I hope you’re all having a great start to the fall. I wanted to share the power point presentation by Katie Den Ouden – some of you have been asking for resources to school gardens, and I hope this will provide you with some useful information. I’m sorry it took me awhile to get this posted.

SCG_presentation

Class Discussion Reflection

Throughout the course of this class, both the readings and the in-class discussions have really forced me to do quite a bit of thinking.  Not only about my contribution to solving the ills of the world, but more importantly how the issues we have discussed relate to my fledgling teaching career.  It seems that, whatever your position regarding solutions or expenditures to that end, issues like climate change, the need for clean water/water usage, energy efficiency, lack of food/healthy food alternatives, and urbanization are real issues we need to educate our students about.  In order to consider the social implications of these issues we must use science to interpret and contextualize the information. That relationship is one I can exploit in my class to integrate science and social studies.  We have the scientific method and factual knowledge, but what does it really mean?  Using those tools to interpret and understand relevant issues makes the learning more relevant for the students.  I felt like science came alive during our field trips, it wasn’t just science for science it was science for greater knowledge and understanding.  I think making connections to the social implications of scientific inquiry and discovery is a powerful tool in aiding the investment of our students.  They can learn about the water cycle, but what if they learn how the water cycle has shaped the political and social environment of their city, town, county, or state.  All of a sudden the learning is more authentic, and likely more engaging.

Lesson Ideas

I used this idea in my internship last semester to integrate science and social studies.  We were learning about the 13 original colonies and divided them into three separate geographical regions: the New England Colonies, the Mid-Atlantic Colonies, and the Southern Colonies.  During the same time we were learning about the water cycle and the difference between temperature and climate.  As we learned about rain, snow, clouds, temperature and climate there was an immediate connection between weather and climate and the different ways of life in the three colonial regions.  We had discussions regarding the climate of each region and how that influenced the economies.  In New England ship building and trading was a main source of economic prosperity influenced to some degree by a colder drier climate and a very rocky soil base that was the result of intensive glacial scouring. In contrast the warmer, wetter Southern Colonies had a much longer growing season and more fertile soil as a result of more rain and a less rocky soil base.  We could talk about the obvious connections between scientific knowledge and measurements and their effect on societies throughout history.  Another example would be the connection between the differing ways of life of the many Native American tribes.  Northeastern woodlands tribes, as well as the southern tribes, had a much more stable lifestyle.  They had permanent structures and relied equally on organized agriculture and hunting.  Tribes in the West such as the Utes, Arapahoes, and Sioux engaged in a more nomadic hunter/gatherer existence. Why?  This can partially be answered by using science.  The climate on the east coast was vastly different than that of the semi-arid steppe climate on the high plains.  Less predictable rain fall and a harsh environment that led to difficulty creating sustainable agricultural communities forced the plains tribes to follow their main source of food, buffalo, throughout a potentially vast range.  Interestingly enough, when Native American tribes began being subjugated and forced into reservation life they were often sent to geographic regions much different than their native environs.  Again science and social studies collide.  Being unfamiliar with their new surroundings, climate, and ecosystem and without education regarding the agricultural or social practices of their environment many Native Tribes suffered massive losses.  Within the framework of these two unit ideas one can easily connect social studies and science.  An essential question could be, “How does climate and weather impact human societies.”  Clearly, viewed through the lens of social studies the students have a means to actualize the scientific information they have learned.

Educational Resources

For the lesson I did on the water cylce the NOAA home page had some useful links and educational ideas: www.nws.noaa.gov

I also found this useful site for Native American resources:

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/resource_library/american_indian_resources.html

Another cool resource I used was the Discovery Channel website. We were able to download some pretty cool videos about various Native American tribes to watch in class.

Oh and I thought this video was funny:  http://vodpod.com/watch/1248145-bill-nye-the-science-guy-whether-the-weather

Essential Question: How can I make my classroom/school/home a better, cleaner, safer environment?

Procedure: First let me say that is unit of study could be a constant on-going process throughout the school year. I know in class there has been concerns of how to incorporate such learning into the school curriculum. I believe this can be accomplished during the first weeks of class as part of your classroom procedures. By focusing on the three terms (recycle, reuse, reduce) it is possible to incorporate “global” curriculum. For example, if you wanted to teach students about some of the cultures we have studied (Mayan, Native American, Easter Island) the lesson could be based in why we need to reduce the amount of resources we use. Discussing and explaining how these societies failed to survive would have a direct impact on student learning.

There are so many ways to incorporate all areas of curriculum in this unit, the possibilities are endless. In science students can learn about how plants work (actual unit in Jeffco second grade) in order to understand human impacts on the earth. I strongly advocate for school community gardens which as we have seen expand student learning. Composting is another way to explore  the different aspects of science (Co2, the water cycle, Scientific method). Having students discover and explore ways to improve energy conservation in their school and communities is a way to incorporate the social studies component. I think we might be amazed at the brainstorming even young students can do to find news ways of informing the community about the environment.

One other thing I would like to talk about was our trip to the museum. I was fortunate enough to see the Expedition Health exhibit. What an amazing opportunity for students! The exhibit was very hands-on and interactive. The main focus was on how the body works as well as the importance of taking care of it. Talk about integrating science and social studies! For example, one area displayed the different amounts of water the bodies needs during different tasks, sleeping, running, eating. Another part took a record of your stride as you walk across a platform, then calculates the energy you use when walking. It goes on to explain how increasing your stride pace can improve your over all health. The exhibit allows students (and adults) a deeper understand of the science behind health and what steps they can take to improve it. I think this ties into the concept behind community gardens and providing students knowledge of their health.   The overall idea behind teaching, in my opinion, is to improve the future by educating students. I think this class has given us many beginning ideas of how to educate and inform students as a step in the direction to a better world.

I found this funny little video which appeals to students and care of the environment.

He has two sets of books, one for adults and one for kids. The book for adults is “The Hidden Messages in Water” it is pretty detailed concerning his experiments and the process he uses to get his data. The one for kids is “The Secret of Water”. More basic concepts with pretty pictures. I used this book to teach a lesson to 5th graders about intention and water. The book has great pictures about how human thoughts have a direct impact on the quality of water molecules, like if you say positive words to water, the water crystals are beautiful and in very geometric shapes. But you say negative things to water and the crystal will dissolve right before your eyes.  Before I taught the lesson I wondered if 11 year olds could grasp such an abstract concept. By about half way through the lesson most students were fully engaged in the lesson. We made stickers with positive words (of their choice) to put on their water bottles. The liked this part of the lesson.

I feel that we have a very important role in helping reshape the world with a positive image. Water is one of the most important aspects of our planet, as we saw in the Imax movie about the Grand Canyon and the Colorado river, as well as the water treatment plant. Our bodies are roughly 70-80% water, an overwhelming majority of the overall percent of our bodies, and what we do with water effects our bodies as well as all plants and animals on the planet. This book brings a new perspective on how we can change water in our world and have a positive impact on our surroundings, without money, just our thoughts and words.

This is a basic change in how we think about our relationship with water, and what a better place to start than with the youth of our country. I believe strongly in the new studies concerning water and how we impact it. Share your opinions and findings about this topic and talk about it with your friends. The more aware we are of this aspect of water the larger impact we can have.

Here is my lesson plan: It was a literary lesson, not a science lesson so that makes it a little weird. I really wanted to teach this information so I found a place to fit it in.

Purpose of Lesson:

Standard: Reading/Writing 4.d.  Make predictions and draw conclusions from text in various genres.

1. Make educated guess, using what you know.
2. Check prediction and revise if necessary

Goal/Objective

Materials: Blank stickers, Markers, pens, Dot cam.

Physical Space: Children will stay seated at groups of desk as teacher moves around the room

Time needed: 50 minutes

Differentiation/Accommodations:

• For any student struggling with predictions a verbal or written prompt will be given to help them begin their writing.  ex. “I predict the book will be about ….”
• Key vocabulary will be posted the board.   ex. “Prediction, revise, evaporation, condernsation, precipitation …”
• - Students will also be given the opportunity to visually show their understanding by drawing the water cycle.

Anticipatory Set/Motivational/Activating Prior Knowledge:

“Today we are going to learn the Secret of predicting.”

• What is a prediction?
  • An educated guess about what might happen in a text prior to reading.

*What types of predictions have you made in the past? (connecting content to prior knowledge)

* Visual motivation from pictures in the book.

Body of Lesson:

*During the science block I will read aloud to the students.

*Each group leader will come to front of class and get graphic organizer from teacher and hand to each student in their group.

*I will write the goals and objectives on the board.

*I will hold up the book “The Secret of Water” and ask children what they think the secret of Water is?

-They will then make predictions of what they think and write them down on their predictions graphic organizer.

**Predictions: (only have them make one prediction at a time, have them write their predictions on the left side of the organizer and number them).

1. What do you think the secret of water is? (guided prediction)
2. How long do you think it takes for a water molecule to complete a cycle of the water process? (A little less guided)
3. How many gallons of water do you think you use in a single day? (in group or by self, but without teacher)
4. Do you think your words or thoughts have an effect on water? (no teacher involvement)

*WATER CYCLE: What do you remember about the water cycle?

-Evaporation->Condensation->precipitation->Collection.

-How long do you think it takes for a water molecule to complete a cycle of the water process?

-Do any of you want to make revisions on your predictions?

**The Process takes about 50 years for a water molecule to go from the first stage “Evaporation” to the last stage “Collection”.

-There was just some information that made ME want to make some changes to my predictions.

?? What are some of the ways we use water every day?? have students give examples.

-Prompts; (brushing your teeth, showers, wash dishes)

*Based on these uses; How many gallons of water do you think you use in a single day?

-Allow time for predictions

Water facts:

-10 minute shower=42 gallons of water

-Brushing teeth for 90 seconds= 3 gallons of water

-Running the dishwasher= 10 gallons of water

-Laundry/washing machine=40 gallons of water

-Flushing Toilet=1.5 gallons

-Water to drink=.5 gallons

*Does anyone want to make changes or revisions to their predictions, I know I need to make some changes?

*read pg. 8; The average person uses 100 gallons of water per day.

??How many gallons of water do you think you use in a year.

100 gallons per day for 365 days= 36,500 gallons per year
Student Practice (Guided/Independent): Students will demonstrate their ability to make educated predictions on their graphic organizer. They will have practiced predictions and revising their predictions 4 times throughout the lesson. I will guide their prediction on the first two, but not the last two.

Activity: make a positive sticker for your water bottle.

Closure:What did we learn today?

-Students will write one thing they learned on a exit slip to be given to teacher on the way out.

Did you learn anything new?

Anything else, questions?

(Connect back to the objective and point to objective on Board)

Assessment:

How will you know the students have achieved the purpose?

Students will either get it or be able to make an educated guess. They can have a wrong answer, but if they made revisions over the course of the reading they will get full points.

If they have the wrong answer and no revisions they get no credit. If students get it and make corrections the show that they dont need more instruction. No right answers and no revisions shows that the student is having trouble with the concepts and needs either small group or one on one instruction.

What documentation/data/evidence will you have?

*Students will turn in their graphic organizers showing their work.

 Most of the recent talk in our class has been around climate change.  We have read articles that detail the warnings about the environmental and human consequences, visited the NOAA building and the museum to apply it to the real world, and had a class debate about whether or not climate change was the most pressing issue that world is facing. It is wise for people to be educated about climate change because it affects everyone and everything in the world.  As the reading Global Climate Change points out; global warming can drive species to higher elevations, affect the timing of migratory seasons, impact carbon cycling, threaten food and water supplies for people and other species, and  cause droughts worldwide (p. 89).  As we have been learning about the issue, significance, and impact of climate change, I have been trying to figure out how elementary teachers could teach such a complex issue like climate change to their students.

Climate change is not included in the elementary Colorado Model Content Standards for Science.  However, I think that is could be applied to standards 2, 3, and 4.    

Standard 2

 Physical Science: Students know and understand common properties, forms, and changes in matter and energy. (Focus: Physics and Chemistry)

*Teachers can teach students about the melting of the polar ice caps (conversion of liquid to solid to gas) as well of the greenhouse effect (gasses in the environment)t. 

Standard 3

Life Science: Students know and understand the characteristics and structure of living things, the processes of life, and how living things interact with each other and their environment. (Focus: Biology–Anatomy, Physiology, Botany, Zoology, Ecology)

*Teachers can teach how the draining of resources like food and water can increase and decrease populations of humans and animals.

Standard 4

Earth and Space Science: Students know and understand the processes and interactions of Earth’s systems and the structure and dynamics of Earth and other objects in space. (Focus: Geology, Meteorology ,Astronomy, Oceanography)

*Teachers can teach students about the interaction of the sun and green house gasses on the Earth.   

Source: Colorado Department of Education www.cde.state.com

Though climate change is not exclusively in the standards, I think that it is important that elementary students be educated on the issue of climate change because they can be empowered to change their habits and or the habits of their family members and become part of the solution.  Students can learn about ways to help reduce global warming and thus help to solve the broader social and science issues in global society.  For example students could be taught these simple things to do to reduce global warming:     

1. Turn off the computer and the T.V. when you are not using them
2. Unplug electronics between uses and charges
3. Take shorter showers
4. Run your washing machine and drier only when full
5. Recycle paper, plastic, glass, and cans.
6. Take reusable bags with you to the supermarket

Teaching Resources for the Classroom: 

I found a great website for teachers: http://www.climateclassroomkids.org/teacher_main.aspx

This website gives lesson plans, power-point presentations, and links to youtube videos to use in your classroom in educating elementary students about climate change.   

I also found a great book that explains climate change in terms that primary students would be able to understand titled:

Why Are the Ice Caps Melting? The Dangers of Global Warming written by Anne Rockwell.  The description on the back of the book reads: “The earth is getting hotter, and not just in the summer. The climate of your own hometown is changing. But why is this happening, and can we stop it? Find out about the greenhouse effect, effects of global warming, and how you can help our planet”. 

 Another great book that I found is:  A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids: Understanding Climate Change and What You Can Do About It by Julie Hall.  The book educates kids about climate change and empowers them to get up and do something about it!  The book gives several practical solutions that kids and their families can do in their daily lives to ease climate change. 

I thought that these books could be used for a read aloud lesson with elementary students.  The teacher can open the lesson by asking students: “What do people do that hurts the Earth”?  If the students are really young, the teacher may have to prompt students to think about littering, wasting water, cutting down trees etc.  The teacher can record students’ ideas on the board.  Next, the teacher can read one of the books aloud to the children, pausing for explanation and questions as they are needed.  After the book is read, the teacher can pose the same question as before and use it as an assessment task to see how much students learned.  Next, the teacher can educate students on steps they can take to help reduce global warming and climate change, like the list I have above.  The teacher should write this list on the board as well.  Finally, to empower students the teacher can ask students to create posters to out around the school that tell the other students things that they could do to help the earth.  For example, one poster may say, “Turn off lights when you are not using them”.  An extension activity that you could do is to have kids make superheroes out of recycled materials.  Each superheroe’s super power is something that could help stop climate change.  For example, one superheroe’s superpower could be to clean the water.  Students can write about their superheroes and their superpower in a writing assignment and then present their superheroe to the class.

The things I recall learning about the Holocaust involved mostly literature. I remember reading books such as The Diary of Anne Frank, Number the Stars, and The Big Lie. But beyond that, my knowledge and elementary resources on the Holocaust were limited.

As far as the Rwanda genocide goes, I was 10 when it happened and did not even know it was happening . I remember first hearing about it in a college course. Even when trying to research lesson ideas on teaching about Rwanda I found pretty much nothing. It is my thought that the Holocaust and Rwanda can be taught in conjunction. Almost as the Holocaust being taught as a history lesson of the past and Rwanda as a history lesson of the present.

http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/activity/Intermed.htm

http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson187.shtml

Often the Holocaust is viewed as a horrible tragedy of the past. And I believe that learning about Rwanda in conjunction with the Holocaust puts some perspective to tragedy and genocide itself. Demonstrating that those things do exist currently.

My idea for a lesson plan integrating science and social studies would involve looking at food proportions.  Students could look up food standards and compare what they currently eat daily to what families during the Holocaust and Rwanda ate.  They could compare the types of food as well as the amounts of food.  This would allow for students to discuss the differences in culture and environment.  This would also give students the opportunity to discuss how limited resources could be connected to population or even location. 

I also think that a basic lesson on discrimination can cover the basis of some of the conflict in both the Holocaust and Rwanda. I have included the video “A Class Divided”, which I believe to be an amazing lesson for 3^rd graders in 1968.  And note the  effects of using both positive and negative praise!

I wanted to share this reading. It’s called the Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. It’s Swift’s suggestion for dealing with an over populated Ireland in the 1700′s. It is not supposed to be read from an ethical perspective. It makes one wonder, with all ethics and morals aside, could this work?

http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html

 For a lesson plan, I would show the graphs that detail recycled water.  I would use this as a preview lesson for an experiment that would show what recycled water consists of.

 The chapter on China interested me a great deal, especially about the social aspect of the one child policy.  I remember when I was eighteen, I saw an Oprah show that showed children that were adopted from China.  It was a result of China’s “One Child” policy.  I found several really great articles on this topic.  I think the idea is good but it created it’s own set of problems and horrors.  If a child was a girl, then she was either killed or abandoned in order to get around this policy.  This left many helpless children in orphanages.   

 http://people.howstuffworks.com/one-child-policy.htm

 As many as 10,000 children were recently killed in the massive earthquakes that hit China.  Since each family only had one child, they lost their family.  This created a lot of anger towards the Chinese government officials.  In order to help deflate the anger, China has agreed to allow these families to have another child.  China is planning to keep the policy in place for a least another decade.

 http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/10/china.onechild/index.html

 I am hoping to some day adopt a little girl from China.  If anyone is interested, there are a couple of great links to get information about it.

 http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=one-child-policy.htm&url=http://www.chinesechildren.org/

 http://www.allgodschildrenintl.com/?param1={KeyWord:International%20Adoption}

 I think this could be a good lesson for the classroom because you could teach about population explosion/population control.  This would be a good social studies lesson and the results that have occurred in their country.  For first graders, I would deal mainly with the issue of abandoned children and adoption in the US.  I would also cover some of the actions the government had taken against citizens who violate the policy.

I found a fun site that is a product of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which is right near where we were today, in Boulder. The site – http://www.eo.ucar.edu/kids/index.html – has great visual aids, simple environmental systems, and games to engage students in learning about their environment. Alright, it’s great that we teach students about the environment and climate change, but what can teachers do to help the student be proactive in their role of acting on climate change? In the article “A Climate of Hope: Helping Children Respond Productively to Global Warming” by Denise Kersten Wills, the students at Denver’s Park Hill K-8 school focused on finding solutions to global warming that they could carry out at school, home, or in the community. The sustainable local solutions the students came up with such as “turning off the lights or taking the school bus instead of getting a ride from Mom or Dad,” helped make dealing with this overwhelming issue less fearful, and instead, more hopeful. Giving students the opportunity to build on their knowledge and use their resources to create a more stable world can empower students to be proactive in solving life-long battles of local and global problems.

Lesson Plan: I’ve attached a link to a lesson plan that would be applicable for grades 4-7. This lesson requires students to build their own greenhouse so they will be able to draw conclusions about how greenhouse gases are affecting the earth. http://www.climatechangenorth.ca/section-LP/LP_06_I_B_greenhouse.html

1. National Center for Atmospheric Research. http://www.eo.ucar.edu/kids/index.html
2. O’Brien, Colleen. Climate Change North. Greenhouse Effect…Building Our Own. http://www.climatechangenorth.ca/section-LP/LP_06_I_B_greenhouse.html
3. Wills, Denise Kersten. (2007, October). A Climate of Hope: Helping Children Respond Productively to Global Warming. Edutopia. http://www.edutopia.org/climate-change

Last month, an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting among a group of schoolchildren at Gwithian beach in Cornwall was blamed on the polluted “Red” river, which empties into the sea at Godrevy point. Twelve out of 14 children on the trip from Mullion school were affected, as were four surfers who used the beach between 12 and 15 July.

A similar outbreak claimed the life of Heather Preen, aged eight, who was on holiday at Dawlish Warren, Devon, in 1999. She had been walking with her family when she splashed in a storm outflow stream that is thought to have been contaminated with raw sewage. She was infected with E Coli 0157, a lethal form of the bacterium that causes gastro-enteritis. Although the source of the infection was never confirmed, at the inquest into her death the coroner said the storm outflow should have carried a notice warning visitors of the risks.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/out-of-our-depth-537033.html

Both stories were very shocking to me as I grew up in close proximity of both of the locations mentioned in the article. I was stunned that somebody could die from a trip to the beach and that our country (England) was dumping raw sewage into the sea in major tourist destinations. I can recall hearing the term blue flag beaches used frequently. These are specific beaches that have to meet a variety of different specifications to ensure they are of an excellent standard.

 I would suggest that focusing on waste disposal into the worlds seas would be an excellent topic for 4th/5th grade students to focus on.

I would use an empty fish tank with some very clean sand and water and create a “class beach” for everyone to observe. The following morning I would pour in some dark food coloring and place some garbage in the tank so the students could witness the pollution of their “class beach”.

I would also use the blue flag website http://www.blueflag.org/ to allow the students to understand what specific criteria must be attained to earn the status of a blue flag beach. The material is both informative and concise, so hopefully it would be beneficial.

I would also read the full article mentioned above http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/out-of-our-depth-537033.html to the students so they could see a direct correlation between their polluted beach and real life accounts. I feel this is beneficial for fourth/fifth grade students as they are able to assess the severity of environmental damage.

The main lesson goals would be to focus on the pollution of seawater with sewage and how that can be dangerous to plants, animals and humans. Science and Social Studies could be directly intertwined by posing the question of what to do with waste created by humans? By discussing this question as a class, students would be addressing a question with scientific origins that is posing a major dillema for political leaders globally.

This could be particularly beneficial in focusing on a scientific problem on both a micro and macro level. It would also allow them to understand that the waste that they and everyone else produces, has to go somewhere and that somewhere might be a place where they have vacationed with their family.

As I stated above, I would setup an aesthetically pleasing beach in a large (35 gallon) fish tank using golden sand and clean water. They could bring in old toys or make items to place in their class “perfect beach”. Before everyone arrived the following morning, I would pour some food coloring in and place trash in the tank. I would suggest that using practical equipment can be a very powerful learning tool as it would allow students to see, touch and smell the difference between a clean and a pollued beach.