GRANT TITLE
Simulating the Industrial Revolution with Tinker Toys

GRANT AUTHOR, SCHOOL, IMPACT & FUNDING
Lauren Morando, Heather Walker, Andrew Augustyn, Alex Dickerson
Clifford Pierce Middle School Gr. 8
550 students – $81.70

GRANT PERIOD
Round 34 for Spring 2019; implemented in school year 2019-2020

GRANT APPLICATION
This project will allow students to draw their own conclusions about the Industrial Revolution. In this hands-on, high-energy, student-centered simulation, students will work in small collaborative groups and independently to learn the function of interchangeable parts.

First, students will be placed into small, same-sized groups. There will also be 2-3 students working independently, depending on the class period and size. Then, all students will be shown an item made with Tinker Toys. Each group will receive that item and have the opportunity to look at how it was constructed. Then, students will deconstruct the item completely, noting the order in which it was taken apart.

Next, students will be given the task to build that item with their group or on their own as quickly as possible. During the first few rounds, the students working on their own will create the item faster than those working in groups. However, the students working in groups will start to realize that if they split up their pieces evenly and do one step at a time, they can create the item more quickly, demonstrating the efficiency of interchangeable parts in the factory system. Essentially, they are developing an assembly line using interchangeable parts.

By participating in this simulation, students are learning about the shift from domestic production to mass production and how interchangeable parts influenced industrial growth. The best part is, the students are the driving force in their learning.

GRANT OUTCOMES
The purpose of this grant was to use a set of Tinker Toys in Pierce Middle School’s 8th grade history classes to help students better understand the Industrial Revolution. The class was broken into multiple teams of four and a few independent workers, and they followed the procedure explained in the application. Times of each round were recorded and later discussed. Each class did the activity for an average of seven rounds, with build times starting at over 2 minutes and the fastest times being under 20 seconds! This led to a discussion of not just interchangeable parts and assembly line production, but also skilled vs. unskilled labor which then led to the topic of the labor movement.

One of our goals is to help students be college and career ready. The funding of this grant allowed our students to use higher order thinking skills while also directly learning Social Studies content and have fun while doing all this.

GRANT TITLE
Out in the Garden

GRANT AUTHOR, SCHOOL, IMPACT & FUNDING
Nichole Perez – Merrillville Intermediate School Gr. 5-6 – 900 students – $483.64

GRANT PERIOD
Round 36 for Spring 2020; implemented in school year 2020-21

GRANT APPLICATION
Students will have the opportunity of an outdoor learning component for their Math and Science classes where they can apply the skills that they learned in the classroom to the gardens. Students will grow their own seedlings in the classrooms and monitor their growth (Math). Students will see first-hand how plants grow and thrive (Science). By having the opportunity to grow their own plants and work outdoors, students will see if a career in the Environmental & Agricultural Systems career pathway is something they would like to pursue in the future; students will learn about various careers in the Environmental & Agricultural Systems career pathway and how those careers tie-in to the vegetable gardens (College & Career Readiness). The hope is to give students the opportunity of a hands-on experience to apply what they have learned in their classrooms and therefore help them to have a lasting impression of what they learned.

GRANT OUTCOMES
The group was planning on starting up the gardens last Spring, but had to postpone due to the pandemic shutdown. The team was able to purchase the materials needed for the raised garden beds and were able to put them together on Saturday, October 31st. One of the volunteers helped to find a better price for materials so four raised garden beds were created instead of the two raised beds proposed in the grant. In the Spring, the team will purchase additional items, such as a garden hose, rakes, etc. to complete materials for the garden.

PHOTO GALLERY

GRANT TITLE
Crazy Traits

GRANT AUTHOR, SCHOOL, IMPACT & FUNDING
Cheryl Austin – Merrillville High School, Biology Dept. – 500 students – $1218.84

GRANT PERIOD
Round 29 for Fall 2016; implemented in Fall 2016

GRANT APPLICATION
“Crazy Traits” is a hands-on, modeling kit that engages students while teaching them the role that chance plays, in an organism’s inherited traits. Additionally, it gives students an opportunity to model things they can’t see, such as the genotypes of parents and the alleles inherited from each, and those of the offspring resulting from parent crosses. Student engagement level will increase because they will be having fun while using “Crazy Traits” to study how traits are passed from one generation to the next. They will benefit by seeing the results of genetics crosses that can only be done, currently, using paper-based activities. These 3-D models should significantly enhance understanding and retention of genetics concepts that are often difficult for students to comprehend.

GRANT OUTCOMES
Biology 1B students discovered that there are two types of traits: dominant and recessive. Using “Crazy Traits” kits, purchased via a Merrillville Education Foundation grant, students developed a model for how probability influences genetic variation. Students flipped coins to determine which alleles a Crazy Creature offspring would inherit from its parents. Students then built their creature and compared them to the creations of their classmates. They discovered how genetically diverse the population can be even with just 14 traits, all while using “Crazy Traits”! The program has been successful for two years now and continues to give Freshmen students a hands-on model that enriches their concept of genetics.

PHOTO GALLERY

GRANT TITLE
The Great Kindness Challenge

GRANT AUTHOR, SCHOOL, IMPACT & FUNDING
Kara Bonin – Merrillville Intermediate School – 950+ Gr. 5 & 6 students – $553.17

GRANT PERIOD
Round 32 for Spring 2018; implemented in Fall 2018

GRANT APPLICATION
Every month, we create activities and projects to promote kindness, respect, empathy, and unity throughout the building. Our PBIS team, along with our Student Council and STAND club collaborate to create these themes and projects together, and staff members including the PBIS team, the Therapeutic Counselor and Social Worker, create monthly lessons focused on the theme.  Students are also able to write “Acts of Kindness” that are announced on morning announcements.

Research shows that kindness is learned not just be talking about or thinking about it, but by feeling kindness so we can reproduce that emotion and feeling to others by sharing kindness. The feel-good experience also produces endorphins in the brain that are associated with pleasure, social connection and trust. When our brains are in this state, our students can learn better and concentrate more on schoolwork. This project will also help to teach relationships and meaningful connections with other human beings. By doing this, our peer acceptance will likely increase leading to a reduction in bullying and behavior referrals. Finally, being intentional in focusing on kindness, we will continue to develop happy, confident, well-rounded individuals who will be able to collaborate, cooperate, and accept differences in other human beings. These skills are needed for our children as they become adults to help change our world.

GRANT OUTCOMES
We have been working hard to create a Culture of Kindness at MIS.  So far, we have demonstrated 5,775 acts of kindness since the inception of the program.  Every month we set a goal as a school.  We celebrate every month with the “Act of Kindness MVP” award. When a staff member recognizes our students demonstrating acts of kindness, the students are given a Kindness Coin. The coin is turned in for an entry into a drawing.  Students and teams have been recognized for their acts of kindness with rewards and prizes. Every month, we draw one name for 5th grade and one for 6th grade as our MVP. That student receives a trophy, and they have their picture on our Kindness Wall of Pride.

GRANT TITLE
Family Engineering Nights

GRANT AUTHOR, SCHOOL, IMPACT & FUNDING
Kara Bonin – Merrillville Intermediate School – up to 120 people at each of three events – $895.00

GRANT PERIOD
Round 32 for Spring 2018; implemented in Fall 2018

GRANT APPLICATION
We will host a Family Engineering Night each trimester. Parents and students will be invited in to participate together in a variety of STEM activities. The purpose is to introduce our parents to the engineering process and the new Makerspace at our school.

Activities will include: Arches, Boxing Beans, Glue is the Clue, Inspired by Nature, Let’s Communicate, Make It Loud, Shifting Shapes, Who Engineered It, Domino Diving Board, Happy Feet, Solid Ground, Assembly Line, Launcher, Stop and Think, Team UP.

Students and families will learn the engineering process and be encouraged to participate in our Time to Invent Club as well as seeking interest in future STEM professions. This will also support our three STEM projects that we are incorporating throughout the school year. Students and families will learn collaboration, thinking, problem solving, and simply a great way to have fun as a family.

GRANT OUTCOMES
We have held two Family Engineering Nights. Approximately 100 families attended and participated in a variety of STEM activities.  The purpose of the program is to introduce our parents to the engineering process and the new Makerspace Room at MIS.  Students and families learn the engineering process, be encouraged to participate in our Time to Invent Club, and seek interest in future STEM professions.                                            

Families worked together in the Launch activity, designing a catapult with only a spoon, rubber bands, and popsicle sticks.  The Tower Activity challenged them to build the tallest free-standing tower with only pipe cleaners.  Throughout the challenge, different parameters were put into place such as no talking with team, one hand only for each team member, etc.  The final activity was the assembly line, where the teams had to create the most efficient and effective way to build something.  Students and families used collaboration, thinking skills, and problem solving.  Everyone enjoyed themselves, and this was a wonderful and fun family learning experience for all.

PHOTO GALLERY

GRANT TITLE
Robotics Club

GRANT AUTHOR, SCHOOL, IMPACT & FUNDING
Charles Seligman – Merrillville High School – 30 Grade 9-12 students – $1,000.00

GRANT PERIOD
Round 30 for Spring 2017; implemented in Fall 2017

GRANT APPLICATION
As the sponsor of the new Robotics club we are looking to expand our group to two teams for competition next year. These students will be exposed to a CAD program donated to all FIRST teams to develop their robot virtually before they start building one. This program gives our students a chance to work with real objects trying to solve real problems. It is one of the best STEM programs our students can participate in here at Merrillville High School. Each robot costs approximately $1,365. This price includes the phones, the controls, all the electronics needed to have the robot perform as directed, and the basic building kit to build the skeleton of the robot that holds all of the above and operates on the game field. Each year the “game” consists of five or six tasks the robot must perform in order to score points.

GRANT OUTCOMES
This year has started off very well for our team. We held a kickoff with the Hobart team here at the high school with about 70 people attending the event. The game for the year was officially released at that time.

In November we attended our first scrimmage of the year in St. John hosted by a local Christian school. We placed first in that event. In December we hosted another scrimmage here at the high school. Six teams and about fifty people gathered in our main cafeteria, and we finished second in this scrimmage.

Our first competition will be Jan. 6th in Crawfordsville, IN. Both teams are going to attend this event but only the varsity team will compete. We are thankful to the Merrillville Education Foundation for all they have done for us over the last few years in helping the Robotics Club get started and grow.