The Spring 2005 contest is completed! Four lucky teachers each received $3,550 of prizes. Congratulations to all the winners!

Here are the grant applications of our four winning teachers:

Score: 4.94 out of 5.00
Alicia Tucker
601 Lucas Avenue
Laurens, SC 29360
864-984-3986
atucker@laurens55.k12.sc.us
Ford Elementary

LESSON TITLE: SOLID SHAPES ARE ALL AROUND US!
SUBJECT AREA(S): MATH, WRITING, & TECHNOLOGY
GRADE LEVEL: 2ND
LESSON SUMMARY

The purpose of this lesson is to explore three-dimensional solid shapes in a child’s world. Students will work in small groups and take pictures of solid shapes they can find in the classroom and on the school campus. They will then write short descriptions of each shape. Finally, they will use Multimedia Lab V to create slide shows, memory games, picture books, or web magazines to share with the class and family/community members.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this lesson, the students will:
· Be able to effectively operate a digital camera.
· Be able to identify different solid shapes by name.
· Be able to describe the solid shapes by the number of faces, edges, and vertices.
· Be able to write an explanatory paragraph about each shape that was explored and photographed.
· Be able to create an electronic product using Multimedia Lab V.
· Orally present electronic products for evaluation by fellow students.

MULTIDIMENSIONAL ACTIVITIES

LESSON INTRODUCTION

The lesson will be introduced as a culminating project during a geometry unit. Lesson will begin with a discussion of several different shapes and where they can be found in the classroom. Then, the teacher will let the children know that now they will use their classroom digital cameras to photograph different shapes they can find in the classroom and around school.

ACTIVITIES

Prior to going to computer:
Day 1: Digital camera usage demonstrations and practice.
Day 2: Students will individually make charts showing each of the solid shapes they studied, including the faces, edges, and vertices.
Day 3: In their groups, students will decide which objects they would like to photograph and tell where those objects are located.
Day 4: In groups, students will locate and photograph solid objects.

At the computer:
Day 5: Groups of students will work cooperatively to insert an example of each solid shape into a Microsoft Word Document; groups will then work together to write a paragraph for each shape explaining which shape it is and how they know it is that particular shape
Day 5 (cont’d.): Groups will print out their Word Documents.
Day 6: Complete Multimedia Lab V Tutorials in the Computer Lab.
Day 7: Groups will select project to complete. They may choose: Slide Show, Memory Game, Picture Book, or Web Magazine.
Day 7 (cont’d.): Groups will create Multimedia Lab V project they have selected using the photographs taken of solid shapes and descriptions of shapes (if needed).
Day 8: Groups will review their projects together and complete or revise as desired.After going to computer.
Day 9: Make presentations to the class in groups.
Day 9 (cont’d.): Students will assess group projects during presentations.
Day 10: Write and share project reflections describing what each student liked, disliked, would keep the same, or do differently next time.

Math and Science Family Night: Students will describe the project and present their created products to parents and other community members following the completion of the project.
Math and Science Family Night (cont’d.): Families will photograph members present at the Family Night and create a digital project (My Picture Book, Web Magazine, etc…) using Multimedia Lab V.

MEMORY CARDS FOR EACH DIGITAL CAMERA (128K MEMORY CARDS: APPROX. $35 EACH X 4) $140
CDR’S FOR BURNING PROJECTS TO DISC (50 PACK) $40
PHOTO QUALITY PAPER (1 CASE) $50
COPY PAPER (1 CASE) $20
1 ADDITIONAL OLYMPUS D-540 DIGITAL CAMERA $200
SNACKS, DRINKS, & PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS FOR MATH & SCIENCE FAMILY NIGHT $40

TOTAL AMOUNT BUDGETED: $500

Score: 4.83 out of 5.00
Mary Jo Opgenorth
1412 Maryland Ave.
Sheboygan WI 53081
1-920-459-3550
mopgenorth@sheboygan.k12.wi.us
Sheridan Elementary

Every year I teach a unit on Wetlands in my fifth grade classroom. The culminating activity is a two day field trip to a wetland in our area (The Sheboygan Marsh). I would like to have my students create a calendar teaching others about the importance of wetlands. The calendar will show the major functions of wetlands, three different types of wetlands found in Wisconsin, and how the actions of humans can have negative consequences on the health of wetlands and the animals that live in them. The calendars would then be sold for a small fee. All proceeds would be used to purchase duck stamps. I selected duck stamps because part of the proceeds from the sale goes back to our wetlands to keep them healthy.

The grant would be extremely helpful and necessary to complete this task. Prior to going to the wetland, I would obviously teach the functions of wetlands, different types of wetlands found in Wisconsin, and how humans actions can harm wetlands. In addition, I would use the workbooks to teach my students how to use digital cameras, and teach the skills necessary for my students to use the Tool Factory software. While at the wetland, students would look for evidence to support the six functions of wetlands, identify one type of wetland, and look for signs of negative consequences humans have had on the wetland. Students would capture the evidence using the digital cameras.

Next, using the Tool Factory software the calendars would be created. Students would have clear guidelines on what to include in their calendar. For example, one month would define and illustrate a marsh. Students would have a picture of the marsh to use on this page. Another page would be devoted to show recreational activities that can be done at a marsh. Students would use a photo they captured at the marsh along with text to complete this page. The goal would be to use as many photographs as possible. Some of the functions may not be captured, so in that case students would either illustrate by hand or use the Tool Factory Software to show the function.

Finally, calendars would be printed. Students would market them and would sell them before and after school and at all functions for families in the evening.

With the help of this grant, I will be able to motivate, engage, and teach my students life long skills. Thanks for your consideration.

1. one additional camera $200.00
2. 4 camera cases $100.00
3. 4 Cr-3v batteries $48.00
4. 4 256MB memory cards $120.00
5. Photo Paper $32.00

Score: 4.75 out of 5.00
Crystal M. Rotherforth
County Route 8
Minetto NY 13115
315-341-2600
crotherf@oswego.org
Minetto School

I am an elementary art teacher and I would like to describe a project that I plan to do with each of my fifth grade classes, which will include about 75 students. We will begin the unit with an introduction to the three major art movements of Surrealism, Cubism and Impressionism. I will present to the children a presentation which I will create using Multi Media LabV. Then, over the next several classes they will get to make themselves into three different artworks based on the three distinctive movements.

The first step in this project is to divide the students into small groups. Each class contains approximately 20 students. With three cameras available there will be between six and seven students per group. The children will be instructed how to take pictures of each other using their “digital camera basics” workbooks.

For the next step children will print out the picture of themselves that was taken and they will create a grid on the back using a ruler. With a pair of scissors they will cut their projects into squares. They will then reassemble their portraits in a cubist design and paste them to a piece of construction paper. The students will then scan in their design creating a digital image that they can use later for a computer based presentation if they choose.

Once the photos have been downloaded into their computers the students will use Tool Factory Painter to manipulate their portraits into a work of art in the style of Impressionism. The children will make twist, pinch and blur their projects into an original masterpiece. To obtain a Surrealistic image the students will stamp or draw dreamlike images onto their portraits.

For their final projects students will either create a book using Tool Factory Word Processor or create a web page using Tool Factory Home Page. They will showcase the art work that they created and they will write about their feelings of the process and what they learned.

Photo Paper- 100$ for approximately 250 sheets. Will be used for creating books containting student art work.
Card stock- 25$ for approximately 750 sheets. Will also be used for creating books containing student art work.
Ink for printer- 120$ for 2 cartridges of black and colored ink. Will be used to print our final projects.
3 hole punch- 40$ used for book binding

Score: 4.69 out of 5.00

Barbara Mozina
R.R.3 Box 592
Hollidaysburg PA 16648
814-695-4961
barb_mozina@tigerwires.com
Frankstown Elementary School

Title of the Project: Book Making

Summary of the Project:

As teachers, particularly those teaching young children, we are continuously looking for new innovative methods to engage our students in learning activities that promote specific academic outcomes. I view Olympus’ classroom grants as a fabulous opportunity to utilize your digital camera and the Tool Factory’s project-building software to implement a curriculum endeavor that will gain the enthusiasm of my students and promote literacy at the same time.

I teach reading instruction to students in grades kindergarten through third. These students have been identified as needing specialized instruction in reading and are labeled as struggling readers. Because they are “struggling” readers, oftentimes they have lost interest in reading and do not enjoy the process. With the help of your grant program, my students will be put into action by creating a book of their own. Depending upon the grade level of the student, he or she will be tasked to create a book. The book will encompass a particular subject and/or theme that will enable the student to learn something while developing basic skills. A kindergartner may create an Alphabet book. A first grader may create a book of word families. A second grader may create a book about parts of speech, i.e. adjectives or adverbs. A third grader may create a book about the history of the town in which he or she lives. The possibilities are as endless as the imaginations of our kiddos.

This program will encourage literacy, enhance self-esteem, and make curriculum material more interesting. It will get the kiddos out of their seat for a more kinesthetic approach to learning. Using the technology offered, i.e. camera, software, etc…, my students will be discovering the joys of reading while developing skills in technology. We will use the camera to take pictures of our subjects and put words or letters to those pictures. After each book is composed, I will send them to be hard-bound. The culmination of the project will be realized in a class yearbook which will include items from all the projects and pictures of the authors. This approach will instigate the students' curiosity and give them confidence and memories they will never forget. It is known that when children learn in this fashion they commit the subject to memory permanently.

It is my hope that with the help of your grant we can bring this project to fruition. Thank you for your consideration.

Budget

Item Supplier Cost (w/S&H)

Hard-bound book process Freet $10.00 per book Publishing Total of $250.00

Sulphite Drawing Paper Teacher Direct $9.41 Catalog

Multicultural Teacher Direct $6.81 Conststruction Paper Catalog

Fiskars 12” Teacher Direct $43.56 Photo/Paper Trimmer Catalog

Fiskars Circle Cutter Teacher Direct $14.81 Catalog

Crayola Twistable Teacher Direct $15.96 Catalog

Mobile Organizer Teacher Direct $57.36 Catalog

Olfa 5-piece cutter kit Shop@Home.com $32.98

Fiskars Deluxe Shop@Home.com $43.98 12-Piece

Kit Total Cost $478.87