INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL

SED 464: Middle School Curriculum & Organization

Dr. Smudde

Purpose Statement: This Grant Proposal asks for iPads for students to use during the duration of

this project to enhance their student-lead learning and collaboration.

Hannah Davis

Signature Assignment: “Game of Life”

INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 2

Abstract

A graduate from Arizona State University, Hannah Davis has been teaching Social Studies for

eight years. Seven have been at Desert Shadows Middle School. The current support for this

school is fantastic, probably due to the high level of income and parent involvement. However, I

would request iPads for student use. Through this project, I am envisioning my students

mastering personal finance and demonstrating their skills through new technology. The students

will be given a random backstory, which includes their character’s profession, income, debt, and

personal life. Living through this character, students will budget and manage finances throughout

the duration of a full semester (16 weeks). This project is designed to prepare students for their

financial life after their K-12 schooling. It will show the direct impact of their choices on their

finances. Students will keep a blog and website about their character through Weebly. The idea

of creating a website to demonstrate a student’s information is new in K-12 education; this kind

of innovation will put Desert Shadows Middle School on the map as an innovative and

progressive school. Students will learn website design, proper internet use, formatting, etc., and

they will learn how to properly condense and present the most important information from a

project. Rather than being tested on this material, the evidence of mastery will be at the end of

the semester where students will serve as financial advisors to their peers, parents, faculty and

staff. I am requesting funding for a total of 20 iPads.

INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 3

School Environment Narrative

In my classroom at Desert Shadows Middle School in the Paradise Valley School

District, I have approximately 180 students. I have new students or students leave, so that

number fluctuates on a regular basis. All the desks are sat in groups in order to encourage group

work and discussion, with markers, glue sticks, etc. on top for activities. I have posters and

students work posted all throughout the classroom. At the front, I have a smartboard,

whiteboards and various maps. The school has a few laptop carts with Chromebooks, but due to

the amount of students and demand, it is very hard to access these on a regular basis.

Within the school, there are a lot various technology resources. The library/media center

is at the heart of campus. There are computers available to students to use under supervision.

Also, there are faculty specifically hired to help with technology for teachers and students that

are present during school hours.

The school is mostly Caucasian, at around 80% (Great Schools). The rest are mostly

Hispanic (11%) (Great Schools). About 9% of students are from low-income families (Great

Schools). These statistics are due to the neighborhood, Scottsdale/Paradise Valley. The average

income, $72,455, is much higher, or one of the highest, in all of Arizona (Sperlings Best Places).

Paradise Valley School District is routinely recognized for its excellence. Some schools

in the district even have A+ ratings (PVSchools). Within the district, there are 30 elementary

schools, 7 middle schools, and 5 high schools, two alternative schools, and one comprehensive

online school (PVSchools). At each level, the district has title 1 schools (PVSchools). The

district has the following objectives:

provide a framework of professional learning designed by stakeholders to achieve

organizational excellence, develop relationships that support and foster social,

INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 4

emotional, and academic needs to ensure individual student success, create formalized

best practices in the areas of Business Operations to allow schools to focus on learning

opportunities, develop robust hiring and retention processes that stimulate innovation in

teaching and learning, resulting in improved student achievement, create Pipelines to

identify appropriate talent pools each year that will meet the diverse needs of each school

community, attract and retain the highest quality teachers for all schools with an

emphasis on increasing the number of candidates who meet the description of master

teacher for schools who currently struggle with keeping master teachers, recruit a staff

that increasingly reflects the student diversity of the district, develop various pathways

and procedures to enable each student to have access to have authentic, real-world

learning experiences across the curriculum and grade span and create standards for

excellent, safe, and secure learning environments for all students (PVSchools).

Parents are very involved in the school, through donations and/or volunteering. Teachers

do not monitor students before/after school and during lunch; it is all done through parents

volunteering. For example, Mrs. Green, my colleague, requested parents to pay for a software

that would enable students to create virtual comic books. All of the parents were very supportive

and donated the money that was needed.

The current support for this school is fantastic, probably due to the high level of income.

However, I would request iPads for student use. Our world is becoming more and more

dependent on technology; the world has thrived on the benefits that technology provides. Various

apps that are available on iPads can not only enhance lessons with things like collaboration,

creative works, research, etc., it also prepares students for technology use in the real world. With

proper care and maintenance, they can be used by all students across all departments. These
INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 5

students would strongly benefit from iPads being used on a regular basis because while the

school does have computers available for students in the library/media center, the software and

applications are incredibly dated. The addition of iPads will launch these students into modern

technology and help them understand its applicable use.

Introduction

Through this project, I am envisioning my students mastering personal finance and

demonstrating their skills through new technology. An astonishing number of adults in the

United States know very little or nothing on how to analyze one’s personal finances. There is

also a large number of adults who have massive amounts of debt. While this project is broad in

that it does not go into every realistic detail of personal finances, it still teaches these students the

basic skills needed to be financially successful; it is never too late to prepare our students for the

future.

This project will take place over the course of a full semester. Students will be given a

character and will have to budget weekly through that character. Lessons on credit, investments,

etc. will be taught throughout the semester to further support the financial content.

I have been teaching Social Studies in middle school for eight years. In those years, I

have been constantly asked “When will we use this?” or “Why does this matter?” Through the

eyes of a middle-schooler, those questions do make sense when the bridge from content to real

life is not formed. When I was a middle-schooler myself and learning personal finance, we never

did a project like this. We learned what to do and what not to do, were tested on it, and that was

it. I always thought that it would be fun to do some kind of game with it. With this project, I have

high hopes that the students will be just as enthusiastic as I am to have fun with this student-led
INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 6

simulation all while learning practical finance skills. Finally, they can be proud (as will I) when

they present themselves as educated financial advisors at the end of the semester.

Applicant Biography

A graduate from Arizona State University, Hannah Davis has been teaching Social

Studies for eight years. Seven have been at Desert Shadows Middle School. She has a master’s

degree in Higher and Post-Secondary Education from Arizona State University. Her hope is to

produce students that are life-long learners that analyze new levels of thinking and identify as

passionate citizens that want to change the world.

Project Narrative

Goals and Objectives

In the “Game of Life” project, eighth grade students in a Social Studies class will be

given a random backstory, which includes their character’s profession, income, debt, and

personal life. Living through this character, students will budget and manage finances throughout

the duration of a full semester (16 weeks). This project is designed to prepare students for their

financial life after their K-12 schooling. It will show the direct impact of their choices on their

finances.

Essential Questions

1. What can I do to ensure that I will be financially successful after high school?

2. Why is it important to learn how to properly save money for the future?

3. How does scarcity affect personal financial choices?

4. How can I use credit to my advantage?

5. How do I create and manage accounts at a bank?

6. How do I create a budget?

INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 7

Standards

The following standards are met within Strand 5: Economics, Concept 5: Personal Finance:

PO 1. Explain how scarcity influences personal financial choices (e.g., budgeting, saving,

investing, credit).

PO 2. Describe types of person al investments (e.g., saving accounts, stocks, mutual funds,

bonds, retirement funds)

PO 3. Describe the role of the stock market in person al investing.

PO 4. Describe various forms of credit. (e.g., person al loans, credit card ds, lines of

credit, mortgages, auto loans)

PO 5. Analyze the advantages, disadvantages and alternatives to consumer credit.

PO 6. Analyze the costs and benefits of producing g a person al budget.

PO 7. Create a personal budget to include fixed and variable expenses.

PO 8. Identify the benefits of future financial planning.

The following ISTE standards are met through this project:

1b Students build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that

support the learning process.

1c Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and

to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.

2b Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology,

including social interactions online or when using networked devices.

Need for Project and Project Impact

According to Jeff Grabmeier from Ohio State University, 70% of college students

stressed about their finances. “Nearly 60 percent said they worry about having enough money to
INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 8

pay for school, while half are concerned about paying their monthly expenses” (Grabmeier, 2).

Clearly, these students were not adequately prepared on planning their finances in their K-12

education. Starting life as a young adult is never easy, but if these young adults are prepared, it

can make their lives much easier. A scarier statistic is from Libby Kane of Business Insider,

“61% of U.S. adults don't even have a budget” (Kane, 5). People who do not budget adequately

will most likely pass their habits to their children, and it will create a continuous cycle of

financial hardship within their community. By educating on the proper ways to finance, even as

early as eighth grade, it can stop the cycle and make our students more organized and prepared

towards their financial success. This would result in a better community, consisting and even led

by people who know how to manage money, which is one of the most important skills to have in

our modern society. As educators, it is our job to ensure the success of our students in all aspects.

Based off of statistics, personal finance has been neglected; this project will be a great starting

point for students to learn the importance of personal finance and take to their own community

for further positive impact. This project will also help students filter what they want to do in the

future. By understanding basic personal finances, students can better understand if the income of

their career choice will suit their lifestyle.

Activities

In the first week of semester, students will draw out of a hat their character’s profile. An

example of the profile is listed below. Students will be given an expenses tracking sheet. An

example of the tracking sheet is listed below. On that sheet, they will need to list their expenses

and bills. Students will have choices on what kind of apartment/house they live in, the car their

character drives, etc., but it all aspects of their character’s life must be recorded weekly. The

students will research the expenses. For example, if a student decides to buy a home, he or she
INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 9

must find a home on a real estate website and find out the mortgage using a mortgage calculator.

Randomly throughout the semester, students will be given “Yay!” or “Uh-Oh” cards. The

students must factor those into their budgeting and lifestyle choices; examples are below.

In addition to keeping track of the expenses throughout the semester, students will create

a Weebly blog for their character. On this website, students will have an “About Me” section for

their character and they will create a blog on their character’s life. At the end of each week, the

students must post a reflection on how the week went. For example, if the student decided to

purchase a home, they can post a picture of it on the blog post. Students must comment on each

other’s websites/blog post.

During the semester, personal finance lessons will be sprinkled throughout. The

following lessons will be presented to the students: investing, basic banking (how to write a

check, how to manage a checking and saving account, and the services that banks provide), stock

markets, and credit. Students will use the app Notability on their iPads to take notes during these

lessons. They will also use an app of their choosing to create concept maps, collaborate on group

work, do worksheets, etc. during these personal finance lessons. After learning new financial

information, they can use it to influence their “Game of Life” project.

At the end of the semester, students will upload their expense tracking sheet to their

Weebly and then submit the link to their Weebly site for their final grade. In addition, students

will present a summary of their character’s financial success (or unsuccess) and what they

learned in the form of a poster. Students will have a project presentation assembly*, where

parents, fellow students, and the community are invited to attend. Students will role play as

financial advisors and guests can ask them questions. Each student will have their poster beside

them that they created as they answer any questions.

INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 10

*Renting the cafeteria for this event will be no additional cost

Assessments

Formative

There are four lessons throughout the semester long project that supplement the rest of

the Personal Finance unit standards, mentioned above. During each of these lessons, there will

group work (i.e. think, pair, share, using apps to collaborate, partner work) and exit tickets to

reflect the information learned that day. These are present in the lesson plan below.

Summative

The website, the expense sheet, the poster, and the financial advisor simulation will all be

summative assessments. A rubric for the website is below. These all demonstrate that the student

has mastered the content. The financial advisor simulation will be worth the most points.

Technology Support

Desert Shadows Middle School has a dedicated technology support staff of two women

who are very knowledgeable about iPads and app use. They have already agreed to help provide

support, as needed.

Sustaining the Project After the Proposal Period

This project will be continued after this year. Personal Finance is a large strand in the

Arizona 8th Grade Social Studies Standards. With the investment in this project, these iPads can

be utilized across all content areas.

Innovation

Students will keep a blog and website about their character through Weebly. The idea of

creating a website to demonstrate a student’s information is new in K-12 education; this kind of

innovation will put Desert Shadows Middle School on the map as an innovative and progressive
 INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 11

school. Students will learn website design, proper internet use, formatting, etc., and they will

learn how to properly condense and present the most important information from a project.

Rather than being tested on this material, the evidence of mastery will be at the end of the

semester where students will serve as financial advisors to their peers, parents, faculty and staff.

This will have a tremendous innovative impact on the students; they are learning how to apply

their new knowledge in fun and practical ways, rather than being tested on it and forgotten later.

By learning practical knowledge, students will be engaged and motivated.

Budget Table and Narrative

Items Links Number Individual Cost Per Item Total Cost

of Items (including taxes)
iPad https://www.apple. 20 $357.29 $7,145.80
Wi-Fi 32GB Silver com/shop/buy- Subtotal: $329.00
ipad/ipad-9-7 Taxes: $28.29
Shipping: Free
Extension Cord https://www.target. 1 $7.80 $7.80
com/p/woods- Subtotal: $1.67
extension-cords- Taxes: $0.14
white-6ft/-/A- Shipping: $5.99
12890099?ref=tgt_
adv_XS000000&A
FID=google_pla_d
f&CPNG=PLA_H
ome+Improvement
+Shopping_Brand
&adgroup=SC_Ho
me+Improvement
&LID=700000001
170770pgs&netwo
rk=g&device=c&l
ocation=9060002
&gclid=CjwKCAj
wwbHWBRBWEi
wAMIV7Ew-
TFAfCiRzhn6esK
4ts_HWiXUYDhe
shAcbiKfdJ4keucx
R70mZkrBoCnjcQ
 INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 12

AvD_BwE&gclsrc
=aw.ds
Surge Protector https://www.target. 1 $11.71 $11.71
com/p/ge-6-outlet- Subtotal: $5.29
general-purpose- Taxes: $0.43
power-strip- Shipping: $5.99
14830/-/A-
14343477?ref=tgt_
adv_XS000000&A
FID=google_pla_d
f&CPNG=PLA_H
ome+Improvement
+Shopping_Brand
&adgroup=SC_Ho
me+Improvement
&LID=700000001
170770pgs&netwo
rk=g&device=c&l
ocation=9060002
&gclid=CjwKCAj
wwbHWBRBWEi
wAMIV7E4DEi8i
dz8jCixXLhz88N4
jf9eNFl3ZMGV8s
yFhQSAjBAzazL0
pmfxoCXeAQAv
D_BwE&gclsrc=a
w.ds
Apple Care https://www.apple. 20 $74.94 $1,498.80
2 years com/support/produ Subtotal: $69.00
cts/ Taxes: $5.94
Shipping: Free
iPad Storage Cart https://www.global 1 $594.80 $594.80
industrial.com/p/of Subtotal: $499.95
fice/computer- Taxes: $39.99
furniture/laptop- Shipping: $54.86
storage-
charging/32-
chromebook-8482-
laptop-tablet-
charging-
cart?infoParam.ca
mpaignId=T9F&g
clid=CjwKCAjww
bHWBRBWEiwA
MIV7E2CjECoLte
 INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 13

vkRcBQnO3DDl_
ARqOZwoimawfC
Nn88pGCPDzAIA
CapZhoCWsAQA
vD_BwE
iPad Screen Protectors https://www.bestb 10 $26.99 $269.90
(Pack of 2) uy.com/site/speck- Subtotal: $24.99
shieldview-screen- Taxes: $2.00
protectors-for- Shipping: Free
apple-ipad-2-pack-
clear/6739421.p?s
kuId=6739421&re
f=212&loc=1&gcl
id=CMmqh4GssN
oCFU6sfgodb8EI
VA&gclsrc=ds
Notability App https://itunes.apple 20 $10.79 $215.80
.com/us/app/notabi Subtotal: $9.99
lity/id360593530? Taxes: $0.80
mt=8 Shipping: N/A
Final Total:
$9,744.61

I am requesting funding for a total of 20 iPads. While I do have more students than that in

my classroom, they will not all be using them at the same time, so over 20 will not be necessary.

An iPad storage cart is needed to ensure they are kept properly and safely when not in use and

the screen protectors will take the wear and tear of many students. What these preventative

measures will not cover will be taken care of by Apple Care. The extension cord and surge

protector is to make the iPad cart usable. Finally, the notability app will be used by students for

note-taking during lessons. This app allows for students to be creative and explore different ways

of notetaking, and it allows for students to share work with each other and enhance collaboration.

All of these items mentioned above will support the ISTE Technology standards.
 INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 14

Inquiry Based Lesson Plan

Inquiry Based Lesson Plan

*This lesson takes place during a 60-minute class period*

Teachers: Hannah Davis Subject: 8th Grade Social Studies

Standards:

Common Core:

Strand 5: Economics PO 4 Describe various forms of credit. (e.g., person al loans, credit cards, lines of
credit, mortgages, auto loans).

ISTE:

3d Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and
theories and pursuing answers and solutions.
4a Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories,
creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
6c Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital
objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.
6d Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended
audiences.
Objective (Explicit): Provide students with the tools to calculate and understand credit (Home & Auto)

Evidence of Mastery (Measurable): As a warm-up for tomorrow, students will be asked to calculate a car
loan and a home loan. In addition, the website, the expense sheet, the poster, and the financial advisor
simulation will all be summative assessments that will be turned in at the end of the semester.
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex):
-Students will be able to understand the reasons for getting credit
-Students will be able to understand how to calculate credit
-Students will understand the importance of a good credit score and credit history
Key vocabulary: Materials/Technology Resources to be used:
Credit, mortgage amount, car loan, interest rate, mortgage iPads, Smartboard
period, loan amount, loan period

Engage (Make content and learning relevant to real life and connect to student interest) *
Students will search online for cars and homes that they want in the future that would require credit. **
They will create a brief concept map using the app MindMeister on their Pad (or another app of their
choosing).
*This does not need to be accurate; this is just for completion. This brief activity is to gauge their interest
but is also supposed to be a review of what they learned in yesterday’s lecture about different types of
credit. Today’s lesson is a follow-up of how to calculate the different types of credit and how to apply it to
real life.
 INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 15

**This will not correspond with their character’s budget in the Game of Life. This will be their personal
dream home and car.
10 minutes
Teacher Will: The teacher will ask some Student Will: “Think, Pair, Share” with each
partnerships to share what they learned from the other. Students will discuss what they wrote,
other partner. then will share with the class. Students can
10 minutes edit/correct their concept maps based on their
Explore

peer’s responses as they learn more from their

peers.

Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation: The teacher will pair partners that complement each other’s
strengths and weaknesses and will not distract the class and/or get off task.

Teacher Will: Present a Pear Deck that gives Student Will: Answer the questions throughout
step by step instructions with formulas* for how the Pear Deck and engage in discussion when
to calculate a car loan and a mortgage, and the prompted by the teacher. Also, students will
resources to do so. take personal notes.
Explain

15 minutes
*The 8th grade math teacher has previously
gone over how to complete formulas at this
level of difficulty.
Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation:
For students who have difficulty focusing, reading to board, etc., the teacher will pass out a typed
transcript of the lecture.
Teacher Will: Leave the formulas on the Student Will: Calculate the mortgage payment
projector. The teacher will float around the for their dream home and the car payment for
Elaborate

room and answer student’s questions. their dream car by using what they learned in
15 minutes the Pear Deck presentation.
Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation:
Students who have difficulty seeing the board and/or difficulty with math, they will be given
handouts of the formulas.
Evaluate: As an Exit Ticket, students will turn in their final concept map by sharing it on the class Weebly
page. * Also, they will have to answer the following questions with 3-5 sentences for each.
1) How did the mortgage turn out for your dream home? How much did you put down, how much did
you have to pay every month, and what was your interest rate?
2) How did the car payment turn out for your dream car? How much did you put down, how much did
you have to pay every month, and what was your interest rate?
3) After completing his activity, how will you do this for your character’s life? Do you believe that
your character can afford a car and/or a home? What would you do differently for your character’s
home and car, if you chose to have those?
10 minutes
*This was created at the beginning of the school year to post announcements, share student work with each
other and parents, and post assignments.
INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 16

References

Grabmeier, J. (2015, July 01). 70 percent of college students stressed about finances. Retrieved

March 20, 2018, from https://news.osu.edu/news/2015/07/01/financial-wellness/

Kane, L. (2014, April 02). 61% Of US Adults Don't Keep Track of Their Money. Retrieved

March 20, 2018, from http://www.businessinsider.com/61-of-us-adults-dont-keep-track-

of-their-money-2014-4

(n.d.) Retrieved January 30,

2018,fromhttp://www.bestplaces.net/economy/city/arizona/Scottsdale

(n.d.) Retrieved January 30, 2018. (n.d.) Retrieved January 30, 2018, from

http://www.bestplaces.net/economy/city/arizona/Scottsdale

(n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2018, from https://www.pvschools.net/pvschools

INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 17

Appendix

Sample Profile

Profession: Registered Nurse

Income: $67,000 a year
Relationship Status: Married
Spouse: Unemployed
Children: 1
Debt Owed: $25,000

Sample Expense Sheet

Income: Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

$67,490/year

Rent -$1,500 -$1,500

Health Insurance -$50 -$50

Car Insurance -$15 -$15

Utilities -$10 -$10

Vacation N/A -$150

Savings -$20 -$20

Taxes -$30 -$30

Donations N/A -$5

Dining Out N/A -$50

Groceries -$100 -$150

Debt -$500 -$500

INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 18

Sample “Yay!” Card

Week 7

Yay…you just received a $1,000 bonus at work!

Sample “Uh-Oh” Card

Week 2

Uh-Oh…you crashed your car and need to pay $350 to fix it.
INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 19

Sample Rubric for the Weebly Site

INNOVATION GRANT PROPOSAL 20