NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY EDUCATION FOUNDATION 1
2004GROSVENOR GRANT APPLICATION
Cover Sheet
GROSVENOR GRANT APPLICATION 2004
Proposal due March 17, 2004
Date: February 4, 2005
Organization Name: Arizona Geographic AllianceFederal ID 860196696
Mailing Address: Arizona State University
Department of Geography, Box 870104
Tempe AZ 85287-0104
Telephone Number: 480-965-5361 FAX Number: 480-965-8313
E-mail address: , and
Website address:
Primary Contact: Ronald I. Dorn with Gale Ekiss and Alfino Flores
Title: Professor of Geography, Co-Coordinator Arizona Geographic Alliance and Professor of Elementary Education (Alfinio Flores)
Contact Information: Same as above
Organizational Background: The Arizona Geographic Alliance (AzGA) is Arizona's arm of the National Geographic Education Foundation's effort to promote an appreciation of geography's importance in grades K-12. Our main focus rests in teacher professional development as the most effective and cost-effective instrument at ensuring the next generation understands geography's value.
Submitting in Guidelines Category #2:
Title:GeoMath: Completion of the Project
Project Description: Our 2002-2003 Grosvenor grant proposed the development of a GeoMath curriculum package, designed to teach geography standards while practicing math skills found on state-mandated testing. The NGSEF provided support with $77K to develop and test the package. All of the key goals of the first phase are met or are on target for planned completion prior to the start of this grant. This follow-up proposal, as outlined in the first GeoMath grant, is to finish the original concept and raise awareness of (i.e. "market") GeoMath during the 2004-2005 academic year.
Project Start Date: September 1, 2004
Project End Date: August 31, 2005
Total Project Budget:$69,070
Funding from Other Partners:$32,700
Amount Requested from NGSEF: $19,070
Apply online at questions to , or paper copy to Grants Manager/Grosvenor Grant Proposals, National Geographic Society Education Foundation, 1145 17th Street N.W., Washington D.C. 20036-4688
Project Title: GeoMath: Completion of the project
Applicant Name: Arizona Geographic Alliance
Project Dates: September `, 2003 to August 31, 2004
NGSEF Grosvenor Grant 2004 - Proposal Budget
Description / NGSEF Support / Match Support / TotalProject Personnel
Gale Ekiss stipend
Ph.D. Student (Erin Saffell, John Douglass)
Undergraduate student helper
SUBTOTALS / $6000
$3500
$9,500 / $25,700*
$5000*
$32,700 / $42,200
Participant Costs
3 workshops for up to 100 teachers each with budget broken down for each workshop as follows:
$450- 3 presenters honoraria @ $150 for the 2 days (travel and workshop)
$480- Substitute support for 3 presenters @ average of $80/day for 2 days (travel day and workshop day)
$140 - 1 paper copy of the GeoMath package placed in notebook
$280 - food, materials and supplies to run workshop.
$120 - Photocopying "Binko" materials for workshops, and notebooks for placement of these materials
$200 - $110 in motel costs for 1 rooms for 1 day shared by 3; and $15 in meals per person (3 people, 2 days)
$125 - mileage at $0.25c/mile; we assume that 2 presenters will carpool from metro Phoenix and one will come from another location (e.g. Tucson, Flagstaff, rural Arizona). The average distance from ASU to interested schools is 250 miles round trip. So 2 cars, traveling 550 miles at $0.25/mile amounts to
SUBTOTAL $1795 / $5385 / $5385
Travel:
Travel supplement to Arizona Geographic Alliance TCs to present GeoMath lessons at the NCGE (3 TCs) and NCSS (2 TCs) meetings. $600 supplement to 5 presenters.
SUBTOTAL / $3000
$3000 / $3000
TOTAL / $19,385 / $32,700 / $52,085
* These cost-shares are being paid for by a 2003-2004 supplement to ASUs "GK-12" program sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Co-PI Dorn received a supplement to support the GeoMath program in the form of a Ph.D. student and an undergraduate student. This support was NOT counted as a cost-share during the first phase of the GeoMath program, since the supplement had not yet been conceived or funded. This supplement is, thus, submitted for consideration by the NGSEF as cost-sharing in this project.
GeoMath: Completion of the project (2700 word limit)
1. Need and Link to Grosvenor Grant Program
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal legislation has led to a condition throughout the country where administrators divide curriculum into tested and untested subjects. Since geography is an untested subject in Arizona, the Arizona Geographic Alliance (AzGA) received prior Grosvenor Grant support to develop curriculum linking NGS conservation initiatives, and Arizona and National Geography Standards to tested skills in reading and writing (our K-8 "GeoLiteracy" package) and to math (our K-8 "GeoMath" package that is nearing completion), and where each lesson contains assessments that mirror state-mandated NCLB compliant testing.
The GeoLiteracy package has been very well received by administrators and teachers who have been shown and trained in these materials. The success of GeoLiteracy workshops has led to an anticipation of GeoMath. The first GeoMath proposal included a component for a second-half (this proposal) to raise awareness of the curriculum package by following the GeoLiteracy model: developing carrying out a series of "free workshops" in Arizona for representatives from each school and then to showcase the package at national meetings (NCGE and NCSS). The proposed project would be to duplicate the GeoLiteracy model.
The proposed project maintains five systematic linkages to NGS initiatives: (1) some of the lessons in the GeoMath package uses books in the NGS Windows on Literacy and Reading Expedition programs, since research has shown that math and language arts can by synergistic ; (2) lessons in each grade group (K-3, 4-5, 6-8) contains core lessons in conservation; (3) lessons were developed and piloted by teachers in low-income urban and Native American settings -- linking to NGSEF desires to serve these populations; (4) the lessons show potential for extensions to modify regional lessons (e.g. Arizona, southwest) in other parts of the country — illustrating that other geographic education groups can use this strategy.
1a. Report on Metrics of First GeoMatah Proposal
As a reviewer of this proposal, I would want to know whether the metrics of the first GeoMath proposal had been met.
Goal 1. Preparation of GeoMath Activities in 2002-2003 by Grades K-3, 4-5, and 6-8 teams
The team of 8 grade K-3 teachers from urban, rural and disadvantaged schools produced 24 lessons, where 7 connect math to NGS missions emphasizing conservation and cultural aspects of geography. The team of 8 grade 4-5 teachers with the same mix produced 24 lessons, where 4 connect math to NGS missions emphasizing conservation and cultural aspects of geography. The team of 12 grade 6-8 teachers with the same mix produced 34 lessons, where 6 connect math to NGS missions emphasizing conservation and cultural aspects of geography. Each of these 86 lessons were reviewed by team leaders, math assessment experts, and project coordinator Gale Ekiss to assure quality control prior to piloting.
Goal 2. Piloting and control testing in Arizona Classrooms and Revisions in academic year 2003-2004. As explained in the original proposal, piloting needed to take place in a second year, due to the specific scope and sequence of math instruction.
Our original goal of testing these lessons on 5750 in classrooms with a mix of rural, urban, and disadvantaged children is being exceeded. The logistics of piloting each lesson in multiple classrooms has been daunting, made even more difficult by administering pre-tests and post-tests. As of the writing of this proposal, the piloting results are beginning to trickle in. Mastering of geography standards mirrors the positive GeoLiteracy results. But we are aware that the key will be the statistics in the pre/post testing on math performance objectives; At this point, the pre/post testing reveals a statistically significant (at 0.05 level) improvement.
Goal 3. Summer Training Workshop. Originally planned for 2003, this training workshop in the form of an ASU summer school class was postponed until 2004, because the GeoMath lessons needed more editing (by assessment experts, team leaders, and project leader) before this trial phase.
Goal 4. April 2004 workshop to finalize lessons after piloting has been completed. This workshop is scheduled.
Additional Unanticipated Results Related to Cost-Sharing: (1) ASU-paid cartographer Barbara Trapido-Lurie, and her students, have developed more than two dozen new student activity maps for these lessons. In many cases, these maps simplify and work synergistically with NGS cartography; for example, a lesson on taking a boat trip in the Grand Canyon naturally uses the NGS Grand Canyon map — but with two very simplified maps appropriate for the 4th grade level. (2) Co-PI Dorn received an NSF "GK-12" project supplement to provide a graduate student and an undergraduate student worker, both of which have are helping to coordinate the complicated piloting process and the programming for the GeoMath CD.
All GeoMath materials are available for NGSEF review at the following working website: <alliance.la.asu.edu/geomath/lessons/>. We urge the reviewers to note that these lessons are not in final form. The months of May through July will see the completion of the GeoMath CD, a final report being sent on the first GeoMath grant, and preparation for this proposed phase of GeoMath.
2. Beneficiaries
Direct beneficiaries of the GeoMath lessons the children and parents living in Arizona, where standards-based geography lessons enrich their lives. We estimate that this "marketing" phase of GeoMath will touch 300 teachers (100 teachers per workshop) who work in 300 different schools. Assuming that each teacher shares the GeoMath project with another 5 teachers at their school, and assuming 25 students per teacher, the potential impact would be on 37,500 children per year. Another indirect beneficiary would be geography education in Arizona, which is already seeing a consequence of articulation to NCLB testing in that geography is not being removed from curriculum. We hope we would not be presumptuous in anticipating a consequence to other alliances who are now engaged in "GeoLiteracy" projects in coordination with the NGSEF. GeoLiteracy is a "natural" for most elementary school TCs. GeoMath is harder for these TCs to envision, and hence this project may generate additional "we can do this also" enthusiasm for such NCLB-synergism in other states.
3. Specific Goals
The following table provides general goals and how they will be measured.
Program Goal / What Measure / Why Outcome is Achievable1. Each lesson integrates National Geography standard, State Geography standard, and State tested math standards / • All GeoMath Lessons utilize standards
• We will survey teachers to learn how they adapted the lessons / The post-workshop surveys will not be threatening. We don't ask whether they deviated. Rather, we will extract information on how they modified the lessons
2. Providing the most current content and the most effective instructional strategies. / • Number of GeoMath lessons taught to teachers
• Number of teachers taught to use the GeoMath package / The instructional strategies in these GeoMath lessons provide a mix of techniques, from direct instruction to kinesthetic to cooperative learning.
3. Assist the K-8 teachers in making systemic reform in subject learning in their classrooms. / • Survey instrument given to teachers to establish whether integration of social studies and math increased.
• Pre-service teachers are taught GeoMah program in summer classes, in geography method courses, and in other pedogagy courses / • We provide the most current content: the only set of lessons that meet each K-8 geography standard in Arizona. No other instructional materials meet each of the Arizona geography standards.
• Co-coordinators Dorn and Ekiss, and TCs teach a number of geography methods, social studies methods, and elementary methods courses, and Ekiss and TC Liz Hinde supervise student teachers; in these mentoring situations, GeoMath lessons are taught and analyzed
4. Assist institutions in implementing and emphasizing teaching methods that have been proven to work. / • Number of administrators who advocate GeoMath approach
• Demographics of student population of trained teachers / Administrators do not callously reject the teaching of social studies. This GeoMath program creates a win-win situation. Testing skills are being taught, but so are geography skills and knowledge.
5 .Increased time taught on geography / • Evaluation forms during GeoMath workshops will include number of hours taught in geography
• Evaluation forms to be returned after the in-service will inquire whether the number of hours taught in geography has changed / • Our workshop forms have included an inquiry about number of hours taught in geography in grades K-8, and teachers were able to make such an estimate
6. A plan for institutionalizing (incorporating) positive results of the project should be included / • This is the part of the GeoMath plan to expose teachers to GeoMath through the Annual GeoFest Conference of the Arizona Geographic Alliance, through the NCSS meetings, and through the NCGE meetings
• We may apply for additional years of support for conducting disadvantaged outreach workshops combining GeoMath and GeoLiteracy, depending on survey results of GeoMath workshops from this proposal and GeoLiteracy workshops that are underway in 2003-2004 year to disadvantaged schools in Arizona / Every year for the past ten years, the Arizona Geographic Alliance has run a "GeoFest" conference attended by some 200-250 teachers each year. The GeoFest is held the first Saturday in October. The plan is achievable because the GeoMath package will be a part of future GeoFest trainings.
The survey instruments discussed in the evaluation section will necessarily drive exactly how the GeoMath package is edited and revised further.
4. Detailed Project Description including Processes and Effectiveness of the Approach
Selection of Schools to be Served: Like the GeoLiteracy program, we will hold 3 workshops at central locations: one University of Arizona Campus and two at the Arizona State University Campus. These workshops are held in Memorial Unions, where NGSEF and AzGA will not bear costs in renting the facilities. We will advertise these workshops among all piloting teachers, all schools involved in the GeoLiteracy program, and throughout our active mailing list of more than 2400 members. If we receive more applicants than 100 (1 from each school), then we will bias the selection towards teachers working in disadvantaged (rural, poor) settings.
Selection of Workshop Personnel: All GeoMath authors will be given an opportunity to participate in these workshops. With 3 presenters (1 grade K-3, 1 grade 4-5, 1 grade 6-8), nine authors will be able to present at least one workshop. Lesson authors who have not presented before or who have not presented in several years must attend a "Binko" refresher course that will be run in the Fall of 2004.
Workshop Itself: Each workshop is structured to inform the audience about geography standards, present Binko-format sample lessons with hands-on activities, demonstrate the CD and how to access lesson materials, and discuss post-workshop support such as conducting workshops at schools and districts. All workshops will use an evaluation form similar to the one developed for the GeoLiteracy program.
Workshop Assessment and Refinement: As of the writing of this grant, AzGA is heavily engaged in the GeoLiteracy Workshops to Disadvantaged Schools Grosvenor grant. Each workshop provides a wealth of experience, an "iterative feedback" process whereby lessons learned modify subsequent workshops and subsequent evaluation processes.
Post-Workshop Support: Follow-up exists in three general forms.
First, teachers can watch lesson authors explain how the authors teach the lesson (Binko format, Appendix 4 in addenda) the night before a lesson is actually taught to students. A fourth of the GeoMath lessons are already on-line. This grant proposal includes a provision additional tapings of GeoMath lessons. The process by which teachers access on-line presentations will be discussed at the workshops
Second, AzGA plans to run an ASGI TC-recruitment summer event in the Summer of 2005, and we will recruit new TCs from the workshop participants.
Third, we will advertise GeoMath and "combination GeoLiteracy and GeoMath" workshops whereby AzGA takes a team of teachers to the schools of the teachers who attend these introductory trainings.
Fourth, the GeoMath website will provide a central location for the dissemination of updates, knowledge gained from the workshop evaluation process, lesson extensions, and new resources such as similar products made available by other geographic alliances.
5. Difference from Present Practice
AzGAs present strategy of GeoMath trainings was discussed in our original Grosvenor GeoMath grant proposal and its plan.
6. Program Visibility
Results of the workshops and evaluation data will be disseminated to local educators in the form of the Arizona Geographic Alliance newsletter, sent to a mailing list of more than 2400 teachers and administrators across Arizona. The findings will also be presented at the statewide GeoFest and Arizona Council for Social Studies meetings in Arizona, at no cost to the NGSEF. The budget includes a request to promote dissemination of the idea nationally at the National Council for Geographic Education and to the National Council for Social Studies annual meetings. We will also submit the evaluation data compilation to the internationally respected "Journal of Geography" -- a serial devoted to dissemination of the latest research in K-16 geography education.
7. Program Leadership
The program leadership is identical to the original GeoMath proposal. Most relevant to the prior success of AzGA is the creation of the GeoLiteracy program, and the on-time development of the GeoMath lessons. We believe we have established a track-record of carrying out these complicated projects. At the core of the success is the leadership of Gale Ekiss.
8. Timetable
Spring 2004: Upon learning of a funding decision, we would immediately schedule workshops at the student unions of the University of Arizona and Arizona State University.
Fall 2004: Binko-refresher course for workshop presenters.
Academic year 2004-2005: Carry out advertisement phase for workshops, carry out workshops and evaluation phase, and present GeoMath at Arizona and national conferences
September 1, 2004: Final Report presented to NGSEF.
9. Organizational Partners
Our partners include Arizona State University, University of Arizona, the National Science Foundation, and teachers and their schools now involved in the GeoMath program, as authors and as piloting teachers.