The Essential Academic Learning Requirements form the basis of all we teach.  One or more of these requirements should be addressed by every type of instruction.  This I-Search project meets these requirements in several academic areas, which are indicated below by a "*" .  All the EALR's for the subject areas considered have been included here to illustrate the breadth of knowledge gained from this project.

ART

 "The arts are creative expressions using sound, image, action and movement. They are a means to satisfy the human need to communicate thoughts, feelings, and beliefs."

The Essential Academic Learning Requirements are:

1. The student acquires the knowledge and skills necessary to create, to perform, and to respond effectively to the arts.

To meet this standard, the student will:

1.1 understand and apply arts concepts and vocabulary to communicate ideas

*1.2 organize arts elements into artistic compositions
for example, color, shape, rhythm, balance

*1.3 use and develop arts skills and techniques to solve problems and express ideas

*1.4 use skills of craftsmanship to produce quality work

*1.5 create, present, and evaluate artworks using visual arts, music, drama, and dance

2. The student applies the creative process with arts knowledge and skills to reason and solve problems.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*2.1 use the senses to gather and process information
for example, sight, sound, touch

*2.2 generate and analyze solutions to problems using creativity and imagination

*2.3 use arts criteria to consider the effectiveness of personal work and that of others

3. The student uses at least one of the art forms (visual arts, music, drama, and/or dance) to communicate ideas and feelings.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*3.1 use image, sound, action, and movement through the arts to express individual ideas for a specific purpose

3.2 reflect and respond critically to the use of the arts in all forms of communication

*3.3 use combinations of art forms to communicate in multi-media formats
for example, video or the internet

4. The student understands how the arts connect to other subject areas, life, and work.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*4.1 use arts skills and knowledge in other subject areas

*4.2 apply ideas and skills developed in the arts to daily life

*4.3 demonstrate an ability to use artistic knowledge in personal and community decision making

4.4 recognize the influence of the arts in shaping and reflecting cultures and history

*4.5 incorporate arts knowledge and skills into the workplace
 
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COMMUNICATION

" Communication is defined as a process by which we assign and convey meaning in an attempt to create shared understanding. This process requires a vast repertoire of skills in intrapersonal and interpersonal processing, listening, observing, speaking, questioning, analyzing, and evaluating. Use of these processes is developmental and transfers to all areas of life: home, school, community, work, and beyond. It is through communication that collaboration and cooperation occur."
 

The Essential Academic Learning Requirements in Communication

1. The student uses listening and observation skills to gain understanding.

To meet this standard, the student will:

1.1 focus attention

1.2 listen and observe to gain and interpret information

1.3 check for understanding by asking questions and paraphrasing

2. The student communicates ideas clearly and effectively.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*2.1 communicate clearly to a range of audiences for different purposes

*2.2 develop content and ideas
develop a topic or theme; organize thoughts around a clear beginning, middle, and end; use transitional sentences and phrases to connect related ideas; speak coherently and compellingly

2.3 use effective delivery
adjust speaking strategies for a variety of audiences and purposes by varying tone, pitch, and pace of speech to create effect and aid communication

*2.4 use effective language and style
use language that is grammatically correct, precise, engaging and well-suited to topic, audience, and purpose

*2.5 effectively use action, sound, and/or images to support presentations

3. The student uses communication strategies and skills to work effectively with others.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*3.1 use language to interact effectively and responsibly with others

*3.2 work cooperatively as a member of a group

*3.3 seek agreement and solutions through discussion

4. The student analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of formal and informal communication.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*4.1 assess strengths and need for improvement
assess own and others' communication strengths and needs and set goals for improvement

*4.2 seek and offer feedback
seek and use feedback to improve communication; offer suggestions and comments to others

4.3 analyze mass communication

4.4 analyze how communication is used in career settings
 
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SCIENCE

"Active engagement in hands-on, minds-on science learning experiences enables students to make personal sense of the physical world and to solve problems."

The Essential Academic Learning Requirements in Science

1.. The student understands and uses scientific concepts and principles.
        (Standards met here will depend upon the question the student is trying to answer)

To meet this standard, the student will:

1.1 use properties to identify, describe, and categorize substances, materials, and objects, and use characteristics to categorize living things

1.2 recognize the components, structure, and organization of systems and the interconnections within and among them

1.3 understand that interactions within and among systems cause changes in matter and energy

2. The students knows and applies the skills and processes of science and technology.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*2.1 develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

*2.2 apply science knowledge and skills to solve problems or meet challenges

3. The student understands the nature and contexts of science and technology.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*3.1 understand the nature of scientific inquiry

*3.2 know that science and technology are human endeavors, interrelated to each other, to society, and to the workplace
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WRITING

" Writing is essential to a literate society. Writing can be an act of discovery, of communication, of joy. It connects us to work, to culture, to society, to existing knowledge, and to the meanings of our lives."

Essential Academic Learning Requirements in Writing

1. The student writes clearly and effectively.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*1.1 develop concept and design
develop a topic or theme; organize written thoughts with a clear beginning, middle, and end; use transitional sentences and phrases to connect related ideas; write coherently and effectively

*1.2 use style appropriate to the audience and purpose
use voice, word choice, and sentence fluency for intended style and audience

*1.3 apply writing conventions
know and apply correct spelling, grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and capitalization

2. The student writes in a variety of forms for different audiences and purposes.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*2.1 write for different audiences

*2.2 write for different purposes
such as telling stories, presenting analytical responses to literature, persuading, conveying technical information, completing a team project, explaining concepts and procedures

*2.3 write in a variety of forms
including narratives, journals, poems, essays, stories, research reports, and technical writing

2.4 write for career applications

3. The student understands and uses the steps of the writing process.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*3.1 prewrite
generate ideas and gather information

*3.2 draft
elaborate on a topic and supporting ideas

*3.3 revise
collect input and enhance text and style

*3.4 edit
use resources to correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage

*3.5 publish
select a publishing form and produce a completed writing project to share with chosen audience

4. The student analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of written work.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*4.1 assess own strengths and needs for improvement
analyze effectiveness of own writing and set goals for improvement

*4.2 seek and offer feedback
 
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MATHEMATICS
 

"Mathematics continues to grow at a rapid rate, spreading into new fields and creating new applications, in its open-ended search for patterns. Several factors -- growth of technology, increased applications, impact of computers, and expansion of mathematics itself -- have combined in the past century to extend greatly both the scope and the application of the mathematical sciences. The changes must be reflected in the schools if our students are to be well prepared for tomorrow's world.
 Mathematics is a language and science of patterns."

The Essential Academic Learning Requirements in Mathematics
    ( The standards met in this area will depend largely on the specific topic chosen by each student)

1. The student understands and applies the concepts and procedures of mathematics.

To meet this standard, the student will:

1.1 understand and apply concepts and procedures from number sense
number and numeration, computation, and estimation

1.2 understand and apply concepts and procedures from measurement
attributes and dimensions, approximation and precision, and systems and tools

1.3 understand and apply concepts and procedures from geometric sense
shape and dimension, and relationships and transformations

1.4 understand and apply concepts and procedures from probability and statistics
probability, statistics, and prediction and inference

1.5 understand and apply concepts and procedures from algebraic sense
relations and representations, and operations

2. The student uses mathematics to define and solve problems.

To meet this standard, the student will:

2.1 investigate situations
by searching for patterns and exploring a variety of approaches

*2.2 formulate questions and define the problem

*2.3 construct solutions
by choosing the necessary information and using the appropriate mathematical tools

3. The student uses mathematical reasoning.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*3.1 analyze information
from a variety of sources; use models, known facts, patterns and relationships to validate thinking

*3.2 predict results and make inferences and make conjectures based on analysis of problem situations

*3.3 draw conclusions and verify results
support mathematical arguments, justify results, and check for reasonableness of solutions

4. The student communicates knowledge and understanding in both everyday and mathematical language.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*4.1 gather information
read, listen, and observe to access and extract mathematical information

*4.2 organize and interpret information

*4.3 represent and share information
share, explain, and defend mathematical ideas using terms, language, charts, and graphs that can be clearly understood by a variety of audiences

5. The student understands how mathematical ideas connect within mathematics, to other subject areas, and to real-life situations.

To meet this standard, the student will:

5.1 relate concepts and procedures within mathematics
recognize relationships among mathematical ideas and topics

*5.2 relate mathematical concepts and procedures to other disciplines
identify and apply mathematical thinking and notation in other subject areas

5.3 relate mathematical concepts and procedures to real-life situations
understand the connections between mathematics and problem solving skills used every day at work and at home

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

READING

" Reading is the process of constructing meaning through the dynamic interaction among the reader's existing knowledge, the information suggested by the written language, and the context of the reading situation. It is fundamental to literacy."

Essential Academic Learning Requirements in Reading

1. The student understands and uses different skills and strategies to read.

To meet this standard, the student will:

1.1 use word recognition and word meaning skills to read and comprehend text
such as phonics, context clues, picture clues, and word origins; roots, prefixes, and suffixes of words

*1.2 build vocabulary through reading

*1.3 read fluently, adjusting reading for purpose and material

1.4 understand elements of literature -- fiction
such as story elements, use of humor, exaggeration, and figures of speech

*1.5 use features of non-fiction text and computer software
such as titles, headings, pictures, maps, and charts to find and understand specific information

2. The student understands the meaning of what is read.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*2.1 comprehend important ideas and details

*2.2 expand comprehension by analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing information and ideas

2.3 think critically and analyze authors' use of language, style, purpose, and perspective

3. The student reads different materials for a variety of purposes.

To meet this standard, the student will:

*3.1 read to learn new information
such as reading science and mathematics texts, technical documents, and for personal interest

3.2 read to perform a task
such as using schedules, following directions, filling out job applications, and solving problems

*3.3 read for literary experience in a variety of forms
such as novels, short stories, poems, plays, and essays to understand self and others

3.4 read for career applications

4. The student sets goals and evaluates progress to improve reading.

To meet this standard, the student will:

4.1 assess strengths and need for improvement

*4.2 seek and offer feedback to improve reading

4.3 develop interests and share reading experiences
 
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------