Title III Technology Literacy Challenge Grant

Learning Unit

Overview | Content Knowledge | Essential Questions | Connection To Standards | Initiating Activity | Learning Experiences | Culminating Performance | Pre-Requisite Skills | Modifications | Schedual/Time Plan | Technology Use

Math topics in blue

ECO topics in black

OVERVIEW

This unit is used in incorporating the 3^rd math unit into Early Childhood Occupations in conjunction with the new NYS standards. This unit uses various math concepts to design and set up a nursery school classroom. Students work cooperatively within a small group to design a nursery school. They will meet New York State standards as they create a safe and healthy learning environment for children. The students will draw to scale and decorate the nursery school to support program goals. They will calculate the number of children and caregivers needed according to New York State standards. Activity areas will be included in the design as well as major equipment. The students will order the supplies and equipment needed, within a given budget, that will provide a curriculum which encourages growth for the whole child. Each group will create business cards and Web sites to advertise their center. This unit, along with other math projects and lessons, gives 1/2 math course credit within the Early Childhood curriculum.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How can the learning environment support creative and challenging experiences for children? What would this learning environment look like?

How can we use math concepts to be sure all of our learning centers and equipment fit into our building the way we envision?

CONNECTIONS TO NYS LEARNING STANDARDS
List Standard # and Key Idea #: Write out related Performance Indicator(s) or Benchmark(s)

MST Standard #3 - Key Idea #5 - performance indicator- Derive and apply formulas to find measures such as length, area, volume,…., in real world context.

- Key Idea #5 - performance indicator- Apply proportions to scale drawings, computer-assisted design blueprints, and direct variation in order to compute indirect measurements.

MST Standard #5 – Key Idea #3 – performance indicator – use computer-aided drawing and design (CAD) software to model realistic solutions to design problems.

Standard #2 (Economics) –A Safe and Healthy Environment – Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment.

ELA Standard #3 - Key Idea #2 - performance indicator - make effective use of details, and arguments and of presentational strategies to influence an audience to adopt their position.

INITIATING ACTIVITY/ LAUNCH

This unit is taught to second-year students. Students will work cooperatively using prior knowledge to organize the layout and set up the nursery center in the classroom. Students will begin by deciding what activity areas need to be included. They will work cooperatively to evaluate the equipment and supplies provided in the nursery school. Using the equipment and supplies already in the classroom, they will work together as a team to complete the layout and setup of the Early Childhood Occupations classroom.

This activity takes place at the beginning of the school year. When the students arrive, all equipment and supplies are still boxed from the summer. The students actually set up the nursery.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Acquisition:

Declarative Knowledge Acquisition

Procedural Knowledge Acquisition

Extending and Refining

CULMINATING PERFORMANCE
Include rubric(s)

Meaningful Use Task

(MUT)

Invention

Meaningful Use Task

(MUT)

 Center Design Project 

You and your co-workers are going to design your nursery. You need to decide, figure, and agree on the following:

First let’s decorate

• State regulations say we need 35 square feet of classroom space per child. We need to find out how many children this nursery can hold.
• Next, we would like to order floor covering for the whole room. Measure the room and find out how many square feet of floor covering we will need to order. We are not sure if the company wants us to measure square feet or square yards. We want to be prepared, so also have your answer ready in square yards.
• We would also like to paint the room and order border, so again, use any measurements that would tell us how much paint to order. Remember, we are on a budget, so subtract out any space for windows and doors. Do the same for border. See border book to figure out how many rolls of border to order.

Now let’s set up the layout of the room

• Decide where you would like the different learning centers and major furnishings to be located. You will need to create a scale floor plan, using graph paper. Be sure to note all furniture fixtures, doors, windows, and appliances. This needs to be neat and "to scale" (please note your scale measurements at the top of the graph paper). Along with the floor plan, attach a short, typed summary explaining your rationale for the set up you chose.
• Once your floor plan is complete and checked, draft the floor plan to scale using CAD.

Let’s order some equipment

• Using the supply catalogs, make a list (with prices) of all supplies and equipment you will need to get the center started. Be sure to list the floor covering, paint, and border you ordered above. You have a $3,000 limit, so be sure to choose the materials that are essential first, then you may start a "wish list" for the materials we cannot afford at this time.
• The company is having a 25% off everything in the catalog sale, so look up all items wanted and calculate the sale price. Fill out order forms for all supplies needed and calculate the total. (Be sure to include tax and shipping)
• You will need to design a playground for your classroom. You may choose any equipment you feel is appropriate and/or necessary for student development at the pre-school level. You have an extra $1600 for this project. The following items should be thought about and explained in detail:
• What pieces of equipment will be included?
• How many of each will you need?
• How will you lay out your playground? (you may use the computer to set this up)
• How many teachers/aides will be needed to supervise?

Now that you have an idea of what your playground will look like, consider the following:

• Do you have a sandbox?

-How big is the box?

-How much sand will you need to fill it?

• Is there a fence around the playground?

-How long is it?

-How high is it? Why?

• Did you include blacktop for bike rides?

-How large of an area would you need?

-What is the volume of blacktop needed?

If your answer was "NO" to any of these questions, you may need to reconsider including each into your playground. If you decide to include them, go back and answer each question. If you decide against including them, give a detailed explanation of why you do not feel they would be needed/appropriate. However, whether or not you include them, you must include calculations of the amounts that would be needed.

Let’s get some customers

• Design a business card (using the computer).
• Design a web page to tell people about your center. Be sure to include all information that will be important for people to know.

Project Participation Rubric

Name (s) __________________________________

Date ______________________________________

Total _______________ Grade______________

Comments:

Project Evaluation Rubric

Name(s): __________________________ Date: _____________________

__________________________

__________________________

Center Name: ________________________________________________________________________

 Age of the Children: ____________

Checklist

The following is a checklist of all information that is required for this project.

Be sure you have answered each question clearly, and be sure all answers are given with all work shown on separate paper.

4=exemplary 3=accomplished 2=developing 1=beginning

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

"First Let’s Decorate"

Grade Answer

_______ ______________ correct # of children.

_______ Carpet

• ______________ square feet carpeting
• ______________ square yards carpeting
• ______________ type
• ______________ color

 ______ Paint

• ______________ amount
• ______________ type
• ______________ color

 ______ Border

• ______________ amount
• _______________color

Attach a written explanation describing your color schemes, type of floor covering and wall coverings. Include rationale and include border description.

SCORE___________

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

"Now Let’s Set Up the Layout of the Room"

____ Floor plan

• _______ to scale floor plan on graph paper(attach)
• _______ includes key (on graph paper)
• _______ a wise and creative use of space is shown
• _______ include-fixtures, doors, windows, and appliances
• _______ each center is labeled neatly on the graph paper and is outlined

correctly to scale

• ______ measurements noted for all areas and equipment
• ______ correct spelling
• ______ overall design of nursery classroom is clearly read on graph paper,

all parts are neat, easy to read and follow.

_____ CAD drawing

• ______ all measurements are correct
• ______ layout is correct
• ______ includes major equipment in correct location

 Attach a written explanation to include all activity areas that are included in your floor plan

SCORE _________

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

"Let’s Order Some Equipment"

______ Supply and Equipment list includes:

• _____ all equipment placed on graph paper
• _____ carpet
• _____ border
• _____ paint
• _____ supplies for all activity areas (50)
• _____ catalog, page, quantity, size, color price of each total price, sales price

________ dimensions of equipment ordered matches equipment on graph

________ sale price is correctly calculated and all work is shown on separate paper

________ correct amounts of each item are ordered

________ tax and shipping are correctly calculated, listed on order form

(all work is shown on separate paper)

________ within budget $3,000

________ neatly prepared

Attach a written explanation which explains how your supplies meet the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs of children

____ Playground Equipment

• ____ layout (computer drawing) or (neatly written)
• ____ stays within budget $1600
• ____ includes equipment list catalog, page, quantity, size, color, price of each
• ____ number of teachers/aides

____ Sandbox

• ____ size
• ____ amount of sand

____ Fence

• ____ length
• ____ height
• ____ explains why

____ Blacktop

• ____ area needed
• ____ volume of blacktop

-------------------------------------OR-----------------------------------

Attach a written explanation if you did not use the sandbox, fence or blacktop

  SCORE__________

"Let’s Get Some Customers"

____ Business card includes:

• ____ nursery school name
• _____creative use of graphics
• ____ address
• ____ phone
• ____ age of children
• ____ other (e-mail, hours, hours of operation, philosophy or goals of center)
• ____ developed on the computer

____ Web Site includes:

• ____ nursery school name
• ____ address
• ____ phone
• ____ e-mail
• ____ hours of operations
• ____ age of children
• _____ creative use of graphics
• ____ other (philosophy or goals of the center)

SCORE____________

PRE-REQUISITE SKILLS

This project is designed for 2<sup>nd</sup> year Early Childhood Occupations students. Students will have knowledge of Child development and various types of nursery school and daycare settings through completion of 1<sup>st</sup> year of ECO. Also, students have completed Course 1R.  

MODIFICATIONS

No instructional modifications were needed for this group of students. Students that need extra help will get extra time through a pull-out for individual help (as needed). Students may work above and beyond the expectations of this unit by developing alternative room designs, by creating fundraisers or pursuing grant writing to purchase wish list items. Students may also choose to develop alternative advertisement options such as radio broadcast, newspaper advertisements or pamphlets.

UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN

 Launch - 2 - 2 1/2 hr. periods (5)

Acquisition (math lessons to prepare for project) - 14 - 1 hour lessons (14)

Refine & Extend:

• Problem solving - 1 - 2 1/2 hr. periods (2 1/2)
• Classifying - 2 - 2 1/2 hr. periods (5)
• Error Analysis - 2 - 2 1/2 hr. periods (5)

MUT - Project - 12 - 2 1/2 hr. periods (30)

  Total 61 1/2 hours

TECHNOLOGY USE

Auto CAD and/or COREL Draw is used for the scale drawing.

Scanner and Digital Camera is used for the Web Page.

Microsoft Word is used for the written explanations.

FrontPage/Word Web Maker is used to design the Web Page.

Reflection

The second year students began the school year with the Early Childhood environmental design project. At first the student’s were overwhelmed with the project as a whole. Once they began working on each part, they became more involved. They worked cooperatively with partners, creating their own nursery center design. The students enjoyed making choices and at the same time experienced the frustration of completing this project from scratch. Designing a nursery school helped the students to realize the reality of starting their own business. The students were able to take part in the actual planning that would be necessary to start their own business.

We realize we have some scheduling problems to work out. We began this project with the math as a push-in one day per week. We both felt that the project could have been pulled together more clearly with extra math time during that week, as students worked on the theory part of the project. The unit context itself went very well. We both felt it enhanced the Early Childhood curriculum, which is our goal.

The students created a Web Page for the Early Childhood Occupations program. The computers available to us did not have enough memory to run the web page, which was very frustrating at times. It took some time to create the web pages. Eventually we were able to get enough memory on the computers to complete the project. This turned out to be a positive experience for the students as each group designed their own web page and then choose what they liked in each project to create a final web page, which can be seen at sll.neric.org.

We plan to incorporate having the students design their nursery using AutoCAD next year. By that time Southwest Tech will be equipped with the necessary software and computers.