StoryTales with Lego Education by Ciara Lohman - DES Image
I am writing to apply for a grant to fund a LEGO Storytelling Kit for use in my 1st grade class at Drew Elementary. This innovative educational tool aims to enhance language, literacy, and writing skills among our students, fostering creativity and improving communication abilities. The kit will be an exciting and engaging addition to our curriculum, benefiting students of all ages and abilities. My class includes 18 students living in an area that is predominantly low socio-economic. Low-income students need creative opportunities to help develop their language, literacy, and writing skills for several compelling reasons. Firstly, creative outlets provide a nurturing environment that fosters self-expression and encourages students to explore their thoughts and emotions, enabling them to articulate their ideas more effectively. Through activities like storytelling, poetry, or artistic expression, these students can build their vocabulary, develop their language fluency, and enhance their communication skills. Secondly, creative opportunities offer a break from the traditional rote learning methods commonly found in underfunded schools, making the learning process more engaging and enjoyable for students. This, in turn, boosts their motivation to learn and helps them retain information more effectively. Lastly, creative pursuits often encourage critical thinking and problem-solving, as students must envision and construct narratives or artworks, allowing them to strengthen their cognitive abilities and think outside the box. By providing low-income students with access to creative opportunities, educators can empower them with the necessary tools to overcome language and literacy barriers, fostering a brighter future filled with academic success and personal growth.

Project Implementation: The LEGO Storytelling Kit will be integrated into our language arts curriculum. I will establish dedicated storytelling sessions, workshops, and writing exercises using the kit. Additionally, I will incorporate LEGO story prompts in my lesson plans to stimulate creativity during language activities. The kit does come with a teacher guide and lesson plans. 

The project will be monitored and evaluated using pre and post-assessment writing samples from my class that currently has 18 students. 

The LEGO Storytelling Kit is designed to promote language development, literacy, and writing skills in an interactive and enjoyable way. By utilizing the beloved LEGO bricks, students will be encouraged to create, communicate, and construct stories, developing their abilities to express ideas effectively. The project aims to achieve the following objectives: 

Enhance Language Skills: Through engaging storytelling activities, students will improve their vocabulary, syntax, and comprehension. By constructing narratives, they will develop a deeper understanding of language structure and usage. 

Foster Literacy: The storytelling process will encourage students to become more confident readers and listeners, as they share their stories with peers and teachers. It will also spark an interest in reading as they explore different genres and themes in their narratives. 

Improve Writing Proficiency: Students will transition from oral storytelling to written expression, translating their ideas onto paper. This process will refine their writing skills, including grammar, punctuation, and overall composition. 

Encourage Creativity: The LEGO Storytelling Kit will nurture students' creativity, imagination, and critical thinking abilities as they construct and present their unique stories using LEGO bricks. 

This project supports the districts mission of personalized learning because the LEGO storytelling kit can significantly enhance personalized learning by fostering creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression in learners of all ages. The kit empowers individuals to construct their unique narratives, using the iconic bricks as versatile tools for storytelling. 

StoryTales with Lego Education by Ciara Lohman - DES

Item #1014

$800

Value:

priceless