Download pcv project proposal procedures for

PROJECT TITLE:
Astronomy English Camp
LOCATION of PROJECT (Amphur, Province, etc.):
Bangsapan Noi, Prachuab Kiri Khan Province
NAME and ADDRESS of PCV:
Todd Aydelott
SPA
Bangsapan Noi
Prachuab Kiri Khan
Thailand
77170
INDIVIDUALS / GROUPS RESPONSIBLE:
Ban Toonggadtone School Staff
Ms. Kanitah Sintawee, main coordinator
TOTAL FUNDS REQUESTED (Baht & USD):
10,707B @39B x $1=$274.54 USD
DATE OF REQUEST:
28 December 2004
BACKGROUND INFORMATION / PROJECT HISTORY:
Bangsapan Noi is a small district in the southern Thai province of Prachuab Kiri Khan. It has
a population of about 30,000, with most of the inhabitants working as farmers, growing rubber trees,
palm trees, coconut trees, or pineapples. The majority of the 293 students of Ban Toonggadtone
School come from families who support themselves through their work farming. Many of these
students families don’t own farms, but work as “temporary workers” on a number of different farms.
Earning about 145B per day, these families have little opportunity to provide their children with
learning activities outside if the classroom.
Built in 1941, at the beginning of World War II, Ban Toonggadtone currently has a staff of 10
teachers. As required by the Education Reform Act of 1999, the school staff has begun working
towards developing more active-learning methods. Unfortunately, for a number of different reasons,
ranging from administrative to understanding of the new methods, this reform effort has been uneven.
Most of the subjects are still taught in traditional lecture formats that see the students as jars waiting to
be filed with knowledge rather than as people who need to learn by experiencing authentic hands-on
activities.
English camps are common throughout Thailand as an extra-curricular activity to motivate
students to learn English. Too often these camps either focus almost exclusively on games and song,
or are simply another opportunity for the students to repeat English spoken at them by the teacher. It
is rare to find an English camp that is content-based, and helps the students to develop their own
understanding of a subject by providing them with hands-on activities to solves problems and
construct understanding.
The focus of our camp last year was the environment. We planned all of our English
conversation and vocabulary around activities that helped the students to understand and see how they
could address some of the environment problems of the district. A few examples of the hands-on
activities we did at the camp last year are making recycled paper out of used paper the students
brought from home, building a model to demonstrate the effects of erosion, and doing a trash pick up
along the beach. Both, Steve Bydal and Amy McGarry, really enjoyed the camp. Amy even went so
far as to write up an article about the camp for Sticky Rice.
Similar to last year’s camp, this year our English camp uses the techniques of English through
English, and content-based instruction. Meaning that we will learn English by using it to study, and
do activities about astronomy. We will be making star charts, latitude finders, and building a
Newtonian telescope with an 8”, f/6, and primary mirror. For all of these activities English will be the
language of instruction. Not only will this give the students authentic opportunities to practice using
their English but will also give the Thai teacher the opportunity to see examples of hands-on science
activities that they can do with their students in the future.
The author Kahlil Gibran wrote in his book, The Prophet, that “the astronomer may speak to
you of his understanding of space, but he cannot give you his understanding.” This quote comes in
the context of teaching and echoes the leading learning theory of Education, Constructivism. The
meaning of the passage one must build one’s own understanding through experience, which is the
primary goal of this camp. Giving the students the opportunity to be astronomers and the opportunity
to actively construct their own knowledge of the universe around them is the purpose of this camp.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND BENEFITS: The overall objective for this project is to give the
students an opportunity to practice speaking English and apply scientific knowledge in a hands-on,
activity based way. The specific educational goals of this project are as follows:
1. The students will be able to use English to study about the stars by…
1.1 Making a star chart correctly showing the relative locations of stars and constellations.
1.2 Working in small groups to correctly build a Newtonian telescope with an 8”, f/6, primary
mirror.
1.3 Working in small groups to correctly find and identify stars and constellations in the night sky.
2. The students will be able to use English to study about our solar system by…
2.1 Working in small groups to correctly make a scale model of the solar system.
3. The students will be able to use English to learn how humans use stars and constellations by…
3.1 Correctly making a latitude finder.
3.2 Working in small groups to correctly find the latitude of Ban Toonggadtone School.
3.3 Working in small groups to create an original story about a constellation.
3.4 Working in small groups to create a skit or their constellation story.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: The main immediate community involvement will come from
the teachers at the school who will co-teach with PCVs the activities for the camp. They will be
expected to also help in organizing the meals and taking care of specific needs of the students that
may come up.
In addition, through a Thai professor, we have invited a number of students from
Chulalongkorn University (CU) to come join us. This will give the students from CU the opportunity
to practice their English with the volunteers who come and help with the camp, as well as give the
students of Ban Toonggadtone the opportunity to interact with Thai University students. This will
hopefully encourage the students to continue their studies.
SUSTAINABILITY: The sustainability of this camp is first and foremost what the students get out of
the experience. The school can reuse the materials that we make during the camp, such as the
telescope, for years to come. In addition my Thai co-teacher will have experience in running camps
that follow a similar format, and is planning to have future camps at the school. Camp participant and
other trainers will also have the opportunity to learn how to make a Newtonian Telescope.
BUDGET: I have included in the following budget an overview of the items that will be paid for by
the school and an itemized list for those budgetary items that we are asking Friends of Thailand to
support.
Supported by the Community: Approximately 15,400B ($394.88 USD)
Food: 105 people for 4 meals @ 20B per meal: 8,400B ($215.39 USD). This will be paid for by the
students’ parents with each student paying 80B, and the rest being picked up by the school.
Housing and use of School: Approximate value @ 1000B ($25.64 USD). This will be provided free
of charge by Ban Toonggadtone school.
Materials: Estimated cost @ 20B per student. With 80 students attending the total cost is 1600B
($41.03 USD). Most of the materials will be purchased by the school, or brought from home
by the students. The exception to this is the materials needed to build the telescope, many of
which are expensive and difficult to find in Thailand. It the cost of these materials that Friends
of Thailand is being requested to help purchase.
Tools: The tools to build the telescope will be donated or borrowed from community members.
Travel Reimbursement for PCVs: Up to 1200B per person depending on distance. This will be paid
for by the school as well.
Total Community Cost: Approximately 15,400B ($394.88 USD)
Requested Support by FoT: 10,707B ($274.54 USD)
The following is a list of the specific items needed to build the telescope and their cost. Please note
that some of the items are being donated and Friends of Thailand is not expected to pay for those
items.
1 sheet of exterior grade plywood, 4_ x 8_ x 1/8” thick. @ 250B ($6.41 USD)
1 sheet of exterior grade plywood, 4ํ x 8ํ x 3/4" thick. @ 790B (20.26 USD)
1 can of flat black spray paint. @ 42B ($1.08 USD)
1/2 Kilo of 1’’ long nails. @ 25B ($0.64 USD)
2 boxes of 10 sheet metal screw, panhead, size #8, 3/4" long @40B per box = 80B ($2.05 USD) total
2 boxes of 10 wood Screws, size #8, 3/4” long @ 40B per box = 80B ($2.05USD) total
3 Machine Bolts, 1" long; 3/8" inch in diameter @ 20B ($0.51 USD)
1 Lag Screw with matching washer, 3" long; 1/2" in diameter @ 20B ($0.51 USD)
1 phonograph record--33 1/3 rpm size @ Donated
1 Washbasin drainline trap, 1 1/2" outside diameter @ 200B ($5.13 USD)
2 pieces of Chrome-Plated Brass Tubing, one about 1 1/2" long, for the eyepiece holder, and one
about 6" long, for the aligning tube @ 200B ($5.13 USD)
3 Cedar Shim Shingles about 1 1/2" to 2" wide @ Donated
1 Piece of wooden dowel about 3 " long and approximately 1 3/4" in diameter @ Donated
1 Cardboard "Mailing" Tube, 1 1/2" inside diameter, about 2" long. @ Donated
3 Thumbtacks @ Donated
1 Leather Scrap cut into three small pieces--about 1/2" square @ Donated
1 Rectangle of 1/8"thick Masonite board about 3" x 4" (1/4" thick is also O.K.) with a 1/2" hole
drilled in the center; and three pieces about 1" square. @ Donated
7 Pieces of Teflon, approximately 1"x1" square, and 1/8" thick. @ Donated
4 Furring nails @ Donated
1 Bottle of glue. @ 25B ($0.64 USD)
1 Empty breakfast cereal box. @ Donated
1 Diagonal (secondary) Mirror and 1 8”, f/6, Objective (Primary) Mirror @ 5500B ($141.03 USD)
1 Eyepieces salvaged out of an old pair of 7 x 35 binoculars @ 500B ($12.82 USD)
Telescope Materials Total cost: 7707B ($197.62 USD)
As mentioned above we have invited a number of students from CU to join us, and are asking
for assistance in reimbursing them for travel expenses and from Bangsapan Noi.
Travel Reimbursement for 6 students from Chulalongkorn University. @ 500B per person=3000
($76.92 USD)
Total Amount Requested: 10,707B ($274.54 USD)
PROJECT SCHEDULE & INITIATIVES:
Friday, February 11th
1800-1830: Check-in
1830-1900: Opening Ceremony
1900-1930: Get into small groups
Intro/icebreaker
1930-2200: Make Star Chart
Use Star Chart to Locate Stars and
Constellations
Read Example Constellation Story
Create a story about a constellation
2200-2230: Take a Bath
2230:
Sleep
Saturday, February 12th
0730-0830: Breakfast
Take a Bath
0830-0900: Icebreaker
0900-1030: Activity 1
1030-1045: Break
1045-1215: Activity 2
1215-1330: Lunch/Free Time
1330-1500: Activity 3
1500-1700: Free Choice Activities
1700-1830: Rest/Take a bath
1830-1900: Dinner
1900-2200: In Small Groups
Warm-up Game
Find North Star and Latitude
Look Through Telescope
Finish Story and Make into a Skit
220-2230: Take a Bath
2230:
Sleep
Sunday, February 13th
0730-0830: Breakfast
Take a Bath
0830-0900: Icebreaker
0900-1000: Prep for Skits
1000-1100: Show Skits
1100-1130: Closing Ceremony
1130: Go Home.