Summer Preparation
- Acquire needed supplies
- Update/write specific learning experiences
- Review Rehab the Lab prior to preparing classroom for new teaching year.
- Review lab safety measures, make safety checklists
First, students will consider what a timeline is and why timelines are helpful when studying any topic. Then, we'll review the timeline of life as well as an overview of the environmental movement's timeline.
Twelve Principals of Green Chemistry
In fifth grade, students use simple chemistry to study the properties of matter. As part of this study, students will learn the definition of chemistry (science/invention that identifies substances that make up matter; the investigation of their properties and the ways in which they interact, combine, and change; and the use of these processes to form new substances.), the definition of green chemistry (the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and/or generation of hazardous substances) and the 12 principals of green chemistry. |
| Reference |
We'll revisit specific green chemistry principles as we engage in specific physical science explorations and engineering problem solving. I will likely introduce green chemistry inventions such as Earth-friendly solar cells and hair dyes. I will tell students that in the past, and still today, some chemistry study and invention has resulted in toxicity which led to unhealthy environments and sick people. One example of this is the Nyanza pollution of the local Sudbury River. Students will also learn about the design criteria related to green chemistry and Earth-friendly/safe design and invention.
Studying the SUASCO Watershed
Students will learn the definition of a watershed:
Students will then consider the many parts of a watershed including rivers, tributaries (brooks, creeks), ponds, lakes, wetlands, and hills. Students will make watershed models, then study maps to learn specifically what makes up the SUASCO watershed:
Students will study the SUASCO ecosystem
Students will learn about ecology and what an ecosystem is:
Students will specifically study the grade level standards related to how an ecosystem works, and then study the SUASCO ecosystem beginning with a timeline of the local Sudbury River pollution and conservation. As students study the local ecosystem, they'll conduct a number of tests, observations, and create STEAM projects related to the what makes up the ecosystem and the health of the ecosystem. Repetition of outdoor study will build student comfort, knowledge, skill, and interest with regard to learning in nature's classroom. Some of the tests and observations they'll make include the following:
- Students begin their outdoor journals - set them up, add to journals as we explore the Dudley Brook conservation area in our playground ecosystem.
- Students review safety measures for outdoor education: right clothes, poison ivy safety, tick prevention, observing the area to watch out for falling trees/branches
- Choose regular times to study outdoors each week.
- Use a positive study attitude rather than doom and gloom. Use an attitude that the more you know about your environment, the better you can protect and utilize the environment for positive living.
- Students study the history of the land around our school and learn that the story of most land in our area moved from forest to farming w/few trees left and then back to forest or to suburban/urban areas. Students discuss the clues that tell them about a place's history including street signs, trees, rocks, stone walls, arrow heads, bones, fossils, items they find as they hike the area. . .
- Environmental facts: MA is the 8th most forested state in the United States, MA is short on meadows--how can we protect our meadows, can we create a school meadow w/mowed trails?
- Review of senses - using senses and sketching to exploring objects in nature (if you are worried about parasites or safety of collected items, you can microwave for a few seconds, put in plastic w/borax, or simply store in a plastic bag fora while.
- Save lenses w/packing materials so they don't scratch - organize, label science materials for easy use.
- Investigate the Migratory Bird Act
- Properties hike. Count, name, map area - learn to look at objects from many angles.
- Why are forests important? What do forests and trees do for us?
- Decomposition hike coordinated with composting efforts - Mystery Science lesson
- Local conservation expert comes to discuss the environment with students.
- Tree study: Choose about 15 trees to study - label trees, paint a yellow line around the breast height: observe, identify, measure, share the data. Show students Twitter @awitnesstree and @harvardforest Learning about the relationships between trees and sunlight. Specifically measure diameter, carbon storage, study leaf shape/structure, growing season (leaf buds to leaf falls)
- Water filter studies including Dudley Brook water quality tests and creation of water filters.
- Creating nets and studying the macroinvertebrates in Dudley Brook
- Charting the wildlife observed in and near Dudley Brook
- Noticing the plants that exist along Dudley Brook, specifically studying standards related to plant and completing the STEAM plant packet project by making indoor gardens
- Creating Dudley Brook maps
- Using observations to determine the health of the brook--understanding the indicators that point to water health
- Looking for evidence of pollution in and around Dudley Brook
- Learning about the sun, making solar ovens, and also noticing the how much sunlight Dudley Brook receives (areas where the canopy is thick are areas of less sunlight)
- Potentially participate in Harvard Forest research projects - data collection.
Learning experience design can profit from the flipped classrom edpuzzle, Google classroom, Explain Everything, YouTube. Having tools such as magnifying glasses, cardboard tubes, measuring devices, popsicle sticks w/string to mark space and others can aid research too.
Students will visit other areas of the SUASCO watershed and extend the knowledge they gathered from Dudley Brook to those areas.
Students will learn about biomimicry, and how biomimicry can lead to Earth-friendly invention and stewardship.
Students will take a standards-based look at what biomimicry is, and then learn about ways biomimicry helps people create Earth-friendly solutions to problems that exist.
- We can look at nature as a model, a standard/measure (know what works) and a as a mentor, a new way to view and value nature.
- biomimicry walk; explore form and function, patterns, processes, function junction lesson (3.8)
- Study the following biomimicry stories:
- Velcro story
- Self cleaning lotus leaf
- Kingfisher inspired train
- Sharklet technologies
- Efficiency of dog shaking
- beavers mimic water use processes
- branching - where do we see this in our bodies, nature, human-made items
- antlers and teeth regeneration - does this exist
- Related Books:
- The Shark's Paintbrush
- Many teaching books about biomimicry exist.
- Many children's books are available about biomimicry including Nature's Contraptions.
- Journaling related to biomimicry
Update, integrate STEAM activities w/science, tech, environmental engineering, art, math
- Integrate biomimicry into our STEAM activities in the following way:
- Review problem. Example: filtering/cleaning water (connected w/water facts/water cycle/clean water science/importance)
- Notice how nature solves this problem
- Research and design solutions, decided how you will test solutions
- Build a prototype, test, redesign, test again
- Report findings w/words, tables, images including collected data
- example of "Lifestraws" invention.
- Solar oven STEAM project - integrate standards related to energy and the sun
- Plant packets project - integrate plant science standards/activities
- Use of Microscopic Mycelium for plant packets (styrofoam replacement) from Growbio - connections to NASA's payload project, egg drop projects
- Connections: water lessons from Beyond Benign
Students will learn about climate change, and specifically learn about ways that climate change is affecting the SUASCO watershed.
Our naturalist in residence and local climate change activist will visit the classroom to teach students about this topic. Standards-based physical science study will add to this knowledge.
Our naturalist in residence and local climate change activist will visit the classroom to teach students about this topic. Standards-based physical science study will add to this knowledge.
- Intro to chemistry: solves complex problems, green chemistry: science of solutions.
- Chemistry activities: Bag of Reactions (see lesson plans on file) - look for patterns, discover/see, changes, process, precision (science practices)
- Butterfly tea exploration (Beyond Benign lessons) and math graphing
- Changing temperature experiments: pixie sticks, citric acid, sugar
- Resources: Bozeman science videos, Khan Academy science, Think Dirty safe chemical app, Crash Course videos,
- Personal products review: www.ewg.org.skindeep - New Balance story of green chemistry design.
- Share Mad Hatter story as part of green chemistry explanation
- What is a cycle? What is the carbon cycle? - Model Making
- Carbon sink vs carbon source?
- Review green chemistry principles and conduct a number of related standards-based physical science explorations/experiments. Explore the idea of biodegradable products, inventions.
- Learning about soil and carbon stored in soil.
- Learning about decomposition, respiration, composting
- Introduction to and use of one or more data nuggets
- Introduce students to recycling companies/projects and their recycle programs: Trex, Terracycle
Students will identify a local ecological problem that they would like to study and solve.
Students will learn about stewardship and ecological problem solving. They will work with teams to identify a local environmental problem and come up with a way to help solve that problem. They will organize their projects, complete the work, and share their project work with others.
- Use UN Sustainability cards to identify areas identified as related to good, sustainable living. Provide students with a brief introduction to this study/work. Have students choose an area they are interested in and determine a local goal/project to forward in that area.
- Focus on the ways scientists communicate - posters w/titles, data chart, images. . .
Teacher Study/Preparation
In time, we will fit in specific standards-based learning experiences for the specific areas above. Also as a team, we may revise the order and some of the specific actions above as well. With every learning experience (task) we'll focus on one or more of the science/engineering practices too.
As educators, we will engage in the following activities to develop this unit of study:
As educators, we will engage in the following activities to develop this unit of study:
- creating a chart that incorporates science practices and standards
- analyzing MCAS scores to see which science standards students met w/skill and which standards we still need to work to teach with greater success
- meet and solidify unit timeline with the greater team in mid August and late September
- potentially get involved in the state's kaleidoscope initiative
- Solidify a strong series of learning experiences focused on building good teamwork skills and abilities
- focus on specific science/engineering tasks using the state rubric for apt science/engineering teaching as well as the grade-level standards and systemwide science resources including FOSS and Mystery Science
- In the future I want to take part in the Harvard Forest K-12 Environmental Education Classes
Future Advocacy and Efforts: Sustainable, Earth-Friendly Learning Communities
As I studied at Wachusett Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, I thought a lot about how to make our schools more Earth friendly and sustainable. I wondered once again what our schools would be like if they mirrored nature preservations, organic farms, or other natural spaces. Below is a list of ideas I learned of and studied during the course.
- hammocks, outdoor learning spaces with roofs
- edible forest - Whittaker creates these environments at schools and homes: Green Abundance by Design
- mowed paths for discovery
- meadow spaces
- focus on harmony of human-made items and natural items
- noticing the colors of nature
- using natural materials as much as possible
- quiet learning spots and talk spots
- constructed spaces to house specific plants, composting, more
- Water well and pump vs water fountain
- animals
- places for pollinators
- using space strategically to inspire
- do not rush classroom learning as much, model the way nature uses time too to create a more child-friendly learning environment
