CPS & IVS Pilot Project in the Collaboratory for Grades 3-5

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Illinois Virtual School (IVS) Project was a Virtual School project with support of a U.S. Department of Education Funds for the Improvement of Education grant from the Illinois State Board of Education. Participating schools included:

Thomas A. Edison Regional Gifted Center
F. W. Reilly Elementary School
F. W. Reilly Elementary School Branch
Jose Clemente Orozco Community Academy of Fine Arts and Sciences

2006 IVS projects offered third, fourth, and fifth grade Language Arts, Science and Social Studies students a chance to express themselves creatively with projects such as:

"Exploring Picture Books and their Authors"
"A Day in My School's Neighborhood"
"Poet's Corner"
"Nature Niches in My School's Backyard"

ONLINE LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM

Classroom students participated as collaborative online learners in the four projects listed below. Teachers learned to use the Collaboratory to facilitate student learning, create projects and teach online.

CPS-IVS: Exploring Picture Books and Their Authors is a project in which students take a survey to learn about each other, read a picture book as a class, contribute individual book reviews, and use extended response to contribute their reviews and discuss the books they read to the Internet Book Club book discussions. If you have a Collaboratory account, you can see the reviews by logging in at http://collaboratory.nunet.net and searching for "CPS-IVS: Exploring Picture Books and Their Authors."

CPS-IVS: A Day in My School's Neighborhood is a project in which students take a survey to learn about each other, complete research about various schools in a Cybrary, take digital images with a camera, and share their images with others participating students. To view the work that students completed for this project, you must have a Collaboratory Login and Password. Why? Because personal information and images are posted in the "Day in My School's Neighborhood Nexus Community."

Second and Third Grades

Fourth Grades

Fifth Grades

CPS-IVS: Poet's Corner is a project in which students take a survey to learn about each other, complete their research about poetry in a Cybrary, and write and share poetry other participating students. To view the work that students completed for this project, simply click the links listed below.

CPS-IVS: Natures Niches in My School's Backyard is a project in which students take a survey to collect data about natural happenings on or near their school, complete research about naturally occurring phenomena in a Cybrary, take pictures of the item they are going to write about, and write and share their scientific information with other participating students. To view the work that students completed for this project, simply click the links listed below.

How Hot? Investigating Solar Energy? How much Dew?

How Many Birds?

Hydroponics

Illinois Prairie Path

Spring Charting

The Collaboratory's Ninth Annual Symposium was utilized for reporting the student participation in CPS-IVS project. Please view the CPS-IVS Symposium Slide Show and CPS-IVS Symposium Video to see more information about each project.

ONLINE CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

Durning the Summer of 2006, participating teachers created projects to be used in classrooms during the 2006-2007 school year. The projects from each school are:

Thomas A. Edison Regional Gifted Center

Chicago Neighborhoods
Jeannie d'Agostino, Pat Strelecki and Gail Smith
The second grade students will research ethnic groups that helped in the development of early Chicago. They will learn how diverse Chicago neighborhoods are.

Imitating Andy Warhol
Deni Drinkwater
After researching and writing about Pop Art and the work of Andy Warhol; the students will create art in the style of Andy Warhol. The Warhol style artwork will then be posted in the Nexus along with the student's writings about Pop Art and Andy Warhol.

Probability or Just Luck?
Pat Strelecki
Students will explore the world of probability through research and hands on experimentation.

U.S. State Reports
Cindy Levin and Gail Smith
Students will learn about states of the United States through a research project focusing on 7 regions of the U.S. and their home state, Illinois. By repeating the process for each region in a supported environment, students will become more familiar with the research and reporting process as well.

F. W. Reilly Elementary School

Building A Healthy Lifestyle
Sue Sherman-Martinez
Students will gather information to better understand major concepts relating to nutrition and exercise. They will learn how to become discerning consumers of commercials and advertisements that do not always promote healthy messages about food and drink choices.

Hands Across the Miles
Laurie Burns, Mitchell Lazarus and John Hayford
This is an integrated project comparing and contrasting the environments and cultures of Illinois and Arizona. Students will utilize inquiry based projects and online resources to discover each others states.

Moon Myths From Different Cultures
Luz Duel and Patrice Lucas
This project will acquaint students with different moon myths. Students will also read about moon myths and create a moon myth and illustration of their own.

My Family- Sharing History Through Oral Stories
Bart Goldberg, Debbie Amstadter and Claudia Pineda
Students will learn about their family history through oral interviews; write stories about family traditions; and share with their classmates through class presentations. Throughout the unit students will explore traditions from different cultures.

Your Family's Dream Vacation
Donald Beck and Ronald Moss
After researching information about a specific vacation spot, students will create a virtual travel log, time line, post card, and expense report for a two-week family fantasy vacation.

Jose Clemente Orozco Community Academy of Fine Arts and Sciences

Good, Bad or Just Plain Ugly? Web Page Evaluation
Connie Amon
In this project, students will learn the importance of evaluating web pages and criteria they can use to evaluate web pages. They will also create their own fake web page.

Learning about Deserts, Prairies and Forests
Gila Hernandez
My third grade classroom will be researching three different biomes in the United States and around the world. At the end of the project they will choose their favorite biome and create an illustration or a diorama to include in the Nexus.

Let's Talk and Write About the Books that We Read!
Rita Avila
Students will complete a survey in the Survey Studio. After reading a book together, students will review in the Internet Book Club. After reading a book of their own choice, they will draw a picture of favorite part of the story and share these drawings and descriptions in the Nexus Community. Student will write comments on two photos using the discuss and reply buttons.

Solar Energy in Action
Alicia Song
Fifth graders complete experiments and research on solar energy. They will experiment with solar energy to understand how it can be conserved and effectively use to produce other types of energy.

The project development part of this grant culminated in a presentation meeting. Please view the CPS-IVS Teacher Project Slide Show to see more information about each project.

Example Workshop Agendas Jan 17 and Collaboratory Overview

	CPS-Illinois Virtual School Pilot Project in the Collaboratory for Grades 3-5
	The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Illinois Virtual School (IVS) Project was a Virtual School project with support of a U.S. Department of Education Funds for the Improvement of Education grant from the Illinois State Board of Education. Participating schools included: Thomas A. Edison Regional Gifted Center F. W. Reilly Elementary School F. W. Reilly Elementary School Branch Jose Clemente Orozco Community Academy of Fine Arts and Sciences 2006 IVS projects offered third, fourth, and fifth grade Language Arts, Science and Social Studies students a chance to express themselves creatively with projects such as: "Exploring Picture Books and their Authors" "A Day in My School's Neighborhood" "Poet's Corner" "Nature Niches in My School's Backyard" ONLINE LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM Classroom students participated as collaborative online learners in the four projects listed below. Teachers learned to use the Collaboratory to facilitate student learning, create projects and teach online. CPS-IVS: Exploring Picture Books and Their Authors is a project in which students take a survey to learn about each other, read a picture book as a class, contribute individual book reviews, and use extended response to contribute their reviews and discuss the books they read to the Internet Book Club book discussions. If you have a Collaboratory account, you can see the reviews by logging in at http://collaboratory.nunet.net and searching for "CPS-IVS: Exploring Picture Books and Their Authors." CPS-IVS: A Day in My School's Neighborhood is a project in which students take a survey to learn about each other, complete research about various schools in a Cybrary, take digital images with a camera, and share their images with others participating students. To view the work that students completed for this project, you must have a Collaboratory Login and Password. Why? Because personal information and images are posted in the "Day in My School's Neighborhood Nexus Community." Second and Third Grades Fourth Grades Fifth Grades CPS-IVS: Poet's Corner is a project in which students take a survey to learn about each other, complete their research about poetry in a Cybrary, and write and share poetry other participating students. To view the work that students completed for this project, simply click the links listed below. Cinquain Free Verse Haiku Limerick Shape Poems CPS-IVS: Natures Niches in My School's Backyard is a project in which students take a survey to collect data about natural happenings on or near their school, complete research about naturally occurring phenomena in a Cybrary, take pictures of the item they are going to write about, and write and share their scientific information with other participating students. To view the work that students completed for this project, simply click the links listed below. How Hot? Investigating Solar Energy? How much Dew? How Many Birds? Hydroponics Illinois Prairie Path Spring Charting The Collaboratory's Ninth Annual Symposium was utilized for reporting the student participation in CPS-IVS project. Please view the CPS-IVS Symposium Slide Show and CPS-IVS Symposium Video to see more information about each project. ONLINE CONTENT DEVELOPMENT Durning the Summer of 2006, participating teachers created projects to be used in classrooms during the 2006-2007 school year. The projects from each school are: Thomas A. Edison Regional Gifted Center Chicago Neighborhoods Jeannie d'Agostino, Pat Strelecki and Gail Smith The second grade students will research ethnic groups that helped in the development of early Chicago. They will learn how diverse Chicago neighborhoods are. Imitating Andy Warhol Deni Drinkwater After researching and writing about Pop Art and the work of Andy Warhol; the students will create art in the style of Andy Warhol. The Warhol style artwork will then be posted in the Nexus along with the student's writings about Pop Art and Andy Warhol. Probability or Just Luck? Pat Strelecki Students will explore the world of probability through research and hands on experimentation. U.S. State Reports Cindy Levin and Gail Smith Students will learn about states of the United States through a research project focusing on 7 regions of the U.S. and their home state, Illinois. By repeating the process for each region in a supported environment, students will become more familiar with the research and reporting process as well. F. W. Reilly Elementary School Building A Healthy Lifestyle Sue Sherman-Martinez Students will gather information to better understand major concepts relating to nutrition and exercise. They will learn how to become discerning consumers of commercials and advertisements that do not always promote healthy messages about food and drink choices. Hands Across the Miles Laurie Burns, Mitchell Lazarus and John Hayford This is an integrated project comparing and contrasting the environments and cultures of Illinois and Arizona. Students will utilize inquiry based projects and online resources to discover each others states. Moon Myths From Different Cultures Luz Duel and Patrice Lucas This project will acquaint students with different moon myths. Students will also read about moon myths and create a moon myth and illustration of their own. My Family- Sharing History Through Oral Stories Bart Goldberg, Debbie Amstadter and Claudia Pineda Students will learn about their family history through oral interviews; write stories about family traditions; and share with their classmates through class presentations. Throughout the unit students will explore traditions from different cultures. Your Family's Dream Vacation Donald Beck and Ronald Moss After researching information about a specific vacation spot, students will create a virtual travel log, time line, post card, and expense report for a two-week family fantasy vacation. Jose Clemente Orozco Community Academy of Fine Arts and Sciences Good, Bad or Just Plain Ugly? Web Page Evaluation Connie Amon In this project, students will learn the importance of evaluating web pages and criteria they can use to evaluate web pages. They will also create their own fake web page. Learning about Deserts, Prairies and Forests Gila Hernandez My third grade classroom will be researching three different biomes in the United States and around the world. At the end of the project they will choose their favorite biome and create an illustration or a diorama to include in the Nexus. Let's Talk and Write About the Books that We Read! Rita Avila Students will complete a survey in the Survey Studio. After reading a book together, students will review in the Internet Book Club. After reading a book of their own choice, they will draw a picture of favorite part of the story and share these drawings and descriptions in the Nexus Community. Student will write comments on two photos using the discuss and reply buttons. Solar Energy in Action Alicia Song Fifth graders complete experiments and research on solar energy. They will experiment with solar energy to understand how it can be conserved and effectively use to produce other types of energy. The project development part of this grant culminated in a presentation meeting. Please view the CPS-IVS Teacher Project Slide Show to see more information about each project. Example Workshop Agendas Jan 17 and Collaboratory Overview