How to Fit Science & Social Studies

There is ongoing debate in the education community on how much emphasis should be placed on reading and math at under-performing schools at the expense of science and social studies. This article from the Post-Dispatch highlights the frustration of one teacher at Fanning over the scaling back of science and social studies classes so students who are below grade level in reading and math can get caught up.

UrbanFUTURE has recognized this issue in putting together its IMPACT tutoring curriculum. On the one hand, students need strong vocabulary, comprehension, critical thinking and logical reasoning skills to fully grasp topics in science and social studies. On the other hand, removing these subjects completely, robs students of opportunities to learn about the world they live in and have an understanding of why things are the way they are.

To combat this issue, UrbanFUTURE is working to embed science and social studies topics into reading and math activities that students complete with IMPACT tutors. This will help students learn about gravity or ancient Egyptian culture, while building vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking skills. In fact, UrbanFUTURE has learned that this is exactly how some of the teachers cover science and social studies topics in their classroom and embedding these lessons into reading, writing and math.

As a way to further enhance the student's experience with science and social studies, UrbanFUTURE is using its Explore! program to take kids on field trips that will introduce them to professionals in science and social studies fields. These field trips will give kids hands-on opportunities and create excitement in career fields in science and social studies.

UrbanFUTURE would like to thank Monsanto for providing funding to expand our IMPACT curriculum into science and help cover the cost of these field trips. Its funders like Monsanto that help more students have opportunities to grow in all academic areas so they can see and believe in their possibilities!

A Final Push

Spring has arrived in St. Louis. For UrbanFUTURE that means there is one more quarter to make a final push to end the year strong. It's easy for students to lose focus when the weather warms up, the days are longer and summer is right around the corner. Despite all of that UrbanFUTURE staff and volunteers are working diligently to ensure students finish the year strong.

In preparation for year-end diagnostic tests, students at Fanning are having competitions in educational games that are enhancing their skills in math and communication arts. With teachers assigning less homework, these competitions help to keep the students' minds sharp, while having a good time.

Fanning students are also participating in reading circles. These small groups read a book together and have an opportunity to have open discussions. It's been a great way for students to keep building their literacy in a casual, laid-back atmosphere. Jennifer Davies, IMPACT Manager at Fanning, said, "This week students were disappointed about missing the reading circles because of having to take the post-test. They are very excited to get back to their small group next week."

At Mann, INSPIRE Team Leaders Lauren Coppedge and Sakinah Ra'uf have been emphasizing goal achievement. To ensure that students are staying on track for their 4th quarter goals, they have been checking in with teachers each week to see that students are following through on weekly action steps. Mentors are also checking student progress on goals each week and helping students fulfill weekly action steps. Team Leaders have also created a goal board that publicly displays each team's progress towards their goals. As an added incentive, students who achieve their 4th quarter goal will get a McDonald's Happy Meal at the end of the year.

The nice weather can be a major distraction for students, but at UrbanFUTURE students are learning the importance of finishing the year on a high note.

Expectations Lead to IMPACT

Drummond, a 7th grader at Fanning Middle School, hasn’t missed a week with his IMPACT tutor, Bart. He is a motivated student and really enjoys working with his tutor. When Drummond took the Pre-Algebra DOMA (Diagnostic Online Math Assessment) in October he mastered 3 out of 14 pre-algebra math constructs. Since Bart has begun working with Drummond, he has maintained high expectations of Drummond. By the end of the third quarter, Drummond mastered another construct (integer operations) from the DOMA. Bart says, "In just seven weeks, Drummond has begun to realize that he has the ability to do math at a 7th grade level. The thing that has been missing is confidence. Once we buckled down and he finally saw that he could do the work, our progress has been exponential."

With Drummond's recent success he is now working to master two more constructs. By the end of the school year, Drummond’s goal is to master those 2 additional constructs which will place him above his original goal of mastering 2 math constructs. He will have mastered 3 new constructs on the DOMA and a total of 6 of the pre-algebra constructs. Drummond, with the assistance and encouragement of Bart, is beginning to see and believe his abilities in math. Way to go, Drummond!

Adding to Achieve

This quarter, Damien set a goal to improve his math grade and his reading score. Between Damien, his mentor, Preston and his mother, LaTonya, they decided that Damien could achieve these goals by asking for extra work in math and reading more at home.

Damien has worked extra hard this quarter to complete his math packet and has gone above and beyond his literacy goal by reading more minutes a day than he even planned. The consistency of the INSPIRE team meeting almost every week this quarter, has helped keep Damien on track. He is learning that doing adding a little more work, can go a long way in helping him achieve his goals. Way to go, gentleman!

If you would like to volunteer as a mentor or tutor with UrbanFUTURE, call David Carroll at (314)776-3434 and sign up for an upcoming information session. Don't have time to volunteer, consider making a donation online at www.urbanfuturestl.org.