical background knowledge in a variety of ways:
(1) role-playing historical characters and events, (2) blogging historical events from the perspective of
a historical character, (3) having authentic research and questioning opportunities by maintaining an
online class discussion forum and participating in virtual field trips with museum experts, and
(4) creating short videos to non-linguistically illustrate the meaning of new vocabulary terms.
Historical Character Blogging and Role-Play
We have found that the lack of academic background knowledge on the part of our students
inhibits their learning of required Social Studies information. In his book, Building Background
Knowledge, Robert Marzano states that background knowledge can be significantly improved by
providing students with “I” events, defined as events in which the student is directly involved by doing,
feeling, and describing. By assigning the students to play real historical characters, either in a
dramatic production or in a blog article, we will increase the number of these “I” events that take place
in our classroom on a regular basis, thus building background knowledge and personal connection to
the subject matter.
Historical role-play will take several forms in our classrooms. Short, impromptu “act-it-outs” where
students “step into” a background image projected on the interactive whiteboard are an effective way
to check for understanding and personalize that day’s subject matter. This experience becomes even
more effective when a student can film that day’s act-it-outs using a flip video camera so that all
students can use the role-play later as a way to review that content.
Another form of historical role-play is to guide students in creating scripts, selecting costumes, and
acting out longer historical events, debates, or conversations between historical characters. By taking
on a historical character’s point of view for an extended time, students experience a historical event or
time period at a deeper, more personal level.
Students can also experience historical role-play by blogging as a historical character. For
example, students could be assigned different historical figures from the Constitutional Convention.
As we learn about the decisions made by the actual convention participants, students could react as
their character would by writing a response on the class blog. A variation on this activity is for
students to “video blog” in costumed character.
Research and Questioning Opportunities
Robert Marzano also recommends that students be allowed to identify topics of interest to them
and reveal their thoughts, questions, and answers related to that topic in an “academic notebook.” We
would like to use an online, collaborative model of this academic notebook by creating a class blog or
discussion forum where students can identify questions, research answers, and share their new
knowledge with other students. These questions may relate directly to a student’s understanding of
an SOL or may be an enhancement or background piece of knowledge that could deepen
understanding of an SOL.
A key aspect of this question-and-answer blog is that students can access it at any time. We would
like to develop a natural, fluid way for students to use available technology by logging in to a computer
to ask, research, or answer a question in a spontaneous way, when the interest or need strikes. This
is only possible when computers are available for student use continually, not on a cart in another
classroom.
Increasingly, virtual field trips are available so that students can interact remotely with a museum
curator or other expert. Marzano found that the very best, most direct, way for schools to build
students’ background knowledge is by providing a variety of field trips and other out-of-class
experiences. Working within our budget and time constraints, these virtual field trip experiences will

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provide some of the same benefits for our students.
Non-linguistic Vocabulary Representation
Using video cameras, students can film their own non-linguistic representations of new essential
vocabulary terms, thereby increasing their understanding of these new words. Using the computers
purchased for this initiative, short videos can be recorded and stored on computers that are present in
the classroom so that students can view the videos to review.
With the above initiatives, we have created a multi-faceted approach to building the academic
background knowledge that our students need to be successful. By engaging in more of these “I”
events (role playing, blogging, and questioning), students will understand and retain Social Studies
concepts more successfully.
Amount Target audience
requested: $7889.73 5th and 6th Grade students (ages 10-13)
Number of teachers and/or students you expect to reach: 4 teachers and 140 students per year.
Goals and Objectives:
The objective of this initiative is that students gain historical background knowledge that they
otherwise lack. It is difficult for students to understand and retain the historical facts necessary to
master the Social Studies SOLs without this background knowledge.
Because this initiative involves student-driven role-play and questioning, this approach will work
both as an intervention and an enrichment model. It can serve as an intervention model for our
students who struggle with the acquisition of Social Studies information, particularly those that struggle
with reading and writing and our English Language Learners. While we are the primary Social Studies
teachers for the ESL students in fifth and sixth grades, we also have a number of native students with
below grade-level reading ability. However, this approach will also work as an enrichment model for
those students who are ready to go beyond the Standards of Learning. By using a role-play and
questioning approach, students can go as far beyond the required material as they are capable.
We are particularly excited by the possibility of a cross grade-level initiative. By continuing this
process for two years, students will ultimately reach a deeper content understanding. Additionally, we
have planned to implement these new initiatives into our own grade-level units that share common
themes. For example, in January, both grade levels study the creation of the new nation following the
Revolutionary War. Using recorded videos and blogs, students can share ideas and collaborate with
students at other grade levels and in other classes that are discussing similar themes and historical
concepts.
Our expected outcome is that student scores on Social Studies unit test and SOL tests will
increase. Our goal is at least an 80% pass rate on unit tests when these new initiatives are used.
Increased background knowledge and a heightened sense of historical curiosity will increase student
engagement levels and ability to understand and retain historical concepts.
Link to 21st Century Skills:
Historical role play, creating and editing videos, blogging, and acting out new vocabulary words
provide many links to 21st century skills. Students will practice learning and innovation skills, as taking
part in historical role-play and assuming another’s perspective requires students to think creatively
and reason effectively. The communication and collaboration aspect of 21st century skills will also be
addressed by this initiative. Student role-play and class blogging requires students to work creatively
with others, communicate clearly, and collaborate with others. Devising questions, researching
answers, and communicating these answers with other students allows students to practice
information literacy, as they access and evaluate information. Students will enhance their media
literacy by creating their own media products (class videos and blogs). Finally, students will
experience the life and career skills of initiative and self-direction. These class projects will require
students to be self-directed learners, as they will be going beyond the basic curriculum.

Alignment with the Virginia Standards of Learning:

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 In sixth grade, students will use this new approach to describe the historical developments of the
Constitution of the United States (USI 7b) and to describe territorial expansion (USI 8a) and identify
the main ideas of the abolitionist and suffrage movements (USI 8d). When studying the Civil War in
sixth grade, students will use role play and character blogging to describe the cultural, economic, and
constitutional issues that divided the nation (USI 9a), to describe the roles of major leaders in events
leading to and during the war (USI 9d), and to describe the effects of the war from the perspectives of
various participants (USI 9f).
In fifth grade, students will use this new approach to identify the reasons why the colonies went to
war with England (VS 5a), identify the various roles played by Virginians in the Revolutionary War (VS
5b), identify the importance of the American victory at Yorktown (VS 5c) and explain the roles of key
Virginians in the creation of the new American nation (VS 6a and 6b). Fifth graders will also identify
the issues that divided Virginians and led to secession and war (VS 7a) and describe the major battles
that took place in Virginia (VS 7b). When studying the twentieth-century Civil Rights movement,
students will identify the events in Virginia linked to desegregation. (VS 9b)
Date/Timeline: Action:
October / Work with school ITRT to set up class blog or moodle to accommodate student
November, 2009 character blogs, question/answer forum, and student videos.
November, 2009 Teachers will develop lesson plans in preparation to implement the new
initiatives in units that we teach in December and January.
December/January, Incorporate new initiatives into the following units: 6th Grade: The New
2010 Republic, 5th Grade: The Founding of a New Nation
March, 2010 Incorporate new initiatives into the following units: 6th Grade: Westward
Expansion, 5th Grade: Civil War
April, 2010 Incorporate new initiatives into the following units: 6th Grade: Civil War, 5th
Grade: Civil Rights Movement
May/June, 2010 Present a summary of the program and student progress at a Social Studies
content meeting and submit I3 Post Grant Report form prior to June 1.
AMOUNT
ITEM
BUDGETED
Qty: six (6); Item: Flip Video-Ultra Series II Camcorder; $149.99 each; Best Buy $899.94
Qty: six (6); Item: Apple MacBook with 13.3” Display; $999.99 each; Best Buy $5999.94
Qty: three (3); Item: Rechargeable batteries and chargers; $19.99 each; Crutchfield $59.97
Qty: six (6); Item: White Bonnet; $8.99 each; CostumeSupercenter.com $53.94
Qty: two (2); Item: Tricorn Hat; $10.99 each; CostumeSupercenter.com $21.98
Qty: four (4); Item: Tricorn Hat; $7.77 each; CostumeDiscounters.com $31.08
Qty: six (6); Item: Union Kepi Cap; $5.99 each; Buycostumes.com $35.94
Qty: six (6); Item: Confederate Kepi Cap; $4.99 each; Buycostumes.com $29.94
Miscellaneous role-play clothing: simple dresses and aprons (colonial women), long $250.00
white socks (colonial men), blue and grey sweat suits (Civil War soldiers)
13 Hours per teacher for creating lessons and maintaining equipment $507.00
Hours: 26; $19.50 per hour
Total Requested $7889.73

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Reason for Grant:
The success of this initiative depends upon consistent computer access for the students in our
classes. We need MacBook laptops that are out and ready for student use at all times. Students will
be recording videos that illustrate vocabulary words; these videos must be ready to be viewed by
students as a review tool. Students will be creating questions, researching answers, and posting to
our class blog on a daily basis. These activities cannot be successful if students cannot
spontaneously and regularly access the computers.
Currently, the only computer available in our rooms at all times is one eMac teacher computer.
EMac computers are older models that have a slow processing speed and do not possess a camera
for video conferencing.
Specifically, MacBooks are needed for several reasons. MacBooks have the processing speed
necessary for video conferencing and websites with video enabled options, which are both key
components of virtual field trips. The built in “ISight” cameras in MacBooks are necessary for video
blogging as a historical character or for interacting with a museum expert during a virtual field trip.
Additionally, the iMovie software on MacBooks is easy for students to use when editing their
vocabulary videos or dramatic productions.
Flip video cameras are preferred for their ease of use for students. These also need to be readily
available for students to record dramatic role-plays or vocabulary definition videos.
Our school possesses two MacBook computer carts. Together, these carts contain thirty-two
MacBooks for the shared use of 52 classroom teachers working with 548 students. The demand for
these MacBooks is steadily increasing, as more teachers are working with software such as iMovie.
It is significant to note that these MacBook carts (and the other laptop carts in our building) will
increasingly be used for testing purposes. On days when a particular subject area is giving an online
unit test, every computer cart in the building is dedicated to that purpose. As we add on more subject
areas testing online, computer access will become more difficult. We need to have some computers
that are consistently housed in our rooms so that we can enact these ongoing academic background
knowledge acquisition initiatives.
The costume items are essential for role-playing, especially for the fifth graders who are at a more
literal developmental stage. When creating dramatic productions, the students will be able to
understand their own role, and the roles played by other students, more clearly if in costume. At this
point, our school does not possess these types of costumes.
Partial Award and Funding:
We do not believe that we can meet our objective with fewer computers or fewer video cameras.
With class sizes up to twenty-five students, we believe that three MacBooks for each of our classes
(for a total of six MacBooks) is the minimum number of computers with which we could work
effectively. Six Flip video cameras for our shared use would provide us with enough cameras for
students to work in groups no larger than four in most of our classes. It would be difficult to guarantee
participation of all students with fewer technology items.
Sharing with the CCS Community:
The online and digital nature of the students’ products will make it easy to share their work with
other teachers and students. By using our shared server, other Social Studies teachers could access
our students’ projects to show their own students or to gain ideas and inspiration for their own
classroom activities.
At our weekly content meetings, we will keep other Social Studies teachers informed of successful
lessons and activities that we complete. We will share lesson plans and help other teachers
implement these methods.
We are willing to present our methods and results to other teachers at a staff meeting or other
professional development opportunity.

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 I3 – Innovative Instructional Initiatives
Post Grant Report Form

Report Date: June 1, 2010

Title of Initiative: Building Background Knowledge Through “I” Events:
Stepping Into History Using Role Play, Blogs, and Virtual Field Trips
Applicants: Beth Gehle and Jennifer Gaylord
(This report reflects the experiences of Beth Gehle; Jennifer Gaylord has submitted a separate report.)
School: Walker Upper Elementary School
Amount of Grant: $7889.73

Activities Conducted:
Town Hall Meeting, Revolutionary War Unit
Mock Constitutional Convention, New Republic Unit
What would the founding fathers say? Historical Blogging Activity, New Republic Unit
Bill of Rights “freeze frames,” New Republic Unit
Radio Show with the Framers, New Republic Unit
Presidential Dilemma Plays: Madison and Monroe, Westward Expansion Unit
Gettysburg Address Podcasts, Civil War Unit
Historical Figure “Trash Talk,” SOL Review
Various student-produced movies for content review, SOL Review

Successes:
How did actual and expected results compare?
I felt that my focus on having kids “step into” history as often as possible increased engagement levels,
which translated into increased test scores. My goal was for 80% of my students to pass the unit test for each
unit in which these methods were employed. My students did achieve the following pass rates on unit tests:
American Revolution 85%, New Republic 78%, Westward Expansion 80%, and Civil War 82%.
I was also hoping that these methods would increase engagement and content understanding on the part
of African-American students. I was pleased with my pass rates among this cohort: American Revolution 87%
(school-wide pass rate 71%), New Republic 70% (school-wide 47%), Westward Expansion 79% (school-wide
58%), and Civil War 79% (school-wide 59%).

Were there any unanticipated problems or challenges?

One unexpected challenge was that we did not receive the laptop computers as early as we had hoped.
Some of our ideas were for units that had already passed by the time the materials were received. We will wait
to try those ideas next school year.
One activity that I planned and began with students, but was unable to complete, were the student-
produced podcasts in which they would host radio shows as if they were the Founding Fathers (the same
historical characters they had played at our mock-convention). This activity unfortunately had to be truncated
due to snow days in February.

Number of Students Reached: 80

Signature of Applicant: Signature of Principal: