Published: April 29, 2009 09:00 am      

Belle Rive teachers receive grant

By KANDACE MCCOY

kandace.mccoy@register-news.com

BELLE RIVE — For the past three years, teachers at Belle Rive Grade School have received a $1,000 Science and Math Improvement Grant from the Toshiba America Foundation.

Once again, Jane Rohr, Tisha Willoughby Ellis, along with Judy Harlan have teamed together for a cooperative unit that is typically not addressed in their current curriculum. This year’s project is entitled, “K-1’s Trek through the Amazon Forest.”

“These teachers devoted a considerable amount of time and effort to writing the grant proposal,” information from Toshiba stated. “Their innovative project ideas stood out among more than 200 applications, and Toshiba America Foundation looks forward to helping make them a reality.”

“We try to think of something interesting,” said Rohr. “Sometimes [textbooks] do not go into the depth of learning that programs like this present.”

According to information from Rohr, the State of Illinois Standards require in Science Goals 11, 12 and 13 that students understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems; understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth sciences; and understand the relationships among science and technology.

Math Goals 6 and 10 require that students demonstrate and apply a knowledge and sense of numbers, including numeration and operations, patterns, ratios and proportions; collect, organize and analyze data using statistical methods; predict methods; predict results; and interpret uncertainty using concepts of probability.

The trio of teachers wanted to create in students an interest and provide the opportunity to engage in hands-on experiences about the rain forest and its characteristics and importance to the planet. With the grant, students will be creating a 3-D virtual rain forest, participating in recycling opportunities and have collected enough money to adopt four endangered animals at the St. Louis Zoo.

In addition, Lisa Berman, an outreach coordinator with the St. Louis Zoo, presented a program on the rain forest Tuesday to students.

“This was put on just for the school,” Rohr said. “No one has seen this before.”

Berman agreed the presentation was a “unique situation.”

“This is the farthest I’ve traveled for the program,” she said. “I’m happy to come. I can’t bring animals this far, so we try to create something special, try to create a ‘wow’ factor and help the kids learn.”

Berman’s presentation Tuesday taught children where rain forests are, what they are and why they are important to the planet.

“They [St. Louis Zoo] created a program based on our needs,” Rohr said.

In 2007, Rohr and Ellis received $1,000 for their project, “Polar Region ... A Cool Expedition.” Last year, their project was titled, “Solar Kids ... A K-1 Blastoff.”