EdTech 505 Evaluation of Activity Summer 2010

1. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
Evaluation of Activity
2nd Grade Presidential Wax Museum
Ed Tech 505
Erin C. Markus
8/1/2010
Thisreportwas createdby ErinMarkus, whois a Masters of Educational TechnologystudentatBoise
State University. The evaluationreportwillbe submittedtothe Principal of Trilogy ElementarySchool,
locatedinRedmond,WA.

2. Abstract
Trilogy ElementarySchool islocatedinthe foothillsabove Redmond,WA andisa part of the
Lake WashingtonSchool District.The school isa fine andperformingartsmagnetschool that
encompassesmanyacademicprogramsthatpromote the learningof the arts,includinginstrumental
and vocal music,drama,arts and crafts, andliterature. The school consistsof Kindergartenthrough
SixthGrade,eachgrade consistingof 3-4 classroomsof students. The total populationof the school is
485, withan average of 18 studentsperclass. The evaluationthathasbeencompleted hasbeen
requestedbythe Principal of Trilogy Elementary,CindyAtkinson. The activitythathasbeenevaluatedis
the 2nd
Grade PresidentialWax Museumlearningactivity. Thisactivityisapart of the Unitof Instruction
aboutthe Presidentsof the UnitedStates. The activityhasbeenusedforthe last3 yearsat the school.
The evaluationwascompletedutilizingdatacollectedfromthe 2nd
grade teachersand students,aswell
as a reviewof planningmaterials. A simple surveywasgiventothe studentstocomplete afterthe
activitywascompleted,aswell as amore complex surveyforthe teachersregardingthe planning,
procedures,materials,andassessmentsusedinthe activity. Testingoutcomeswere notincludedinthis
evaluation. Thisevaluationwasrequestedtoimprove the planningandimplementationprocessof the
activity. Aftersurveyswere collected,the resultsshow thatthe activitywasgreatlyenjoyedbyboth
teachersandstudents. The planningprocessof the activityappearstobe simple andwithminimal
materials,mostof whichare providedbythe students. The studentscomplete the activityontheir
own,but the teachersactivelyperform theirownobservationsof studentswhile completingassessment
procedures. Priortothe activitytakingplace,the materials,planningstrategies,procedural plans,and
assessmenttoolswere evaluatedforconsistency,easeof use,andfulfillmentof unitgoals. All materials
were presentedtothe evaluatorinabinderthatisusedby the 2nd
grade teamduringtheirplanning
process. The materialswere neatlyorganizedandeasytounderstand. Itisimportantthat all materials
be easilyaccessibleandusedinthe scenariothata substitute teachercouldmaintainthe flowof the
activityif needbe. Overall,all materialsandthe activitywere verywellorganized,unitgoalsare
obtainedbythe activity,andteachersandstudentsalike appearedtoenjoyandlearnfromthe activity.

3. Introduction
Program Description
The program beingevaluatedisthe PresidentialWax Museumactivitythatisusedbythe 2nd
grade at TrilogyElementarySchool inRedmond,WA,asa part of theirUnit of Instructiononthe
Presidentsof the UnitedStates. The activitypromoteslearningthe namesof the Presidents,aswellas
simple factsabouttheirlives. Because the school isanarts magnetschool,the activityalsoincludesa
dramatizationperformedbythe studentsonaPresidentassignedtothemearlyinthe unit. The
dramatizationisperformedasawax character comingto life totell a little aboutthemselvesandtheir
Presidency. Thisisthe culminatingactivityforthe unit. The primaryobjective of thisactivityistoteach
studentsthe names of the Presidents,aswell assimple factsabouttheirlives. The dramatizationwax
activitytiesin the publicspeakingandperforming artselementsthatthe school basesmanyof their
programson. The activitytakesplace inFebruaryeachyear,whichisthe monthof the PresidentsDay
Holiday.
Purpose of the Report
The evaluationof thisactivitywasrequestedbythe school’sPrincipal,CindyAtkinsonin
Septemberof 2009. The primarypurpose of thisformative evaluationistoassistMrs.Atkinsonin
determiningthe effectivenessof Presidential Wax Museumactivitybyexaminingthe material,
procedure,implementation,andassessmentusedinthisunit. The Principal isevaluatingthe activityto
ensure thatmaterialsare adequate,planningisstreamlinedandeasytofollow foranyone,including
substitute teachers,andassessmentsare appropriate forthe goalsof the unit.Anotheraspectthatwas
addressedduringthe evaluationisthatthe studentsandteachersenjoyedandlearnedfromthe activity.
The Principal intendsonthisactivitybeingapart of the curriculumformanyyearsto come.
Program Objectives
The objectivesof the activitywere createdtofollow the goalsof the Unitof Instruction. The
Presidential Wax Museumobjectivesare:
 The studentwill become familiarwiththe namesof formerPresidentsof the United
States.
 The studentwill researchsimple factsabouttheirassignedPresidentusingvarious
resources,suchas encyclopedias,books,andthe Internet.
 The studentwill recite factsfromtheirownresearchabouta formerPresidentthatthey
are assignedbythe teacher.
 The studentwill be expectedtomemorizetheirfactsand utilize theirformal speaking
voice duringthe presentationpart of the activity.

4. Program Components
The activitywascreatedas a funwayto learnthe namesof formerPresidentsof the United
States. The activityhelpsthe childpractice basicresearch skills,memorization,andformal speaking
skills. The preparationforthe activitywilltake place inthe child’sclassroom, the school library,andat
home. Rehearsalsandpresentationsforthe activitywill be conductedinthe maincommonsareaor
gymnasiumof the school,dependingonavailabilityandclasssizes. The classeswill prepare forthe
activityfor6 weeksduringtheirSocial Studiesblock. Theywill utilize the school libraryandcomputers
for researchduringthistime. Inthe daysprior to the activity,the classeswill rehearse theirwax
characters withotherstudentsandtheirteacher. On the day of the activity,the museum will be
performedbyone ortwo classesat a time,sootherclassescan tour the “Wax Museum”and viewother
students’presentations. Eachsessionwilllast1hour, duringwhichtime other2nd
grade classes,other
grades,and parentscan viewthe workof everystudent.
Evaluation Method
Participants
The participantsinvolvedinthe evaluationand activityinclude:
 2nd
Grade classesandtheirteachers
 CurriculumSpecialist
Both studentsandteachersfromthe 2nd
grade participatedinabrief surveyafterthe activity
was completed. The evaluationprocedures,aswell asthisreport,were completedbythe curriculum
specialist,who performedthe executionof evaluatingthe materials,planning,andimplementationof
the activitybyutilizingsurveysof teachersandstudents.
Procedures
The evaluationprocedure includesasurveythatwascompletedbythe 2nd
grade teachersand
students. The surveytool usedby the studentswasa simple response questionnaire including“smiley
or frowny”facesfor themtocircle as theirresponse tothe questions. The surveycompletedby
teacherswasmore in-depthandfocusedmore onthe materials,planning,andproceduresof the
activity. The surveyswere giventoteachersandstudentsafterthe activitywascomplete. The teachers
and studentsfilledoutthe surveysandreturnedthemtothe curriculumspecialistwithinone weekafter
the activitytookplace. Planningandassessmentmaterialswere giventothe evaluatorinabinderto be
reviewedandincludedinthe evaluationof the program. Thisinformationwasusedbythe 2nd
Grade
teamto planand implementthe activity.
Data Sources
The followingdatasourceswere usedduringthe evaluation:
1. Surveyscompletedbystudents andteachers (Qualitative).
2. PlanningandAssessmentmaterialsreview. Thisreviewwascompletedbythe evaluator
(Qualitative).

5. Results
The resultsof the evaluationwillbe showninthree datatables followedbyabrief descriptionof
the qualitative datarepresentedbythe table. The firstareathat was evaluatedwasthe planning
materialsbinderthatisusedbythe 2nd
grade teamduringtheirplanningandimplementationof the
activity. The final datacollectionstookplace byutilizingasimple surveyof the studentsthat
participatedinthe activityandanothersurveycompletedbythe 2nd
grade teachersafterthe activity
was completed.
Table 1: Reviewof PlanningMaterials
Evaluated Area: Yes No N/A Comments:
Were the materials organized into one
source viewable by all planners?
X The planning and assessment materials were
very organized and well maintained. My only
suggestion is to have a backup copy of the
binder in case the main book is lost or
damaged.
Are the materials easily accessible by all
users?
X The planning materials are kept in the 2nd
grade planning room where all teachers have
access to the materials at all times.
Do the materials include a detailed list of
activity and unit objectives, as well as a
summary of state standards for the area
of study?
X The materials did include detailed lists of
activity objectives, as well as a printout of the
state Social Studies standards for 2nd Grade.
Do the materials include all master
copies of printable materials to be used
by teachers?
X The binder appeared to contain all materials
that are used by teachers during the planning
and implementation of the activity.
Are assessment materials included in
the planning materials?
X The book does contain the assessment sheet
used by teachers during the activity.
Do the assessments utilize the objectives
of the activity and standards?
X The assessment materials are very thorough
and assess the objectives and standards for
the activity.
Can the materials be easily understood
and accessed by substitute teachers?
X The materials are accessible by anyone who
requires access. Directions are very clear and
outlined.
Does the Principal maintain a copy of the
planning materials?
X

6. Interpretationof Table 1 Data
Table 1 showsthe resultsof the materialsreview thatwas completedonthe planningand
implementationmaterialsusedbythe 2nd
grade teachersforthe Presidential Wax Museumactivity. The
planningmaterialsare maintainedinabinderthatisavailable toall planningteachers. The binderis
keptinthe 2nd
grade planningroomand isnot supposedtoleave the room, exceptforuse by
administrationortomake copiesinthe copy room. There are no backupcopiesof the bindercontents
and thissuggestionwasmade bythe evaluator. The assessmentmaterialsare includedinthe binder
and directlyassessthe objectivesof the activity. The assessmentof the activityisbasedonteacher
observationsof the studentsperformingtheirPresidentandthe factual datatheyuse in their
presentation. The planningmaterialsdoinclude step-by-stepdetailsof the planningprocessandall
materialsused. Thisinformationcanbe easilyinterpretedbysubstituteteachersandothersthatneed
to viewthem.
Table 2: Qualitative StudentSurvey
# Survey Question  
1 Did you learn the names of the formerPresidents? 51 4
2 Did you learn a lot about your assignedPresident? 49 6
3 Did you learn a lot about other Presidents? 48 8
4 Was the Wax Museumactivity fun? 52 3
5 Did you have fun watching othersperform their Presidents? 45 10
6 Did your teachers helpyour learn about the Presidents? 49 6
7 Was it easyto make your costume? 42 13
8 Do you think 2nd
Graders nextyear will have fun doingthis activity? 50 5
Total number of surveyscompleted:55
Interpretationof Table 2 Data
Table 2 showsthe resultsof a simple surveythatwascompletedbythe 2nd
grade studentsafter
the activitywascompleted. The survey questions are designed to assess student attitude about the
activity and preparation. The surveywasonly8 questionstokeepitsimple. Lookingatthe data, the
studentsrespondedpositivelyandenjoyedthe program. The onlyareathat containeda few negative
responseswasaboutmakingcostumes. 24% of the children eitherdidnotenjoymakingcostumes,or
they may have hada difficulttime findingmaterialsnecessary. The otherareathat had some
unsatisfactoryresultswasaboutwatchingotherstudentsperforming. Thisisnotan atypical resultfor
thisage,because theywouldmuchratherbe performingthanwatchingothers.

7. Table 3: Qualitative TeacherSurvey
# Question Agree Neutral Disagree N/A
1 The planningmaterialswere easilyaccessible toall 2nd
grade teachersat all times.
4
2 Planningmaterialswere easytofollow andunderstand. 4
3 The materials couldbe easilyunderstoodandusedbya
substitute teacher.
3 1
4 Activityobjectiveswere clearlywrittenandinalignment
withstate standards.
4
5 Regularplanningmeetingswerebeneficialtothe
planningprocess.
3 1
6 Each teacherwas assignedspecifictasksforthe final
activity(arrange set-up,sendinvitations, etc.)
4
7 Your studentsdidnothave problemsfindingcostume
materialsorprops.
2 2
8 Each teacherparticipatedfullyanddidtheirpartinthe
planningprocess.
3 1
9 Your students founditeasytofind informationabout
theirPresident.
3 1
10 All materialsnecessaryforstudentresearchwas
available eitherinthe classroomorlibrary.
4
11 Administrationwassupportive of the activityand
planningprocesses.
3 1
12 The school suppliedall materialsrequiredforthe
activity,besidescostumes(AV,chairs,stage,etc.)
4
13 The assessmentof the activitywasappropriate forthe
objectives.
2 1 1
14 The assessmentmaterialswere easytounderstandand
implementduringthe activity.
4
15 Studentsappearedtobe enjoyingthe activity. 4
Interpretationof Table 3 Data
Table 3 data showsthe responsesgivenduringasurveyof the four2nd
grade teachersafterthe
activitywascomplete. Overall,the responseswerepositive. Duringthe survey,the planningprocess,
materials,and assessmentwere addressed. One areathat showedsome negative responseswasabout
studentcostumes. The activityrequiresstudentstoweara costume thatrepresentstheirPresident. It
appearsthat some studentshaddifficultywiththis. Factorscouldinclude cost,availability,creativity,or
non-interest. Further investigation and research may be necessary to identify the improvements that can
be made. One area that was splitonthe responseswasthe assessmentappropriateness. Twoof the
teachersdidnotfeel the assessment materialswere appropriateforthe activity,sothiswill needtobe
addressedwith attentiontothe detailsof the assessmentandobjectives.

8. Discussion
The purpose of thisevaluationistodetermine if the 2nd
grade program, Presidential Wax
Museum,has a beneficial role inthe curriculumand if itneedstobe improvedinanywayfor future use.
The evaluationrevealedthatthe programdoesappeartobe a successful activityandthe studentsreally
enjoythe activity. Thisprogramhas beeninplace formanyyearsand the school intendsforitto be a
part of the 2nd
grade curriculumformanyyears to come. Duringthisevaluation,threespecificareas
were focusedon:Materials,Planning,andAssessment.
The planningmaterialsare maintainedinabinderinthe 2nd grade planningroomand are
accessible toall teachersforuse. According tothe surveyresultssubmittedbythe teachers,the
materialswere of beneficial use tothemandwere easilyaccessiblefortheiruse,aswell asuse bya
substitute teacher,if necessary. The resultsshowedthatthe teachersdidfeelthe planningmaterials
were appropriate forthe successful planningof the activity. The teachershave meetingsthroughout the
planningprocessandtheyeachhad theirspecificrolesassignedtothemforthe activityday,such as
arrangementof set-up,audio-visual arrangements,sendinginvitations,etc. The surveyfeedbackwas
definitelypositive forthe topicof planningandmaterials. Duringthe evaluation,the planningmaterials
binderitself wasalsoanalyzedbythe evaluator. The materialswereplacedinanicelyorganizedbinder
that includedall materialsnecessaryforthe planningandimplementationof the activity. The resultsof
thisreviewof materialswere positive withminimal changesrecommended.
Duringthe evaluation,the studentscompletedasimple surveyabouttheirfeelingsaboutthe
activity. The surveythatwas completedbystudentsincludedsimple questionsandanswersthatwere
shownbythemcirclingeitherasmileyface ora frownyface astheirresponse. The responsesfromthe
childrenwere positiveandtheyappearedtoenjoythe activityandlearnedfromit. One areathatthe
studentresponseshadsome negative feedbackwasaboutcostumes. Almost24% of the studentsstated
that theywere nothappywithputtingcostumestogether. Many studentsseemedtohave difficulty
findingorcreatingcostumesforthe activityandthiswas evidentbythese responses.
Afterreviewingthe surveysandmaterialsreview,onlyminorweaknesseswere discovered with
the activity. The area that had the largestamountof negative responseswascostuming. Forthe
activity,studentsare tocome up withcostumesthatrepresenttheirPresident. Because 24% of the
studentsand50% of the teachersurveysshoweddissatisfactionwithcostumemaking,thisareawill
needtobe addressed. A possiblesuggestionforthe future of thistaskwouldbe to maintaina“bank” of
clothesandpropsthat couldbe usedbystudentsthatare havingdifficultycreatingtheirowncostumes.
These itemscanbe obtainedbydonationfrompreviousyearsordiscovered atthriftshopsorgarage
sales. The otherarea of concern wasin the assessment.
Conclusion
The “PresidentialWax Museum”activityof the 2nd
Grade at TrilogyElementaryisavery
successful activitythatisgreatlyanticipatedbyall studentseachyear. The materialsevaluatedandthe
surveyscompletedall provideapositive outlookforthisactivity. Itisobviousthatthe teachershave
workedveryhardto create thiswonderful activity. Withonlyminoradjustmentstothe materialsand
processes thatwere suggestedinthisevaluation,thisactivitywillundoubtedlycontinue foryearsto
come.

9. Project Cost
Evaluator Salary:
Erin Markus: 3 days x $250/day (on-site) $750.00
Erin Markus: 1 day x $200/day (office day) $200.00
Travel and per Diem:
3 daysx 15-milesR/Tmileage charge $30.00
3 daysx $20 per Diem $60.00
Miscellaneous
Copiesandprintfees $45.00
Pre-paidpostage $15.00
Total Cost: $1100.00