Boise state university

Evaluation of Activity

2nd Grade Presidential Wax Museum

Ed Tech 505

Erin C. Markus

8/1/2010

This report was created by Erin Markus, who is a Masters of Educational Technology student at Boise State University. The evaluation report will be submitted to the Principal of Trilogy Elementary School, located in Redmond, WA.

Abstract

Trilogy Elementary School is located in the foothills above Redmond, WA and is a part of the Lake Washington School District. The school is a fine and performing arts magnet school that encompasses many academic programs that promote the learning of the arts, including instrumental and vocal music, drama, arts and crafts, and literature. The school consists of Kindergarten through Sixth Grade, each grade consisting of 3-4 classrooms of students. The total population of the school is 485, with an average of 18 students per class. The evaluation that has been completed has been requested by the Principal of Trilogy Elementary, Cindy Atkinson. The activity that has been evaluated is the 2nd Grade Presidential Wax Museum learning activity. This activity is a part of the Unit of Instruction about the Presidents of the United States. The activity has been used for the last 3 years at the school. The evaluation was completed utilizing data collected from the 2nd grade teachers and students, as well as a review of planning materials. A simple survey was given to the students to complete after the activity was completed, as well as a more complex survey for the teachers regarding the planning, procedures, materials, and assessments used in the activity. Testing outcomes were not included in this evaluation. This evaluation was requested to improve the planning and implementation process of the activity. After surveys were collected, the results show that the activity was greatly enjoyed by both teachers and students. The planning process of the activity appears to be simple and with minimal materials, most of which are provided by the students. The students complete the activity on their own, but the teachers actively perform their own observations of students while completing assessment procedures. Prior to the activity taking place, the materials, planning strategies, procedural plans, and assessment tools were evaluated for consistency, ease of use, and fulfillment of unit goals. All materials were presented to the evaluator in a binder that is used by the 2nd grade team during their planning process. The materials were neatly organized and easy to understand. It is important that all materials be easily accessible and used in the scenario that a substitute teacher could maintain the flow of the activity if need be. Overall, all materials and the activity were very well organized, unit goals are obtained by the activity, and teachers and students alike appeared to enjoy and learn from the activity.

Introduction

Program Description

The program being evaluated is the Presidential Wax Museum activity that is used by the 2nd grade at Trilogy Elementary School in Redmond, WA, as a part of their Unit of Instruction on the Presidents of the United States. The activity promotes learning the names of the Presidents, as well as simple facts about their lives. Because the school is an arts magnet school, the activity also includes a dramatization performed by the students on a President assigned to them early in the unit. The dramatization is performed as a wax character coming to life to tell a little about themselves and their Presidency. This is the culminating activity for the unit. The primary objective of this activity is to teach students the names of the Presidents, as well as simple facts about their lives. The dramatization wax activity ties in the public speaking and performing arts elements that the school bases many of their programs on. The activity takes place in February each year, which is the month of the Presidents Day Holiday.

Purpose of the Report

The evaluation of this activity was requested by the school’s Principal, Cindy Atkinson in September of 2009. The primary purpose of this formative evaluation is to assist Mrs. Atkinson in determining the effectiveness of Presidential Wax Museum activity by examining the material, procedure, implementation, and assessment used in this unit. The Principal is evaluating the activity to ensure that materials are adequate, planning is streamlined and easy to follow for anyone, including substitute teachers, and assessments are appropriate for the goals of the unit. Another aspect that was addressed during the evaluation is that the students and teachers enjoyed and learned from the activity. The Principal intends on this activity being a part of the curriculum for many years to come.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the activity were created to follow the goals of the Unit of Instruction. The Presidential Wax Museum objectives are:

The student will become familiar with the names of former Presidents of the United States.

The student will research simple facts about their assigned President using various resources, such as encyclopedias, books, and the Internet.

The student will recite facts from their own research about a former President that they are assigned by the teacher.

The student will be expected to memorize their facts and utilize their formal speaking voice during the presentation part of the activity.

Program Components

The activity was created as a fun way to learn the names of former Presidents of the United States. The activity helps the child practice basic research skills, memorization, and formal speaking skills. The preparation for the activity will take place in the child’s classroom, the school library, and at home. Rehearsals and presentations for the activity will be conducted in the main commons area or gymnasium of the school, depending on availability and class sizes. The classes will prepare for the activity for 6 weeks during their Social Studies block. They will utilize the school library and computers for research during this time. In the days prior to the activity, the classes will rehearse their wax characters with other students and their teacher. On the day of the activity, the museum will be performed by one or two classes at a time, so other classes can tour the “Wax Museum” and view other students’ presentations. Each session will last 1 hour, during which time other 2nd grade classes, other grades, and parents can view the work of every student.

Evaluation Method

Participants

The participants involved in the evaluation and activity include:

2nd Grade classes and their teachers Curriculum Specialist

Both students and teachers from the 2nd grade participated in a brief survey after the activity was completed. The evaluation procedures, as well as this report, were completed by the curriculum specialist, who performed the execution of evaluating the materials, planning, and implementation of the activity by utilizing surveys of teachers and students.

Procedures

The evaluation procedure includes a survey that was completed by the 2nd grade teachers and students. The survey tool used by the students was a simple response questionnaire including “smiley or frowny” faces for them to circle as their response to the questions. The survey completed by teachers was more in-depth and focused more on the materials, planning, and procedures of the activity. The surveys were given to teachers and students after the activity was complete. The teachers and students filled out the surveys and returned them to the curriculum specialist within one week after the activity took place. Planning and assessment materials were given to the evaluator in a binder to be reviewed and included in the evaluation of the program. This information was used by the 2nd Grade team to plan and implement the activity.

Data Sources

The following data sources were used during the evaluation:

1. Surveys completed by students and teachers (Qualitative).2. Planning and Assessment materials review. This review was completed by the evaluator

(Qualitative).

Results

The results of the evaluation will be shown in three data tables followed by a brief description of the qualitative data represented by the table. The first area that was evaluated was the planning materials binder that is used by the 2nd grade team during their planning and implementation of the activity. The final data collections took place by utilizing a simple survey of the students that participated in the activity and another survey completed by the 2nd grade teachers after the activity was completed.

Table 1: Review of Planning Materials

Evaluated Area: Yes No N/A Comments:Were the materials organized into one source viewable by all planners?

X The planning and assessment materials were very organized and well maintained. My only suggestion is to have a backup copy of the binder in case the main book is lost or damaged.

Are the materials easily accessible by all users?

X The planning materials are kept in the 2nd grade planning room where all teachers have access to the materials at all times.

Do the materials include a detailed list of activity and unit objectives, as well as a summary of state standards for the area of study?

X The materials did include detailed lists of activity objectives, as well as a printout of the state Social Studies standards for 2nd Grade.

Do the materials include all master copies of printable materials to be used by teachers?

X The binder appeared to contain all materials that are used by teachers during the planning and implementation of the activity.

Are assessment materials included in the planning materials?

X The book does contain the assessment sheet used by teachers during the activity.

Do the assessments utilize the objectives of the activity and standards?

X The assessment materials are very thorough and assess the objectives and standards for the activity.

Can the materials be easily understood and accessed by substitute teachers?

X The materials are accessible by anyone who requires access. Directions are very clear and outlined.

Does the Principal maintain a copy of the planning materials?

X

Interpretation of Table 1 Data

Table 1 shows the results of the materials review that was completed on the planning and implementation materials used by the 2nd grade teachers for the Presidential Wax Museum activity. The planning materials are maintained in a binder that is available to all planning teachers. The binder is kept in the 2nd grade planning room and is not supposed to leave the room, except for use by administration or to make copies in the copy room. There are no backup copies of the binder contents and this suggestion was made by the evaluator. The assessment materials are included in the binder and directly assess the objectives of the activity. The assessment of the activity is based on teacher observations of the students performing their President and the factual data they use in their presentation. The planning materials do include step-by-step details of the planning process and all materials used. This information can be easily interpreted by substitute teachers and others that need to view them.

Table 2: Qualitative Student Survey

# Survey Question 1 Did you learn the names of the former Presidents? 51 42 Did you learn a lot about your assigned President? 49 63 Did you learn a lot about other Presidents? 48 84 Was the Wax Museum activity fun? 52 35 Did you have fun watching others perform their Presidents? 45 106 Did your teachers help your learn about the Presidents? 49 67 Was it easy to make your costume? 42 138 Do you think 2nd Graders next year will have fun doing this activity? 50 5

Total number of surveys completed: 55

Interpretation of Table 2 Data

Table 2 shows the results of a simple survey that was completed by the 2nd grade students after the activity was completed. The survey questions are designed to assess student attitude about the activity and preparation. The survey was only 8 questions to keep it simple. Looking at the data, the students responded positively and enjoyed the program. The only area that contained a few negative responses was about making costumes. 24% of the children either did not enjoy making costumes, or they may have had a difficult time finding materials necessary. The other area that had some unsatisfactory results was about watching other students performing. This is not an atypical result for this age, because they would much rather be performing than watching others.

Table 3: Qualitative Teacher Survey

# Question Agree Neutral

Disagree N/A

1 The planning materials were easily accessible to all 2nd grade teachers at all times.

4

2 Planning materials were easy to follow and understand. 43 The materials could be easily understood and used by a

substitute teacher.3 1

4 Activity objectives were clearly written and in alignment with state standards.

4

5 Regular planning meetings were beneficial to the planning process.

3 1

6 Each teacher was assigned specific tasks for the final activity (arrange set-up, send invitations, etc.)

4

7 Your students did not have problems finding costume materials or props.

2 2

8 Each teacher participated fully and did their part in the planning process.

3 1

9 Your students found it easy to find information about their President.

3 1

10 All materials necessary for student research was available either in the classroom or library.

4

11 Administration was supportive of the activity and planning processes.

3 1

12 The school supplied all materials required for the activity, besides costumes (AV, chairs, stage, etc.)

4

13 The assessment of the activity was appropriate for the objectives.

2 1 1

14 The assessment materials were easy to understand and implement during the activity.

4

15 Students appeared to be enjoying the activity. 4

Interpretation of Table 3 Data

Table 3 data shows the responses given during a survey of the four 2nd grade teachers after the activity was complete. Overall, the responses were positive. During the survey, the planning process, materials, and assessment were addressed. One area that showed some negative responses was about student costumes. The activity requires students to wear a costume that represents their President. It appears that some students had difficulty with this. Factors could include cost, availability, creativity, or non-interest. Further investigation and research may be necessary to identify the improvements that can be made. One area that was split on the responses was the assessment appropriateness. Two of the teachers did not feel the assessment materials were appropriate for the activity, so this will need to be addressed with attention to the details of the assessment and objectives.

Discussion

The purpose of this evaluation is to determine if the 2nd grade program, Presidential Wax Museum, has a beneficial role in the curriculum and if it needs to be improved in any way for future use. The evaluation revealed that the program does appear to be a successful activity and the students really enjoy the activity. This program has been in place for many years and the school intends for it to be a part of the 2nd grade curriculum for many years to come. During this evaluation, three specific areas were focused on: Materials, Planning, and Assessment.

The planning materials are maintained in a binder in the 2nd grade planning room and are accessible to all teachers for use. According to the survey results submitted by the teachers, the materials were of beneficial use to them and were easily accessible for their use, as well as use by a substitute teacher, if necessary. The results showed that the teachers did feel the planning materials were appropriate for the successful planning of the activity. The teachers have meetings throughout the planning process and they each had their specific roles assigned to them for the activity day, such as arrangement of set-up, audio-visual arrangements, sending invitations, etc. The survey feedback was definitely positive for the topic of planning and materials. During the evaluation, the planning materials binder itself was also analyzed by the evaluator. The materials were placed in a nicely organized binder that included all materials necessary for the planning and implementation of the activity. The results of this review of materials were positive with minimal changes recommended.

During the evaluation, the students completed a simple survey about their feelings about the activity. The survey that was completed by students included simple questions and answers that were shown by them circling either a smiley face or a frowny face as their response. The responses from the children were positive and they appeared to enjoy the activity and learned from it. One area that the student responses had some negative feedback was about costumes. Almost 24% of the students stated that they were not happy with putting costumes together. Many students seemed to have difficulty finding or creating costumes for the activity and this was evident by these responses.

After reviewing the surveys and materials review, only minor weaknesses were discovered with the activity. The area that had the largest amount of negative responses was costuming. For the activity, students are to come up with costumes that represent their President. Because 24% of the students and 50% of the teacher surveys showed dissatisfaction with costume making, this area will need to be addressed. A possible suggestion for the future of this task would be to maintain a “bank” of clothes and props that could be used by students that are having difficulty creating their own costumes. These items can be obtained by donation from previous years or discovered at thrift shops or garage sales. The other area of concern was in the assessment.

Conclusion

The “Presidential Wax Museum” activity of the 2nd Grade at Trilogy Elementary is a very successful activity that is greatly anticipated by all students each year. The materials evaluated and the surveys completed all provide a positive outlook for this activity. It is obvious that the teachers have worked very hard to create this wonderful activity. With only minor adjustments to the materials and processes that were suggested in this evaluation, this activity will undoubtedly continue for years to come.

Project Cost

Evaluator Salary:

Erin Markus: 3 days x $250/day (on-site) $750.00

Erin Markus: 1 day x $200/day (office day) $200.00

Travel and per Diem:

3 days x 15-miles R/T mileage charge $30.00

3 days x $20 per Diem $60.00

Miscellaneous

Copies and print fees $45.00

Pre-paid postage $15.00

Total Cost: $1100.00