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PART 1: RESEARCH ON CONTEXT/COMMUNITY INQUIRY ACTIVITY

1: THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY
Ogden High School is an architectural gem nestled against the Wasatch
mountains, overlooking Ogden city in the valley below. Not only is it a historic landmark,
it serves as an educational institution for approximately 1,250 students each year. The
graduation rate has increased dramatically over the last several years. Ogden High
School offers a range of advanced classes, including Honors, AP, and International
Baccalaureate, as well as an AVID program which helps students prepare for college.
Although Ogden High was not considered an effective institution in the past, it has
undergone many changes to improve itself, its students, and its community as a whole.
The first thing I noticed upon entering through the large, heavy doors of the
school is the cleanliness of the halls. The school recently underwent a massive and
much-needed restoration, totaling $77 million of taxpayer money and private donations.
After the restoration, the school has gone to great lengths to ensure the campus stays
pristine. The walls are mostly bare, with the exception of several Go Tigers banners on
game days and audition posters for the upcoming school performance, The Sound of
Music. The school rules, or 3 Os are also posted throughout the halls, reminding
students of appropriate behavior and actions. Other than these few exceptions, the
walls and halls are extremely clean and provide little representation of students,
interests, or clubs. When the halls are full of students in between classes, one sees a
variety of ethnic groups but the majority is Hispanic. White students, Polynesian, and
few Black students also make up the student body but are not anywhere near as
abundant as Hispanic students. This is largely representative of the Ogden City

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community. Students interact in large and small mixed social groups that are ethnically
diverse. Students clutter the halls, some sitting on the staircases or on the floors in front
of classrooms. Few students are alone, and those that are have a book in hand and
earbuds in their ears. They seem entirely more introverted than those in the social
groups, quiet and contemplative and focusing on books or homework. All in all, the
students in the school appear to get along with one another- there are no extreme
cases of cliques or gangs and students, for the most part, treat each other with respect.
Ogden High School is an open campus, so most students leave the school
during lunch time. They generally go home or to surrounding businesses for lunch.
Those that do stay enjoy lunch in the cafeteria, outside on the schools plaza, in
teachers classrooms, or in the halls and stairwells. SPED students eat all together, with
their aids, in their classroom. Student grouping, again, is mixed and there do not appear
to be issues of inequality at this school.
The dress code at Ogden High is not strict, and yet with this freedom students
still tend to come to school dressed appropriately. There are no hats allowed, or attire
with profanity, and I only saw two students violating this rule. Both were reprimanded by
staff and did not cause any issues thereafter. I did not observe any gang-related attire,
or issues with low-cut tops, short shorts, baggy pants, etc. All in all, the students dress
neatly and appropriately. Students often use dress to express themselves and define
their individuality; however, I observed many students that used hair color and style,
piercings, and makeup to express themselves as well. One student even had zombie
contact lenses in her eyes! Same-sex couples were also openly expressionate in the

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halls. The school is very excepting of student individuality, and students are allowed to
express themselves in these manners.
While observing the school, I noticed a lot of profanity was being used by the
students, both in and out of the classroom. I believe students use profanity to express
themselves, whether they are upset, exciting, joking around, or whatever the case may
be- profanity seems to be the preferred mode of expression. Profanity was mostly used
by the loud, popular groups, and dominated by Hispanic students. Students were
prompted several times to watch their language, to which they respond with laughter
and a quick apology. Apart from profanity observation, I also paid particular attention to
student interest among group conversations. Because it was a game day, most all
students and groups were talking about school sports or upcoming events (iron horse
football game and homecoming), regardless of social status or group. This shows that
the students at Ogden High have a great sense of school pride and belonging, and an
overarching sense of community with their school.
As mentioned previously, groups are not easily identifiable at Ogden High. The
school is very mixed and students appear to be generally friendly and respectful of one
another. Some groups are louder and more popular- generally, the sports jocks and
cheerleaders (again, this may be due to game day). I did notice that some of the white
students tended to stick together in groups, but not exclusively. There was plenty of
mixing between groups, showing that group definition is not entirely rigid. I was unable
to identify any major cliques (i.e., nerds, preps, drama kids, etc.). Additionally, I did
not observe any territories belonging to certain groups. Territories may, however, be offcampus as Ogden High is an open campus.

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Student classroom behavior varies slightly, but not much, from out-of-class
behavior. Students are typically more quiet in the classroom and less outspoken
(perhaps because students are separated from their best friends and groups). Profanity
is still evident in the classroom- students do not appear to filter their language in or out
of the classroom. Groups are still difficult to identify; however, it is easier to identify the
students that care about school and grades and are on track to go to college verses
students that dont care and may be targets for failure. In the classroom, the schools
diversity is strikingly apparent. Hispanics create the bulk of the classroom student body
in those I observed, with no more than about 10% white students and only one black
and no Asian students in any of my classes. Students with exceptionalities are ignored
by other students, and not included in group work or discussions. I have observed
teachers making several accommodations for the diverse classroom, including extra
supports for ELL students, providing more explicit instruction for students with
disabilities, and working with behaviorally defiant students to try to come up with an
alternative method of approach and assignments that work better for the student.
Ogden High School has improved dramatically over the last couple decades.
Student growth and progress is evident as students are excelling in the various
programs offered by the school. Student groups are mixed and they are respectful of
their school and peers. Students take pride in their school and community. I believe
Ogden High School is an excellent representation of the changes the city has gone
through as a whole. Ogden High is a symbol of growth and achievement, and overall,
strength in diversity. As the school and surrounding community continue to improve
themselves, students will be offered more opportunities and better future prospects.

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Title 1 schools, such as Ogden High School, come with their own set of
problems. As teachers, we want our students to learn- however, it is impossible for
many of them to learn before their own set of issues are addressed. In my few weeks at
Ogden I have already observed students that have no money for clothes or basic school
supplies, students who are runaways, addicted to drugs or living with parents that are
addicted to drugs, and students who are highly sexually active. Before we can teach
these students, we must begin by understanding their backgrounds and where they
come from. Therefore, upon completing my observations, I am left with several
questions that I would like to explore further. What gangs are represented in the school?
Although I did not observe any gang-related activity, I know it is present in some small
form. Fights, on occasion, do break out between rival gang members. I would like to
know the significance of gangs in the school as well as the effects they may have on
student learning and progress. I would also like to know what types of supports there
are for students that become pregnant? I did not see a daycare on campus (although
there may be one somewhere). I am aware that it is common for Hispanic females at
Ogden High to be impregnated during the year. What type of help or alternative
instruction is available to them? Additionally, what type of sexual education are they
receiving? Are they being taught about various birth control methods, or is abstinence
the only stance being represented at the school? Because teenage pregnancy is such a
big issue, especially among the Hispanic population, I think it is extremely important to
address these issues school-wide.

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STUDENT SHADOW: Shane Walker

ETHNOGRAPHIC NOTES
CLASS: BIOLOGY
Interaction w/ Teacher:
Immediate response is to follow instructions when prompted by teacher; gets lost along
the way and ends up doing nothing
Teacher constantly refocuses him, tries to get him on task and engaged- does
everything short of forcing his hand to write
Phone taken by teacher after being told twice to take out earbuds and put it awayteacher told him he could have it back after class. After class, teacher made an
agreement w/ student that student would not have phone/earbuds when other students
are presenting or teacher is talking- shook hands on it; student was very agreeable
Interaction w/ Students:
Quiet, doesnt usually participate in group work, keeps to self. During group project, saw
conversing with other student in group one time in a twenty-minute period. Held board
during group presentation but didnt say anything.
Quality of work in content area:
Doesnt do work- needs to be constantly prompted to perform task. Starts but gets lost
along the way (e.g., gets out notebook, doesnt opennumbers pages, then doesnt
finish setting up notebooktitles page of notes, then doesnt write anything down.
Work, if any, is incomplete- barely started
Type of work in content area:
Notes (none)
Group project/posters (minimal contribution)
CLASS: MATH
Interaction w/ Teacher:
Constantly prompted by teacher, reminded to bring tracker (but doesnt), told what he
should be working on- immediate positive response (ok) followed by action, then loses
sight of goal/task
Teacher doesnt know how to get him to work in class- frustrated
Supposed to bring her his BIP (behavior intervention plan) in the morning, but still
hasnt- reminded multiple times
Teacher constantly refocuses him
Receives a lot of individualized attention (class size is only about 10 students,
compared to 40 in biology class)- still not focused or engaged
No earbuds or phone out in the class (due to stricter policy or remembered discussion
with biology teacher!!)
Teacher modeled appropriate behavior/procedures/task-at-hand (how to write on
whiteboard for practice problems), walked him through a problem- student responded to
several of her questions directly; however, doesnt respond to questions during lecture

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Interaction w/ Students:
Doesnt interact with others; sits at own table
Playing with markers, coloring with highlighter, tapping pencil, playing with calculator
(but not performing math equations), head on desk- completely zoned out, not present
or engaged, chewing on bracelet or pencil, picking nose
Quality of work in content area:
Doesnt do work; doesnt take notes; doesnt participate
Started writing one line of notes, then lost focus
Doesnt look at board/PowerPoint being presented- gaze is elsewhere
Participated in Kahoot game, answered several answers correctly
Type of work in content area:
Notes (none)
Kahoot game
Working problems (none)
Individual work (none)
CLASS: WELDING
Interaction w/ Teacher:
Earbuds are back in
Teacher didnt know who he was- seemingly unaware of students issues or specific
needs
No interaction with teacher (other than calling students name at role)
Teacher is concerned- thinks things will improve once tutorial begins & once students
can work in shop
Waited for bell to ring before leaving (most students just left)
Interaction w/ Students:
Doesnt interact with classmates
Quality of work in content area:
Didnt do any work- played on phone the whole time, with earbuds in
Type of work in content area:
Worksheet (didnt interact with it)
Notes (didnt take any)

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STUDENT SHADOW SUMMARY

I chose to shadow Shane because I instantly identified him as a student that
would need extra supports, and I wanted to see how other teachers interact with him. I
found that Shane is the same way in every class- unengaged, uninvolved, and isolated
form the lesson. Shane chooses to be withdrawn from the classroom environment. He is
constantly listening to music, and had his cell phone taken away on several occasions.
He doesnt do the work he is assigned, nor does he talk to peers. He spends most of his
time gazing off into space. When a teacher does attempt to redirect him, Shane is
agreeable but quickly loses focus again. It is difficult to tell whether Shane is simply
uninterested in the work, or if he doesnt understand what he should be doing. Taking
what I observed into consideration, I will need to keep a close watch on this student and
ensure that he is on-track. I might be able to use music to appeal him and get him
engaged. I can also assign more group discussions to try to get him to interact with
peers. However, I am not entirely sure how to get through to this student. I would like to
know more about Shane so I can reach out to him. I would like to ask him what subjects
he enjoys, and what he is interested in (other than music). I would also like to ask him
what I can do to help him learn- what do I need to do, or provide, for him to be
successful in my class? Shanes teachers have expressed similar frustrations- they
dont know how to reach out to him. When I asked if Shane had an IEP, I was told that
he probably does but I wont see it until after second quarter.

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STUDENT SHADOW: Natalia

ETHNOGRAPHIC NOTES
CLASS: BIOLOGY
Interaction w/ Teacher:
Quiets class to help teacher, is very respectful
Friendly, non-formal relationship, Hey Byrd
Considerate to teacher, Ill wait to do this until youre done talking
Teacher said, you want a student like her in every class
Gives positive feedback to teacher
Interaction w/ Students:
Very social, friendly, outgoing, excited to see others
Greets other students by name, makes an effort to be kind to all
Out of seat to visit with friends
Quality of work in content area:
Very high quality, detailed
Puts effort into work, takes pride in what she does
Engaged
Type of work in content area:
Group work (poster)
CLASS: MATH
Interaction w/ Teacher:
Very positive, very polite (thank you, yes sir)
Interaction w/ Students:
Very social, always finds something to talk about
Other students look up to her/listen to her
Quality of work in content area:
Very high quality, puts effort into work
Thinks problems through, re-works problems and double-checks her work; very
thorough
Work is extremely neat and organized- student may be a perfectionist
Type of work in content area:
Student was working on individual math problems

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CLASS: PAINTING
Interaction w/ Teacher:
Great relationship with teacher, helped him out with role, volunteered to hand back work
Interaction w/ Students:
Constantly talking with other students; they seem to look up to her. Talks about the most
random things- hey look my backpack is broken, guys look at what my shirt says,likes the attention, also just very chatty in general. Extremely extroverted!
Quality of work in content area:
Beautiful, takes pride in her work, takes her time with it to ensure it is the best she can
do, perfectionist
Type of work in content area:
Student was working on a sketch and painting

STUDENT SHADOW SUMMARY

I chose to shadow Natalia because she is a minority student of color, from
Polynesian decent. She also stood out to me in class because she fun and considerate,
and a leader to her peers. By shadowing her, I learned that she is this way in all of her
classes. Natalia loves to talk and is certainly not a shy individual. In theory, her social
behavior could be disruptive to the class- however, she constantly assists the teachers
in her classes by quieting the class (her peers listen to her), providing feedback by
answering questions, and volunteering for small tasks. Natalia is an excellent student
and always puts forth her best effort. Her work is always neat and pristine, and she puts
thought and care into it. When teaching this student, these insights would certainly help
guide my interactions with her. I can assign more group work because she thrives in a
group setting, and even make her a leader in a group to ensure the work is completed. I
might pair her with a quieter, less engaged student, to see if she could motivate those
around her. Natalia enjoys projects and being involved, and is extremely high energy.

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For these reasons, I need to make my curriculum extremely mixed in the learning
activities we do, or she may become bored. By always giving her a creative outlet, I can
keep Natalia engaged and learning in my classroom. I would like to ask her what her
favorite subject is and why, as well as identify what tasks she does not enjoy doing (e.g.
individual reading, writing, etc.) so that I can better fit my curriculum to meet her needs.

CIA Part 2: The Surrounding Community

The community surrounding Ogden High School is full of natural beauty. The
Wasatch mountain range rests just behind the school, home to miles upon miles of
hiking trails, rock climbing, and a plethora of additional outdoor activities. The Bonneville
Shoreline trail is just minutes away, as is the Ogden River Parkway and botanical
gardens. Ogden has become a hub for the outdoor enthusiast, and has recently
attracted a rising number of tourists because of its natural beauty and gateway to
excellent outdoor opportunities. With the increased amount of economy and tourist
income, Ogden has undergone drastic change over the past decade. Once a city
deemed low-income, dangerous, and affiliated with major gang, violence, and drug
problems, it is transforming into a desirable vacation location. The city is cleaning itself
up, renovating old homes and implementing new housing and mixed-use facilities in
areas that were once worn down and trashed. Roads are under construction, new
hospitals are being built, the temple was remodeled and re-opened, and the college just
opened their new ec0-friendly science building- all clear indicators of growth and
development. The down town area has recently been re-vamped, with the addition of
various local coffee shops, movie theaters, restaurants, and yoga studios. Ogden is

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changing into a hipster city, attracting young, bohemian adults with a love for their
community and passion for living well.
Ogden city provides a number of kid-friendly attractions. Parks dot the
landscape, offering playgrounds, fields, tennis and basketball courts. A number of
daycares are evident throughout the city. There are also opportunities for kids to learn
and explore in their environment. The Eccles Dinosaur Park, which rests along the
Ogden River Parkway, is a favorite attraction for kids in the area. Kids also enjoy the
Tree House Museum, essentially a giant, indoor play area full of games, jungle gyms,
and learning activities. Ogden also homes the Kangaroo Zoo (an indoor bounce house)
and opportunities for minigolf, go-karts, and bowling in multiple locations. Nurture the
Creative Mind is a non-profit organization that has made a big effort to encourage kids
to be creative in their community and use art as an expressive outlet.
Ogden has become a bustle for local businesses. Over the last few years, a
number of new, small, family-owned businesses have been established. Everything
from boutiques, cupcake and coffee shops, a new local bookstore, and even a waffle
establishment (Waffle Love!) now add to the charm of the city. The community seems to
take pride in their town and in the changes that are taking place. Community events are
common- the farmers market is a favorite attraction, as are the free concert nights and
movie showings at the iconic Egyptian Theater. The community even offers free yoga
classes on a weekly basis! A sort of revolution has caught hold of the residents, in an
effort to draw more attraction to the city and eliminate past troubles. They are proud of
their city, of the beautiful outdoor attractions it offers, and the local, small town charm it
is implementing. There are certainly still problems in the city, still neighborhoods most

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people try to avoid, and gang-related violence still occurs. But these occurrences are
becoming less of the norm, as the older, more historic areas of town (such as nationally
acclaimed 25th street) as becoming renovated and cleaned up by new owners.
Ogden is an extremely diverse community, both ethnically and
socioeconomically. The city has a very distinct socioeconomic sprawl; and with that
sprawl, comes ethnic differences. Homes that lay on the bench of the mountains and in
its direct vicinity are nothing less than mansions. When buying or renting in Ogden, the
first question one is typically asked is, east of Harrison? Harrison Avenue is the
dividing line in Ogden, generally separating the upper class form the rest of the city.
Everything above Harrison is, for the most part, white and high SES. Below Harrison
one will find a gradient, with homes depreciating in value the farther one travels from the
mountain. The lowest SES occurs at the bottom of the valley, surrounding downtown.
This is also the oldest part of town, where the majority of the population is Hispanic.
Ogdens population currently rests just over 84,000, with ethnic and racial minorities
making up over 36% of the population- Hispanics make up 30%, followed by Black,
American Indian, Asians, and Pacific Islander.
There are plenty of opportunities for work within the city limits (especially with all
the new businesses and renovations occurring); however, many residents commute to
neighboring Salt Lake City for work. The drive is less than an hour, and offers a number
of additional employment opportunities for Ogden citizens. Many people also work in
Ogdens Industrial Park and Business Depot, which home a variety of machining,
warehouse, and retail space, as well as the nearby Hill Air Force Base. There is
certainly no shortage of work in the Ogden area. Employment continues to be on the

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rise, as Ogden was ranked #10 in the nation for jobs created in 2008. As employment
continues to increase, I am confident that Ogden will experience more growth and
development in the years to come.
Although many Ogden residents go to Salt Lake City for fine dining, night life,
and entertainment, the city offers much on its own. Most residents enjoy spending time
in the outdoors- either hiking one of the many nearby trails, jogging or walking on the
River Parkway, or visiting Lake Pineview just through the canyon of the mountain. For
those that do not enjoy the outdoors, the city also offers several movie theaters, multiple
bowling allies, a reasonably sized mall, and outdoor fun center. Ogden offers plenty of
entertainment to keep its residents busy, including the previously mentioned community
events such as the farmers market, outdoor concerts, and free movie events.
Ogden City is full of surprises. Most Utah residents consider it the scourge of
Utah, a dangerous and poor city and embarrassment to the Utah culture. This may have
been the case in the past- however, I feel as though a permanent stigma has been
attached to this city that has undergone, and continues to undergo, an amazing
transformation. I am surprised at how the city has flourished under pressure, continues
to grow economically, and how the residents take pride in their community in an effort to
further better their city. Ogden is certainly an up-and-coming city, and has much to offer
its residents. However, this is always room for improvement. There are a lot of
homeless individuals occupying the streets of Ogden. While Ogden has two homeless
shelters, I feel more of an effort could be made to assist the homeless and help them
get off the streets. There should be more support programs to aid the transition, to help
with drug and alcohol addiction problems, and to find job placements as well as receive

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qualified skill sets. There are several questions I would like to ask the people in the
community. I would like to know if they have observed change within the city, and what
changes have been made. I would also like to know what they enjoy most about Ogden,
where they like to go and do, and if there is anything they dont like about living in the
city.

Summary
When making observations about an educational institution, it is vital to
understand the background from which the students are emerging. The research I have
done indicates that my students at Ogden High School come from a wide variety of
situations- whether it be it socioeconomic status, ethnicity, home life, friendship circles,
interests, etc. While most of my students fall under the low end of the socioeconomic
status, and are ethnic minorities, I also have students that would be classified as having
a high socioeconomic status, and are not ethnic minorities. Many students come from
troubled backgrounds and do not value education, with others have extensive
background knowledge of subject matter and are eagerly college-bound. Taking such
differences into account, I am presented with the challenge of adapting my curriculum to
be challenging enough for my motivated and fast-paced learners, while also suitable to
meet the needs of those students that are having difficulty with school. Many students
are ELLs, have IEPs or 504 plans, or simply have horrible attendance records and are
not motivated to come to class. For these reasons, I must take special care to design a
curriculum that connects to students funds of knowledge. The first step to doing so is
getting to know my students and understanding where they come from.

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My curriculum planning will contain a variety of engaging learning activities that

incorporate multiple learning styles, interests, and intelligences. Lessons should be
inquisitive in nature, encouraging students to problem solve and think for themselves,
while also interesting and applicable to real life. My lessons will teach students essential
life and career skills, not only in the realm of science, but strategies that could be
applied to a number of real-world situations. By making my lessons engaging with a
variety of different activities, allowing students choice in their observations and
hypotheses, and making content material transferrable, I hope to capture the interest of
my students. Regardless of their backgrounds, I want them to understand the
applications of science and use them to improve their state of mind and state of being,
both in the classroom and in years to come.