Curriculum Title Reviewed:        Adopt-A-Block           

How used in a classrm?

Following Health, Civic lessons on littering/civic duty.

Small groups.

Within framework of community helpers. Also good to link with recycling, especially bottle bill update. Older than k-2, they shouldn’t be messing with broken glass, even with gloves on.

Which grades?

3 – 5 with older students as helpers

K-2

2-5, plus 7-10

Subjects?

Phys. Ed., Health, Social Studies

Health, FACS

SS, Health/PE

Appropriateness, possibility to strengthen: Learning Goals/Academic subjects

Yes.

These goals are fine.

First one yes, 2nd one no. This isn’t really MST 7. However, it has plenty of SS 5, Career 3a and ELA 1, 3, 4. Possibly ESL, in correct setting.

Community needs

Yes.

This section is satisfactory.

Yes. More specific: Scouts, alderpersons, block associations, rod and gun clubs (rural places get trashed too).

Character virtue prominence

Great extent. 

This section is fine; add caring.

Good

SL activities

Yes – you just need to be careful about invading private property.  Taking “junk” from residents in a community without permission can be considered trespassing and even theft without property owner’s consent.

This section is good.

Trash and treasure exercise is vague, seems irrelevant. More related to values re. Consumerism; wants v needs; Marlow’s hierarchy (8th grade health curric.); solid waste (reuse, repair, recycle); resource management.

Reflection activities

(n/a)

Activities are fine.

Superficial, general

Costs

?

$0-$150.

Not specified

Time needed

?

Year long

Not specified

Teacher preparation required

 

Organize a timeline for each grade level/school to work together.

 

Possible improvements

 

NA

Increase contact and communications between older and younger students.

Assessment items

Relevant. 

Questions are good. Rubric too general. Assessments should be done individually.

Plenty of potential, but needs expansion. Great opportunities for GIS tie-ins.

Experience needed in CE

Little or no experience. 

Little or no experience. 

Little or no experience

Experience needed in SL

Little or no experience. 

Little or no experience. 

Little or no experience

Rate the project in the following area:

Doability

(n/a)

Strong

Strong

Addressing the character virtues

(n/a)

Strong

Strong

Relevance to actual academic content

(n/a)

Average

Average

Reflection activities

(n/a)

Average

Weak

How strongly are each of the character virtues addressed by this project….

Caring

Somewhat.

Very strong.

Somewhat

Citizenship

Strongly.

Very strong.

Strongly

Fairness

Somewhat.

 Not at all.

Not at all

Giving

Somewhat.

Somewhat.

Somewhat

Respect

Strongly.

Strongly.

Somewhat

Responsibility

Strongly.

Strongly.

Strongly

Trustworthy

Somewhat.

Not at all.

Strongly


 

 

Curriculum Title Reviewed:        Adopt-A-Cop.       

How used in a classrm?

N/A

Whole classroom

 

Which grades?

3 – 5

3-5

3-5

Subjects?

ELA/Social Studies

ELA, SS, Art

Social Studies/LA/Art

Appropriateness, possibility to strengthen: Learning Goals/Academic subjects

The goals look good, but I don’t see in any of the activities where they compare/contrast police officers around the world with the U.S.  What about interviewing an officer?

Learning goal #2 is not reflected in the activities.

Perhaps there should be some mention of increased writing skills and knowledge of the mural-writing experience.

Community needs

Excellent tie in – very relevant.

This section is fine.

Good

Character virtue prominence

Good job with this. 

This section is good. Add the character virtues “trustworthy,” “fairness,” and “justice”.

Okay

SL activities

They could be easily replicated in the classroom.

This section is good.

Okay

Reflection activities

(n/a)

Reflection activity #2 is unclear.

Okay

Costs

Other than the creation of the mural, the rest is relatively inexpensive.

$0-$150

Manageable

Time needed

This could be adjusted to fit any time frame.

Semester long.

Year-long

Teacher preparation required

(n/a)

Teacher will contact appropriate people needed to implement project and find useful websites for students.

Need to foster strong relationship with local PO.

Possible improvements

(n/a)

Learning goal #2 needs to be addressed in the instruction by teacher.

 

Assessment items

Looks good.

Assessment questions reflect a weak part of the project. Rubric is too general.

I’d like to see some reflection of the artistic knowledge the students will gain from working on a mural with an artist.

Experience needed in CE

Moderately experienced. 

Little or no experience.

Moderately experienced

Experience needed in SL

Moderately experienced. 

Little or no experience

Moderately experienced

Rate the project in the following areas:

Doability

(n/a)

Strong

Average

Addressing the character virtues

(n/a)

Strong

Average

Relevance to actual academic content

(n/a)

Average

Average

Reflection activities

(n/a)

Average

Average

How strongly are each of the character virtues addressed by this project….

Caring

Strongly.

Somewhat.

Somewhat

Citizenship

Very Strong. 

Very strong.

Strongly

Fairness

Strongly.

Very strong.

Somewhat

Giving

Strongly.

Not at all.

Somewhat

Respect

Strongly.

Very strong.

Strongly

Responsibility

Somewhat.  

Somewhat.

Somewhat

Trustworthy

Not at all.

Very strong.

Somewhat


 

 

Curriculum Title Reviewed:        Adopt a Hallway

How used in a classrm?

I would expand this beyond a study of decomposition to an understanding of the relationships in the hallways ecosystem. 

To compliment or inspire school pride. Very relevant for constructivist activities, esp. in science.

 

Which grades?

Jr. high school

6-8

6-12

Subjects?

MST (Ecology)

Science, English, SS (could be a good team project)

Science/Math

Appropriateness, possibility to strengthen: Learning Goals/Academic subjects

What other activities go on in the hallway besides decomposition? 

I think they are very straightforward and infused in an integrated manner. Very hands-on.

Great

Community needs

Students need to meet with representatives from the local department of sanitation and environmental groups.   

Seems relevant to the creators-element of “school” clean-up may not be as usable to other schools, though. Community partners can be used even if school-based: local environmental groups-EPA, Sierra Club, etc.

Good. Maybe add a local recycling company.