Core Curriculum Standards

NEW JERSEY CORE CURRICULUM STANDARDS

In our state, we have mandated standards which each subject area is required to meet. These standards help to qualify and assess the teaching the children receive.

TechnoTeddy Bears is a lesson which was designed around the Core Curriculum Standards. Listed below are our NJ Standards and a brief description of how TechnoTeddy applies to each standard. Additional information can be received by going to the NJ State Department of Education's website at www.state.nj.us/education.

New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards covered by the Traveling TechnoTeddy program:

Visual and Performing Arts: As Traveling TechnoTeddy Bears is a varied and multi-disciplined ART program, it covers a substantial amount of Core Curriculum Standards in the arts.

Standard 1.1 AESTHETICS Through exposure to artwork produced from various American subcultures, specifically those within the early 1900’s in American history, the children will be taught to better appreciate aesthetic awareness. Artist’s whom have impacted American history will be discussed as part of the historical aspect of Teddy Bears and their origins in the early 1900’s.
Standard 1.2 SKILLS By producing a three dimensional piece of art from a two dimensional format, technical, perceptual, intellectual, and physical skills will be increased substantially. This will be accomplished by working from a original concept (the basic design sketched out), and taking it through conceptually into a technological format using Microsoft Publisher. The project will be made to adjust to the constraints of the computer program and then reproduced in a digitized format. Once created in that format, the TechnoTeddies will be refined further in the final step of turning the two dimensional art into a three dimensional piece.
Standard 1.3 PRODUCTION The production of the actual TechnoTeddy will utilize elements of art and arts media to reinforce the artistic and technological skills associated with the project. Form, value, color, shape, line, unity and the remaining elements of art will be infused into the learning process to assure conformity within the Core Curriculum Standards.
Standard 1.4 CRITIQUE As the process evolves, each step of the unit will be critiqued, assessed and revamped accordingly by the children. Assessment will be done in a verbal format, followed by written rubrics completed per component.
Standard 1.5 CULTURE As the project is based in American pop culture and history in the early 1900’s, the children will be exposed to a variety of historical and cultural influences which have, over time, helped them to evolve into the people they are today. In addition, when the completed project is sent traveling to another school district, the children will learn about the areas that are being sent to. This will promote high interest level and social and cultural exposure the children may not have received before.
Standard 1.6 DESIGN The process of design is ongoing in this project as each step requires higher levels of thinking and conceptualization. As the design evolves, as does the success of the project.

Comprehensive Health and Physical Education: As several of the extended activities used during this program incorporate physical education and dance, the children are learning to take a visual concept and transform it into a physical activity.

Standard 2.5 MOVEMENT The gym department created an obstacle course associated with Teddy Bears. The children participated in this and learned to interpret and apply movement concepts and skills that encourage physical activities.

Language Arts: An important element in Traveling TechnoTeddy Bears is the language art component. The children will use the written language to describe their projects, they will also write letters to the children from the participating school districts and will read associated books about Teddy Bears.

Standard 3.1 PUBLIC SPEAKING Using their art and their written content, the children will publicly display and describe their involvement in this activity at a TechnoTeddy Bear Tea in front of parents, teachers and other children.
Standards 3.2 & 3.4 LISTENING SKILLS & READING The children will be exposed to a variety of sources to listen and learn about the Teddy Bear. The children will be exposed to a PowerPoint presentation utilizing technology, books related to the topic, Internet information, and they will be exposed to the participating school’s products. This will all foster higher comprehension and retention of the skills associated with the unit.
Standard 3.3 WRITING The children will write about their TechnoTeddy Bears in a clear, concise and organized format which will enhance the overall product created. They will use a variety of formats for different audiences including children who they do not know personally due to the exchange program.
Standard 3.5 NONTEXTUAL VISUAL INFORMATION As the children are incorporating a variety of cross curricular activities within this unit, they will be exposed to nontextual visual information (for example, the children hear songs, interpret it in dance and create it in a visual format).

Mathematics: The process of creating the Teddy Bear is one of geometric form. Because Microsoft Publisher is a drawing and painting computer program (normally used by adults), the children are being taught to think in conceptual shapes and forms. This helps comprehension and retention in a mathematical format.

Standard 4.1 & 4.7 SOLVING PROBLEMS & GEOMETRIC SPATIALITY The children will learn how to solve the problem of creating a Teddy Bear with shapes only. This will force them to think in a geometric fashion, which is the basis for the creation of the object in a technological format. As all drawing is based on shape, line and form, this reasserts artistic skills. This will also develop their spatial sense.
Standard 4.2 COMMUNICATE MATHEMATICALLY As the problem of creating a geometric bear evolves, the children will use visual format, written description, oral transmission and symbolic form as their tools for communicating their intent within the project. In other words, while creating this project they will be taught about mathematical concepts which transcend simple math. They will use symmetry, asymmetry, circles, squares, triangles, other shapes, forms, color, fills all to communicate a comprehensive and accurate solution to the problem posed.

Social Studies: Our TechnoTeddy Bear program actually begins with a history lesson. This lesson revolves around the history of the United States at the turn of the century. A general overview of what life might have been like in the early 1900’s is presented to the children. They see what people wore, how they lived, who was in control of the government, inventions, recreation and transportation of the times. In addition, we discuss immigration and the huge influx of people from other places around the world reaffirming a multicultural based approach to education. The second part of the project further integrates history and geography as the TechnoTeddy Bears visit different places and people around our country and the world. This furthers the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world and its people.

Standard 6.3 HISTORICAL CONTENT The first step of this program is a multicultural, multi-disciplined PowerPoint presentation that shows the times and lifestyles of people in the early 1900’s. This introductory step gives the children a place to gather background knowledge when processing the information presented further down into the program. Consequently, they are exposed to a very comprehensive history of American pop culture of the early 1900’s.
Standard 6.5 VARIOUS CULTURES One of the most important topics discussed during this unit is IMMIGRATION. By discussing immigration it helps to open doors in the minds of the children to better understand what it might be like to be from a different culture other than the one they are familiar with. Additionally, this helps to foster better tolerance between the children. Additionally, once the projects began returning with information from the participating districts, the children will better understand the unique differences between the cultures in our country.
Standard 6.7 and 6.8 GEOGRAPHY As our TechnoTeddy Bears travel around the country, the children will locate each place visited on a map.