Westford Networks for Education and Technology Partnership 

This project will fund an experiment kit that will be used to establish a Water Cycle study. The study of the Water Cycle is an essential concept that students in the fourth grade work to understand in the Land and Water Unit of the Science Curriculum. Students will use various materials and methods to make predictions and collect measurements that lead to a better understanding of the effects of various conditions on the water cycle. The project will culminate with the students creating their own experiments.

This project will fund puppets to be used as part of the Peace-It-Together program at Robinson school. Peace-It-Together is a social competency curriculum that has been developed over the past four years. Puppetry will be used to facilitate the students' self-expression in this program. Students can use the puppets to role play various situations such as conflict and think of ways to resolve issues in peaceful ways.

This project will fund resource kits for the Colonial Day program at the Millennium School. Colonial Day is an active learning experience where students participate in hands-on activities to reinforce their understanding of the responsibilities and trades necessary for survival in Colonial America. Activities include lantern making, rope making, candle making, butter making and cooking.

This project will fund art materials to be used for several arts projects that are not part of the general curriculum. Two specific art projects will include clock making from recycled materials and batik pillow making.

This project will integrate Art and Physical Education classes, broadening an understanding of how the two areas can be connected. Art students will create Game Boards to be used in the Physical Education class. Students will assemble lumber and paints to create fun, bright, functional pieces of art that will become part of the Physical Education equipment.

Funds from this grant will be used to build resource kits for students visiting the Parkerville schoolhouse, an original schoolhouse in Westford. The kits will include nametags capturing former student identities, antique math & reading books, slates and chalk, ink wells and quilt pens and other such items. The goal is to make the visit as authentic as possible for students visiting the schoolhouse.

"Digging into Archaeology" is an interdisciplinary program designed to teach fourth grade students about the field of archaeology through a variety of teaching modalities. Funding from this grant will acquire materials necessary for setting up mock digs with discovery packs. Following an inquiry-based scientific method, students will employ a variety of scientific techniques to analyze findings from both a mock dig.

This project will fund a scanner, digital camera and software to be used in conjuction with the art curriculum. Students will use the camera to photograph themselves, their surroundings and their artwork. The pictures will be manipulated to create art projects, reports and posters.

This project will fund acquistion of a microscope camera to capture images of living protists (single-celled eukaryotic organisms). Students will incorporate the pictures of the protists with poetry based on the scientific information they have researched. Results will be posted on the school web page

This project will fund CAD software and materials for aircraft and wing design. Students will design model airplanes solving problems of aircraft and wind design with respect to air conditions, density, weight, speed and cargo. Students will test their designs competing to become the most efficient builder.