This grant proposal requests $14,988.78 to enhance the social studies curriculum for grades 6-8 at a suburban New Jersey school serving 850 students. The funds would be used to purchase print and digital resources including books on US history and states, online databases, interactive computer software, and educational DVDs. These supplemental materials would make American history more engaging for students and support projects like state reports for 6th graders and decade studies for 7th graders. If funded, the resources would be available to students in the school library and could also benefit other local schools.

1. Grant Proposal:
Enhancement of US
History Curriculum
By Jessica Antokal

2. Who is this Grant for?
• Students in Freehold, NJ
• Suburban area
• 850 students
• Grades 6-8
• When possible, these resources will also be
available to other schools within our district
through the interlibrary loan system
• Students from other schools are also permitted
to visit our library after school to take advantage
of our computerized resources

3. Why Do we Need this Grant?
• This grant would allow us to support and enhance
our social studies curriculum, which focuses on
American History and Geography Skills
• We want to make American History interactive
and interesting to the students by purchasing
print and digital resources
• These products all align with NJCCCS
• Please note that all products are hyperlinked so
you can view them online

4. Books
• Our students need reference books to help
them complete projects
• Print resources allow them to practice
valuable resources
• The books cannot be circulated, but will be
available to students whenever they visit the
library

5. Books
• There series are specific to learning about
each of the 50 States
• Our 6th graders complete an extensive project
where each student studies 1 state in-depth
• America The Beautiful ($851.20)
• Celebrate the States ($1621.58)
• WorldMark Encyclopedia of the States ($254)

6. Books
• Scholastic Pocket United States Atlas (30
copies @ $9 each= 270)
• Contains different types of maps and
important information on each state
• We will have enough copies for entire classes
to look up information together

7. Books
• American Decades Set ($1,304)
– This series explores each decade from 1900-2000
in extensive detail
– Our 7th grade students complete a project about
recent American history
– Each book explains history, politics, law,
economics, culture, and sports of the time period

8. Online Databases
• Our students can use online databases to
easily find updated and interactive
information
• We have access to the internet in the media
center, computer labs, and classrooms
• All subscriptions will be made for 1 year
– We will evaluate the products and then may
choose to include them in our library budget in
the future

9. Online Database
• Rand McNally Classroom ($749)
– This site contains a wealth of information about
maps
– Contains interactive lessons that are used with
Whiteboards
– Contains games for groups and individuals
– Updated weekly current events
– Can be accessed from school and home

10. Online Databases
• Daily Life America ($500)
– This database allows students to explore the daily lives of people
across the country from past to present
– Multimedia access to primary documents
– Covers:
• Food and cooking
• Holidays and festivals
• Clothing and fashion
• Housing and furnishings
• Religion and spirituality
• Folkways Games and amusements
• Music and dance
• Family life
• Women's history and culture
• Native American and other ethnic cultures Regional cultures

11. Online Databases
• Britannica Online School Edition ($1,000)
– Contains extensive encyclopedia
– Atlas
– timelines
– Educational Games
– Access to Magazines
– Web sites
– Videos

12. Online Databases
• Pop Culture Universe ($599)
– This database contains multimedia resources from
1920 up to the present day
– Information on cultural content such as famous
people, the arts, fashion, film, food, literature,
music, sports, television, and radio,
– Also contains full-text of 300 print titles within the
database

13. Online Databases
• CultureGrams($549)
– Contains:
– World Edition (information on more than 200
counties)
– Kids Edition (information on 91 countries with
focus on the life of kids in each location)
– States Edition (information on each state)
– Famous People Index (short biographies)
– Recipe Collection (over 1,000 recipes from around
the globe)

14. Computer Software
• The computer software is interactive and
engaging to students
• Once the CD-ROMs are purchased, there are
no subscription fees
• These programs will be available to all
computers in the library, labs, and classrooms

15. Computer Software
• National Inspirer 4.0 ($800)
– This program sends students on a scavenger hunt
for resources across the country
– This program focuses on:
• Learning the locations of the 50 states
• Learning the locations of important natural resources
• Learning about different geographic characteristics of
regions
• Improving map reading

16. Computer Software
• Decisions Decisions (4 titles @ $600 each=
$2,400)
– This collection allows students to participate in role-
playing simulations
– Students can work as a whole class, in small groups, or
in rotating groups
– We would purchase the following titles:
• Colonization
• The Constitution
• Immigration
• Building a Nation

17. Computer Software
• Mapmaker’s Toolkit ($450)
– Students are able to view over 450 current and
historical maps
– Students can create their own maps, adding
important information
– Students can publish their work on the internet or
by printing it

18. Computer Software
• Timeliner XE ($2,200)
– Creates different types of timelines and plots
points based on proportional distance
– Contains more than 400 interactive activities
– Can easily collect multimedia resources from the
web
– Can create slideshows that can be viewed on the
internet, computer, or even interactive
whiteboards

19. Computer Software
• The American Mosaic (3 titles @ $399 each =
$1,197)
– Digital, multicultural view of American history
– Contains full-text documents, 6,000 primary
documents, 3,000 maps
– Allows students to consider American history through
various perspectives
– Contains 3 different titles:
• The African American Experience
• The Latino American Experience
• The American Indian Experience

20. DVDs
• These educational DVDs can be borrowed by
teachers to show in the classroom or can be
viewed on the media center computers
• These DVDs are intended to supplement the
state-mandated curriculum

21. DVDs
• The States DVD ($25)
– 3 DVD miniseries which covers each of the 50
states
• The Decades: 20th Century Collection ($216)
– 20 DVD set that highlights some important
moments in America’s 20th century history

22. Total Purchase Order
Type of Materials Price
Books $4,300.78
Online Databases $3,397
Computer Software $7,050
DVDs $241
Total Cost $14,988.78