Proposal+Chapter+Sign-Up

 = Generic proposal table of contents = ** Title page

Abstract (Group) **Meet //The Playscapers//!
 * //The Playscapers// is a U.S. multimedia program designed to encourage 6-to-9-year-olds to explore their natural surroundings and to increase environmental awareness. Weekly television episodes, new media content, and national and local outreach initiatives combine in //The Playscapers//. Our novel approach is that rather than compete with the technology that keeps children indoor, we focus on tapping into those resources that they already enjoy to connect children with nature and to develop mobile applications that entice them to take their tech gadgets outdoor.

Following formative evaluation and research of the target age group's exposure to and understanding of the environment, we developed objectives to close existing gaps in knowledge. Specifically, we capitalized on the need to educate young children about the importance and potential in renewable energy. In response to the present and forecasted media habits of young children, we incorporated interactive Web and mobile components, which fans can use to “bring the screen to the green,” transforming from passive viewers into participating playscapers.

The core of the program is a multi-format television show which begins as a real action segment, starring the Playscapers: four tweens hailing from different regions of the country who tackle environment issues together. With the help of their friend Uche, a nature-loving chipmunk who shares his wisdom and magical powers with his human friends, the Playscapers transport to an animation segment in a fantasy playground where they transform into cartoon characters, unbound by the restrictions of reality. Rounding out each television episode, the characters return to a real action segment to put their new knowledge to use.

The theme of each show will vary each week within a consistent format. In every episode, one character experiences or observes a setback, and uses technology to summon the others to meet at their secret playground headquarters. Once they transport themselves to the most innovative, engaging playground ever constructed, the Playscapers begin to tackle the problem. Armed with special powers (e.g., super wind and super speed), they begin to conduct experiments through trial and error to figure out how to solve the dilemma. With each tackled issue, the characters transfer their learning back to their "real lives," thus making it a practical lesson for the audience.

Our ultimate goal for The Playscapers is that by imparting knowledge and empowering our viewers and do-ers to realize their own ability to play in and protect their environment, it will inspire a love of nature that will bloom into environmental stewardship as they grow into adult decision makers of the next generation.**

Our proposed program will address several environmentally-themed issues relevant to kids' lives in an entertaining and empowering multimedia format. This format will not only inform the audience and their families about relevant eco-friendly issues, but our media intervention/outreach project will also encourage and inspire viewers to take action as well. Environmental change that impacts the earth is receiving much needed attention and research, especially in the areas of global warming, sustainability, renewable energy, conservation, and restorative ecology. As a result, children's relationship to environmental change deserves to be appropriately addressed. Our pilot program will include content focused on promoting awareness and utilization of renewable energy sources. We will address the need for environmental stewardship in children by scaffolding their burgeoning relationships with the natural world through the use of interactive activities that take them beyond the screen. Our overall structure will follow a "first you view, then you do!" format.
 * Introduction (REVISION)**

** Overview (how is this different from the introduction or abstract?) The Playscapers is a multimedia program for children ages 6-9 to connect with each other, explore the outdoors, and learn about the ecology of their own backyards. Need to include the competition out there and why we're different (and better! :)). Cheryl, I think you started doing some research on this right? Can you add this component?

Needs (in the topic area) of children in the target age group (REVISION) ** Our target age group is 6-9 year olds. Growing up in a media-saturated environment, children haven't collectively developed a deep understanding and appreciation for nature, wildlife, and the interconnectedness with which they shape their everyday lives. Research has suggested that there is a growing trend in children spending less time outdoors, which Richard Louv coined as the "nature deficit disorder" in the book //Last Child in the Woods//. Louv argues that the cause of this trend includes the lure of the electronic media, parental fears, and restricted access to natural areas.

We are at a time in our world when it is increasingly important to understand the effects of climate change and the vulnerability of a sustainable environment. However, we are also at a point where children are spending more and more time with media, and less and less time exploring the natural world. As they become more independent thinkers and doers, potentially developing their own ideas about their surroundings and recognizing their impact on the world around them, children often hear and see conflicting messages such as recycling campaigns in a land of excess consumer waste. The show aims to address these environmental inconsistencies and present an age-appropriate concrete plan for stewardship and "citizen -science" education.

** Goal and objectives of this project (REVISION) **
 * Promote the awareness of uses with renewable energy on a large scale, and effect the children's behavioral changes by providing suggestions for transferring the large-scale practices to their community and home.
 * Promote awareness of the outside world
 * Promote changes in beliefs for children who think that there is nothing fun to do outside
 * Promote the understanding how kids are personally and intimately linked to their environment
 * Promote skills of communication, collaboration, problem solving, and creativity
 * Encourage children to give back to their environment/surroundings with the use of our Educational Outreach program, building natural playgrounds, or playscapes in different towns across our states and around our nation... (Taken from wikipedia: "Natural playgrounds" are play environments that blend natural materials, features, and indigenous vegetation with creative landforms to create purposely complex interplays of natural, environmental objects in ways that challenge and fascinate children and teach them about the wonders and intricacies of the natural world while they play within it...Play components may include earth shapes (sculptures), environmental art, indigenous vegetation (trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, lichens, mosses), boulders or other rock structures, dirt and sand, natural fences (stone, willow, wooden), textured pathways, and natural water features.")

** Developmental characteristics and media habits of target-age children (Developmental characteristics - Kathryn and Francie; Media habits - Cheryl and Cathy) **

//Media habits of target-age children// A [|report by the Sesame Group] (Kotler, 2008) shows that among children 6-to-9 years-old, 55 percent use the Internet, 52 percent uses a Game Boy, 17 percent uses an iPod, and 16 percent uses a cell phone. This market is likely to grow, as "children are more likely to overstate ownership and use of newer media than they are their use of television which suggests the 'cool' factor of new media, the report states. We can envision a few ways those new media could work well as a way to transfer from the on-the-couch world to the outdoor world we're trying to get kids interested in. First, the website would function as an intermediary between what they view on the TV show and their own outdoor and environmental activities. For example, the children could respond to a TV episode that focuses on a playground restoration by learning more about how they could get their own playground projects started on the website, and then sharing their own experiences, including posting stories, photos, video, and tips for other kids, online once they've returned from their adventure in the real world. Secondly, we would develop applications for handheld devices that would provide some structure for their initial outdoor explorations, such as a scavenger hunt in nature to identify things in need of help.

** Design of this project :description of medium and format rationale for these choices **
 * The multimedia program will incorporate a TV series and an interactive website, that allows for viewers to email in and post to discussion boards, share photos and other media, and receive email newsletters from our show's star environmental fantasy hero, a magical animal character named "Uche," the character in the show who embodies environmental activism.

> > __Genre__: The show's bookends are sitcom-like with real humans as characters. Sandwiched between the bookends is an animation segment. > __Characters__: The main characters are five real kids, who become cartoon characters in the animation segment, and a to-be-determined animal with to-be-determined superpowers in the animation segment. The show's main animated/puppet star, who unifies the kids, grants them entrance into the fantasyland portion of the show, and embodies environmental activism, will be named "Uche," which means "considerate." > __Format__: Live action/animated TV show where live actors segue to an animated, limitless fantasy world during part of every episode. Our "edu-tainment" and action goals are extended by an accompanying interactive website option at home and through the "bring the screen into the green" transition to multimedia mobile devices that can be used to complete games and challenges outdoors.
 * ** TV Show (Kathryn - edit want we have written about format and add rationale) (Francie - do partial script for pilot episode with group's input) **

Five kids who are part of the Playscapers Club are living in different U.S. cities. The start of each episode focuses on one kid's life. During this short sitcom, the kid faces an environment-related dilemma, and uses technology (e-mail, text message, Facebook, on a handheld electronic) to notify his friends for a meeting. Each character has to drum up some magical way of transporting him/herself (same way each show) to the Playscapers Clubhouse (or playground or woodland meadow...something outdoors), where they are transformed into cartoon characters, and where they find an animated animal pal named Uche who provides humor, encouragement, and superpowers. For example, the animal can transform into different colors and patterns, each version designating a different power such as ultimate strength, extreme foot speed, and the power to fastforward through time. The kids try out many ideas to solve the dilemma in animation land (in trial-and-error fashion) and do so quickly, as one of the superpowers can expedite a process (for example, how will this plant's growth affect the playground's landscape... use power to speed it up, realize that the ground in that area isn't as supportive, and tree could uproot in a storm etc, so they decide not to plant the tree there). Once they nail down a solution, the kids are transported back to their "real" lives to apply what they learned in animation land.
 * Verbal Sketch**

The way the characters reunite at the playground is identical each time. The first "real life" segment is kept short in the writing of the script so that there is ample time to introduce the characters through a catchy theme song. The use of creative storytelling, music, attention- grabbing "go green challenges" that engage these characters in fun adventures are tantamount to this project proposal.

Ideas for episodes:

1. Tomato Scare

2. Drought... occurring in Atlanta, GA - kids learn how to conserve water (turn off spigot from drips, use hand sanitizer, navy showers are fun!, convince mom/dad to get rain barrel, find another activity to stay cool - not at pool

3. Block Party - lights go out - what to do? Changing to energy efficient bulbs, using natural light, unplugging and turning off electronic devices when not in use.

**Character Sketches for Our Show** //**Serina** //

Girl from the West Coast- Serina is an 11-year old Hispanic-American nine years old. Her mother is Colombian and her father was from Mexico. Serina loves computers, surfs and skateboards in the summer. She is a whiz at computer games. She snowboards in the winter up at Lake. She lives in Santa Monica, CA. Her Mom is raising her as a single, widowed Mom who rents a small, bungalo house. Her Mom is medical researcher at UCLA and tries to instill a love of science to her daughter. Serina is a natural student, attends a private school called “Crossroads” and she gets a full scholarship to her school that she earned on her academic merit and financial need. Her interest in the environment stems from being outside so much living in a warm weather climate. On the weekends, she and her mom volunteer with “Heal the Bay,” a non-profit organization that tries to clean up the Santa Monica Bay and help natural habitat survive the effects of man-made pollution. Serina wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up, studying whales, sea lions, and marine life. Serina’s Mom lived through 1994 California earthquakes that hit Santa Monica hard and she is diligent about educating her daughter about natural disasters such as earthquake preparedness, emergency warnings for fire and flood protection. Serina has become passionate about the environment as a result. Her love of the outdoors and her nearby vicinity to the ocean have inspired her to become a “citizen scientist.”


 * //Chase //**

Boy from the South-Chase is a twelve year old from Huntsville, Alabama. He is part Cherokee Indian and part Caucasian American. His parents work at NASA and his Native American grandparents are often his childcare surrogates at home. They have taught Chase gardening since he was old enough to remember, exposing him to native customs, rituals, and perspectives about nature and protecting the planet’s natural resources. Chase knows how to compost the family’s leftover food so that they can put the soil eventually into the family garden. He also knows how to recycle, not waste water, and why his father put in energy efficient new lightbulbs. The impact of the draught and its consequences on his lifestyle have that hit his native southeastern United States since he was born have made a strong impression on him. His parents have a rain barrel in the backyard to collect rain for watering the family garden. He knows how to take a “Navy shower” and how to help his Mom do the dishes without wasting water. Chase loves the outdoors. He attends the Randolph School in Huntsville and plays on the school’s Little League baseball team there. Chase likes to go hiking in the nearby Great Smokey Mountains that are part of the Appalachian Mountains that run from Alabama to nearby Tennessee. The world’s largest population of salamanders exists in this part of the country and Chase loves catching frogs and discovering new species of salamanders when he goes there to hike. Chase’s family goes to the Great Smokey Mountains Institute summer camp at Tremont where Chase has learned environmental concepts of “outdoor ethics.” One thing he loves to tell other kids about is the “Leave No Trace” policy when being on the hiking trails. The seven principles are: 1. Leave what you find; 2. Minimize campfire impacts; 3. Respect wildlife; 4. Be considerate of other visitors; 5. Plan ahead and prepare; 6. Travel and camp on durable surfaces; and 7. Dispose of waste properly. Chase wants to be a Park Ranger when he grows up so that he can protect the environment, especially the wildlife bear population and salamanders. Boy from the Midwest- Le Marke is a 10 year old African-American eight year old boy from St. Louis, Missouri. His father is a farmer who had to sell the family farm when it went bankrupt in the 1990’s and move to the city to live with his wife’s family while he underwent job retraining at a local community college. His mother is a childcare worker at a local daycare center who is trying to help LeMarke’s Dad stay in school to become a computer technician. LeMarke has had to switch schools three times since he was in first grade. He and his many cousins who live nearby like to escape to the urban playground afterschool to play. They especially love to play on the slides and swings. They run around and imagine they can fly up to the moon on a spaceship. LeMarke and his cousins have access to the playground’s nearby outdoor community organic garden where they watch naturalists do demonstrations of butterflies, bird migration, plants, and wildlife rescue animals. LeMarke and his cousins particularly like the snakes. LeMarke learns at the naturalist training sessions how hard the catastrophic floods that hit the Midwest, particularly in St. Louis in the 1990’s was what ruined his father’s family farm. He learns how these floods of biblical proportions were part of a cycle of climate change that originated with El Nino. LeMarke wants to go back to being a farmer when he grows up. He wants to learn to be a restorative environmentalist whereby he can help neighboring prairie land come back so that he can become a farmer. LeMarke is given a chance to learn how to grow things at the “Seeds of Change” organic community garden. He learns how to take seeds and grow things and make kitchen gardens at home. He is also given tours of local city roof gardens in St. Louis. He particularly likes going to the downtown music district where he hears jazz musicians play on the street. LeMarke takes trombone lessons at his school. He wants to play in the school band someday so that he can play jazz like his great grandfather did.
 * //Le Marke //**

//<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">**Grace** //

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Girl from the Northeast- Grace is a 12- year old girl from suburban Boston, Massachusetts. She attends public school there and is known for her outgoing, exuberant personality that she channels into dramatic activities. She also loves to sing. Grace’s family is Italian-American and she hears both Italian and English spoken at home. Grace’s family all love to cook, especially her aunt who loves to cook spaghetti sauce. Her aunt is an expert in making homemade sauces that are traditional recipes that have been passed down the family tree for generations. The family only buys organic tomatoes and they shop at a local food coop to get them, in order for the best pasta sauces to be on the table nightly. Grace’s love of the outdoors comes from doing summer drama camps at Camp Bernadette in Wolfeboro, NH. At camp, she is the lead in the plays throughout most summers. At Camp Bernadette, she does drama in a renovated barn theatre that is situated near the pine woods of Lake Wentworth, off Lake Winnepasaukee. While Grace is having to memorize lines for her parts, she often goes outside to the quiet of the woods to concentrate. She can hear the wind and the gentle breeze of the NH Summer nights when she goes to bed in her cabin. Her friends like to watch fireflies and track the stars and moon on clear nights when all of the lights are out. Grace comes back to her home in West Newton remembering what the environment was like at camp. She misses the peace and quiet of the woods and is determined to bring the outdoors to her friends back in West Newton. Her parents are not really so enthusiastic about Grace’s bringing home plants and flowers that cause allergies and so she must find a way to do things on her own outside of her home environment. She joins an Astronomy club designed especially for kids at The Boston Science Museum where she is able to see night skies at the planetarium like she saw in NH. She learns about the concept of “light pollution” and alternative energy sources. She decides to educate her family about changing high wattage light bulbs in their homes and replacing them with lower energy efficient ones. She tries to convince her aunt to plant an indoor hydroponic tomato garden in the house so that they can rely on solar energy more indoors. Grace is always asking her Drama teacher to do plays that have to do with the environment. She particularly likes to use puppets to teach kids how to be good environmental stewards. Grace wants to be an actor when she grows up so that she can use her art to raise global consciousness about the environment.


 * UCHE-** Uche is the pet chipmunk in the show who has special powers. He is particularly good at motivating kids to do good things. He has special powers of persuasion that help others see things from new perspectives. Uche likes to run around, climb trees, fly, and eat. He particularly likes eating things that he hasn’t tried before. Uche has other super powers, too. He has keen insight whereby he knows how to talk to animals, explain why things happen in the environment when a crisis hits, and what to do to protect oneself in bad weather. Uche is very strong and his magical tail gets him out of jams at any time he needs to rely on it.

For this episode, our characters are presented with an area-wide tomato scare, which we believe will be a real life (read: relatable) problem. As a result, all tomatoes are pulled from the market. At first, our protagonist will not necessarily see the nature of causality and the complexity of such a problem; however, he/she will soon make connections of how the tomato scare might impact him/her by recognizing the widespread use and distribution of the popular fruit (i.e., there's no sauce for his pizza, ketchup for his French fries, no spaghetti sauce, etc.) Our character will send a message/text/tweet/wall post to his/her other playscapers to meet at the playground and discuss what to do about "the tomato problem."
 * Pilot episode**

In the second segment, the fantasy world segment, our characters decide that they have to grow their own food in order to find a workable solution to the tomato scare. They figure that by starting a vegetable garden, they can somehow take charge of their food sources, and it is something that others in all different parts of the country can relatively do with ease as well. They reason that this action plan will ensure that they will have safe and edible food, and they decide that the first vegetable they plant will be tomatoes. The students begin to learn lessons on how to garden. They go through trial and error with experiments to figure out the best way to carry through their idea. They examine various methods by examining starting vegetables from seeds; buying plants that have already been started; and even growing vegetables hydroponically. They ask their "Uche" friend about the differences between such options. He, ever-wise and all empowering, helps answer questions, uses such powers as super speed, super strength, super wind and rain power, to show various weather effects on gardening conditions. The garden eventually grows and through time-elapsed photography, viewers can see the "fruits" of their gardening labor.

Lastly, in the last segment of our show, the characters transform back to real children (not animated); they say goodbye at the playground (until next time) and return to their own homes, where they will aptly apply the knowledge that they had acquired in fantasy land. The idea here is that the viewers of the show transfer what magically happened in animation to what is an authentic learning experience at home. This follow-up allows viewers of our episide to identify with the problem, the characters, and the solution possibilities so that they may feel empowered to go "from screen to green." > ** <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">** Formative evaluation and resulting revisions <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">(Cathy and Francie) **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">** New Media Components <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">(Cheryl)
 * Participants:** Five children between the ages of 6 and 9 in Charlottesville, Virginia.


 * GARDENING (to address gaps in knowledge for pilot episode)

Past gardening experience** A little more than half the children, 60 percent, said they have tried to grow flowers or produce. Their efforts including flowers, spinach, an apple tree, and watermelon.

When asked what is needed to grow tomatoes, only 20 percent of the children stated that the sun was required. All children stated that water and seeds were necessary, and all but one child stated that dirt was necessary. However, the child who did not state that dirt was necessary did say a shovel is necessary, implicating that the child does realize that dirt is needed.
 * Background knowledge on gardening**

All the children said they thought that tomatoes can be grown on a farm and in a backyard. Forty percent of the children said tomatoes can be grown in a barrel, and none of the children through tomatoes could be grown on a roof top.


 * //Resulting revisions://** To address the lack of knowledge about solar power, the animation segment in our proposed pilot episode on a tomato scare has a focus on the importance of solar power in growing produce by illustrating a trial-and-error experiment that shows what happens when the kids plant tomatoes in different areas with different exposures to sunlight.

To show kids that tomatoes can be grown even without a big green field, the Playscapers - concerned about how to grow tomatoes with the limitations of grass fields in some of their homes - will do an experiment in the animation segment of the pilot to find out if growing tomatoes in barrels or on rooftops will work.


 * PLAYGROUND (to create an appealing "magical" meeting spot for the Playscapers)**

All the children stated that they like playgrounds. When asked about their favorite things to do on a playground, there were four mentions of swings, four mentions of slides, and two mentions of monkey bars. One child mentioned enjoy going down poles.
 * Playground interest**

Children were very animated and enthusiastic about imaging a dream playground. Water was the most popular element mentioned for the playground as XX percent of the children shared water-related ideas that included the following:
 * Playground dreams**


 * "OK, so I imagine that my slide is going down a slope and I that I am going to jump into a pool... full of fish, and I am swimming there..."


 * "My magical playground... has a long slide that ends up in a pool and then it goes to a pool that goes to a river...and the bridge people can walk on it and you can go under it. And then you go on this long waterfall..."


 * "...there'd be a slide where it goes 100 miles up, going down 100 miles down and then you'd have a tube that would make you go round, round, round until you got dizzy and then you'd go inside a pool and then you could have a soda pop..."


 * "...you go down on the beach and there's a town and there's an ice cream place..."


 * "...you go inside the human body and you go inside the part where you have and see the digestion... and then you go down the stomach-way...and swim in the pool and then you go down and end up back at your playground doing it again and again..."


 * //Resulting revisions://** The playground that the Playscapers meet at will include a body of water that the members slide into and whirl through, transforming to their animation fantasy world. (can we do that?? :D)

When asked what super power they would like to have, three children mentioned wanting to make anything, and the following powers had one mention each: flying, being super flexible, making snow, making fire, and being invisible.
 * SUPER POWERS**

Children were also asked to rate the following super powers on a smiley face scale: Invisibility was the most popular super power, and three others that the majority rated with a happy face are super speed, the ability to heat things, and super memory. The majority of the children did not give one of the two happy smiley ratings to moving heavy things by blowing on them, x-ray vision, and extra arms or legs. One child thought x-ray vision would hurt, and another did not want too many arms or legs because (Francie - did you say the kid thought that was scary?).
 * Powers || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 ||
 * Super speed ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Heat things ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Move heavy things by blowing on them ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * X-ray vision ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Invisibility ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Super memory ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Extra arms or legs ||


 * //Resulting revisions://** Invisibility was integrated as one of the super powers in the show. What to do about X-ray vision? Lose it? Change what we call it? What about extra arms and legs?

When asked for their top three choices for animal characters, the two most popular animals were monkeys and chipmunks, with 60 percent of the children mentioned each one. Other preferences included a skunk (2), frog (2), lizard (1), bat (1), goldfish (1), and ferret (1).
 * ANIMAL CHARACTERS**


 * //Resulting revisions://** We chose a chipmunk as the Playscapers' animal pal - why chipmunk over monkey?

There were also two extra kids, making it seven, a curious four year old and a ten year old who answered the question as well. Talked about how talking to them helped us figure out that we were targeting the right audience?
 * OTHER NOTES**

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">** Outreach plan <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">(Kathryn) Playscapers Outreach Initiative: "Extending the lesson" **Introduction
 * At the heart of our outreach initiative, we are looking to extend the lesson beyond the half-hour on-air segment each week. In doing so, we are encouraging our viewers to connect and interact with nature in the same way that our Playscapers do on screen. While we are certain that our program is an invaluable source of educational entertainment for our viewers, we recognize the limits of a weekly half-hour show. There is great potential, therefore, in an outreach plan that fosters a love of the environment and allows children to become immersed in their natural surroundings, learning from the experience and recognizing the value in it as well. With a three-tiered approach to outreach, from the classroom to the national level, we have created resources and activities for all learners to explore and enjoy. In the words of Uche, "let's get going!" **


 * Research and Resources**
 * There is a wealth of opportunity in implementing our project's scope and sequence at the elementary school level. However, as educators and environmentalists, we recognize the importance in keeping our message consistent and clear across the many channels it may take. After extensive research and reporting, we were able to design and create a comprehensive package of activities and lessons that will not distort or dilute the original mission statement of our program. Rather, through a classroom curriculum, in community-based events, and with a national branding campaign, our outreach projects will complement the message viewers hear and see on our program and via our website each week.

As we began to plan for our initiative, we were able to speak with Mary Haggerty, Educational Outreach Manager of WGBH Educational Foundation. Mary, a resident expert on outreach for children, has overseen the implementation of such projects as the // Arthur // Hooray for Health! campaign //, the  Between the Lions // Literacy Initiative, the // Martha Speaks // Reading Buddies Program, // and the Peep and the Big Wide World // Explorer's Guide. With insight and experience in the children's educational market, Mary reflected on the essential components of a successful outreach design: **PUT MARYS COMMENTS HERE** Further, during a class lecture, Bruce Curtiss, project director for WGBH's // We Shall Remain // program, reminded us that building a structure that allows participants to interact with the project is an effective way of engaging one's targeted audience. Therefore, the success of a project depends greatly on its ability to adapt and become adapted by those who are using it in their communities and classrooms. Curtiss emphasized the importance of providing his clients with the resources and information to "engage in a conversation", thus furthering their own knowledge and understanding of the subject area (Curtiss, HT-123 lecture, April 7, 2008).

research articles?? put here. **

We have designed a multi-unit, multi-layered //Playscapers Curriculum Guide,// for classroom teachers, after-school group leaders, community-based organizers, and parents and caregivers to incite and inspire their young learners through inquiry and exploration of the natural world. With specific exploratory activities and lesson plans, children will truly begin to immerse themselves in their surroundings, identifying plant and animal life, recognizing hazardous or harmful situations for the wildlife, and begin to learn how to better protect the natural habitats for the wildlife observed. Throughout the Playscapers guidebook, educators are encouraged to ask children to reflect on their experiences observing and interacting with nature, thus helping to reinforce the learning objectives of each lesson.
 * Curriculum Guide:**


 * Our Playscapers Curriculum Guide has been piloted in a few Boston schools (both suburban and urban settings), so that, along with the extensive lesson plans, each guide provides helpful vignettes for educators to reference during their own experience connecting their children to nature. The Playscapers Curriculum Guide is appropriate for children exploring themes of environmental science in the second through fourth grades. The lessons are easily accessible, and can be taken out of order, or embedded within other units as well. Each lesson plan within the guide lists the corresponding episodes and website pages that complements the content being explicitly taught. Therefore, the comprehensive package can be adapted and combined with other key components of our program, to create an ideal learning structure for each young citizen scientist!

//Professional Development: Connecting with Classrooms// Before a new season airs each fall, we partner with various universities to bring elementary educators, community organizers and curriculum specialists into week-long professional development courses on innovative science exploration and education. We begin by airing a few of our latest episodes and subsequently allowing them to "play" on our website, in order for them to get a sense of our educational objectives. With a brief overview from our staff and advisor, we begin unveiling the scope and sequence to our Playscapers Curriculum Guide, the multi-unit coursebook (made of recyclable material) detailing classroom projects, activities, lesson plans, and reading lists teachers can use to focus their environmental education instruction. Partnering with John Wiley, a science publishing company, to produce the material, we guarantee that our literature has been vetted by a number of experts in the fields of business, education, and science.

//Reading Lists for Every Unit Within our curriculum guide, we have created reading lists for children who want to learn more about the cycle of life. Our advisors have For the "Growing" theme:

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening together with children by Sharon Lovejoy

Ready, Set, Grow! A Kid’s Guide to Gardening by Rebecca Spohn

Sow and Grow: A Gardening Book for Children by Tina Davis

Gardening Wizardry for Kids by L. Patricia Kite //**

The Playscapers playground is a central theme to our program: one that our viewers will recognize and appreciate as a source of inspiration and play. Therefore, what a better way to initiate our community-wide events than with the use of neighborhood playgrounds everywhere. Enlisting volunteers and outreach coordinators, we are using the safe, central location of many playgrounds throughout the country to connect children with the similar interest of the program and its content. Through organized events that begin at the playground, trail leaders will take small groups of kids on exploration of the great outdoors, using the playground as a backdrop for their projects and experiments. Playscapers fans, using our social networking and Uche-email newsletters to find other fans in their area, can sign up to participate in a myriad of organized explorations, including: Footage taken on the tours can be uploaded to our website, and even included at the end of an episode. In this way, we can expand upon our viewership, and open more eyes to the possibilities of positive impact in your own backyard. In addition, we are hoping that young eager minds will develop their own ideas and areas to explore.
 * Community Events**
 * garden clean ups
 * tours of outdoor science museum exhibits
 * tours of natural history museum exhibit
 * trips to greenhouses
 * trips to local farms
 * trips to farmer's markets
 * talks given by renewable energy companies

Finally, we are proud to present our national branding campaign. With the use of our weekly segment, and heavy traffic to our website, we will begin publicizing a "playground design" contest: viewers from all over the country will submit their design ideas for a playground to be build in their community. We have commissioned construction of one playground per season, thus making it an annual event our outreach team to champion and promote throughout the year. Partnering with an eco-friendly playground construction company, our advisors will choose a "winner" from the group, and we will follow the project from soup to nuts. The winning entry will be awarded "Playscaper for a day" and meet with the Playscaper cast and crew on set. The campaign provides a perfect opportunity for our characters to interact with their fans, taking questions about their roles as environmental stewards, and possibly generating new ideas for story content on our show. When Chase, Grace, LeMarke and Serina travel to the construction site, viewers will fully realize these actors are "just like" them, thus empowering them even more to want to make a difference in their community's landscape. Once the playground has been designed, created, and built, we will host a Playscapers party, inviting viewers from all over to join us for the exploration event.
 * National Branding Campaign**

With these three culminating projects, we have created something for everyone to learn from and enjoy. Whether a viewer is interested in a structured activity with a family member or teacher, an urban exploration with other Playscapers fans, or a chance to impact the landscape of their community, the opportunities are endless, and the adventures are just beginning!


 * Dissemination plan** <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255);">(Kathryn - what is the diff between dissemination and outreach??) :)

Summative evaluation plan ** <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">(Cathy) ** Summary: How this project will meet its objectives, and fulfill described needs of the target population

Appendix Endnotes and references Research bibliography Experts consulted Relevant documents, e.g., materials used in formative evaluation ** <span style="color: rgb(252, 81, 103); font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">