GET IN THE KNOW ABOUT CO - Carbon Monoxide Awareness

By: Carol Lawrence

Adrienne Previtera

School: Carl W. Goetz MS,

Jackson, NJ

Grade Levels:

Academic Focus/Core Curriculum Standards:

Language Arts Literacy: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3.

Mathematics: 4.1, 4.4, 4.5

Technology: 8.1 A, B.

Consumer, Family & Life Skills

The Arts(Visual and Performing): 1.2, 1.3

Comprehensive Health and Physical Education: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3

Responsibility and Citizenship

Hurdles: Managing all aspects of the project - solicitation, marketing, education, community involvement, final event required a great deal of time and effort.

Solution:
The Committee broke the work down to several committee responsibilities, each with specific guidelines and deadlines.

Celebration: The culminating event will include safety demonstrations from the Jackson Police, First Aid, and Fire Departments. Students will display artwork, show PowerPoints, and hand out pamphlets with CO information. Representatives from Kidde Alert (CO Manufacturers) will support the distribution efforts. There will also be performances from the Goetz chorus and band members.

Recognition: Carl W. Goetz Middle School was named Safety Crusaders from Consumer's Reports- Feb.2007

Key Findings: Students realized they could make a difference in the safety of their fellow students and the community while using skills learned in their daily lessons.

Project Description: To raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning Carl Goetz students launched a CO awareness campaign. Classes researched facts about CO. Students produced PowerPoints, pamphlets, and commercials. Students and staff held various fundraisers, and sponsored a Safe Night with local Police, First Aid, and the Jackson Alliance. In a culminating event CO Detectors will be made available to the residents of Jackson.

Timeline: September 2006 to June 2007

Project Scheduling: Class and after school hours.

Equipment Needed: Video equipment, paper, posterboard.

Academic Focus

Language Arts Literacy: Students wrote solicitation letters, press releases, Open-ended Responses, Persuasive samples, and thank you notes.They also participated in interviews and speeches.

Mathematics: Students computed collection results, counted funds raised, and graphed various statistics connected to the campaign.

Technology. Students used video cameras and computer digital editing.

Consumer, Family & Life Skills: Students demonstrated cooperation, teamwork, responsibility, and worked together for a common goal.

Social Studies: Students researched statistics from local, state, and national surveys, and conduct school survey.

Arts (Visual and Performing): Students made posters and banners, and will perform music and songs at the culminating event.

Health/Physical Education: Students researched the physical effects of carbon monoxide on the body, what organs are effected first, time absorption factors, and physical symptoms.

Science: Students identified the make-up of carbon monoxide and its properties, studied scientific data, and created information pamphlets.

Correlation with Character Education:

Students developed a sense of responsibility to their community by educating the residents about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and providing detectors to community members. They learned that they really can make a difference and prevent future tragedies related to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Performance-based Education: Students worked cooperatively to create written, oral, and technology presentations that they presented to the community.

Cooperative Learning: Students worked with partners/groups to research, collaborate, share ideas, and develop presentations, create artwork, and fundraise.

Interdisciplinary Approach: Students combined skills in literacy, mathematics, technology, social studies, the arts, health & physical education, and science to produce final products related to this service learning project.

The core ethical values this project fostered are Responsibility and Citizenship. The students researched the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, educated other students and the community, and raised funds to purchase CO detectors for distribution

Community Involvement:

Jackson Rotary Jackson Fire Department

Reflection Activities: (Link with core ethical values)

Students filled out reflection forms and journals. Student representatives, using the reflections of their peers, spoke to community and parents about the way in which the project had affected their education, concept of citizenship and attitude to volunteerism.

Means of Assessment:

Students were graded on their various assignments associated with the CO Awareness Project.