Megan Corkern

Teacher Applicant: Megan Corkern
Project Title: It’s an Animal Planet
School: Dawes Middle School
Grade: 6-8

Project Description:
Using technology, school and local libraries, and cable programming students were able to complete reading, English, Language Arts/Communication Arts, and Mathematics objectives by researching how to care and provide for animals appropriately. Students also demonstrated Lincoln Public School Character Education goals, of developing strength of character by acquiring the skills and the knowledge necessary to produce responsible citizens, prepared to live in a diverse and ever-changing world, by completing a service learning project to raise items for the Capital Humane Society. Students created and/or completed internet scavenger hunts, student workbooks, journals, brochures, PSA magazine advertisements, PowerPoint presentations, interviews, graphs, logos, and posters. Students confirmed their learning of respect and compassion for animals by organizing a school-wide competition in which they collected, counted and delivered items to the Capital Humane Society as their final project.

Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to

• read written text fluently to construct meaning, using the skills and strategies of previewing, word recognition, decoding, vocabulary building, self-monitoring, comprehending, reflecting and responding. (7th Grade)
  
• locate, access, and evaluate resources to identify appropriate information. (8th Grade)
              o Reference works- electronic and print
              o Periodicals
              o Internet sites
              o Books
  
• write fluently to construct and convey meaning, improving writing through a process of prewriting, writing drafts, revising, editing, sharing, publishing, and reflecting (7th Grade)
  
• acquire and apply the skills necessary for effective oral communication, applying the fundamentals or speaking, acquiring knowledge of language’s structure, change and function (7th Grade)
  
• employ a process, when researching to gain information about topics and issues (7th Grade)
  
• demonstrate appropriate listening behaviors, showing consideration for the speaker and the contributions of others (6th Grade)
  
• estimate with whole numbers (6th Grade)
  
• convert between decimals and fractions (6th Grade)
  
• compare and order fractions (6th Grade)
  
• write equivalent fractions (6th Grade)
  
• interpret data in bar graphs and histograms (7th Grade, 8th Grade)
  
• interpret circle graphs (7th Grade, 8th Grade)
  
• interpret line graphs (7th grade, 8th Grade)

Use of cable programs and/or technology in the classroom:
Technology and cable programming were an integral part of this project. Students researched the Capital Humane Society, How to Wash a Dog, Caring for Pets, and basic animal facts on the internet. They viewed www.adcouncil.org to learn what Public Service Announcements were and discovered the legal ramifications of animal cruelty by completing an internet scavenger hunt. By creating brochures, PowerPoint presentations, Comic Life products, logos, and posters, students came to realize that technology is used everywhere and has many benefits other than game playing, MySpace and YouTube. Animal Planet was watched every Friday. Students watched a variety of shows from Animal Precinct to The Most Extreme. Watching the different cable shows enhanced students’ awareness of the types of cruelty in the world from human abuse of animals to natural killer instinct of wild animals. Different programs triggered different emotions from each student from anger to sadness and/or fear to happiness. However, each instilled compassion, respect and understanding for the way the world works. Students’ emotions and comprehension of the topic was shown through their projects and their involvement in the service learning project.

Effectiveness:
This project was a great success. Not only did students demonstrate an understanding of the learning objectives, they had fun while completing them. Students gained an in-depth knowledge of the responsibility of taking care of animals, while completing learning objectives from four different curriculum areas. Students were also able to show off their strengths in different areas through the many different projects completed. Finally, students were able to take pride in delivering the items they helped raise to the Capital Humane Society.

Benefits:
Students in my classroom are labeled with “behavior problems”, and are seen throughout the school as the students that are rude, disrespectful and refuse to learn. However, this project has shown many people, in my building and in the community, that my students like to learn and can care for others and themselves. My students showed great compassion when they organized a school-wide competition to raise items for the Capital Humane Society wish list. Through the whole process they continued to amaze myself and the other adults working with them with their knowledge, love and respect for animals of all kinds. The astonishment and pride the students felt when collecting and delivering over 200 items and 600 aluminum cans for the shelter cannot be put into words. The Capital Humane Society stated that “it was the biggest donation that they had received all at once.”