OVERVIEW OF PROJECT

Hands on Math literature centers would improve first grade achievement in the areas of, Number Sense, Estimation, Fractions, Measurement, Place Value, Geometry, Time and Money.
Each center would include manipulatives and childrens literature to illustrate the concepts being taught and included on the current proficiency tests. Students will be challenged through the use of journals, internet research and manipulation of the materials to develop thought patters.
Students will show attainment of these skills by publishing a web page that will act as a practice and intervention tool that can be used at home to benefit all students within the district.

HOW WILL THIS PROJECT ADVANCE ACHIEVEMENT BY ALL STUDENTS?

First Grade Math Literature Centers will advance achievement in the following ways:
Number Sense and Estimation .Apply the concepts of estimation in addition and subtraction. Sorting and identifying several attributes by size, shape and color. Using patterns to make generalizations and predictions. Selecting appropriate problem solutions for identifying relations in real life situations. Combine, order and compare numbers. Identify needed information to solve a problem. Add and subtract numbers illustrating and explaining strategies for the problems.
Time and Money
Apply the concepts of money to real life situations. Tell time on the quarter and full hour.
Place Value
Apply the concepts of place value in addition and subtraction. Represent whole numbers by applying place value ideas.
Measurement
Apply the use of tools to measure in centimeters and inches. Through the use of estimation illustrate the use of weight and capacity.
Geometry
Identify and describe two dimensional and three dimension objects.
Fraction
Identify fractional parts of objects.

Implementing Math Literature Centers within my classroom will make math come alive instead of being simply skill and drill. Students will see through cooperative learning that actual application of these skills is taking place all around them. Students will be able to take lessons from the story characters and use the manipulatives provided for that unit to reenact he same lesson on their own or with a classmate, taking that lesson further. Students will work together to come to a common goal... internalizing the information. Students will show their understanding of the skills being taught by teaching it and explaining it themselves through a class web page that will be available to the community. After each unit of study, students work will be assessed as they use the web page to post their ideas and research about the unit . Students will post games, ideas, and samples of their work to teach the concepts just as they were teaching a student within the classroom. Teaching a concept is the best way to show understanding of that concept. The information posted will allow me to see what areas of the units have been mastered and what areas still need work. In turn the students can use the web page to gather more information and understanding of the concepts as needed. This web page will act as an intervention tool that will be available to parents allowing them to work at home with their children to practice and expand on the skills being taught within the classroom in new and interesting ways.

HOW DOES THE PROJECT RELATE TO BUILDING AND DISTRICT GOALS?

Over the next two years Math Literature Centers will coincide with both building and district goals. Louisville City Schools are looking towards the goal of increasing technology achievement within the classroom and branching out into the community. Louisville is also striving to increase student achievement. This project will do this with the web page as an assessment tool. Children within the classroom and the community will be able to use the web page as an intervention tool. The web page will use the current technology within the classroom to reach out to the community as well as work on projects with higher level thinking skills.
While the children are learning in new and interesting ways their achievement will also increase as their interest increases through the use of manipulatives and childrens literature.

DESCRIBE THE SPECIFIC SCHOOL REFORM MEASURES CURRENTLY NOT IN PRACTCIE THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD EMPHASIZE.

Math Literature Centers would give my students the opportunity to use centers as a basis for learning math. These centers would be discovery learning based which is not currently done in my math classroom. First grade students need the chance to explore on their own to get more information both before and after a formal lesson. I am proposing that Math Literature Centers would be the best way to do this in my classroom and avoiding the skill and drill that is often associated with math.
Math Literature Centers would be available to students to further their knowledge in the areas of Number Sense, Estimation, Fractions, Measurement, Place Value, Geometry, Time and Money. Each center would include manipulatives and childrens literature to illustrate the concepts being taught. These centers will become a permanent part of the classroom environment. Each of the areas I want to cover are building blocks for math and proficiency testing in the upper grades. By implementing these centers in first grade where students can have a hands on experience with math they will develop a life long love of and understanding of math.
Students will have access to these centers before and after formal instruction to observe, gather their own conclusion, formulate questions and take the unit further then just the course outline. Students would also be responsible for adding ideas in teaching the concepts to the class web page that would be available to the community through the use of the internet. Students would post on the web page what they have learned and their thoughts and ideas showing me that they understand and have internalized the material.
By changing the way students work with materials in math, I feel I can improve the achievement scores of my students as the work becomes their own and meaningful to them.