The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. has announced that the following Robert P. Bell Education Grants totaling $4,010 have been awarded to local teachers for the first quarterly grant cycle of the 2008-2009 academic year. It is estimated that over 1,500 Delaware County students will benefit from these grants.
- Linda Smith, Muncie Central High School, was awarded $192 for fifth and seventh grade science students to participate in an astronomy unit using the school's planetarium. The unit will incorporate themes from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books and will transform the planetarium into the Great Wall in Hogwart's Castle.
- Rhonda Miller, Delta Middle School, was awarded $60 for sixth grade language arts students to practice their letter writing skills by writing business letters to celebrities to request autographs.
- Jane Miller, Muncie Central High School, was awarded $152 for geometry students to participate in a string art project to reinforce math concepts studied.
- Carol Burt, Sutton Elementary School, was awarded $350 for an all-school art project titled People in Clay. Students will study the work of ceramic artist, Jenny Mendes, and interact with her via the internet. The students will then create clay sculptures based upon the ideas generated from the artist interaction.
- Kristina Retherford, Daleville Junior/Senior High School, was awarded $200 for high school Etymology students to create board games using at least 100 words they have learned over the course of the semester. The words used will include lesson words, SAT words, and Greek/Latin root words.
- Amy Cullum, Wes-Del High School, was awarded $258 for beginning Spanish students to participate in a unit called "VERB-8-em!" The students will create personal place mats for their desks and sentence strips with interchangeable parts to learn Spanish verbs.
- Tamara Cargile, Wilson Middle School, was awarded $238 for seventh grade students to learn the concepts of force and motion through several investigative activities. The unit will culminate with students using their knowledge of Newton's Laws to construct a roller coaster.
- Cresta Hancock, Muncie Southside High School, was awarded $264 for ninth grade honors biology students to study Darwin's Origin of Species. They will then work in pairs to research and create the missing chapter of Charles Darwin's famous work.
- Rose Davis and Matt Huber, Albany Elementary School, were awarded $260 for first grade students to participate in a field day with various activities that support their study of the Woodland Indians. The students will read books about Pocahontas and Squanto, make necklaces using patterns of beads, grow corn seeds, and build two model longhouses with pretzel sticks and shoeboxes. The students will make headdresses with feathers earned for character traits.
- Sara Jarvis, Northside Middle School, was awarded $231 for sixth grade students to design, construct, and discover the workings of a simple machine. The students will build an electrical, chain-driven marble elevator to understand and measure the connection between mass, velocity and kinetic energy.
- Natalie Fowler, Wes-Del Middle School, was awarded $138 for seventh grade reading students and their parents to read Summer of My German Soldier. The students and parents will then come together to discuss the various themes, conflicts, symbolisms, and other literary elements within the novel.
- Richard Williams, Delta High School, was awarded $99 for senior English students to practice their letter writing skills by corresponding with residents of the Muncie Health Care and Rehabilitation Center.
- Fran Nelson, Storer Elementary School, was awarded $238 for kindergarten students to construct models of neighborhood businesses and use these for environmental print activities in reading, writing, social studies, and math. As part of the unit, students will learn to read business signs and use a map.
- Lance Brand, Delta High School, was awarded $347 for high school biology students to conduct a forensic investigation using real DNA. The students will study the Lindbergh trial and learn about blood typing, fingerprinting, fiber analysis, and DNA fingerprinting. The unit will culminate with the students conducting a mock trial at the Muncie Court House.
- Julie Eckelman, Mitchell Elementary School, was awarded $214 for second grade students to create their own books after participating in Ball State's Author Visit program with children's author Doreen Cronin and illustrator Betsy Lewin. The children will write their children's books and work with high school art students to develop illustrations.
- Becky Watters, Eaton Elementary School, was awarded $299 for fourth grade students to rehearse and perform a one-act play that teaches Indiana history through memorization and music.
- Taryn Fine, West View Elementary School, was awarded $185 for second grade students to create writing notebooks carefully organized to guide them through each step of the writing process.
- Erin Smith, Daleville Elementary School, was awarded $285 for sixth grade music students to learn to play the guitar. As part of the unit, students will learn to read and interpret basic music notation and have a chance to perform short pieces at the school's Spring Concert.
Bell Grants of up to $350 are awarded to teachers with innovative ideas, programs or projects designed to stimulate learning in their students. The first deadline for next academic year's Bell Grant applications is December 1, 2008.
For more information about Bell Grant applications, contact Suzanne Kadinger, Foundation Program Officer, at skadinger@cfmdin.org or by calling (765) 747-7181.
