Space  For  Rent  

 
New  York  State    
Learning  Technology  Grant  Project  
 
Learning  Experience  Outline  
 
Year  One  
 
June  2010  
 
 
 
 

 
 
Berta  Dreyfus  IS  49  
101  Warren  Street  
Staten  Island,  NY  10304  
 
Linda  Hill,  Principal  
 Learning  Context  
 
The  Space  For  Rent  program  is  a  cross  curriculum  project  that  integrates  technology  into  the  
learning  experience.  This  learning  experience  will  help  increase  student’s  proficiency  in  several  new  
technologies  that  can  be  applied  to  solving  real  world  problems.  New  technological  educational  
strategies  will  include  website  creation,  video  editing,  Internet  research,  photography,  3-­‐D  design,  
and  blogging.  As  a  culminating  project,  students  will  create  a  Public  Service  Announcement  (PSA)  to  
secure  funding  from  global  partners  to  research  the  establishment  of  a  new  colony  in  outer  space.    
 
 
Outline  of  Standards  and  Performance  Indicators  
 
ELA  Standard  3  
Students  will  read,  write,  listen  and  speak  for  critical  analysis  and  evaluation.    
 
Performance  indicator:    Listening  
Students  recognize  persuasive  techniques,  such  as  emotional  and  ethical  appeals,  in  presentation    
 
Performance  indicator:  Speaking  
Students  present  content,  using  strategies  designed  for  the  audience  and  purpose    
 
 
Math,  Science,  Technology  Standard  7  
 
Students  will  apply  the  knowledge  and  thinking  skills  of  mathematics,  science,  and  technology  to  
address  real-­‐life  problems  and  make  informed  decisions.    
 
Performance  indicator:  Connections  
   
Students  design  solutions  to  real-­‐world  problems  of  general  social  interest  related  to  home,  school,  
or  community  using  scientific  experimentation  to  inform  the  solution  and  applying  mathematical  
concepts  and  reasoning  to  assist  in  developing  a  solution.    
 
Students  describe  and  explain  phenomena  by  designing  and  conducting  investigations  involving  
systematic  observations,  accurate  measurements,  and  the  identification  and  control  of  variables;  by  
inquiring  into  relevant  mathematical  ideas;  and  by  using  mathematical  and  technological  tools  and  
procedures  to  assist  in  the  investigation.    
 
 
Social  Studies  Standard  2  
 
Students  will  use  a  variety  of  intellectual  skills  to  demonstrate  their  understanding  of  major  ideas,  
eras,  themes,  developments,  and  turning  points  in  world  history  and  examine  the  broad  sweep  of  
history  from  a  variety  of  perspectives.    
 
Performance  indicator:  
   
Student  will  understand  the  roles  and  contributions  of  individuals  and  groups  to  social,  political,  
economic,  cultural,  scientific,  technological  and  religious  practices  and  activities.  
 
 
 
 
 
Social  Studies  Standard  3  
 
Students  will  use  a  variety  of  intellectual  skills  to  demonstrate  their  understanding  of  the  geography  
of  the  interdependent  world  in  which  we  live  -­‐  local,  national,  and  global  -­‐  including  the  distribution  
of  people,  places,  and  environments  over  the  Earth's  surface.  
 
Performance  indicator:  
 
Student  will  be  able  to  interpret  the  world  in  spatial  terms,  places  and  regions,  physical  settings  
(including  natural  resources),  human  systems,  environments  and  society,  through  the  use  of  
geography.  
 
 

Alignment  with  New  York  State  Curriculum    

In  ELA  students  read,  wrote,  listened  and  spoke  for  critical  analysis  and  evaluation  by  learning  about,  
listening  to  and  creating  a  PSA  to  acquire  funding  for  the  "Space  for  Rent"  project.    Students  created  a  
script  and  storyboard  and  learned  filmmaking  and  persuasion  techniques.        
 
In  Math,  Science  and  Technology  students  applied  their  knowledge  and  thinking  skills  of  
mathematics,  science,  and  technology  to  address  real-­‐life  problems  and  make  informed  decisions  in  
the  following  manners:  
 
In  Math,  students  accessed  data  from  the  US  Census  Bureau,  which  they  used  to  create  double  bar  
graphs  to  display,  analyze  and  interpret  population  growth  over  a  100-­‐year  period.  The  data  
displayed  information  on  population  growth  from  the  year  1950  to  the  estimate  population  in  the  
year  2050.    
 
In  Science  students  used  their  understanding  of  the  destruction  caused  by  natural  disasters  to  make  
the  connection  to  their  impact  on  human  body  systems.  
 
In  Social  Studies  students  used  a  variety  of  intellectual  skills  to  demonstrate  their  understanding  of  
the  geography  of  the  interdependent  world  in  which  we  live.  Furthermore,  students  created  maps  
that  explored  the  distribution  of  natural  resources  across  different  surfaces  on  Earth.  Such  
information  was  used  to  establish  zones  that  are  suffering  from  a  dearth  of  natural  resources.    

In  Technology,  students  worked  on  Excel,  Photoshop,  Final  Cut  Express  and  Google  Sketch  Up.    These  
software  programs  give  students  mastery  of  a  tool  that  they  will  be  expected  to  use  in  the  workplace  
in  a  corporate  job  or  creative  arts  field.    

   
 
Assessment  Plan    
   
To  evaluate  student  work,  teachers  created  rubrics  that  allowed  students  to  see  what  was  required  of  
them  as  they  completed  the  individual  components  of  the  projects.  These  rubrics  broke  work  down  
into  specific  performance  indicators  and  served  as  a  checklist  for  students  and  teachers  to  evaluate  
their  own  work.    
 
We  have  created  rubrics  (appendix  a)  for  the  following  products:    
   
1. Final  PSA  video  editing  in  Final  Cut  Express  
 2. PSA  script  
3. PSA  storyboard  
4. World  Population  chart  
5. Excel  Population  charts  and  graphs  
6. Math  Computational  Graph  
7. Natural  Resource  Map    
8. Social  Studies  content  understanding  
9. Science  content  understanding  
10. 3D  design  with  Google  Sketchup  
 
 
Procedure  
   
   
C.  McMillan-­  Math  
 
As  the  math  teacher,  I  elicited  the  math  skills  involved  in  planning  to  leave  the  planet  in  the  event  of  a  
disaster.  I  guided  the  conversations  with  questions  in  which  the  students  had  to  recall  definitions,  
analyze  tables/graphs,  compare  prices,  infer  growth  of  the  population  and  explain  why  their  choice  
of  shuttle  was  the  best  choice.  After  identifying  the  skills/topics,  the  students  had  to  demonstrate  
knowledge  of  the  skills  by  completing  activities  (foldables,  gathering  data,  using  appropriate  graphs  
and  graphing  data)  that  addressed  the  identified  skill.  The  students  created  a  line  graph  of  the  
world's  population  from  1950-­‐2030.  
   
E.  Solis-­  Math  
 
As  a  Math  Teacher,  I  guided  students  in  the  analysis  of  data  that  shows  the  estimated  population  
growth  from  the  year  1950  to  the  year  2050  according  to  OZ  Ideas,  a  website  that  displays  data  from  
the  US  Census  Bureau.  Then,  I  asked  students  to  find  the  percent  of  population  increase  for  the  most  
densely  populated  country  on  the  main  7  areas  of  the  world.  After  that,  students  created  a  double  bar  
graph  that  showed  the  1950  population  and  its  estimated  growth  by  the  year  2050.  The  data  analysis  
helped  students  realize  the  importance  of  finding  another  planet  to  migrate  to  given  the  massive  
population  growth  in  some  areas  of  our  planet.  Student  teamwork  and  collaboration  were  essential  
for  the  fulfillment  of  the  task.    
 
S.  Warcholak-­  Social  Studies  
 
As  a  Social  Studies  teacher,  I  built  on  prior  knowledge  and  introduced  new  knowledge  about  a  host  of  
topics  for  this  project.  I  started  the  topics  by  building  a  list  of  jobs  that  our  mission  specialists  will  
need  to  form  a  team  that  can  successfully  accomplish  our  goal  of  settling  a  colony  in  space.    
   
The  students  used  technology  to  look  up  and  research  each  job  title  that  our  mission  specialists  will  
have.  They  recorded  information  and  answered  questions  on  a  handout.  This  task  was  done  in  
student  pairs.  Once  the  handout  was  completed  the  pairs  created  presentations  to  share  with  the  
class.  I  tied  the  idea  of  our  colony  to  the  colonial  period  in  America  and  branched  out  to  include  the  
different  functions  our  human  space  colony  will  have.  I  created  a  work  sheet  to  guide  the  students  in  
their  research  of  each  job  title.  I  taught  my  students  about  the  natural  resources  we  as  humans  need  
that  the  Earth  provides.  We  had  open  class  discussions  about  the  basic  stresses  that  people  place  on  
the  Earth  for  these  resources  and  we  investigated  two  basic  resources  of  safe  drinking  water  and  
land  usage  as  related  to  growing  food.  We  investigated  how  population  increase  adds  more  and  more  
demand  on  these  resources.  I  then  created  a  handout  with  three  different  types  of  maps  showing  the  
limited  availability  of  these  two  resources  and  the  population  density  of  the  surface  of  the  Earth.  We  
read  these  maps  and  compared  how  this  information  informed  our  space  mission.  I  located  a  world  
map  template  from  www.eduplace.com  to  be  used  in  a  group  activity.  The  students,  in  pairs,  used  the  
website  Globalis.qvu.unv.edu  to  create  resource  maps  for  safe  drinking  water,  farmland  usage  and  
population.  These  maps  from  the  interactive  website  were  then  used  to  create  student  maps  
duplicating  the  information  on  a  world  map  template.  The  students  then  created  a  description  of  the  
map  key  on  the  completed  template.  

J.  Allman-­  Science  
 
As  the  Science  teacher,  I  focused  on  developing  the  student’s  awareness  of  the  scientific  basis  of  the  
Earth  events  that  could  cause  us  to  have  to  leave  Earth.    I  facilitated  their  inquiry-­‐based  
investigations  of  a  variety  of  natural  disasters,  depletion  of  natural  resources,  and  the  impact  to  the  
environment  of  over  population.    As  the  students  developed  a  working  understanding  of  the  effects  
of  natural  disasters,  they  also  tied  this  information  into  their  developing  knowledge  of  the  human  
body  and  the  interrelation  of  their  organs  and  organ  systems.  The  students  used  the  Internet,  
anatomical  drawings,  and  Science  textbooks  to  complete  worksheets  and  grids  to  organize  their  
results  and  facilitate  further  research.  The  students  worked  individually  and  collaboratively  to  gather  
this  information.    
 
S.  Arnhold-­  English  Language  Arts  
 
As  the  English  Language  Arts  teacher,  I  used  the  student’s  prior  knowledge  of  identifying  the  main  
idea  to  introduce  Public  Service  Announcements.  Students  looked  at  different  print  and  video  PSAs  
and  compared  and  contrasted  their  use  of  advertising  tactics,  delivery,  and  purpose  with  those  of  
traditional  commercial  advertisements.  Students  were  also  guided  in  discussing  and  analyzing  the  
messages  and  persuasiveness.  Students  then  explored  the  use  of  storyboards  and  scripts  in  creating  
video  advertisements  by  looking  at  the  features  of  each.  Students  looked  at  written  directions,  
including  camera  angles,  hand  gestures,  and  music/sound  effects  used  to  express  emotion  and  point  
of  view.  They  also  saw  these  same  elements  played  out  through  video  clips  such  as  in  "Gold  Rush"  
and  "Charlie  and  the  Chocolate  Factory".  Students  used  inference  skills  to  explain  and  discuss  how  
hand  gestures  and  music  affected  the  tone  of  the  story.  Next  students  worked  together  to  brainstorm  
problems  currently  faced  within  our  school  community.  They  developed  a  sample  storyboard  and  
script  to  accompany  their  school  related  PSA,  which  was  intended  for  an  incoming  sixth  grade  
audience.  Students  were  also  shown  clips  from  "An  Inconvenient  Truth"  to  critically  analyze  the  use  
of  both  verbal  and  nonverbal  support  in  making  a  case.  Students  then  took  their  other  content  
acquired  knowledge  and  created  their  final  PSA  storyboard  and  script  to  incorporate  all  necessary  
elements.  
 
M.  Valia-­  Computers  
 
In  computers,  students  learned  the  technical  skills  required  to  produce  digital  video  that  would  be  
executed  for  the  PSA.    They  learned  how  to  source  Creative  Commons  media  from  the  Internet  and  
import  them  into  Final  Cut  Express.  They  dragged  pictures  into  the  timeline,  changed  their  length  
and  added  transitions.    As  a  final  touch,  they  added  music  and  titles.    This  slideshow  movie  project  
gave  them  exposure  to  Final  Cut  and  made  it  easier  when  we  collaborated  in  a  teacher-­‐led  PSA  video  
production.    
   
F.  Portelos-­  Science  Technology  Engineering  &  Math  (STEM)  
 
In  the  Science  Technology  Engineering  &  Math  (STEM)  class  the  students  were  introduced  to  3D  
Modeling  and  Design.  The  software  used  was  Google  Sketchup  7.  Students  were  required  to  watch  a  
pre-­‐recorded  screen  cast  on  how  to  design  a  simple  one  room  Earth  like  house  with  a  garage  and  
pool.  They  had  to  design  the  house  with  specific  dimensions  and  learned  all  the  important  tools  
needed  to  complete  this  task.  They  then  downloaded  smaller  components  into  the  model  and  created  
a  virtual  tour.  Now  that  they  have  that  experience,  they  will  be  able  to  3D  design  future  homes  for  the  
new  colony  in  space.  
   
 
Impact  of  Technology  on  Student  Performance  and  Assessment      
   
Using  technology  in  the  classroom  enhances  student  learning  by  providing  engaging  applications  and  
resources,  which  motivates  students  in  learning  new  skills.  Lessons  where  technology  is  used  as  an  
instructional  tool  and  to  deliver  content  resources  and  to  provide  students  with  a  visual  and  auditory  
representation  of  what  they  are  learning.  Rather  than  looking  at  a  photo  of  an  erupting  volcano  in  
science  class,  they  are  able  to  see  and  hear  the  lava  and  crackling  of  a  volcano's  eruption.  This  is  
beneficial  not  only  for  students  who  are  visual  learners,  but  for  all  students,  as  this  is  more  likely  to  
spark  inquiry  and  lead  to  further  questions  raised  by  the  students  rather  than  posed  by  the  teacher.    
 
The  Internet  provides  students  access  to  many  resources,  which  opens  up  a  discovery  process  for  
student  knowledge,  and  allows  them  to  take  more  initiative  in  exploring  other  related  issues  or  
problems.  As  students  connect  more  to  what's  happening  outside  of  the  classroom,  they  explore  
different  learning  strategies  and  gain  critical  thinking  skills,  which  can  be  applicable  in  solving  world  
problems.  Furthermore,  they  see  themselves  as  constructive  learners  who  are  in  control  of  how  they  
gather  and  share  their  knowledge.  Websites  also  allow  students  to  review,  practice  and  apply  their  
various  learned  skills  while  having  fun  at  the  same  time.  
 
Technology  also  gives  teachers  the  ability  to  create  measurable  assessment  products.  Students  are  
able  to  display  their  understanding  of  concepts  and  content  through  multiple  means.  As  21st  century  
learners,  students  are  expected  to  be  familiar  with  more  than  just  Microsoft  Word  for  writing  
reports.  They  now  have  the  ability  to  express  themselves  with  video  productions,  podcasts,  websites  
and  can  collaborate  and  review  works  created  by  students  outside  their  classrooms.  Technology  also  
gives  the  teacher  the  ability  to  review  the  assessment  in  progress  and  address  inaccuracies.    
 
     
 
Resources  
 
Teacher  resources  
   
English  Language  Arts  
 
Content    
Selected  scenes  from  the  movie  "An  Inconvenient  Truth"  
Selected  scenes  from  the  movie  "Gold  Rush"  
Selected  scenes  from  the  movie  "Willy  Wonka  and  The  Chocolate  Factory"  
http://www.mediacollege.com/video/shots/  
Sample  PSA  Videos  
http://www.fightglobalwarmingpsa.com/ViewPSAs.aspx  
http://www.universalmusic.com/rockthevote  
 
 
Science    

Content  
Science  and  Life  Issues  textbook  
http://www.sepuplhs.org/middle/sali/index.html  
http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/web/statistics.html  
http://www.google.com/Top/Science/Earth_Sciences/Natural_Disasters_and_Hazards/  
Discovery  Education  Streaming  
Human  anatomy  diagrams  SEPUP  kits  
 
 
Social  Studies  
 
Content  
Globalis.qva.unv.edu  
www.nasa.gov  
Smithsonian  Documentary  "How  the  Earth  was  Made."  
Selected  scenes  from  the  movie  "Armageddon"  
Blank  World  Map  from  eduplace.com    
www.wisegeek.com  
   
 
Math  

Content  
Brain  Pop  www.brainpop.com  
Impact  Math  textbook    
Math  Hot  Topics  
OZ  Ideas  World  Population  Growth  in  100  years:  http://home.vicnet.net.au~ozideas/poptables.htm  
 
Computers  

Content  

Teacher-­‐created  screencast  tutorials  in  Excel  and  Photoshop  

 
 
STEM  Lab  
 
Content  
Teacher-­‐created  screencast  tutorials  in  Google  Sketchup    

 
Instruction  technology  resources  for  all  classes  
 
Flip  cams  to  document  student  performance  
Gorilla  Pods  to  stabilize  the  Flip  Cams    
Cannon  HD  camera  to  film  PSA  
Zoom  digital  audio  recorder  to  record  PSA  
Smart  Boards    
Teacher  laptops  
Projectors  
Google  Apps  and  Google  Sites  
   

Student  technology  resources  

 
Laptops  -­‐  PCs  -­‐  printers  
Teacher  made  handouts  
Google  Apps  (i.e.  email,  doc  sharing,  site  creation)    
Notebooks  -­‐  Pens  -­‐  Pencils  
Microsoft  Excel      
     To  log  data  and  create  graphs  of  their  data  
Adobe  Photoshop  
     To  create  logos  of  their  professional  roles  
Final  Cut  Express  
     Video  postproduction  
Green  screen  and  hot  lights  
     Allow  for  ChromaKeying  out  the  background  to  involve  new  settings  
Apple  Pages  
     Blank  Script  
 
 
Instructional  /  Environmental  Modifications  
 
In  order  to  accommodate  the  range  of  abilities  of  our  students,  grouping  was  done  with  
considerations  for  student  strengths,  weaknesses,  and  emotional  disabilities.  Students  in  need  of  
additional  support  were  paired  with  a  student  who  was  meeting  the  standards.  Likewise,  some  
students  got  additional  academic  and  behavioral  support  from  an  educational  assistant.  Group  size  
was  also  varied  by  assigned  task.  In  some  instances,  set  up  of  the  classroom  was  done  in  a  "U"  shape  
to  allow  a  central  area  for  teacher  equipment  for  presentations  and  maximum  teacher  access  to  
groups.    
 
Instruction  was  differentiated  through  hands  on  activities  assigned  by  ability,  and  by  providing  
students  with  various  completion  options.  When  needed,  information  was  reworded  and  rephrased.  
Graphic  organizers  and  charts  were  used  to  present  and  organize  key  ideas  and  show  relationships.  
Starter  sentences  and  cloze  writing  prompts  were  also  given  for  some  written  assignments.  
Teacher  made  materials  included  visual  representations,  printed  information,  and  technology  
integration.  Computer  instruction  was  delivered  through  segmented,  user-­‐controlled  screencast  
lessons.  Students  had  the  ability  to  pause  and  rewind  the  videos  if  they  missed  something  or  re-­‐
watch  entire  sections.  Students  were  in  control  of  their  entire  learning  experience,  and  as  a  result  
were  able  to  ask  higher-­‐order  questions  because  they  could  pick  up  the  procedural  tasks  more  
efficiently.  The  use  of  screencasts  also  allowed  for  one-­‐to-­‐one  work  with  students  who  did  not  
respond  well  to  the  videos.      
 

Time  Required  
 
The  entire  project  and  its  completion  took  approximately  5  weeks  time.  As  part  of  planning,  a  launch  
party  took  place  in  which  a  teleconference  informed  students  of  their  task  and  invited  them  to  begin  
thinking  of  what  this  project  would  look  like  in  each  of  their  core  subjects.  In  addition,  each  teacher  
selected  between  two  to  three  students  to  have  lunch  with  to  further  engage  and  motivate  them  in  
their  participation  in  the  Space4Rent  project.  Teachers  were  able  to  discuss  space  exploration  and  
review  websites  and  video  clips  providing  further  information  during  this  time.    

Planning  for  content  area  lessons  took  6  hours  per  week  per  teacher,  including  finding  appropriate  
resources  and  creating  student  handouts.  Tasks  were  planned  to  take  between  one  and  two  periods  
to  implement,  each  period  consisting  of  forty  minutes.  Lessons  providing  important  information  and  
the  introduction  of  necessary  skills  for  completing  the  project  took  between  2  and  3  class  periods  
each  week  for  four  weeks.  Informal  assessment  was  ongoing  throughout  the  content  areas,  while  the  
assessment  of  the  final  project  took  one  week.  
 Reflection    
 
 
This  cross  curriculum  project  was  developed  to  integrate  technology  into  the  learning  experience  
and  increase  student's  proficiency  in  several  new  technologies.  Space  4  Rent  was  developed  in  
alignment  with  the  New  York  State  Core  Curriculum  Learning  Standards  for  grade  7.  
   
C.  McMillan-­  Math  
 
The  students  were  more  engaged  with  the  technology  when  it  related  to  real  life  situations.    It  was  
less  challenging  to  keep  them  on  task,  once  they  were  engaged.    It  also  motivated  them  to  complete  
the  traditional  (paper,  pencil)  assignments.    It  informed  me  about  the  amount  of  technology  they  
know  and  the  amount  that  I  didn't  know.    I  know  that  in  order  to  be  most  effective  for  these  students,  
I  must  incorporate  technology  in  my  daily  instruction.    This  project  really  reflects  our  mantra:    "At  
Dreyfus,  we  learn,  grow  and  succeed  together."  
 
S.  Warcholak  -­  Social  Studies    
 
The  Social  Studies  standard  to  compare  and  contrast  different  map  types  and  analyze  information  
was  used  to  address  the  location  of  natural  resources  and  population.  The  students  then  used  data  to  
create  their  own  natural  resource  and  population  maps  to  discover  the  tie  between  which  areas  of  
the  world  should  be  targeted  for  participation  in  the  Space4rent  world  project.  The  core  curriculum  
that  addresses  geography,  natural  resources,  and  environmental  concerns  was  used  in  these  tasks.  
Every  aspect  of  this  task  that  utilized  technology  was  greeted  with  enthusiasm  from  the  students.  
With  this  in  mind,  I  needed  to  culminate  each  task  with  a  technology-­‐based  activity.  This  held  the  
students  engaged  as  new  materials  were  introduced.  When  they  understood  that  they  would  be  using  
this  new  material  in  a  computer  based  activity  their  focus  was  sharpened.  
 
S.  Arnhold-­  English  Language  Arts  
 
Incorporating  technology  into  English  Language  Arts  provided  students  with  opportunities  to  see  
real,  current  examples  of  Public  Services  Announcements.  This  allowed  them  to  look  at  features  and  
commonalities,  in  order  to  gain  better  understanding  of  the  purpose  of  a  PSA.  Watching  and  
analyzing  both  clips  and  print  versions  engaged  the  students  to  look  for  the  main  idea  of  the  PSA,  as  
well  as  challenged  them  to  think  critically  about  messages  made  to  the  public  about  serious  issues.  
Most  students  responded  well  to  interpreting  storyboards  and  creating  their  own,  while  others  
expressed  frustration  due  to  their  poor  drawing  skills.  Collaboration  among  the  involved  teachers  
was  encouraging  and  productive,  resulting  in  many  cross  connections  of  themes  and  concepts,  which  
was  evident  through  student  responses  and  discussions.  Student  discussions  showed  more  content  
related  critical  thinking,  and  peer  interaction.  The  greatest  challenge  for  this  project,  however,  was  
the  emotional  disabilities  of  some  students.  Despite  the  integration  of  technology  and  the  supportive  
resources  provided,  some  students  had  difficulty  staying  with  the  bigger  picture  of  the  project  and  
wanted  to  skip  through  to  the  final  project.  In  addition,  the  allotment  of  time  affected  the  depth  of  the  
content  and  the  range  of  skills  presented.  After  being  part  of  this  program,  I  learned  of  different  ways  
to  incorporate  technology,  and  how  powerful  it  can  be  for  students  to  create  a  curriculum  that  
connects  content  together.  The  student  population  involved  in  this  project  benefited  from  repetition  
and  reinvention  of  the  presentation  of  concepts,  and  this  particular  project  allowed  for  students  to  
gain  connected  insight  in  various  ways  from  all  subject  areas.  
 
E.  Solis-­Math  
 
Being  part  of  the  "Space  for  Rent"  program  was  a  great  experience  for  me  as  an  educator.  It  gave  me  
the  opportunity  to  integrate  different  forms  of  technology  as  I  taught  my  students  how  to  find  
percent  of  increase  and  how  to  create  a  double  bar  graphs.  Students  in  my  class  reviewed  data  from  
websites  on  their  laptops  and  video  recorded  lesson  summaries  using  Flip  cameras.  Furthermore,  
based  on  their  own  in-­‐class  data  analysis,  students  were  able  to  interact  with  other  classmates  and  
discuss  the  issue  of  massive  population  growth  in  some  areas  of  the  world  and  how  it  can  impact  
people's  way  of  living.    
 
Nevertheless,  obtaining  student  commitment  was  a  major  challenge  towards  the  fulfillment  of  the  
task.  Many  of  them  were  not  serious  about  the  program,  especially  at  the  beginning.  However,  as  
students  began  to  internalize  the  task,  they  got  more  involved  and  began  to  meet  some  deadlines.  
Above  all,  "Space  for  Rent"  has  taken  student  to  student  and  student  teacher  interaction  to  a  higher  
level.  Every  teacher  in  the  program  had  lunch  with  at  least  two  students  in  the  program  and  got  to  
know  their  students  better.  Teacher  interaction  and  collaboration  has  improved  as  well.  Due  to  the  
"Space  4  Rent"  program,  teachers  in  the  program  meet  more  often  and  share  different  ideas  as  to  
how  to  work  better  with  their  students.      
 
M.  Valia  -­  Computers    
 
As  the  school's  technology  coordinator,  part  of  my  role  is  to  facilitate  computers  and  instructional  
resources  for  teachers  and  their  classrooms.  These  last  two  months  allowed  me  to  see  six  of  my  
colleagues  take  those  resources  and  put  them  to  work  in  a  collaborative,  interdisciplinary  project.  
These  teachers  excelled  in  ways  I  have  never  seen.    They  worked  collaboratively  on  planning  and  
student  work  in  Google  Docs;  recorded  the  student  learning  experience  with  their  Flip  Cams;  made  
their  material  visual  with  streaming  videos  and  engaging  websites.  Teachers  were  enthusiastic  about  
incorporating  technology,  and  collaborated  effectively  to  achieve  their  goals.  I  learned  that  big  
projects  are  possible  and  that  given  the  resources  and  time,  teachers  can  make  their  classroom  
experience  more  engaging  for  students.    
 
I  feel  the  Space  for  Rent  project  gave  students  a  chance  to  acquire  21st  century  technology  skills  they  
can  carry  with  them  to  high  school  and  the  workforce.    They  expressed  their  creative  skills  in  Adobe  
Photoshop  when  they  created  logos  representative  of  their  professional  role  in  the  project.  They  
worked  with  HD  cameras,  green  screens  and  industry-­‐standard  video  editing  software.  When  they  go  
to  high  school,  they  will  be  able  to  create  documentaries,  commercials,  and  short  films  for  group  
projects  instead  of  boring  poster  boards  or  PowerPoint  presentations.    

J.  Allman  –  Science  
 
This  cross  curriculum,  technology  based  learning  experience  enabled  the  targeted  student  
population  to  use  a  wide  variety  of  technological  applications  to  create,  edit  and  present  
information.    Student  learning  was  enhanced  by  the  ability  to  use  technology  to  access  real  time  data,  
research  and  develop  statistical  information,  and  facilitate  model  creation.    Educational  concepts  
were  presented  and  introduced  in  a  fashion  designed  to  broaden  their  understanding  within  an  
expanded  framework.    The  established  theme  gave  structure  and  context  to  their  learning  across  
curriculum  areas  and  focused  and  centered  their  output.    Students  were  engaged  and  curious  about  
the  new  technologies  and  excited  about  the  opportunity  to  access  and  present  data  in  a  new  manner.    
Students  who  were  previously  apathetic  were  excited  about  the  challenges  presented  by  this  project.    
As  an  educator,  I  feel  this  experience  provided  a  normally  disengaged  population  access  to  learning  
at  a  level  where  they  could  succeed  particularly  when  they  have  strengths  in  verbal  presentation  
rather  than  written  presentation.  Students  also  benefitted  from  working  in  teams  structured  to  take  
advantage  of  the  relative  strengths  and  weaknesses  of  the  individual  participants.  The  opportunity  to  
work  collaboratively  with  colleagues  in  developing  curriculum  and  learning  new  technologies  will  
enhance  my  teaching  in  the  future.    
 
 
F.  Portelos  -­  STEM  Lab  
 
I  found  that  the  students  came  to  the  realization  that  a  topic  can  be  connected  to  all  their  classes  and  
in  turn  the  knowledge  obtained  from  all  their  classes  can  be  used  to  create  one  product.  I  feel  that  my  
class  is  already  a  mix  of  different  subjects  and  this  project  helped  my  students  make  the  connections  
and  see  those  links.    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Appendix  A  –  Rubrics  
 
Final  PSA  video  editing  in  Final  Cut  Express  
This  rubric  is  meant  to  be  a  checklist  for  students  to  rate  each  other  during  peer  review  as  well  
as  a  final  assessment.    It  is  our  philosophy  that  students  should  always  reach  for  a  four  and  not  
worry  what  anything  else  looks  like.      
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
PSA  script  
This  rubric  is  meant  to  be  a  checklist  for  students  to  rate  each  other  during  peer  review  as  well  
as  a  final  assessment.    It  is  our  philosophy  that  students  should  always  reach  for  a  four  and  not  
worry  what  anything  else  looks  like.      
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
PSA  storyboard  
This  rubric  is  meant  to  be  a  checklist  for  students  to  rate  each  other  during  peer  review  as  well  
as  a  final  assessment.    It  is  our  philosophy  that  students  should  always  reach  for  a  four  and  not  
worry  what  anything  else  looks  like.      
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
World  Population  chart  
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Math  Computational  Graph  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Natural  Resource  Map    

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Social  Studies  content  understanding  
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Science  content  understanding  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Appendix  B  -­  Student  Work  
 
 
C.  McMillan-­  Math  –  Population  chart  
 
 

 
  
E.  Solis-­  Math  –  population  bar  graph  
 

 
 
 
 
  
 

 
 
 
 
 
  
S.  Warcholak-­  Social  Studies  –  natural  resources  map  /  project  role  research  
 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
J.  Allman  –  Science  –  Natural  disasters’  effect  on  human  body  systems  
 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
S.  Arnhold-­  English  Language  Arts  –  storyboard  and  script  
 
 

 
 
 
 Script

THE EARTH IS IN DANGER!

IT’S TIME TO BOUNCE

by

738

EXT. SCENE DESCRIPTION -

NASA headquarters. Wide over the shoulder shot of NASA

sign. Four men walk into the headquarters.
Mathematician, Sociologist, Environmentalist, and
Cosmologist. Medium paced tempo music playing.

INT. SCENE DESCRIPTION-

Conference room with all members sitting at a large

table, panel-style. Cut to Governmental officials
sitting on the opposite side of the table. Cut back to
scientists.

ALEXIS, COSMOLOGIST
Mr. President, we’re running
out of time. We need to leave
Earth! We’re running out of
natural resources. Our
population is growing and the
planet will not hold many more
people. There are more natural
disasters now than ever. We
need money fast to leave Earth
and find another planet to
live on.

CHRISTOPHER, SOCIOLOGIST
The world is running out of
natural resources. Farmland is
being destroyed for buildings
and factories. (Cut to close
up of farmland map.) This is a
map that shows how we’re
losing farmland. Everyday,
animals are being killed and
they’re losing their homes.
Unnecessary water is being
used and this is causing some
people to go without water and
die. People are dying from
famine because animals don’t
have enough water to drink.
(Cut to close up of water
map.) This map shows how much
water is left. We’re also
losing water because of
pollution. An example of this
is the recent oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico. (Cut to
picture of oil spill.)

ISAIAH, MATHEMATICIAN
While our natural resources
are decreasing, our population
is increasing. In the United
States, our population is
projected to grow to
267,810,000 by 2050. And
that’s just in the United
States! (Cut to population
chart.) As you can see from
the chart, China’s population
will increase to 1,424,000,
000. The population of Nigeria
will increase by 1,021.25%. If
the population continues to
grow, then we’ll run out of
natural resources such as
fresh water, plants and trees,
farmland, oil, and clean air.
As the population increases
faster, the natural resources
are decreasing faster.

JAMIE, ENVIRONMENTALIST
Even though we can control
population and natural
resources, we can’t stop
natural disasters. They cause
fires, deaths, destruction of
crops, farmland, and many
injuries. Wild fires and
volcanoes can damage lungs.
Earthquakes can destroy your
 skeletal system. Floods from
hurricanes cause damage to
your lungs and heart. Some
research shows that natural
disasters such as hurricanes,
tsunamis, and tornadoes are
caused by global warming. (Cut
to picture of tornado.) If we
move to a new planet we may be
able to start over.

ALEXIS, COSMOLOGIST
Therefore we need money to
leave Earth. We need to build
a space ship, find another
planet, and research how to
find natural resources on that
new planet. We also must build
a dome or find a way to adapt
to live in another
environment. In conclusion, we
need the money to leave our
planet.

INT. SCENE DESCRIPTION-

Governmental officials clap and stand. Scientists shake

hands with officials.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
M.  Valia-­  Computers  –  Excel  population  growth  /  project  role  logo  
 

 
 

 
  
F.  Portelos-­  Science  Technology  Engineering  &  Math  (STEM)  
 
Google  SketchUp  Space  House  
 

 
 
 

 
  
 
 
 
Final  PSA  Video  is  hosted  online  at:  
 
http://spaceforrent.IS49rocks.com