T E N A L P or f N IO T A H DUC ART E E

FALL2017 | ISSUE 114 | $7.95

Finding Great Science Partners

PLUS Where does Food Come From? | Finding Inspiration for Outdoor Learning | Water Quality Field Trips Literary Gardens: Connecting Students with Famous Authors | Tips to Start Off oY ur School Year Let’s Talk Fracking | Observation-Focused Nature Journaling | STEAM to STEAM and Citizen Science

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Made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation Issue 114, Fall 2017

Features

Secrets to Snagging Great Science Partners by Jessica Zephyr ...... /3

Where Does our Food Come From? Page 3 by Susan Rauchwerk ...... /7 Finding Inspiration for Outdoor Learning by Herb Broda ...... /12

Water Quality Field Trips by Jessica Harwood ...... /17

Rooting Readers in the Literary Garden by Jennifer McQuillan ...... /20

Tips to Start Off Your School Year by Elanor Waslander ...... /24

Let’s Talk Fracking by Samantha Rubright ...... /27

Page 17 Fostering Connections to Freshwater Ecosystems by Gabby Petrelli and Katie Larson ...... /32

Observation-Focused Nature Journaling by Danae Shipp ...... /36

STEM to STEAM and Citizen Science by Melissa Guillet ...... /40

Departments

Resources ...... /4 4

Page 32

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Green Teacher 114 Page 1 Editorial

Issue 114, Fall 2017 HIS IS NOT THE editorial I planned to write. But over the last few General Editor months, climate change’s many appearances across North America Tim Grant Tmade the subject impossible to ignore. Before a succession of hurri- Editorial Assistant canes brought so much destruction to Puerto Rico, other Caribbean islands, Sofia A. Vargas Nessi Florida and Texas, this summer’s headlines focused on large wildfires that Editing were burning out of control across the west. Those fires had forced tens of Amanda L'Heureux, Tim Grant, Gail Littlejohn, and thousands to evacuate their homes for extended periods. Ian Shanahan Even my own city of Toronto was not unscathed. Rising water levels Regional Editors across the Great Lakes submerged the 13 islands that make up Toronto’s Canada largest green space and what is normally our most popular summer- Gareth Thomson Alberta (403) 678-0079 time destination. Our three-month inconvenience pales in comparison Laurelei Primeau British Columbia (604) 942-0267 Bob Adamson Manitoba (204) 261-7795 to the destruction caused by recent wildfires or hurricanes, but it was a Raissa Marks New Brunswick (506) 855-4144 reminder than none of our communities is immune from the effects of a Craig White Newfoundland (709) 834-9806 Janet Barlow Nova Scotia (902) 494-7644 changing climate. Barbara Hanbidge Saskatchewan (866) 254-3825 While it is tempting to want to ask climate-change skeptics how Remy Rodden Yukon (867) 667-3675 denial is working for them now, this is not the time for smugness. Instead, United States such disasters remind us that it is important to teach not just what can Karen Schedler Arizona (480) 828-4981 be done to mitigate climate change, but also how we can best adapt to it. Helen de la Maza S. California (714) 838-8990 Mary Lou Smith Connecticut (860) 465-2610 While it will take years for Puerto Rico and parts of Florida and Texas Dean Goodwin Delaware (302) 998-2292 to fully recover from the damage they sustained this fall, climate change Cathy Meyer Indiana (812) 349-2805 education has a big role to play if we are to Shelene Codner Iowa (319) 404-1942 Laura Downey-Skochdopole Kansas (785) 532-3322 avoid having future hurricanes creating human- Jeanine Huss Kentucky (270) 745-2293 itarian crises year after year, Christine Voyer Maine (207) 228-1624 Sandra Ryack-Bell Massachusetts (508) 993-6420 To adapt to the challenges raised by a chang- John Guyton Mississippi (228) 324-4233 ing climate, there are some priorities we should Bob Coulter Missouri (314) 442-6737 Lauren Madden New Jersey (609) 771-3319 pay particular attention to. Coastal communi- Kary Schumpert New Mexico (505) 710-5632 ties will remain vulnerable unless we are able Lois Nixon North Carolina (919) 467-6474 Sara Ivey Oklahoma (405) 702-7122 to restore the mangroves and wetlands that Anne DiMonti Rhode Island (401) 245-7500 once provided protection from storm surges. Tim Brown Utah (801) 596-8500 All communities, whether near an ocean or not, Jen Cirillo Vermont (802) 985-0331 need to hasten the transition towards renew- New Zealand able energy systems that are more resilient in Patricia Hoffmann (South Island) (03) 211 5242 the face of punishing winds. In Puerto Rico Green Teacher is a nonprofit and most elsewhere, solar and wind power are now cheaper than the cen- organization incorporated tralized power sources that have provided most electricity in the past. in Canada. We are grateful for the financial support of the Ontario They — and we — will benefit from the lower cost of these renewables Media Development Corporation. once the transition is well underway. Finally, rainwater retention in urban Design and Production areas, via rain gardens, swales and green roofs, needs to become the rule, Cover photo by Ecology Project International rather than the exception. Bringing any or all of these “adaptation” topics Layout and cover design by Sofia A. Vargas Nessi into our climate change education programs will help us go a long way Contact Us towards meeting the greatest challenge facing humanity today. 95 Robert Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2K5, Canada Hurricane Maria also abruptly changed the travel plans of many Toll-free: (888) 804-1486 Fax: (416) 925-3474 Green Teacher readers. Close to 1,000 environmental educators from U.S. address: PO Box 452, Niagara Falls, NY 14304 across the United States, Canada and Mexico had planned to attend the annual conference in mid-October of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. With that island now facing its biggest humanitarian crisis in many decades, the NAAEE is asking educators everywhere to support Para La Natura- leza, the non-profit organization that was hosting the conference. Para La Naturaleza has for many years been the island’s driving force for envi- ronmental education and the promotion of biodiversity; and by maintain- ing dozens of natural areas, they have enabled large numbers of Puerto Ricans and visitors to access the island’s wild places. By donating, you will be supporting the work of this important non-profit at a crucial time. To learn more, visit www.naaee.net. —Tim Grant

Page 2 Green Teacher 114 Secrets to Snagging Great Science Partners It is easier than you think to build rewarding partnerships for outdoor education Photo: Duane Gray

By Jessica Zephyrs “It’s a way [through reading and writing] to show them how scientists share specific information with the greater community, so that the specifics of each story from all the HEN DUANE GRAY BEGAN teaching seventh scientists come together to form the story of what’s happen- grade at Russell Reid Elementary in Brantford, ing in our world.” WOntario, more than 22 years ago, he was shocked Each year, Duane takes his students to Bird Studies by his students’ disconnection from nature. Canada’s Long Point Bird Observatory in Ontario, where “They spent all their time in a suburban or city setting. researchers have been banding birds for fifty years. Side by They couldn’t appreciate what was going on with nature– side with scientists, his students learn how to use mist nets to they had no understanding of it, no vocabulary for it. Even catch birds, record biometric data, and band the birds. In the the schoolyard was too sterile. I had problems making citizen afternoon, they participate in Project Watch Nest, where the science work for them. At some point, I got an email from students look into the nests of tree swallows to count eggs or Bird Studies Canada, talking about their citizen science proj- hatchings — all data that the scientists at the nonprofit will ect, and it fit. I needed something the kids could see wher- use. ever they went, and birds were it. Now I’ve been working “To see that the scientists are using their data and to do with them [Bird Studies Canada] for ten years.” the science themselves is so good for them,” says Duane. “It’s Duane’s partnership with Bird Studies Canada1 started real field research that we’re a part of.” with a simple package of teacher resources, centering on the Duane’s partnership is a prime example of how envi- idea that each student become an expert on one bird species ronmental education can lead to fulfilling outdoor, inquiry- in their area. But the resulting science projects have made based lessons that connect youth to science on a personal such an impact on his students that he’s incorporated envi- level, showcasing what science looks like beyond the lab ronmental education into nearly all of his subjects. His sev- or the classroom. When students interact with professional enth graders write a comparison study on their species, they researchers in the field — constructing questions, collecting build bird houses together and calculate the surface area, and evidence from the natural world, assessing their findings — they each read a chapter of Strange Companion — a book science becomes real, germane, alive! about whooping cranes on the verge of extinction — and dis- And it’s more than just their interest in science that’s cuss with their peers what they learned from the book. affected.

Green Teacher 114 Page 3 “[The students] really are getting a sense of stewardship After quite a few partnerships, Vanessa has honed her out of it, connecting with the local environment like they process. haven’t before. There is value in that hands-on science,” says “Before I approach anyone, I have my whole semester Erin McClelland, Executive Director of Nanaimo Science outlined, so we know where a project might work in. I write and Sustainability Society (NS3), a nonprofit specializing in a pretty lengthy paragraph about what I’m looking for and education programs in the Vancouver Island area of British what I’d like for my class, like a guest speaker or a field Columbia. experience.” Through place-based, environmental education student Considering the broad range of what a science partner- interest in STEM increases, and environmental literacy ship can look like, it helps to have an idea of what you want grows.2 Not only do we want students to understand and to accomplish when you approach a potential partner. Do you value nature, but more importantly, we want them to possess have a geology lesson that you’d like to enliven? Or is there the necessary and relevant skills to take action, to become a particular disciplinary core idea or science and engineer- stewards of the environment and global citizens for a better ing practice of Next Generation Science Standards or other world. regional science standards that you want to address? These With schools facing tight budgets and society placing considerations, along with the general interests of you and emphasis on quantitative results, implementing outdoor your students, might be a good place to start. environmental education on your own can be a challenge. One of the intriguing aspects of working with a uni- Forming lesson plans beyond the textbook takes time, effort, versity, as well as with some nonprofits or agencies, is that support, and know-how. Fortunately, you don’t have to go it the science your students perform and the data they collect alone. Partnerships with research organizations or participa- will be analyzed and used to advance our knowledge about tion in well-established citizen science projects can make how the world works. A university often requires faculty to real-world science more accessible for teachers and educators do outreach in coordination with their research, and some around the world. universities have established citizen science components to Working for Ecology Project International, a nonprofit their research that your classroom could be a part of, such as that specializes in partnering educators and students with eBird4 at Cornell University and the Portland Urban Coyote scientists working in the field, I’ve gained a few insights Project5 at Portland State University. into what makes a partnership successful. I also interviewed teachers and science partners for their insights, in order to summarize their biggest take-aways and create a guide to help you form your own partnerships. First, know that not every partnership has to look like Duane’s. Science partnerships can take a variety of shapes, from consulting relationships between teachers and scien- tists, to resident scientists in the classroom, to student partici- pation in active field science projects run by local nonprofits, universities, zoos, museums, and governmental agencies. They can be part of any classroom and engage with any age group. There are probably already organizations in your community, or near it, with scientists or experts on hand who have a public outreach component to their jobs. Vanessa Halfich, an Earth Science teacher for Florence- Carlton High School in Florence, Montana, says that when she learned that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and other governmental agencies have to complete a certain num- ber of educational days, she started calling them up. “I’ve found that most organizations want to get out and engage students in environmental education. Almost every- one I’ve asked has worked with me. If they couldn’t do a field trip, they were a guest speaker. […] I’ve built good relation- ships over the years.” Governmental agencies, like the U.S. Forest Service, typi- cally have someone on staff in charge of outreach, and they might even have a scientist that regularly works with the pub- lic. For example, Kentucky’s Division of Water trains school groups to take water quality data for its Watershed Watch program.3 Its Division of Air Quality has a lesson on how to monitor air quality via tree lichen. Depending on the circum- stance, the expert may lead the class in person, giving stu- dents field time with a professional researcher, or may train the teacher on how to do the study. Photo: Ecology Project International Photo: Ecology Project

Page 4 Green Teacher 114 Photo: Ecology Project International Photo: Ecology Project

If your community is rife with nonprofits as mine is, long prior to the group’s arrival. Since a new partnership will science and environmental organizations abound. Keep in not have that built-in trust, you could perform a trial run by mind that you can also call your state or province affiliate Skyping the expert into class as a guest speaker or inviting of NAAEE for assistance. Education professor Dr. Melinda him or her to the school for a mini-lesson on the science the Wilder of Eastern Kentucky University suggests that when students might do in the field. That way you can see how the contacting a potential partner, “talking on the phone or meet- expert will engage your students before committing to a full ing in person is better than emailing, because people can activity. ignore emails forever.” While Vanessa Halfich has been successful in finding As you’ve probably guessed, not every partner oppor- myriad engaging partners, her biggest obstacle has been the tunity will be a good fit for your students. Willingness and cost of travel and equipment, neither of which her school can comfort communicating science to your student age group afford. Vanessa loves working with the Bureau of Land Man- are vital to successful engagement. agement and Fish Wildlife and Parks, but discovered that While recently on a wildlife ecology course in Yellow- governmental agencies won’t help fund the projects, while stone — in partnership with the nonprofit Ecology Project the nonprofits she’s worked with have paid for transportation International — Dr. Melinda Wilder was impressed with one and provided equipment. For her Rocky Mountain Ecosys- researcher’s ability to immediately engage the high school tems class, she won a grant that fully funded the first year students with the research. The scientist started by asking of travel and equipment, totaling $1,200. She’s also had luck what each student already knew about bison, while mixing in checking out equipment, like teaching trunks and snowshoes, questions about the students’ lives. He made the students find from the U.S. Forest Service and asking outdoor retailers for the existing connections between themselves and the bison, teacher discounts. creating interest in the subject and trust in the researcher. In Ontario, Duane has had luck with a grant from the Whether the researcher knew it or not, he was using a Ministry of Education that covers the cost of field science constructivist learning technique that teases out the students’ travel, up to $500. And the school’s PTA fundraises the $10/ prior knowledge of the subject, so that the learning process student fee for participating in the citizen science day at Bird might show how that knowledge is updated, changed, or Studies Canada. Without funding, the program would cost refined by a new experience — an integral part of knowledge $30/student — not a price most of his students’ parents are construction. According to Wilder, the way the researcher willing to cover. connected the research to the students’ lives made all the dif- As a nonprofit partner in a wide array of environmental ference in how the students paid attention and perceived what education programs, Erin of Nanaimo Science and Sustain- the researcher said. ability Society advises, “Be persistent. Our organization has In this scenario, the nonprofit partner verified the limited resources. We’re happy to create those partnerships, researcher’s appropriateness for the age group and subject but sometimes it takes time to get it going. Cast your net

Green Teacher 114 Page 5 wide — talk to a bunch of people to find the right partner for to change his or her own actions to be a life-long steward for you. Sometimes we can suggest a partner that might have the the environment. So, decide where field science might fit into right expertise.” your curriculum, identify potential partners, call them, dis- If you’re having a lot of trouble finding a local partner cern the capability of the expert and of your budget, and then that will fit your needs, I have two final suggestions: Look watch your students shine. to the Citizen Science Association6 and its listserv for proj- ects to get involved in. Or look beyond local, and think about Jessica Zephyrs is a passionate conservationist and writ- turning that environmental lesson into a multi-day research er who works for the U.S.-based nonprofit Ecology Project trip. There are a handful of for-profit and nonprofit organiza- International (EPI) in Missoula, Montana. EPI provides en- tions, like Ecology Project International, that specialize in vironmental education programs that engage youth in five engaging teachers and students in environmental education countries across the Americas in the conservation science programs in the United States, Canada, and throughout the happening in the students’ own backyards. Their students world. work side by side with scientists to protect vulnerable spe- Direct contact with scientists and hands-on field sci- cies and gain the critical thinking skills needed to become ence can completely alter or renew a student’s relationship the next generation of conservation leaders.7 She would with science, and a great partner can help you elevate your like to thank Vanessa Halfich of Florence-Carlton High environmental curriculum, assist you in meeting national or School, Duane Gray of Russell Reid Elementary, Erin Mc- regional science standards, and increase your impact on stu- Clelland of Nanaimo Science and Sustainability Society, dents’ lives. and Melinda Wilder of Eastern Kentucky University for In a recent interview, former science teacher and Execu- sharing their stories and insights. tive Director of Ecology Project International, Scott Pan- kratz, explained that hands-on field science teaches more Notes 1. Bird Studies Canada has program offices and citizen science projects than just science skills. throughout Canada. www.birdscanada.org “Students learn an awareness of themselves and what 2. “Greening STEM Toolkit,” https://www.neefusa.org/resource/greening- their capacities are. Maybe they don’t get the best grades, stem-educator-toolkit; “Planting the Seeds of STEM Learning” (2015); but with field science they discover that they’re good leaders, National Wildlife (World Edition), 53(6), 44; “Environmental Education and because they help other students. Or maybe they find hidden STEM” http://changetheequation.org/blog/guest-blog-connecting-environmen- tal-education-and-stem strengths, and this different learning environment helps illu- 3. http://water.ky.gov/wsw minate them. Then they go home and engage their strengths 4. http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ in different ways in their own communities.” This is the crux of environmental literacy: that the stu- 5. http://www.portlandcoyote.com/ dent gains new insights — a new attitude — and the skills 6. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/citscitoolkit 7. https://www.ecologyproject.org/ Green Teacher When is a magazine more than just a magazine?

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Page 6 Green Teacher 114 Photos: Susan Rauchwerk Where Does Our Food Come From? A lesson to help grade 3-8 students appreciate the impact our food system has on climate change

climate change. In this lesson, learners are introduced to By Susan Rauchwerk large- and small-scale food production, the politics around “truth” in advertising and food labelling, the political forces LIMATE CHANGE IS AN ISSUE that can easily driving food production, and the sometimes contradictory overwhelm young learners. The following lesson uses information about how organic or local food and GMOs (i.e., Cthe lens of food to help learners consider the multi- genetically-modified organisms) impact personal and envi- faceted nature of the problem and its solutions. Few students ronmental health. Through investigation and collaboration, understand the complex system of global food production, students learn to identify sources and to use science to verify or that agriculture contributes one third of current CO2 claims. emissions. This lesson sparks investigations into the social, In the process of uncovering the facts about how and economic, and scientific factors that influence how food is where food is grown, students may learn things they do not grown and produced, and invites learners to consider how really want to know, such as how livestock factory farms their food choices can impact global climate change. function, or that their favorite snack contains numerous Life in North America does a good job of distancing us dyes and chemicals. It is important to be sensitive to their from the reality of food systems. By investigating the source responses, but don’t shy away from investigation because you of their food, students begin an individualized journey into are worried about how someone will feel. Invite exploration global health and personal wellness. It is an area where they of the facts without judgment. Discuss the moral and ethi- can become empowered to effect change, given that they cal issues that surface. Be aware that family members may exert quite a bit of control over what they eat. work for an agribusiness or large food company. Any lesson Inspired by the Aquatic Project WILD lesson called about climate change may debunk myths and beliefs, which Water We Eating?,1 the following activity is a cross-disci- can spark an emotional response. Be prepared for surprise, plinary STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and defensiveness, resistance, and dismissal. math) lesson that can address standards within multiple sub- The pedagogical foundation for this activity is critical ject areas. It is designed to help learners recognize how the exploration,2 an approach that invites learners to generate food decisions each of us makes ultimately impacts global and follow their own ideas. In this approach, the teacher is

Green Teacher 114 Page 7 a support and guide, keeping learners engaged by providing interesting materials and prompts that embody the content Background to be explored. Students follow any number of productive The US and Canada are among the top ten emitters of pathways as they engage with the authentic materials, peers, carbon, and rank first and second in per capita emissions. On average, individual Americans and Canadians contribute and experts. Learners experience a range of responses, from more than double the emissions per person than those living wonderment to frustration, as they uncover information that in other top ten emitting countries. Worldwide agricultural challenges existing schema. The challenge for the teacher practices contribute about one third of the CO2 currently is to trust that learners will build upon their existing under- emitted into our atmosphere, and almost fifty percent standings through the materials. of agricultural emissions are being generated in North America. Even though modern agricultural practices are Time said to maximize efficiency, their dependence upon fossil The following lesson can take anywhere from three to eight fuels contributes to the negative impacts that climate change hours depending upon how deeply you want to explore the is already having on food production. As Canada and the topic. It can be taught in concentrated periods of time, but United States combined are the third largest producer and works equally well spread out in shorter time blocks across distributer of food in the world, what food we grow, and how it an entire semester. The lesson is divided into three parts. If it is grown, processed, and distributed, can have a significant 3 time is limited, part one can stand alone as an introductory impact on global CO2 emissions. activity. The Climate Change and Food Symbaloo4 contains links to search engines, websites, videos, and articles that provide Goals and objectives background information about climate change and food pro- Students will research, document and share information duction. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but provides about a food item through a multi-media product. They will good launching points for you, your students, and their fami- use technology-based tools and resources to investigate the lies to learn about the basics of climate change, how food is multiple factors and perspectives influencing where and how connected to climate change, and where you can find good food is grown, harvested and distributed. They will com- resources on the topic. Since you and your students will municate with food producers via email or phone to resolve likely find more sites and resources, you may want to build questions and request more information, then document the your own class list. environmental impacts of their product and how it may con- tribute to global climate change. Materials Obtain at least three food package labels per child in your class. You can either ask students to bring in labels from their favorite snacks or search the recycling bins in your school to collect them from student snacks. (Be sure the labels are clean, so as to not attract ants and mold.) It may take several weeks to amass a robust collection. In the end, you need enough labels so that students will appreciate the diverse range of information that they include such as ingredients, websites, phone numbers, addresses, and whether ingredients are non-GMO, organic, naturally produced or hormone free, etc. Whenever possible, select labels that include websites and phone numbers, as these will be valuable for students’ inves- tigations. Within any of the categories listed, you are looking for packaging that offers students terms and resources worth investigating. Egg cartons provide a terrific example of a wide range of agricultural terms that can be found on pack- aging, such as organic, free range, cage-free, non-GMO, anti- biotic-free, natural, heirloom, protein-rich and gluten free. Some even include stories about the owner! The combined collection of labels should have a diversity of ingredients and supplemental product and marketing information. The list below outlines the types and numbers of labels you will want for a class of 25. Warning: be sure to check if any partici- pants have allergies and whether handling food packaging is problematic. • 10 produce bags or meat labels with just one or two ingre- dients (some may have a preservative added). • 10 package labels from common junk food. These labels should have a long list of ingredients with many unfa- miliar words.

Page 8 Green Teacher 114 • 20 package labels from popular products that are made • What are the ingredients? from three or fewer ingredients, such as dried fruit, nuts, • What is the main ingredient and how do you know? canned or frozen fruits and vegetables, potato chips, • Where is the product made and/or distributed? juice, or tomato sauce. • What can you find out about the product from the label? • 10 package labels that imply or are marketed as being • Is there anything that surprises you? healthy. Ideally, these will have a varied number of ingre- dients and labels such as organic, natural, recommended Circulate between the groups, modeling how to look at by doctors to reduce…, etc. the packaging. Encourage everyone to share. As you listen, keep your comments enthusiastic, general and non-linear. Let • 10 labels from a wide variety of international foods – their comments and observations guide what you choose to some with only a few ingredients and some with many. do next. Encouraging words are usually enough to keep them • 10 labels from commodity crops such as corn, wheat, engaged. Questions like the following can keep them look- rice, potatoes or soybeans. It is helpful to have labels with ing and wondering: How does that relate to your products? ingredients that are derived from corn, most of which will Does that surprise you? What else do you see? Is that similar be sweeteners or thickeners. to another product? Does that make you wonder about any- • A map of the world and a globe. If you have small push- thing? Some students enjoy sounding out some of the more pins and yarn, students can identify the source of their obscure ingredients, and get excited about ingredients or food and where it is distributed. This helps to identify the products they recognize. carbon footprint of the product they choose to study. Students will ask questions such as: What is sea salt? • A technology-rich space with a strong internet connection Where is Malaysia? or What does organic mean? If you feel and several computers, tablets and/or smart phones. the questions are off-topic, pick up a package and model the asking of exploratory questions. Your job is to keep them • A multi-media reporting format such as Book Creator, engaged, thinking, and exploring the information on the PowerPoint, Prezi or Google Slides. package that helps them find out about where and how the You may also want to have natural food samples, mark- product is produced and distributed. When a comment or ers, drawing paper, scissors, glue, craft materials, dress-up question is productive, encourage them to pursue it further. If clothing in case students want to “conduct interviews,” mag- it is not practical to investigate their question with the materi- azines they can cut up, and clay for making objects. If avail- als you have on hand, write it down for another time. able, it could be helpful to have a camera, tripod, stop-motion Bring the class back together to share some of what they software and a green-screen5 to support video production. have found out and document interesting ideas and questions on the board or chart to refer to later on. I: Exploring food labels and climate change resources Explain to the group that they are starting an investigation into where food comes from, and how food is connected to climate change. Invite a conversation by asking a general question to assess their current understanding of climate change, such as “Please tell us about any ideas or experi- ences you have had with climate change.” There is no need to correct what they say or give them a short talk on climate change. This is just an opening question to get them to share their thoughts. Encourage all learners to share their ideas, regardless of their prior knowledge and experience. They may tell you about a book they have, a program they saw, something they heard, a place they have been, or they may say they know nothing about climate change. If they have questions, invite a conversation among the class. This allows others to share and provides you with a better understanding of their knowledge base. Resist the urge to correct them or elaborate unless you feel it will invite more student discus- sion or reflection. Jot down their ideas on the board or chart paper so you can remind them of these ideas in a later clarifi- cation session. After this brief introductory assessment, split the class into four to five groups. Give each group a mixed set of food labels and ask the following essential question: What can you find out from these labels about where your food comes from? Invite them to explore the packaging to find out what- ever they can. Write the essential question and the following additional questions on the board or chart paper.

Green Teacher 114 Page 9 groups discuss what they found out about main ingredients, and encourage discussions that reveal key processes such as organic versus conventional farming, local versus global dis- tribution, and vague or missing information about the source of the product. Use information they find as launching points for presenting and exploring facts related to climate change. This is a good time to watch a movie or video, explore data tables and websites as a class, read a book and invite a cli- mate change scientist to visit your classroom to discuss topics such as the carbon cycle and greenhouse gasses. Following these investigations, bring out a map of the world and a globe to help visualize the scope of how and where food is grown, transported and distributed. This exploration can last sev- eral different class sessions. During these presentations, be sure to have groups refer back to their report notes to provide examples from their own research that illustrate key points highlighted. Wrap up this part by asking if they have any particular ideas that stand out for them. Encourage students to follow ideas further by having materials available during free time. Encourage learners to discuss what they found out with their friends or families, and ask if there are any actions they may want to take.

II: Building a multi-media story Have students construct a story about their product. Encour- age them to use audio, video, drawings, construction, maga- zine clips, links, etc. to make a multi-media presentation. Ask the students to use the contact information on labels to Have students split into teams of two to three students. email or phone the company that produced the product. Use Establish label sets that provide a good cross-section of prod- the questions below to help guide their investigation. Stu- ucts across the class. Above all, you want the class to explore dents will likely come up with questions of their own in the how key crops like the following are grown, harvested and process. The order and structure will vary by group. distributed: wheat, corn, potatoes, rice, soy, beef, salmon, fruits, vegetables, nuts, chocolate, sugar, etc. • What are the key ingredients in your product? Set up each group with a key food that is different from • What other ingredients stand out for you and why? other groups so that collectively the class covers a broad • How and where are the key ingredients grown? range of foods. After five minutes of exploration, ask each group to select one package label that has fewer than four • Where is the company that produced this product, and ingredients that they want to find out more about. Have stu- where do they get their ingredients? dents spend the next 30 to 40 minutes finding out everything • Do you know how this product is produced and/or they can about where and how the main ingredient is grown, distributed? processed, and distributed. They will need electronic devices and an open internet connection. Providing them with the • How far did this product travel to get to you? Food and Climate Change Symbaloo is a good place to start. • Does the production or distribution of this product Exploring company websites or calling the phone numbers impact the environment in any way? on the packages can be both exciting and frustrating. It is • In what ways might your product contribute to global often unclear what is marketing and what is fact. Pay atten- climate issues? tion to these moments of discord, as they can spark rich discussion and deep investigations. If you have non-readers, • What challenges did you face when researching this topic/product? support them in using screen readers and finding video resources. You can also partner readers and non-readers, • How do our food choices impact the environment? but be certain that both have the opportunity to contribute • How does this product relate to global climate change? and investigate. Have groups keep track of what they find by providing them with a record-keeping template that contains • Can we solve climate change by changing the food we the questions found in part two of this lesson. They can be eat? loaded directly into a BookCreator or PowerPoint template, • What message would you like to send to others about or you can allow students to develop their own graphic orga- this product? nizer. It is best if it is an electronic template so it is easy for them to store images, websites and videos. After about one hour, when their documentation is com- After 30 minutes or so, bring the class together and plete, have groups pull this information together in a short have each group highlight something that they found. Have story about their product that highlights key aspects of their

Page 10 Green Teacher 114 food product, how it relates to climate change, and a recom- mendation for the viewer about decisions they can make about the food they eat. Have them use a storyboard6 tem- plate to construct a video, stop-motion animation, cartoon, or storybook. These should be about two minutes in length, and should highlight one or two key elements they discussed in more depth in their report. If you do not have access to video technology they can make a poster, collage, diorama, short skit, comic strip or mural. Have students spend the next 45 minutes to an hour sto- ryboarding. The storyboard should be a “service announce- ment” informing the “reader” about the relationship between the products and climate change. Have each group share and critique their storyboard with other groups to help clarify their message. This is generally a very lively process, with a great deal of laughter and inter-group discussions.

III: Climate change café Groups need an hour or so to make the video or poster based on their storyboard design using whatever formats you have offered them. It is helpful to recruit high school media stu- dents and the school media center to support this process. Their product should answer some or all of the questions pro- vided earlier, but should also have a tone and clear message that expresses each group’s assessment of the product, and how it relates to climate change. The last hour of this lesson is devoted to a climate change café where students share their reports and PSAs in a casual showcase. You can make it as small an event as you wish, or a larger one by inviting other classrooms or families. Con- sider having snacks that include local sustainably grown food. (Farms and local groceries are often more than will- ing to donate carrots or other local foods for such an event.) Depending upon the number of presentations you have, you Teaching Resources can spread it out over several days, or divide the class and visitors into smaller groups so that each group is only view- Sample videos and books made by my students ing three to four reports and videos. If possible, invite a local • Dried Mango https://www.teachertube.com/video/where- climate change expert from a nearby university, nonprofit or does-your-food-come-from-mango-psa-video-454999 nature center to help answer some of the questions that may • Veggie Chips https://www.teachertube.com/ surface. document/33758 • Dried Pineapple https://www.teachertube.com/ document/33759 Susan Rauchwerk is an associate professor and the co- director of the Science in Education program and Wonder- Accurate, science-oriented lessons on food and climate Lab at Lesley University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. change: She previously worked as the Education Director for Earth- • NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov/resource-collections/ watch Institute and the Massachusetts Audubon Society. climate-education-resources • NASA: https://climate.nasa.gov/resources/education/ Notes • EPA: https://www.epa.gov/students/lesson-plans-teacher- 1. Council, W. (1987). Aquatic Project Wild. Project Wild, Salina Star Route, guides-and-online-resources-educators Boulder, CO. • Kid World Citizen: http://kidworldcitizen.org/2012/08/24/ 2. Duckworth, E. (2009). Helping students get to where ideas can find them. where-in-the-world-is-your-food-from/ The New Educator, 5(3), 185-188. • Clean Net: http://cleanet.org/clean/educational_resources/ 3. Global Climate Change. (2014). National climate assessment. Retrieved from http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/, (https://www.treehugger.com/green-food/6- index.html ways-agriculture-impacts-global-warming.html) • Australian Eco-Friendly Food: http://www.ecofriendlyfood. 4. Curated links to food production and distribution resources; https://edu.sym- org.au/media/pdf/Years%202-3%20lesson%20plan%20A. baloo.com/mix/foodandclimatechange pdf 5. https://www.livescience.com/55814-how-do-green-screens-work.html 6. Stop-motion animation storyboard template http://www.bbc.co.uk/north- Lesson ideas from agribusiness ernireland/myplacemyspace/downloads/promote-your-day-out/storyboard- • http://www.myamericanfarm.org/ template.pdf

Green Teacher 114 Page 11 Photos: Matthew Broda Finding Inspiration for Outdoor Learning A profile of an award-winning teacher’s strategies for getting all students in her school outdoors more often

By Herb Broda To use the outdoors as a teaching tool, Laura developed an outdoor classroom on her school site. She tracked down AURA GRIMM HAS TWO doors in her classroom. potential donations in the community and enlisted the help Very conveniently, one of them opens directly to the of parent and staff volunteers to create a flexible outdoor Lschoolyard! learning site with diverse plantings, animal feeding stations The other door opens into Laura’s indoor classroom. She and a circular outdoor meeting area. She used this outdoor is the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math classroom, as well as nearly all areas of the school grounds, (STEAM) teacher (K-8) for a small, rural Ohio school dis- as her nature-based audio-visual tools. Several of the activity trict. Every day she teaches classes while also serving as a ideas that she utilized at her school were included in the book STEAM resource for teachers in her building. Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning, and are shared below. Laura represents all teachers who care deeply about help- Although Laura works in a rural setting, it’s possible to ing children to understand the natural world. Her accom- develop outdoor learning areas anywhere. I have worked plishments help us to recognize opportunities in our own with schools in a variety of locales — urban, suburban and situations. rural. Even schools in downtown Boston, with green space Laura’s commitment to outdoor learning began over barely equal to the size of a few parking spaces, have created twenty years ago with one of those classrooms with two some diverse plantings and meeting areas that frame outdoor doors. She regularly used one door to take her class outside learning. Take a walk around your school grounds. Look for for activities that enriched the curriculum and made abstract areas that could be left unmowed to create biodiversity, or concepts more concrete in all areas of the curriculum — not have natural edge effects where one habitat meets another. only science. But even if you have only one door in your As years passed and district needs shifted, Laura’s build- classroom, you can still replicate many of Laura’s activities ing was closed and she was assigned a new grade level at and projects. another school in a neighboring town. Although it was dif-

Page 12 Green Teacher 114 ficult to walk away from her thoughtfully created outdoor science and math teachers from around the world with a classroom, a new opportunity appeared. The district was unique opportunity to learn about space exploration at building a new K-8 building and needed teacher volunteers to a week-long astronaut training program in Huntsville, provide input. Alabama. Laura recognized the opportunity during the design Each year the Environmental Education Council of Ohio phase of the project to provide advocacy for both outdoor (EECO) presents an award to a person selected from PK-12 learning and green building initiatives. As a member of the teachers, school administrators, curriculum specialists or planning committee she championed the concept that the higher education faculty for outstanding contributions to school grounds be considered as a learning space. Since environmental education in Ohio. The award is not given for STEAM initiatives were being emphasized in the district, one-time projects or accomplishments. Instead, it celebrates Laura wanted to utilize the outdoors as a part of her instruc- a person who has consistently focused on helping students tion. As a result, the STEAM classroom has — you guessed gain a better understanding of the environment. This year’s it — two doors! One of those doors opens to an inviting out- winner was Laura Grimm. door classroom space. Although Laura personifies the words “busy” and Although working on a design committee for a new “involved,” her primary focus is always on bringing complex school is a powerful opportunity to promote outdoor learn- concepts into clearer focus for her students. She is a strong ing, there are other ways to encourage schoolyard learning. advocate of using the schoolyard as an instructional tool. On For example, every staff has at least a few teachers who see the following pages are a few activities that Laura uses to the value of using the outdoors for instruction. Unfortunately, take students through that second door into the outdoor class- many of those folks work in isolation and often are not even room. Although designed for 5th grade students, they could aware of other staff who would be eager to share ideas and be adapted for a variety of grade levels. Hopefully some of collaborate on projects. Try bringing these folks together these activities will fit into your curriculum too! occasionally to share ideas, resources and possible joint projects. Herb Broda is an emeritus professor of education at Currently, Laura is seeing her fundraising and planning Ashland University, in Ashland, Ohio, and the author of two efforts evolve as a state-of-the-art greenhouse is constructed books about the schoolyard as a teaching tool. School- adjacent to the building. The greenhouse would never have yard-Enhanced Learning (2007) and Moving the Class- happened if Laura had not advocated and personally raised room Outdoors (2011) are both available from Stenhouse funds in the community for the project. Publishers, Portland Maine. Herb’s idea of a perfect day is Even if a greenhouse isn’t a fit for your school, there are sharing nature with his family. Learn more about his work still many ways to encourage outdoor learning. Many parents at: www.movingtheclassroomoutdoors.com bring a variety of talents that can be channeled into creating outdoor learning sites. As a champion for outdoor instruc- tion you can help to merge teacher ideas and parent talent. Webinars from Remember also that including news about outdoor learning in classroom and school newsletters, as well as websites, is powerful advocacy that any of us can do. Laura did all of this fundraising and advocating while Eco-System Monitoring Programs still teaching and serving as a resource to her colleagues. with Daniel Shaw She has taught in the district’s May resident outdoor educa- Wednesday, October 25, 2017 7:30 - 8:30 pm EST tion program for more than a decade. For many years her classes were not involved, so the task of preparing a week’s worth of lesson plans was added to the work mix. Telling your Story with Story Maps with Joseph Kerski Continuing professional growth is essential for any edu- Monday, October 30, 2017 7:30 - 8:30 pm EST cator. But for teachers passionate about outdoor learning, it’s especially important to seek out opportunities to meet with like-minded folks who can provide fresh ideas and essential Depaving: A New Way to Change Cities optimism. Seek out the websites of state or provincial envi- from Grey to Green ronmental education associations for lists of workshops and with Alix Taylor meetings near you. On a national scale, the North American Wednesday, November 15, 2017 7:30-8:30pm EST Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) and Canada’s Evergreen are great clearinghouses of professional To register and learn about other webinars, visit: development resources. www.greenteacher.com/webinars Laura found several grants to further her continued growth as a teacher. She was chosen for two highly selec- tive programs: The Honeywell Green Boot Camp (2014) and The Honeywell Space Academy for Educators (2012). Both programs have provided her students with valuable materials and unique learning opportunities. The Honeywell Corpora- tion created this scholarship program in partnership with the All of our upcoming webinars are FREE U.S. Space and Rocket Center to provide middle school Subscribers can freely access our 75+ past webinars

Green Teacher 114 Page 13 Activities

Angles (Grades 4-6) how many of a certain species there might be in an acre. This (but could be used with geometric concepts at any grade level). activity provides realistic opportunities for statistical analysis Using Popsicle sticks and a string (20–24 feet), students form and gives students insight into how scientists estimate popula- various shapes, angles, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, and tions of species in large areas. such on the lawn. By shifting the concept of angles from a draw- I have used a variation of this activity using balloons — the ing on paper to a more tangible feature outdoors, the concept 9-inch round size seems to work well. The basic procedure is to is reinforced and can be quickly checked for understanding. blow up the balloon (don’t tie the end), hold it over your head, This activity can easily be extended by having students take and let it go. It zooms wildly and then lands. Place the ring or pictures of various types of angles that they find in nature. boundary over the area where the balloon lands. Then begin recording data. One disadvantage of the balloon launch is that you have to contend with the squeaks and squawks that kids can Random sampling (Grades 3-8) generate with balloons! Students generate data outside that can be later analyzed or Having students work with data that they have collected in an utilized indoors. Laura has pairs of students launch rubber area familiar to them is a great motivator. The abstract concept bands with yarn attached. The rubber band is placed on the of data representation suddenly becomes much more concrete. thumb and the student pulls back on the yarn. What happens next is determined by the type of data that she wants students to gather. A boundary is designated over The human bar graph (Grades 3-6) the area where the rubber band lands (e.g., coat hangers bent This activity is a beautiful example of how an abstract concept into an oval or circle, large round rubber seals or gaskets, loops can be first presented indoors, and then reinforced outside. The of string, or even hula hoops). A standardized unit such as a schoolyard is used as a venue to provide a valuable change of square meter length of cord makes it easy to translate findings pace and place from the classroom, while helping students to into approximations for a much larger area. visualize a concept more clearly. (See photo below) Often kids get down on their hands and knees to count For this activity, students are grouped according to birth and record the number of different plants and animals that month and then go outside to the blacktop play area. They lie they find in the sample area (hand lenses come in handy here). down at the appropriate month and form a human bar graph. Sometimes the tally may be of specific plant types that are in The activity can be a great icebreaker at the beginning of a the sample or the soil type that is present. After recording the school year, and also provides a very real representation of data. information, another launch is made and the process can be As an extension activity, Laura has kids line up according quickly repeated. to birthdates. The long line is closed to form a circle on the By going to different areas of the schoolyard, comparisons blacktop. Laura then draws lines on the ground to show where can be made and inferences and predictions generated. If you the four seasons would fall and an instant circle graph/pie know the size of your sample, it is also possible to estimate chart is created. Photos: Matthew Broda

Page 14 Green Teacher 114 Charting information (Grades 4-6) Water evaporation is a great example of an activity that has science connections and also serves as a data generator. On a sunny day, Laura takes a cup of water and pours it on a level area of sidewalk or asphalt. She uses chalk to draw a line around the shape that was formed by the pool of water. After waiting ten to fifteen minutes, she draws another line around the new shape. The procedure continues until all of the water is gone. Next, students take string and lay it on top of the outer shape. They then measure the length of string needed to outline the perimeter. Students continue to calculate the perimeter of all of the shapes that were drawn and then chart the data.

Shapes scavenger hunt (Grades 4-8) (by using different shapes, this activity could be used with younger or older students) To reinforce that geometric figures such as triangles, rectangles, and circles aren’t found only in textbooks, Laura uses an outdoor scavenger hunt that includes geometric shapes. It’s designed as a Bingo game, with several variations of the cards used so that everyone doesn’t win at once. After the initial scavenger hunt, students use cameras to record outdoor examples of spheres, cylinders, cubes, pyramids, and so on. Students bring in their pictures and the class identifies the geometric figures that are represented. The same approach is effective to show symmetry in nature.

Green journal (Grades 4-8) This is a flexible activity that incorporates several disciplines, but is unified through the use of a journal. The Green Journal provides a vehicle for doing narrative, expository, and persuasive writing. The journal continues throughout the school year, thereby provid- ing a contrast to the short-span activities that usually comprise October Theme: Mapping and Measurement a classroom routine. The journal incorporates many elements of • Draw a map of your special place. outdoor-enhanced learning, and is a great example of using the • Include a key, compass rose, measurement scale, and draw outdoors to teach a variety of content areas and topics. the map from a “bird’s-eye view.” The Green Journal activity begins in the first few weeks of school. Laura provides each student with a spiral bound notebook November Theme: Comparing and Contrasting (green cover, of course). She gives a different set of instructions Seasonal Change each month and students paste them onto the journal pages. • Make detailed observations (words and pictures) about your December and January are combined into one assignment. special place now that autumn has arrived. Has anything In the August assignment, each student locates a special changed? Do you notice anything new? Is anything missing? place that is not larger than 10 feet by 10 feet. Although Laura • Make a Venn diagram to help you organize your thoughts. has students choose a spot near their homes, the various tasks • Write a paragraph to compare and contrast late summer and and activities could also be done using a location on the school autumn as they relate to your special place. grounds. Students then describe their special place in words • Illustrate your paragraph. and pictures. Here are the themes and a few sample activities from Laura’s instructions to her students each month. Notice the wide range December/January Theme: Recording Data and of activities and content areas that are incorporated. Making Predictions • Make observations, measurements, and draw pictures about the weather. September Theme: Classifying • At the end of January, write a summary of December and • List at least fifteen things found in your special place. January’s weather. • Make a table to classify them as living, nonliving, or once • What do the plants and animals in your special place do to living. survive the winter? (This may require some research.) Predict • Make a bar graph or pictograph to share your results. what will happen to the living things in your special place if • Write your own definition of the following: living, nonliving, you have an especially “hard” winter. once living.

Green Teacher 114 Page 15 February Theme: Needs of Living Things May Theme: Reflection and Evaluation • Identify the items in your special place that provide plants • Take someone with you to your special place. Read your Green and animals with what they need in order to live. You may do Journal to him or her. Show them your pictures, graphs, and this in a table, drawing, or paragraph. tables. • Make a mini poster for your journal that advertises your special • Reflect on all that you have done this year with your Green place as a great place for animals and plants to live. Be sure Journal. Was it a good activity? How might it be improved? to include the basic needs of living things. • Write a letter to the teacher that includes the following:

March Theme: Water Cycle and Hypothesis What did you think about keeping a Green Journal? • Draw and label how the water cycle might occur in your spe- • What did you like most? cial place. • What did you like least? • Make a hypothesis as to what would happen to your special • Discuss three things you learned by keeping your journal. place following a heavy rainstorm. If a heavy rainstorm occurs, • Do you have any suggestions for next year? make observations to see if your hypothesis was correct. • How might you have improved your journal? • Make a hypothesis as to what would happen to your special place in a drought. Although the Green Journal is a great interdisciplinary activity, the major side benefit is the opportunity it provides for a child to April Theme: Signs of Spring and Your Senses develop a connection with a special place near home. The activity • Use your senses to observe and describe spring’s arrival. could also be done using locations right on the school site. • At the beginning of the month, predict what changes will take The above activities come from Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning: place in your special place during the month of April. Record Using the Outdoors as an Instructional Tool, K-8 by Herb Broda your predictions in the journal. At the end of the month, make (copyright © 2006, reproduced with permission of Stenhouse observations to see if your predictions were true. Publishers).

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Page 16 Green Teacher 114 Water Quality Field Trips

As they watch wastewater being treated and test water quality in a stream near their school, high school and college students come to appreciate the importance of water quality Photos: Jessica Harwood

these experiences. In this article, I will first outline the basic By Jessica Harwood parts of a standard guided wastewater treatment plant tour. Then I will suggest materials and methods for setting up an “You mean we’re drinking dookie water?” easy water quality monitoring field trip near a school. AGGING BEHIND THE REST of the group during Wastewater treatment plant tour our visit to the local wastewater treatment facility, At our local wastewater treatment plant in Spartanburg, Lthree of my student-athletes erupted into a fit of laugh- South Carolina, the operators routinely give tours to students ter. These sorts of “aha” moments are the motivation for me of various age groups. It’s likely that the operators of waste- to take my community college students on this field trip each water treatment plants in your area also offer tours. A quick semester. These students had obviously sat through my les- call to their public relations department will determine what son on biogeochemical cycles, including my bad jokes about is involved in scheduling a tour for your students. drinking dinosaur urine, without truly comprehending the Regardless of your students’ age group, discuss the fol- concept. However, once they saw where their flushed water lowing questions prior to the tour: goes, it suddenly all made sense. • How does water cycle through the living and non-living In two field trips, I approach the topic of water quality matter on Earth? from two directions. I want students to understand what hap- pens to our wastewater once it leaves our drains and why this • Why is it important to treat our wastewater? process is important. To explore these questions, we visit a • Human waste is largely a biodegradable material. What wastewater treatment plant one day, and then we assess the does this mean? water quality in a local stream on another day. These activi- ties provide an excellent opportunity to review the concept Although the specific equipment used can differ from of biogeochemical cycles and to introduce how water pol- place to place, wastewater treatment typically includes the lution can reduce dissolved oxygen levels and thereby harm same main steps. I introduce these steps to the students wildlife. While both field trips can be adapted to students in before the field trip by showing them photographs from pre- younger grades, I’ve found that teenagers are a great fit for vious tours.

Green Teacher 114 Page 17 mechanical arms, while the heavy particles settle to the bottom with the help of gravity. 4. Sludge Treatment: Once it is removed from the bottom of the clarifiers, the treatment of sludge can vary. Typi- cally, the water is removed by centrifugation to reduce transportation and disposal costs. The remaining solids, which then look like “moist chocolate cake” according to our tour guide, are disposed of at the landfill. 5. Chlorine Treatment: While the water looks clear at this point, remind students that pathogenic viruses and bac- teria are invisible to the naked eye. Chlorine gas is used to disinfect the water. Students often then make the con- nection that chlorine is also used to disinfect swimming pools. Since the chlorine could be toxic to wildlife when released into the stream, it is removed from the water with sulfur dioxide. 6. Discharging into a Nearby Stream: We are fortunate that our local treatment plant discharges the reclaimed water into a stream about a hundred yards downstream from the plant. The short walk to see the discharge clears up a common misconception. Some students don’t imme- diately understand that the reclaimed water is not directly pumped back to their home faucets. I point out that a dif- ferent facility treats and filters the water that they use in their homes. Since some of my students come from parts of the state that are downstream, I have fun pointing out that they might drink the very same water someday! 1. Screening Process: A series of screens is used to fil- ter out grit and other solid waste that is not biodegrad- able. This is a good time to discuss that anything that is Field study at a local stream washed into a sewer grate in a storm can end up in the To emphasize the importance of wastewater treatment, I waste water, including matchbox cars, motor oil, and ask students what would happen if we discharged our sew- even money on occasion. age directly into our streams, without going through the wastewater treatment process, and they come up with good 2. Decomposition in Aeration Basins: At this point, the answers: “It would smell!” or “It could make you sick!” Then tour guide shows us a sample of the incoming wastewater. I introduce the idea of dissolved oxygen and biochemical “It looks like chocolate milk!” he exclaims to get a rise oxygen demand (BOD). I explain that if a large amount of out of the students. The wastewater is pumped into large biodegradable material, such as raw sewage, was dumped basins where it is aerated to supply the microorganisms into a stream, the decomposers would flourish and use up the with oxygen as they break down the human waste in the dissolved oxygen in the water. In this way, I bridge the water water. treatment plant tour to our study of water quality in a stream. Remind students that human waste is largely bio- degradable. The tiny creatures in the aeration basins Materials break down the wastes and use them as food. In the facility’s lab, our tour guide shows videos of the • White, fine-mesh nets (Carolina Biological Supply has an wastewater under a microscope so that students can inexpensive option) see the bacteria and protozoans at work. • Dissolved oxygen tabs and vials (included in LaMotte Kit) With more advanced students, you can also dis- • Coliform bacteria test (included in LaMotte Kit) cuss the carbon and nitrogen cycles. The carbon in the • Disposable plastic pipettes waste is being converted to carbon dioxide, and the nitrogen in the waste is being converted from ammo- • Aluminum foil nia to nitrate, known as nitrification. (Our plant does • Water thermometers not have an anaerobic process, but many wastewater treatment plants do. Known as denitrification, this • Handouts on aquatic invertebrates process allows the nitrate to be broken down into gas- • I encourage students to bring rain boots or tennis shoes eous nitrogen.) that they don’t mind getting wet and muddy 3. Sedimentation in Clarifiers: Suspended solids are then Note: I started out using the LaMotte Low-Cost Water Moni- removed from the wastewater in large, round tanks that toring Kit but recently we have invested in Vernier Dissolved are usually called clarifiers or settling tanks. The “scum” Oxygen probes, which I think provide more accurate results is skimmed from the top of the water by spinning for dissolved oxygen measurements.

Page 18 Green Teacher 114 Procedures The LaMotte Kit provides what you need to conduct a vari- ety of water quality tests, but I recommend starting with the dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and coliform bacteria tests. I then ask students to look for aquatic inverte- brates in the water. 1. Dissolved Oxygen: We discuss the fact that aquatic animals need oxygen to survive, just like the animals on land. We review what can cause dissolved oxygen to drastically decrease in a stream and consider what very low levels of dissolved oxygen would mean for the organisms that live in the stream. If you use the LaMotte Kit, the students simply dissolve a tablet in a vial full of stream water, and then compare the color that develops to a supplied color chart to determine the amount of oxygen in parts per million (ppm). Next, they take the water temperature and convert their dissolved oxygen measurement to solved oxygen and BOD levels, as “excellent,” “good,” percent oxygen saturation using the included chart. “fair,” or “poor.” I first ask the students to explain what 2. Biochemical Oxygen Demand: As we discuss what the results of each test mean. I then have them look at all would happen in a stream polluted with human waste, I the data together and evaluate the water quality in the explain that this “demand” for oxygen by decomposers stream. This pushes them to a higher level on Bloom’s is called biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). In other taxonomy of educational learning. words, BOD is an indirect measure of the amount of biodegradable material in the stream. Extensions To test for BOD, one simply records the initial For further study, you can introduce the concept of eutro- dissolved oxygen level. After the vial is left for sev- phication and how excess nutrients like nitrogen and phos- eral days wrapped in aluminum foil in the dark, one phate from fertilizers can affect dissolved oxygen levels in a again measures the dissolved oxygen level. Subtract- stream. The LaMotte Kit also includes simple tests for nitrate ing the final value from the initial value shows how and phosphate. much the oxygen has been depleted, which is the BOD Consider adding an easy and effective lab activity that measurement. uses yeast and milk to model how decomposers can take dis- 3. Coliform Bacteria: After explaining that fecal coliform solved oxygen out of water. This is a good way to continue bacteria are naturally present in our digestive tracts, I the discussion of biochemical oxygen demand and dissolved ask the students what it would mean if they found large oxygen in streams. amounts of these bacteria in the stream. This generates I feel that preserving water quality is an important skill lots of colorful answers! I then relate this back to the for students to learn. I’ve found that taking students on a field impact that human waste would have on dissolved oxy- trip to a wastewater treatment plant and performing water gen levels and discuss some of the pathogens found in quality monitoring on a nearby stream are excellent ways to human waste. teach this skill to students. The field trips also provide a good The LaMotte Kit includes a simple coliform bac- opening to introduce the concepts of biogeochemical cycles teria test where you fill a vial with stream water and and to discuss the effects of water pollution on dissolved allow a tablet to dissolve over 48 hours. If a cloudy, oxygen. By seeing how wastewater treatment works and per- yellow appearance forms, then this is a positive test forming water quality testing themselves, students are more for coliform bacteria. likely to appreciate how water quality impacts their lives. 4. Aquatic Invertebrates: While they are holding the net immediately downstream, have students disturb some Jessica Harwood is a professor of Biology and Envi- rocks at the stream’s bottom and see what they can ronmental Science at Spartanburg Methodist College, catch. We also routinely find stonefly nymphs by simply in Spartanburg, South Carolina. She can be reached at picking up rocks and looking closely at their undersides. [email protected]. Students also often see crayfish and small fish. The Ala- bama Extension (aces.edu) has excellent drawings of Resources pollution tolerant and intolerant invertebrates in their 1. “Effects of Biodegradable Wastes on Dissolved Oxygen” lab. Penn State publication “Streams: A Natural Heritage Worth Pre- Teacher Resources. (ecosystems.psu.edu/youth/sftrc/lesson-plan-pdfs/simulat- serving.” Students can use these drawings to identify the inglab) creatures that they’ve found. 2. LaMotte Low Cost Water Monitoring Kit (lamotte.com) 3. “Streams: A Natural Heritage Worth Preserving.” Alabama Extension (aces. 5. Analysis: In small groups, students can then analyze all edu) the data they have collected. The LaMotte Kit includes 4. Vernier Water Quality Products (vernier.com/water-quality/) a chart that ranks each measurement, including the dis-

Green Teacher 114 Page 19 Rooting Readers in the Literary Garden

How a Literary Garden turned a required high school English class into an exciting opportunity for students to dig literature outdoors Photos: David Johnson

By Jennifer McQuillan and Bird-Voices,” where they can eagerly await the first tulips of spring that represent works by Sylvia Plath and John Green, and where they can break off a sprig of rose- FTER SEVENTEEN YEARS of kicking off a new mary that Nikki Giovanni herself asked us to plant when school year in just the right dress with a variety of one of my students contacted her last spring. The Garden is Aheels that promised “comfort and flex,” this past rooted in a deep love for literature and for nature; the first September I rolled out of bed, threw on a pair of shorts, a was possible to transmit to my students in my classroom; literary-themed t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. There would the other was stifled by it. be no syllabi or seating charts today. Instead, I would begin For the last eighteen years, I have taught in a classroom my classes in the late summer sunshine of my Literary with four white walls and no windows. Throughout those Garden. eighteen years, I have watched kids squirm in their rigid, The Literary Garden, composed of plants representing ill-fitting seats, falling asleep, surreptitiously eating, asking over forty American authors, stands as a testament in the for bathroom pass after bathroom pass, anything to get up center of the West Bloomfield High School courtyard, that and get moving. They could not sit still for 90 minutes at a reading is important, that place does matter, that fresh air stretch. I, too, have watched the clock militantly like Nurse and sunshine can improve mood and attitudes about learn- Ratched, wondering how to keep them engaged and on task. ing, and that working in a garden can build a community But how could I teach about the Transcendentalists in out of a group of strangers. It is a one-of-a-kind garden that room? How could students possibly understand how where students can touch, photograph, and sketch the same Henry David Thoreau observed nature if we were hemmed lilac that prompted Nathaniel Hawthorne to write “Buds in on all sides? So even as a brand-new teacher, without any

Page 20 Green Teacher 114 idea of what I was getting myself into, I took my sophomore court, in the bleachers, wherever I could find a novel space American literature classes out into our school’s nature to talk. The sunshine and fresh air reinvigorated the kids, preserve and asked them to sketch, draw, photograph, and and me, too. But I needed more. write about their reactions to their favorite Thoreau quotes. In December. Growing an idea There was a lot of whining. “It’s cold, McQ.” “There’s In the fall of 2014, as I was thinking of what I could do for too much snow on the ground.” “Everything is dead in the my next West Bloomfield Educational Foundation grant winter.” One year, a student told me she was allergic to cold application, I began thinking about the neglected courtyard weather (there is such an allergy). Another time, a student in the center of our school. It was a mess — all weeds sprained her ankle on an icy trail and we had to fireman’s and overgrown grass. I loved gardening and was an avid carry her up the hill to get her back to the building (UGG literary tourist. It struck me that some of the plants I had boots are not meant for hiking). Students have climbed seen at authors’ homesteads may have been around when trees (that’s on my list of things not to do) and fallen into the authors still lived there. What if we could get seeds or a the stream, returning to the classroom soaked and chilled. cutting or some kind of plant from Concord, Massachusetts, But the scrapbooks they created from this experience were where the Transcendentalists lived? Or from Dickinson’s so worth it — personal, vibrant, and intensely connected Amherst, home? Or even plant some local daisies and throw to the reading. They argued, agreed, fought, challenged, a green light on them for The Great Gatsby? Something, and passionately interacted with Thoreau (and Emerson, anything, that could replicate that brain-based learning I and Whitman, and Dickinson, and Hawthorne) in this saw my students responding to when we went outside, when unit because of two reasons: 1) they could visualize what all of their senses were engaged in the process. What if I Thoreau and the other Transcendentalists were talking could create a space in our school that was dedicated to the about — they didn’t have to imagine “The Pond in Winter” spaces in which authors had lived and worked? Would it because they could see it, feel it, and taste the crisp air for inspire my students the way it had inspired the authors? I themselves, and 2) they could personalize their response in applied for the grant and received $500 in seed money (pun a non-traditional way. Nonconformity ruled the day. I threw intended!). out MLA. I threw out proper capitalization. Grammar and That winter, I began calling the homesteads to see if spelling had to hold, but they could write in first person, any of them would be willing to donate a plant or a seed to and their textual evidence could come from their own lives. our garden. Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House was the Year after year, class after class, students voted this as their first to respond, thinking that perhaps they could provide favorite unit. us with an apple tree from their orchard. Though that didn’t It was mine, too. I was sick of that classroom. I started work out, I used that contact to begin connecting with other thinking bigger. How could the school become our class- homesteads. Slowly but surely, the list started to build. Walt room? How could the campus become our classroom? I Whitman. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Mark Twain. Edgar Allan applied for a grant to bring in a yoga teacher to tie Tran- Poe. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Old Manse. Kurt Vonnegut! scendentalism to yoga and also for our seniors to manage If this list looks awfully dead, white, and male to you, stress, anxiety, and transitions. Whenever the weather was you are correct. I quickly came to realize that, as a nation, nice, we held discussions outside in the grass, on the tennis

How to Grow your Own Academic Garden

It doesn’t have to be literary… you could have an art garden, or a scientific garden, or a math garden — think cre- atively with your cross-curricular friends! The more hands on deck, the better! The Literary homesteads and museums and houses are fac- ing massive cuts to their programming, and the curators who work there are often historians, but not master gardeners. Please don’t contact them. Find local plants. Try www.getedfunding.com as a possible resource for STEM-based garden funding, and don’t forget to check out local grants as well. Create a plan and ASK, ASK, ASK for help and donations! I was so surprised by how many people from all walks of life loved helping with the gardening!

Green Teacher 114 Page 21 we do not preserve the authorial spaces of she got us in touch with the Vonnegut fam- women or minority writers. We’ve ily, and we were permitted to dig up barely been able to hang on to the hydrangeas that flank Kurt in the houses I have mentioned. the famous picture his daughter Twain’s house in Hartford, Edie took of him in 2006, the Connecticut, and Poe’s year before he died. This house in Baltimore, nearly spring, two years after they shut down due to lack of were planted, the hydran- funding over the last cen- geas flowered next to a tury. And often, women replica of the door that writers — especially my theater tech students women of color — have created in honor of Von- died in poverty or worse, negut. Vonnegut’s hydran- leaving them all but forgot- geas are blue; ours bloomed ten. This was especially true pink, so this fall we will work when I went hunting for Zora with Karen Matynowski, our Neale Hurston’s home in Florida. AP Environmental Science teacher, I, of course, owe Alice Walker a deep to determine what soil changes need debt of gratitude for all of the work she did to be made — and when, and why, and how to track down Hurston’s grave in Fort Pierce, Florida — to turn the hydrangeas blue. I’ve already researched in the 1970s. What is more astonishing is the group of Hur- the answer to this question, but there is no point in doing it ston historians — Adrienne, Brenda, and Hassie — who myself when I can get the kids — and an entirely different keep Zora’s legacy alive in Fort Pierce at their own expense. discipline — involved and excited about the Garden. And I These women may not have had a plant to give me, but they can ask my kids — why blue? “Why do you think Vonnegut gave me a sense of Hurston’s place that I could take back to favored blue?” “What clues can you find in his writing?” my students as we read Their Eyes Were Watching God. We “Why might that be significant?” And so it goes. planted a local pear tree in Hurston’s honor, and this past fall, Two years later, the West Bloomfield High School Liter- my sophomores gathered underneath that pear tree to discuss ary Garden flourishes in the center of our courtyard. Allen the novel in the sunshine rather than hearing me drone on Ginsberg’s sunflowers crane their necks toward the sky, and about policies and procedures as the clock ticked by intermi- Ralph Waldo Emerson’s bloody butcher corn is taller than nably. That kind of start to the school year changed every- I am. The false indigo pods from the Old Manse are begin- thing for my students, and for me, generating an excitement ning to turn black — perhaps we can auction off the seeds and a novelty to my class that convinced teenagers normally in a fundraiser this fall. Hemingway’s mint needs a haircut, glued to their devices to give me — and the authors — a and Marge Piercy’s daylilies are blooming fiercely under the chance. hot July sun. Eugenia Collier’s marigolds sprout sunshiny As for creating the Literary Garden itself — well, that happiness from the black mulch, and Walt Whitman’s lilac was a rocky start. I went on Facebook asking for donations needs to be kept well-watered so it does not burn out. This of dirt. I contacted dozens of big-box stores and local land- fall I will need to plant Mark Twain’s burr oak trees out in scapers looking for dirt. I had plants ready to be shipped the nature preserve so they have room to grow and expand, — but I had nowhere to plant them! I applied for grants like which they desperately need. The students and I have spent mad, scoring one through the company of a former student, hours upon hours out there, discussing authors and stories, and received incredibly generous donations, big and planting, weeding, watering, mulching, conducting fall small, from community members, current and spring clean-ups, reciting poetry, tast- and former students, and parents — I ing mint, and banging on bongo drums, was stunned. A local landscaper intersecting the worlds of literature donated his time to plan out the and the environment in ways I garden. In the end, it took a could never have anticipated. group of volunteers and an army of wheelbarrows four days to wheel in — by Classroom hand — four cubic yards without borders (3 cubic metres) of pea As Will Coleman notes, gravel and nineteen cubic “What happens in class- yards (14.5 cubic metres) rooms now often bears of dirt. little resemblance to what Julia Whitehead, happens in the ‘real world’… founder and CEO of the Kurt Learning, in most school Vonnegut Memorial Library contexts, has become some- in Indianapolis, loved the idea so thing that happens from reading much that she offered to be the literary texts or being told about things, rather sponsor of the garden. Even more thrilling, than multi-sensory encounters with the real

Page 22 Green Teacher 114 riots of 1967 and in Americans against the Vietnam War in 1968. Other students are working to contact the families or museums of Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss, James Baldwin, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ezra Pound, and Elizabeth Bishop. I am working with poet Ross Gay to see if he will provide us with something from his orchard. Next year, the Hemingway trip will include a science component as well, as MHS President Struble pointed out that the conservation of those wetlands is a hot topic in northern Michigan environmental circles. At the end of the year, I asked my students to reflect on how the Garden had impacted their learning in my class. One of my sophomores wrote: “Being outside is fantastic for learning. Not only does it keep everybody awake and engaged, but it also means we have something to look for- ward to in the day, and it is far easier to relate a symbol of nature, when you have the nature right in front of you.”

Jennifer McQuillan is a veteran high school English teacher, former journalist, and budding literary gardener who has a lot to learn about garden pests. She teaches at West Bloomfield High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She is grateful to Dr, Melissa Talhelm for her research on the Garden and for helping to procure many of the plants that reside there. You can follow the Literary Garden at www.literarygarden.org.

Reference 1. Coleman, Will. “All About… Place-based Learning.” Nursery World, 7 October 2010, pp. 17.

world.”1 This is all too true in English classrooms, where students almost always learn about an author by passively reading or watching a biography of that author. But this May we even looked at the state as our classroom, connecting with the Michigan Hemingway Society (MHS) for a one-day field trip to the Horton Bay and Petoskey areas, where Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote the Nick Adams stories for the first twenty-one years of his life. Chris Struble, MHS Presi- dent, handled the historical connections, I handled the liter- ary passages, and we tag teamed at the sites around the area that were connected to Hemingway’s writing. In “Summer People,” when Nick talks about dipping his hands in the cool spring of Horton Bay where the mint grows wild, there we were, all of us taking turns trailing our hands in the water, nibbling on the mint, the same mint that we have growing in the Literary Garden. But somehow, this experience expanded that sense of place on an even grander scale, because we could count Ernest Hemingway as one of our own, knowing that he fished and camped and swam in the same spaces that so many of us have summered our whole lives. We were no longer tied to my classroom or the courtyard or the campus — we could see beyond those borders. We could feel it in the places and spaces these writers left behind. It is the summer of 2017, and this week one of my stu- dents is speaking with the family of Detroit-born poet Philip Levine, whose poem “They Feed They Lion” tried to cap- ture the rage he witnessed simmering in Detroit during the

Green Teacher 114 Page 23 Photos: Ontario EcoSchools Tips to Start Off Your School Year How best to plan for school-wide environmental learning and action throughout the year

By Elanor Waslander It’s always a good idea to start early. Form a green team in September or October to involve students, educators, parents, and school administrators in planning for the year S A HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE teacher, I learned ahead. For a strong green team, strive to have at least three that the first few months of the school year set the adult participants and representation from each grade level. Atone for the rest of the year. I now work as the Exec- You’ll also want to think about planning for succession: utive Director of Ontario EcoSchools but I’ve never forgot- encourage students from a range of grades and age levels to ten how those first few months of school are key to success. allow for mentoring and continuity from one year to the next. I have learned that whether it be as simple as students One of the most rewarding aspects of being on an EcoTeam making environmental pledges, or as complex as creating is this peer-to-peer learning and mentorship. a school garden, planning and goal-setting are essential Once you’ve assembled a keen green team, decide on one to getting your green journey going. This means not only or more focus areas for your eco-activities. Get a sense of connecting with students, but working with other staff what environmental issues students get excited about, and and administration to make the process easier for eager then think realistically about what your school can do to students. make a difference. For example, many students feel passion- In this article, I’ve compiled some top tips on how to ate about the effects of climate change on animals and habitat start the school year right, based on my classroom expe- loss. Work together to come up with a combination of class- rience and what I’ve seen in my last eight years working room learning, daily practices, and school-wide campaigns with Ontario EcoSchools. These tips are simple and engag- that will allow you to make a difference on the local scale in ing enough to be adapted across curriculum requirements, the face of these global concerns. grade levels, and borders. Next, create committees! Assign roles and tasks to indi- vidual team members based on interests and grade levels. Build a super-powered team For example, younger students can make sure waste is being Why establish a green team? Having a formalized group put in the right place by acting as “Recycling Rangers.” allows schools to build on their efforts by setting targets and Older students can write weekly announcements to highlight monitoring practices. A green team can help schools stay upcoming campaigns. You can also establish committees motivated and accountable while bringing green practices to to run different aspects of your green team; for example, the forefront. a “Greening the Grounds” committee can take the lead on

Page 24 Green Teacher 114 school garden projects, while a “Lights Off” committee can be in charge of monitoring daily practices related to energy use. Committees are also an excellent way to divide the work involved in planning key campaigns like Earth Month — tasks which can also offer leadership opportunities for more senior students. Plan your actions After creating your green team, start your plan of action by deciding on the actions, campaigns and learnings that can take place throughout the year. Campaigns that engage the whole school can have a big impact in a short time span, which builds momentum and rationale for future initiatives. Campaigns can also be the first step to a longer commitment: for instance, an Earth Hour celebration can become daily Lights-Off lunches for a larger impact. The fall has many well-known environmental events, including Walk to School Month, World Food Day, and Waste Reduction Week. Try developing a campaign con- nected to these environmental events to kick-start the year. For many of these popular environmental days and events, promotional materials and activity ideas are already avail- able, making them easy campaigns to implement. Use the name recognition of these campaigns to get your school com- munity on board, and perhaps start a friendly competition between schools in your region. After these initial kick-offs, consider what you can do throughout the year. If you have a larger project that needs funding, a fall kick-off will make it more achievable. Make a list of grants that your school qualifies for, and work as a team to submit one or more applications. You can also reach out to like-minded community organizations and individuals for donated items and volunteers. Annual campaigns can be further targeted to grade level. Elementary schools can plan fun campaigns like Sweater Day that make a clear link between good environmental practices (like turning down the heat) and being part of a team effort. Secondary schools can connect environmental concerns to students’ personal passions for local and global issues — survey older students to understand their interests and build your green program from there. Communicate your green efforts While creating a green team and planning actions, consider how to connect with the rest of the school community to build momentum. The beginning of the year sets the tone and gets everyone keen to get involved with upcoming projects. Take advantage of what students are already doing, like skits in assemblies, morning announcements, or managing social media accounts. Here are some additional suggestions: 1. Start with a creative presentation at an early staff meet- ing to get key staff, including the principal, vice-principal and custodian, on-board. Identify action items and under- stand all needs and interests in order to collaborate well. 2. Get parents and the wider community involved: con- sider presenting at parent council meetings to make quick connections! Researching local green organizations can be a great classroom project, followed-up by outreach to build partnerships.

Green Teacher 114 Page 25 3. Spread the word! Share overall goals in the fall and Establishing a culture of environmental leadership does maintain consistent communication for each new project. not have to be done in one year. In my experience, schools Bulletin boards, social media, assemblies, announcements, build on their successes year after year until green practices and newsletters are a great way to introduce the green team. are adopted into the whole school community. However, through careful planning and starting the year off right, 4. You can also incentivize and track individual cam- schools can really take hold of their green initiatives and paigns: collect metrics, record progress, create awards, and make a big difference in their communities. I wish you all share results widely so that each member of the school com- the best in your great green journey. Remember: small acts munity understands the impact of their actions. From weekly can have big impacts! “green challenges” to monthly assemblies where progress on a key metric is shared (like the number of plastic water Elanor Waslander is the Executive Director of Ontario bottles saved after installing a water refill station), there are EcoSchools in Toronto, Ontario. She would like to thank her many creative ways to engage the entire school. collaborators in the writing of this article: Melissa Benner, the Communications Director at Ontario EcoSchools, and 5. Network! Sharing ideas, best practices, and challenges Sarah Bradley, the Communications Coordinator. with other schools in your area is a good way to stay motivated. This can include informal and formal sharing with other educa- tors through workshops, webinars, and inter-school events.

Ontario EcoSchools

The following ideas and resources found at www.ontarioecoschools.org are applicable to educators everywhere.

Get Inspired resources: The “Get Inspired Gallery” is a rich curation of actions that certified EcoSchools have done over the last decade plus. While the content emerges from the certification program, the initiatives and learning ideas can be adapted and adopted widely.

Campaign Kits: Ontario EcoSchools have also developed Environmental Stewardship and Climate Leadership Campaign Kits that include environmental learning and action suggestions, fact sheets, and lesson plans. Click “Tools & Resources,” then “Resource Library” to find “Campaign Kits.”

Certification: If you work in Ontario, consider getting involved in Ontario EcoSchools certification program.

Page 26 Green Teacher 114 Let’s Talk Fracking

Discussing complex energy issues with young people to foster a more sustainable energy future Photo: Ted Auch Photo: Ted Tar sands oil refinery, Indiana

By Samantha Rubright example, railroad tankers carry volatile oil and gas products and supplies across sizeable swaths of land. Sand mines are expanding to provide sand for hydraulic fracturing. Refiner- HE PROCESS OF OBTAINING oil and natural gas ies and export facilities dominate the skyline in industrial is a controversial topic triggering vigorous debates areas. Oil and gas pipelines stretch thousands of miles and Taround the globe. Providing energy for Americans thus create a much larger network of risk. through the production of domestic fossil fuel resources was Educators — from math teachers to writing instructors one of the key promises President Trump made to “Make — have a critical role to play in educating our youth about America Great Again” during his run for the White House. various energy options, their complexities, and their impacts. Drilling companies have pushed to access natural gas in coal Students who know about the diverse facets of this industry seams in Australia, and in tight shale formations in parts of and feel that they have a voice can better shape the dialogue Europe. Canada’s oil and gas industry survives by export- about fossil fuels and other sources of energy. ing most of its products to the United States, with hopes of expanding into overseas markets. Intentionally omitted from What is fracking? discussion of all of these goals, however, are the serious costs Fracking is a particular focus of controversy in the energy associated with extracting and distributing these non-renew- sector because of questions about the potential of the pro- able resources. cess to contaminate drinking water and trigger earthquakes. Can fracking contaminate drinking water? How does Technically, fracking is an industry shorthand term for the energy production change the places we love? What pollut- physical act of hydraulically fracturing a well with fluids ants are being emitted from oil and gas well pads on a daily under pressure in order to increase the production of oil and basis? Will this activity impact my health, or the health of my gas. But fracking is also a broadly used term that refers to family? Though seemingly straightforward, these questions the overall extraction of these hydrocarbons from the earth are difficult for most people to answer. That’s because oil and using intensive processes. We tend to classify older extrac- gas drilling may not be occurring in their backyards. The oil tion operations as traditional, and the newer, more extreme and gas industry is much broader than oil wells, however. methods as unconventional, which may involve directional Related infrastructure often generates a large footprint. For drilling, hydraulic fracturing (using large volumes of water

Green Teacher 114 Page 27 The Problems with Fracking

When evaluated holistically, the intensive oil and gas ex- traction techniques of fracking have been shown to have serious environmental, community, and health implications. Examples of oil and gas risks and impacts include but are not limited to: • Use of large amounts of fresh water (on average, 5 million gallons per well in the Marcellus Shale in the north eastern United States) • Disposal complications, such as limited capacity at land- fills due to the radioactivity of the waste • The induction of earthquakes near deep well injection disposal sites (in some instances, fracking itself has also been associated with induced seismicity) • Spills from the well pad, trucks, and pipelines that have contaminated streams, soils, and in some cases drinking water • Noxious air pollution from the drilling site and associ- ated infrastructure • Methane emissions contributing to climate change • Health complaints, such as nosebleeds, increased stress, asthma exacerbation, and rashes • Community impacts, such as noise pollution, challenging population shifts, and increased truck traffic • Land-use change from the expanding mines needed to supply sand for hydraulic fracturing

Photo: Ted Auch Photo: Ted • Worker safety risks due to traffic incidents, fires, well Sand mine, Illinois blowouts, slips and falls, and exposure to hazardous and chemicals), acidization, enhanced oil recovery, and other substances like hydrogen sulfide and silica dust. Nearby methods. Often, those unconventional methods are referred residents may also be at risk. to the generic term of fracking for simplicity purposes. With such a complex and controversial issue, how can we engage young people to learn more about where our energy comes from and the effects these processes can have on peo- ple and the environment? How do we cover the issues tangi- bly without overwhelming students with the impacts I men- tioned previously? Below I discuss two strategies we at The FracTracker Alliance have found to be particularly helpful. Involve them A very accurate Chinese proverb states: “Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I'll remember. Involve me, I'll understand.” One of the first methods we began using when we launched FracTracker in 2010 was to crowdsource oil and gas data to better understand trends in the industry. We still use maps and data to this day to highlight the effects of drilling on people’s properties, in their hometowns and near their schools. Working with data has many benefits for learning. Our online maps make data visual and “real” for students as young as sixth grade, and have embedded tools to help them determine proximity to other features on the map, and ways to share and print the maps for their own research. Working with and mapping data is a very active way that students can investigate these issues in the classroom. Most of the data that FracTracker analyzes and maps is collected from public sources (and we often will provide the data Photo: Pete Stern we collect for download, as well), so your students can get Oil and gas well pad in Loyalstock State Forest, Pennsylvania

Page 28 Green Teacher 114 FracTracker map of US shale plays and basins with number of farms by size in green . Explore the dynamic map and many others on fractracker.org. involved in analyzing the oil and gas industry, too. Here are a variety of ways to explore these issues from a research and involvement perspective: You could invite students to select a specific type of fracking infrastructure to research. For example, compres- sor stations, facilities used for pumping natural gas through pipelines, are known to release hazardous substances into the air, some of which pose serious health risks. Students could also choose to investigate the potential ecological impacts of infrastructure near them, such as a pipeline or a frac sand mine. Another opportunity to engage students is to challenge them to use one of FracTracker’s online maps and plan/con- duct a presentation for your local decision makers on oil and gas activities occurring near you. When coupled with tech- nical expertise, hearing from local, concerned students is a very effective method for eliciting change and informed deci- sion making. You could invite students to follow the permitting process for a proposed pipeline or well. (In the US, large pipeline permits are issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Com- mission, whereas wells are regulated by each state.) Even more challenging would be to encourage students to track down the emergency plans for a specific site. While experts in the field of emergency planning are rightfully responsible for creating and executing emergency plans, the Federal Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) defines citizens’ rights to engage in the process, both through open records requests and public meet- ings with local emergency planners. In meeting with these experts, students will obtain first-hand knowledge of the issue and insight into the inner workings of emergency plan- ning. This dialogue will also encourage greater transparency on the part of industry and local governments.

Posing research questions to students is a common, but Photo: Marianne Hughes effective, way to spark curiosity and interest in the way the Oil and gas tour to students in Wetzel County, West Virginia

Green Teacher 114 Page 29 Show them Another effective method to engage students on the issue of fracking in the US has been to show them the impacts first-hand. FracTracker Alliance works with landowners and community groups that can provide visitors with tours on or near well pads and disposal sites. We have helped conduct these tours with a variety of domestic and foreign student groups, making the obscure feel very real.

Your school or youth program is likely close to some piece of oil and gas infrastructure be that an oil and gas pro- duction field, underground natural gas storage field, frac sand mine, refinery, export terminal, train track, or pipeline. As such, you too have the opportunity to show your students what an extraction community is experiencing — the good and the bad. (Find out where active drilling is occurring near you in the US by visiting our website at: FracTracker.org/US.) If possible, go to these communities where drilling is occurring, where frac sand mining is changing the very landscape of the Midwest, where refineries in the Bay Area clog the air with their emissions, where volatile oil trains put thousands at risk of an explosion. In doing so, you can offer students critical, perhaps unfamiliar, perspectives. Challenge students to conduct interviews with their tour hosts and with elders in the community to learn how these communities have changed over time. While in the field, useFracTracker’s free mobile app to document the conditions you find and plot them on a map to share with other users (available for iPhone and Android devices: FracTracker.org/apps). While the app Photo: Samantha Rubright Documenting oil train cars Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . oil and gas industry operates in specific regions. Every local- ity varies because of different operators, geographies, geolo- gies, and economies. Research questions could be anything from, “How many wells vs. solar panel installations are in Texas?” to “How much water is a particular driller in your county using?” In addition to their project findings, the pro- cess of seeking this information will teach students about proper data transparency and management, and why they are both vitally important for civic engagement. There are many creative opportunities to help students better appreciate the impact of the oil and gas industry in their communities: • Develop art, video, and music projects — such as story maps, short films, or composing songs — that communi- cate how fracking is changing communities. • Make economic comparisons by determining which sec- tor has more jobs in your region: renewable energy or oil and gas. • Discuss social change models and methods of activism; research the environmental groups in your area and write an assessment of the models and methods they are using.

You may be surprised at what these young minds unearth Lenker Photo: Brock and especially what they take away from such research. Urban oil field: Inglewood in Los Angeles, California

Page 30 Green Teacher 114 is currently focused on oil and gas activity in the US, it can Shale Gas Wastewater Disposal on Water Quality in Western Pennsylvania, be utilized internationally to document impacts and crowd- Environmental Science & Technology, 47 (20), 11849-11857. DOI: 10.1021/ source the location of various oil and gas facilities. es402165b. These conversations and explorations will help students 3. Nelson AW, et al. (2015). Understanding the radioactive ingrowth and decay of naturally occurring radioactive materials in the environment: an begin to understand the gravity of the energy paradigms that analysis of produced fluids from the Marcellus Shale. Environ Health Per- our patterns of consumption, in part, facilitate. spect 1237689–696; 10.1289/ehp.1408855. 4. Rubinstein JL, Mahani AB. (2015). Myths and Facts on Wastewater Why engage? Why speak up? Injection, Hydraulic Fracturing, Enhanced Oil Recovery, and Induced Seis- We need the voices of young people to keep us moving micity, Seismological Research Letters, DOI: 10.1785/0220150067. forward toward a more sustainable energy future — a 5. U.S. EPA. (2016). Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas: Impacts from healthier world for future generations. They need to the Hydraulic Fracturing Water Cycle on Drinking Water Resources in the United States (Final Report). U.S. EPA, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R- know where energy comes from and the human costs of 16/236F. https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/hfstudy/recordisplay.cfm?deid=332990. production so that they can speak up for the changes they 6. Howarth RW, Santoro R, Ingraffea A. (2011). Methane and the green- would like to see. To participate in the complex energy house-gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations: Climatic Change; debate going on in the US now and likely for many years 106, 679-690. to come, our young people need to be both educated on the 7. McKenzie LM, Witter RZ, Newman LS, Adgate JL. (2012). Human problems and empowered to speak up and find acceptable health risk assessment of air emissions from development of unconven- solutions. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “In the end, we tional natural gas resources. Science of the Total Environment, 424, 79-87. will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence 8. Tustin A, Hirsch AG, Rasmussen SG, Casey JA, Bandeen-Roche K, of our friends.” Schwartz BS. (2017). Associations between unconventional natural gas development and nasal and sinus, migraine headache, and fatigue symp- toms in Pennsylvania. Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(2), 189. Samantha Rubright lives and works in Washington, DC, as 9. Schafft KA, Glenna LL, Green B, Borlu Y. (2014). Local impacts of the Manager of Communications and Partnerships for the unconventional gas development within Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale FracTracker Alliance, which is headquartered in Camp Hill, Region: Gauging boomtown development through the perspectives of edu- Pennsylvania. Learn more about FracTracker at www.frac- cational administrators. Society & Natural Resources, 27(4), 389-404. tracker.org. She thanks Leann Leiter, Matt Kelso and Brook 10. Pearson TW. (2013), Frac sand mining in wisconsin: Understand- Lenker for their review of this article. ing emerging conflicts and community organizing. CAFÉ, 35, 30–40. doi:10.1111/cuag.12003. Notes 11. Esswein E, et al. (2013). Occupational exposures to respirable crystal- line silica during hydraulic fracturing, Journal of Occupational and Envi- 1. Jiang M, Hendrickson CT, VanBriesen JM. (2014). Life Cycle Water ronmental Hygiene, 10(7). Consumption and Wastewater Generation Impacts of a Marcellus Shale 12. Witter RZ, Tenney L, Clark S, Newman LS. (2014). Occupational Gas Well, Environmental Science & Technology 48 (3), 1911-1920. DOI: exposures in the oil and gas extraction industry: State of the science and 10.1021/es4047654. research recommendations. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2. Warner NR, Christie CA, Jackson RB, Vengosh A. (2013). Impacts of 57(7), 847–856. http://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22316. Photo: Ted Auch Photo: Ted Oil and gas drilling rig near homes in Belmont County, Ohio

Green Teacher 114 Page 31 Fostering Connections to Freshwater Ecosystems Activities that can inspire students in grades 3-12 to become environmental stewards and passionate problem solvers Photo: Nancy Carlson

By Gabby Petrelli and Katie Larson the following: Where is the nearest lake or river in relation to my home and school? Is it part of my community? What can I do there? How does being outside make me feel? These HOSE OF US LUCKY enough to live in the Great types of questions are important as many students may not Lakes region have been gifted a vital, natural resource have thought about the importance of having clean freshwa- Tthat provides us with incredible opportunities. The ter, and some may have never even visited their local water- Great Lakes provide drinking water to 40 million people and ways at all. jobs to thousands. They’re home not only to us, but to over As you spend time with your students exploring the land- 3,500 other species. While the Great Lakes are unique in scape, encourage them to ask questions such as: What kinds their size and beauty, students can also make personal con- of plants and animals live here? How do they survive? How nections while exploring the freshwater ecosystems in their do they interact with or depend on other organisms? How own communities. Have your students visited lakes, rivers, do they interact with abiotic factors in their environment? streams, ponds or other sources of freshwater in your region? Students can begin to think about food chains, and how the When we have the chance to bring students out to a local introduction or extinction of a single species can affect the beach, river, wetland, or other ecosystem, students describe entire food web. Or, they can explore topics related to water- their experiences in these natural areas as relaxing, peaceful, sheds: What is a watershed? What types of waterways in a beautiful and happy. By continuing to encourage this appre- watershed connect to the land around my home? How does ciation for the lakes and other freshwater ecosystems, we can pollution on the roads or in the stream near my house affect help foster an ongoing ethic of care and responsible decision the lake it runs into? Students may even begin to think about making surrounding these resources. how they fit into the ecosystem and the effects their actions With this in mind, our organization created the Great have on the watershed. Lakes in My World curriculum kits. As with all place-based Finally, once students have a basic understanding of the education programs, this curriculum encourages teachers lake ecosystem and its importance as a resource, they can and students to go out into their communities. When educa- investigate issues these waterbodies face. From terrestrial tors take students out to the water or begin teaching about and aquatic invasive species, to shoreline litter and water pol- watersheds, we hope that students think about their personal lution, start by collecting and/or analyzing data to introduce connection to the local waterways and ask questions such as students to the roots of the problem and then encourage them

Page 32 Green Teacher 114 to find solutions. Students can ask themselves how they can reduce beach litter, prevent combined-sewer overflows or advocate on behalf of their local bodies of water. As a part of a field trip, you and your students could par- ticipate in a beach or waterway cleanup. (Our own Adopt-a- Beach™ program engages over 15,000 volunteers each year — a third of which are students — in litter removal and data collection on Great Lakes beaches and shorelines.) Many teachers also engage their students in water quality testing — learning about and comparing the water quality data of local bodies of water. Through service-learning field trips like these, students can see first-hand the impact their com- munities have on shorelines and what they can do to help.

We hope you and your students are inspired by the fol- Photo: Lloyd Degrane lowing two lessons from our Great Lakes in My World cur- riculum to explore the beautiful natural areas in your own The Great Lakes in My World curriculum kits contain lesson community. “Litter Tag” is an interactive game that dem- plans that help students connect with and explore the Great onstrates the effect that pieces of litter can have on the ani- Lakes as well as investigate the issues they face. The K-8th mals in ecosystems where litter is found. “A Sense of Place” grade curriculum has 80 lessons divided into the following encourages teens to think about the importance of natural 6 units: Lakes, Sand Dunes, Wetlands, Human Communi- areas by drawing maps of their local areas that include these ties, History and Geology, and Water Flow. The 9-12th grade natural areas. Both activities can be easily adapted to eco- curriculum provides 17 lesson plans that guide students systems outside the Great Lakes. After working through through synthesizing information about the Great Lakes and these activities, we hope that you and your students will be creating action plans to address Great Lakes issues. inspired to participate in cleanups or other programs in your area. Happy teaching! To learn more about the curriculum, or how you can schedule an Adopt-a-Beach field trip (if you’re in the United States Gabby Petrelli is the Education and Stewardship Assistant Great Lakes region), contact [email protected] and/ and Katie Larson is the Education Manager for the Alliance or visit www.greatlakes.org/education. The following lesson for the Great Lakes in Chicago, Illinois. The authors would plans and others can be downloaded from www.greatlakes. like to thank Steve Jerbi for writing the original Litter Tag org/teachadoptabeach. activity, of which this is an adaptation.

Activity 1: A sense of place Procedure Grade Level: 5-12 To start the activity, read aloud the background information below. Then, have your students respond to the following Time: 1.5 hours (either on a piece of paper, or aloud as a class): Summary: Students draw maps of their local area, weaving in the importance of local freshwater ecosystems or natural areas. • Name and describe three or more types of maps • What elements do most maps include? Vocabulary • Cartography: the study and practice of making maps Background • Geographic Information System (GIS): technology that Learning about where we live helps us to understand who we captures, stores and shares geographically referenced data are. Our regions, cities and communities are defined by a num- using satellites and a system of computers ber of diverse habitats, unique waterbodies, and the conflu- • Map: a visual representation of an area ence of natural, residential, commercial and industrial spaces. Maps are tools that help us orient ourselves on streets, • Mental map: an individual’s own perception of their own in cities, in states, in countries, on the planet and more. If world you have a current map, you can always find where you are • Physical map: a type of map that shows countries of the and know how to use it. Every day we make decisions based world, major cities, and bodies of water highlighting land- on geography: where we will go, how we will get there and forms such as mountains, deserts, and plains what we will do when we get there. We think geographically • Political map: a type of map that displays borders defining when planning simple events, such as going to school in the countries, states, or territories morning, or when planning major events, such as a diving or • Topography: physical features of a landscape, with special kayaking trip in one of the Great Lakes. In this activity, you attention to changes in landscape will map your local area or “place” using a mental map. You will also review various maps to learn how maps are useful Materials to many different people. By understanding our places in • Printed aerial image/map of school grounds this world, we can make better decisions about the ways we • Local maps — political, physical and other types choose to live on our planet. • Blank paper, writing utensils, colored pencils, etc.

Green Teacher 114 Page 33 Part one: Mental maps Wrap-up Student instructions: Ask and discuss with your students: List 10 to 15 important features of your neighborhood, includ- • How does the location of a natural area influence your expe- ing your home or other family members’ homes, your school riences with it? Include your ideas on how proximity to the and the nearest natural area (forest, park, beach, riverbank, area could influence recreation, municipalities, transporta- pond, prairie, etc.). Think about what makes these features or tion, tourism, industry and more. places important. On the other side of the paper, draw a “sense of place” map • If you were to make improvements to your local natural area or a mental map of your home, school, the nearest natural area or school grounds, what changes would you make, and why? and the local features that you listed above. Use a “bird’s eye How would these improvements be beneficial? Would they view” when drawing your map. Think of your map as a personal benefit or harm the community, the plants and animals that recollection of space rather than a geographical map. Include live in the natural areas, the quality of the water in the local what makes the places or features on your map important. Are water bodies, etc.? they places to explore? Learn? Relax? You may write these in, or use arrows to show how you connect to the places, and how Activity 2: Litter tag they connect to each other. NOTE: This map does not need to Grade Level: 3-6 be drawn to scale. Time: 30 minutes Some questions you may choose to have your students Students play a game of tag in order to understand answer as they create their maps are: Where is the nearest Summary: the harmful effects litter has on the organisms living in their natural area (forest, park, beach, riverbank, pond, prairie, etc.) local lakes. in relation to your school and home? Where is the nearest lake or river? Do you consider the natural area or the lake/river to Materials: be a part of your neighborhood? Why or why not? • Cigarette butt •Fishing line Part two: Looking at local maps • Balloon with string •Plastic bag Your students will explore some common (and not-so-common) Setting types of maps. No map can depict all of the physical, biological Litter Tag can be played at a park or in a gymnasium or other and cultural (or political) features in even the smallest area. Most large area — indoors or outdoors — where kids can run around; maps of the world are therefore either categorized as “physical” if in a large open space, it is best to have a flat or semi-flat or “political.” Ask your students: What different types of maps surface that is safe for running, preferably with landmarks that did you see in class? What common elements did these maps can be used as boundaries. have? How do they differ? Background Part three: Mapping the school grounds Litter, whether accidentally or intentionally put in the environ- Now, your students will draw a map of the school grounds on a ment, generally has negative effects. It can decrease tourism, separate sheet of paper. First, have your students think about diminish community pride, and cause harm to plants, animals what features to include on this map and make a list of what to and people. Data from debris collected along the shoreline of the include. You can either go outside to do this, or map the school Great Lakes, shows the most frequently found items. Some of grounds from memory. If you are going outside, you can take the top items1 are listed below, along with some of the problems measurements of the features of the school grounds using tools associated with them: and mathematics. If your students are mapping from memory, encourage them to try their best to be accurate in drawing things • Cigarette butts: Cigarette filters are the most numerous to scale. Have them compare their completed maps to the aerial item found during beach cleanups. These filters are made of maps you printed. a plastic cellulose acetate, which can take up to five years to break down and even longer to decompose. Children at

Page 34 Green Teacher 114 play on the beach can put cigarette filters in their mouths. two humans must hold hands with the animal in the middle and A study has shown that the chemicals in cigarettes can yell, “One, two, three fish (or bird) free!” After several minutes be harmful to microorganisms that support other wildlife. have passed, choose one or two humans to be Beach Captains. The • Balloons: Balloons and their ribbons entangle animals and Beach Captains can still free the animals with the other humans, are sometimes ingested when mistaken for food, causing but now they can chase the litter too. If the litter is tagged, they injury or death. Balloons also pose a problem for boaters if must sit out. The game ends when the beach captains tag all of their propellers get tangled up in the string. the litter. If time allows, switch roles and play again. • Food and food packaging: Bags can entangle animals or be Wrap-up accidentally ingested, causing injury or death. Leftover food Bring the group back together and ask students to talk about may attract wildlife to the beach, resulting in increased what they learned or what the game made them think about with animal droppings, which can lead to high bacteria levels in regard to litter and their local lakes. Discuss the following ques- the water. High bacteria levels lead to beaches having to tions as a class (we have provided suggested answers for your be closed to the public. reference): Do animals really get caught in litter? Yes, plastic • Beverage bottles (glass, aluminum, plastic): This could bags, string and netting cause many problems for wildlife. How indicate the need for recycling containers on the beach. realistic is it to say that litter “chases” animals? Animals do not Broken glass and sharp points on aluminum cans can injure generally suspect that litter will hurt them. It can take animals people as well as wildlife. by surprise when litter entangles them. How can humans help solve this problem? By picking up after themselves and telling • Fishing line: Fishing line can entangle animals, causing others the harm that litter can do. injury to wildlife. Procedure Extensions If the students consider litter to be a problem in their community, Ask your students what they like best about going to the beach. have the class consider what actions they could take to help solve Then, ask them what some of the problems are that they see this problem — individually or as a group. Some of the sugges- at the beach. Eventually, they should get to describing the lit- tions we make around the Great Lakes are: ter that they have seen there. Next, ask students what kind of problems litter might cause. Use the background information • If you are in the United States, participate in the Alliance above to help them develop a complete picture. Have students for the Great Lakes’ Adopt-a-Beach™ program. think of ways that they can help to solve this problem. Some of the suggestions the class may come up with include: picking • Send notes home about the International Coastal Cleanup, up the garbage, and not leaving theirs in the environment in which occurs on the third Saturday of every September, to the first place. Humans are both the problem and the solution. encourage family participation. In an outdoor area or a gym, divide the students into four • Have students put their litter solutions into action — reduc- groups representing litter, birds, fish and humans. For a class ing their own use of common litter items, encouraging others of 26 there should be four humans, four litter, nine birds and to reduce their use of litter items and/or to not litter, and nine fish. Have the students in each group decide which type of advocating for bans of litter items at beaches (e.g., smok- litter, bird or fish they will be. (You may need to help students ing bans, concession stands that don’t provide straws with identify native fish and birds.) Explain that the litter will be their beverages, etc.). chasing the birds and fish, trying to tag them. Once a bird or fish is tagged, it is frozen. Notes After one minute, the humans will come into the game to 1. Historical data on litter on Great Lakes shorelines can be found at http:// rescue the tagged fish and birds. When rescuing a bird or fish, greatlakesadopt.org/Home/HistoricalData. Photo: Lloyd Degrane

Green Teacher 114 Page 35 Photos: Danae Shipp Observation-Focused Nature Journaling

Tips and lesson ideas that help students notice the unexplored beauty of nature

By Danae Shipp means to truly observe. This means taking the time to teach the difference between inference and observation, the importance of using all of their senses, and the signifi- N FALL AND SPRING FRIDAYS during our forty- cance of making both quantitative and qualitative obser- minute science class, my students are sprawled out vations. Nature journaling is the perfect way of practicing Oon the grass, armed with a pencils and composition these concepts as it forces observers to gather information notebooks, ready to observe the beauty of nature. This is our that might otherwise be overlooked. nature journaling time, during which I am hoping to foster To develop their observation skills, my students are future naturalists.1 I want my students to slow down and assigned different entries to focus their exploration purposefully observe familiar nature objects such as pine- efforts. For example, the first journal entry my students cones, rocks, grass, and ants to awaken their senses, help complete is a way of immediately gauging their descrip- them see the world more scientifically and stimulate curios- tive writing abilities and observation skills. Students ity. By focusing on journaling for observation development, observe a natural object (e.g., a plant) with which they they suddenly notice the beauty in the seemingly mundane, are unfamiliar, and describe that object so well that when viewing details they may not have noticed before such as the another classmate reads their observations (and sees their grooves in a rock, the number of veins in a particular leaf, or sketch), the classmate can identify their object. When they the behavioral patterns of a bird. switch journals, students get immediate feedback on their While nature journaling is often advertised as a cre- strengths as a writer and observer, and then they know ative, fluid process where the main goal is artistic expres- upon which areas they need to work. sion, observation-focused journaling requires students also The power of observation-focused journaling has been to think scientifically and provide reliable documentation of seen throughout the ages. People such as Darwin and their subjects; this requires them to notice their subjects on a Lewis and Clark kept meticulous records of their expedi- deeper level by using all of their senses and discerning subtle tions, which allowed the rest of the world to gain insight differences.1, 2 However, the ability to thoughtfully express into what they had experienced. In this same manner, observations about the natural world with thoroughness and each nature journaling assignment forces my students on accuracy is not innate to most people.1 If we want to avoid their own journeys, awakening their senses and discov- having our students just take cursory glances at objects and ering how they connect to where they live. Through this report a few facts, then we must educate them about what it experiential learning, students find their voice about their

Page 36 Green Teacher 114 natural world,2 and are more likely to act on its behalf in is important to reinforce to self-conscious students that the future.3 their sketches will not be evaluated on their artistic abil- Here are additional lesson ideas and tips for educators ity, but solely on their content. who are inspired to try observation-focused nature journal- ing with their students. • Personal reflection. The personal reflection piece is for Offer guidance and examples. Since observing nature students to explain what the object(s) they observed made is a foreign experience for most students, it is important to them wonder about. Did the object remind them of a past give clear guidance on what nature journaling means, its experience they may have had, or did it stimulate ques- purpose, and how to begin, and to distribute a template. I tions? This gets them thinking about what they saw and provide my students with notebook pages that outline this stimulates curiosity and future inquiry. information so they are able to reference them. To encour- age growth, students are shown both professional and Start basic and weave in a variety of entries that focus on student exemplars. By displaying pages from John Muir different senses. During the first couple of weeks, students Laws,1 Walker Leslie and Roth’s nature journals,2 or Can- are prompted to observe stationary objects, giving both qual- field’s field notes,4 I show my students how practiced natu- itative (e.g., the plant looks like a cluster of thick green grass ralists capture their experience on paper. After the first growing mostly upwards) and quantitative (e.g., the biggest couple of entries, I also find students who are excelling at leaf on the plant is 22.8 centimeters long) observations, and a journaling, and with their permission, distribute copies detailed, labeled sketch. After students have practiced these of their work. By understanding that the journal is a way skills, they are then asked to apply them to journal entries for them to jot down the details of what they observe, they for a variety of different activities such as participating in transform from casual observers who rely on memory to an animal species census, sitting in one spot and creating a scientific thinkers. sound map, observing the cause and effect of human pres- Provide students with a journal template format. To give ence in nature, and going on a texture walk. While each practice in making scientific journal entries, each entry entry still requires students to practice qualitative and quan- requires students to provide field conditions, observations, titative observations, the variety keeps student engagement give a labeled sketch, and a personal reflection. high and makes sure students are not just solely practicing their sense of sight, but are developing their other senses. • Field conditions. Students take field condition notes as a Let students have freedom in what they observe. While way of reminding them of the setting and circumstances I assign journal entries, I never tell students exactly what that occurred while they made their observations. The they have to observe. I permit students to figure out the natu- field conditions include the date of entry, starting time ral things they are most drawn to, and they can focus their and ending time, location description, and weather con- entry on their chosen subject. The most restrictive I ever get ditions (the temperature, amount of sunlight, etc.). is limiting the subjects to an animal or plant, or where they • Observations. Students note their observations (both are to observe, such as in their backyard or looking up at the qualitative and quantitative) to put into words what they sky. Allow students the freedom to choose their subject. This see. I advise them to act as if this is the first time they increases the likelihood that the students pick something that are viewing an object, and have them write down every they are interested in, that they want to examine and describe noteworthy characteristic such as color, smell, size, and in detail, and with which they bond. quantity. Allow impromptu lessons to occur. When students nature journal, sometimes unexpected things will occur, and educa- • Labeled sketch (or photograph). By creating a labeled tors should use these opportunities to their advantage. For sketch, students are forced to capture the essence of example, one forty-minute class period was not enough for their subject, and to see it from different perspectives. It my students to observe their plants from four different per-

Green Teacher 114 Page 37 spectives: 1) leaf, 2) stem or bark, 3) overall shape, and 4) described its effect on nature, and then explained what the small detail. This meant students had to observe their same pollutant made them wonder. Students will grasp concepts chosen plant the subsequent week. When this happened, a better if they experience them instead of reading about them. group of students that observed some coral honeysuckle the Nature journaling is also a fantastic way of making interdis- first week saw that some of the flowers fell to the ground the ciplinary connections. I worked with my fellow Language second week. While on the ground, a congregation of ants Arts teachers to develop a half-day mini-unit where students crawled into the fallen blossoms, and this sparked student wrote their own poems inspired by their nature observations. curiosity. This became a wonderful opportunity to engage Talk with your fellow teachers and see how getting students those students in an inquiry into what might be attracting outdoors and observing nature can be interwoven with other the ants to the blooms. Use these types of events not only to subject disciplines. The time investment is worth it because encourage students to observe more deeply, but also to teach nature journaling leads to deeper knowledge acquisition, as them about environmental concepts in the places in which well as scientific skill development. they occur.5 Extend nature journaling to home. With short class times Only permit students to research subjects after observ- and biodiversity limitations on school grounds, some of the ing. In the beginning, students are going to want to know the entries are better suited for students’ own backyards. One exact species names of the subjects they observe. Some will entry entitled “Animal tales” required students to pick their fixate on having to know the name of “what am I observ- own animal and make qualitative, quantitative, and behav- ing” mainly because they are part of the “internet ioral observations of it. They also had to write at my fingertips” generation. Simply put, a fictional story about the animal they don’t let them! If anything, encour- observed, and illustrate a scene age them to make up their own from that story. By extend- names. I don’t allow my ing nature journaling to students to bring cell their homes, students phones or field guides are able to explore with them while they at their own pace are observing. Stu- and increase the dents will never amount of time grow as observ- spent outdoors. ers if they can As a cau- read about the tion, do not object. Now, over-assign this doesn’t entries to be mean I don’t done at home. allow students I was hav- to research after ing students they have jour- complete an naled. One girl assignment every found an interesting weekend. While caterpillar that I had most students enjoy never seen before. She their journaling time, made excellent observations it was still homework. and a detailed sketch. She even When I continue journal- gave the species the name “red dot- ing next year, I would like to try ted toothbrush” caterpillar. When we went providing a choices board at the begin- back to the classroom, we looked up the species and ning of the trimester, where they complete three discovered it was a “white-marked tussock moth” caterpil- homework entries by specific target dates. Increased nature lar. The research was more meaningful because it was timed journaling time at home helps students further develop their appropriately after the in-depth observation. Having students observational skills and their connection to the natural world do research on what they have observed helps them learn in which they live. more deeply and acquire further environmental knowledge. When a student observes an object in more detail, they Integrate nature journaling entries into your curricular should have more information to offer and write about.6 This topics. Being able to justify devoting a class period per week growth is apparent when I look over any of my students’ (or every other week) to nature journaling can be difficult, journals; they go from simple descriptions such as “this plant especially with fast-paced curriculums and standardized is tall with green leaves” in the beginning entries to “this tests. However, use the outdoors to your advantage, and allow 4.3-centimeter-long pinecone feels coarse, dry like mild students to build environmental knowledge through experi- sandpaper” towards the end. ence.1 To learn more about air pollution, one entry I assigned Observing natural objects in detail requires increased my students was an outdoor pollution scavenger hunt. For concentration, utilization of all five senses, and looking at each source of pollution identified around the school, stu- things from multiple perspectives.1 By developing these dents named the source, gave a detailed description of its skills in my students, I am hoping to ignite their curiosity, location, provided sensory observations about the pollutant, knowledge, and passion for and about their natural world.

Page 38 Green Teacher 114 I am getting them to create their own understanding of the University’s Global Field Program. Her master plan in this world by collecting and analyzing their own evidence. Only program focuses upon developing future stewards, and she by getting to know their surroundings can they develop a has worked with her departmental colleagues in creating a caring commitment to their environment. real-world science based curriculum. But don’t take my word for it. These sentiments from my students provide proof that there is much to be gained from nature journaling: Additional Online Resources These are the sheets and examples I provide my students • “...it helps you understand the nature around you and to when completing their nature journals: let you know that you are part of nature. You don’t need • What is Nature Journaling? https://goo.gl/xnNzCB to go to a rain forest to be in nature because it’s right • Formatting a Nature Journal https://goo.gl/VPUASz there outside.” • Good Student Examples https://goo.gl/1EqTa6 • “Nature journaling helped me appreciate the environment https://goo.gl/CZ38Mp a lot more than I used to. I learned how to describe my • Rubric https://goo.gl/MQIuif surroundings a lot better and use more descriptive words. • Nature Journal Entry Ideas https://goo.gl/p1mqw8 I learned about the different signs of nature, how humans https://goo.gl/QnizXQ change nature, and many more things.” References • “I thought the nature journaling process made me more 1. Laws, J.M. (2016). The Laws guide to nature drawing and journaling. Berke- aware of nature and better at observations. I found out ley, CA. Heyday Publishing. 2. Walker Leslie, C. & Roth, C. E. (2003). Keeping a nature journal: discover more about pinecones and ants than I ever would have a whole new way of seeing the world around you. North Adams, MA: Storey thought. You learn to ask good, scientific questions.” Publishing. • “It was motivation to go outside when I might not usually, 3. Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature deficit disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books. and then realize I liked it! I also found value in nature 4. Canfield, M. (2011). Field notes on science & nature. Cambridge, MA: Har- journaling because it would really calm me down when I vard. University Press. was upset, and sort of cause me to see things in perspec- 5. Cornell, J. & Ivey, T. (2012). Nature Journaling: Enhancing Students’ Con- tive and settle down.” nections to the Environment Through Writing. Science Scope, 35(5), 38-43. Danae Shipp is a sixth-grade science teacher at Cary 6. Park, D. & Logsdon, C. (2015). Effects of Modeling Instruction on Descrip- tive Writing and Observational Skills in Middle School. International Journal Academy, in Cary, North Carolina. She is pursuing a Of Science & Mathematics Education, 13(1), 71-94. Masters of Teaching in Biological Sciences from Miami

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Green Teacher 114 Page 39 Photos: Melissa Guillet STEM to STEAM and Citizen Science

If elementary school kids are to become engaged with environmental protection, make it personal

or animal adaptations. Sometimes we do three stations that By Melissa Guillet rotate over a 45-minute block. One “field trip” we take is to explore the five senses. We look at and touch plants, discuss- AM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR ways to connect kids ing their colors, shapes, and textures. Next, we smell the with nature. I teach art to 450 students in grades K plants, standing in a circle and passing around herbs, cherry Ithrough five for 45 minutes per week and tie the lessons and sassafras bark, and various flowers. In this way, I can to other disciplines, including the Next Generation Science control how many of each plant gets picked and help them Standards. As an art teacher, my curriculum tends to be avoid harmful plants. We shake plants with seeds to see if more flexible than a classroom teacher’s, where whole timed they make a sound, particularly seed pods like black locust blocks are devoted to one task. I developed 15 Minute Field and very mature peas. In the art room, we’ll further explore Trips™ to get students outside learning despite busy school shape, color, and texture with crayons, markers, watercolor, schedules, which I do as either part of my 45 minutes with even sponge paint and salt! them or as part of a 90-minute block my principal arranged When we focus on seeds, I divide the kids into small in my schedule. groups to work over a small section of the garden, usually Through art and outside activities, the children learn in the fall. The kids collect seeds they find on plants, on the about and connect with the environment. When kids have ground, even in the air, and bring them to six buckets labeled concrete experiences, like finding a caterpillar or smelling with dispersal method. These are seeds carried by wind (dan- a flower, it engages their emotions as well as their desire to delion fluff, milkweed pods, maple samaras, etc.), animal learn more. When they look at a leaf or a seed, they are not (acorn, berry, cherry, sandbur), gravity (peas, peaches), flota- simply identifying it, but analyzing it. What kind of leaf is it? tion (cattails, coconuts), bursting (angel’s trumpet, milkweed What does the plant provide for us? How did the seed travel pods), and human planting. Later, we’ll look at the paintings there? What do insects do? How do other animals fit in? By of Van Gogh and make sunflowers and irises with cut circles, exploring and helping out with a school garden, kids take triangles, hearts, and paper strips, folding and curling paper personal ownership of the space and a vested interest in what to create a 3-D effect. We include the roots, stem, leaves, and happens there. flower, and the kids decide whether to cut seed shapes, draw The activities are divided into 15-minute segments, them in, or glue actual seeds to their art. The artworks teach revolving around one area of focus, such as seed mobility them about plant parts and we discuss the “mood” of their

Page 40 Green Teacher 114 Second graders get an in-depth study of insects through several projects. First, we do life-studies of insects from specimens preserved in lucite, noting the shapes, lines, pat- terns, and symmetry. They learn to look for the head, thorax, and abdomen, as well as the six legs. We compare our study with the work of Maria Sibylla Merian, a 17th century artist/ scientist who studied caterpillars, moths, and butterflies in her own yard, then traveled to Dutch Surinam to study the flora and fauna there. With her family’s publishing company (that she also ran), she put out a very celebrated book with her illustrations of her studies. Second graders also made a 3-D model of a mantis using cardboard tubes, sticks, and oil pastel for color. The students defined camouflage and gave various examples in nature. We then took our finished models into the schoolyard to hide (five minutes), and they had five minutes to find someone else’s after that. We then discussed what set the ones found last or not at all apart from the others. Better camouflage? Better hiding place? Luck? Using these concrete activities to explore animal adaptations helps them learn specific exam- ples while getting an overall sense of biodiversity when we compare art projects. Getting more into the art-making, we focused only on beetles and symmetry. First, we made a quick watercolor of a leafy background on heavy paper. As beetles are the most diverse order of insects, there were many choices for the next part. We discussed why beetles had such diversity and what job each might have. What did ladybird beetles do? What about Bess beetles, dung beetles, fireflies (also beetles!). Stu- piece (Is it a happy sunflower or a sad blue iris?). We’ll also dents drew their choice on card stock, using a line of symme- look at the seeds under magnifying lenses indoors and draw try. Then the drawings were traced with marker and cut out the shapes, sizes, and textures on envelopes, which the kids and mounted on a foam piece. To conclude our insect unit, will then fill with seeds to plant at home. we caught insects outside and matched them to laminated We also look for evidence of animals we may not see cards of each of the 12 insect orders. because they are nocturnal or shy away from humans. We Older students also learned about insects, and how pro- look for food remains, like eaten acorns, tracks (having tecting them could help the environment and themselves. A found squirrel, rabbit, and deer in mud or snow), scat (dogs fifth-grade group learned about a threatened species: bees. and mule and white-tailed deer are frequent here), and shel- Using informative cards on 19 different genera, students ters such as nests, burrows, tree hollows, and wasp nests. choose a bee to become the focus of an ace playing card. They are fascinated to learn that deer come through the After choosing and drawing the suit, they drew a scien- schoolyard at night. Once, we even came across the remains tifically accurate bee and gave clues of its life-style in the of a squirrel, along with bits of fur near a half-dug hole with card. As only honey bees live in hives, they showed through an acorn nearby. We think a hawk caught the squirrel and illustrated symbols if their bee lived underground, in a hole dropped part of it. Luckily it was older students who found in wood, or even inside hollow reeds. Was their bee active this and they handled it well. With the kindergarten and first spring, summer, and fall, or only for a short few weeks grade, we sat really still on the sidewalk watching ants and in the summer? Was it a generalist, or was it attracted to tallying behaviors like carrying, building, fighting, and run- certain plants, like the “wool carder” that collects hair off ning. This world wasn’t invisible, but had been all but hidden fuzzy leaves to line its nest? The lesson helped them appre- to them because they hadn’t learned to stop and observe. ciate biodiversity. We discussed various factors affecting bee populations today (pesticides, mites, and monoculture), Art-making for in-depth studies and then we went in the garden to see what kind of bees we While it would be hard to draw a quickly moving ant, work- could find. Understanding how habitats support animals ing from real nature materials encourages in-depth study. made them more aware of how pollution and pesticides affect Whether it’s a young child making a leaf rubbing who biodiversity. notices the veins in the leaves or an older child looking at an insect with a magnifying lens in order to draw the details Seeing their efforts in action better, creating art helps them focus and assess what they The threats against bee populations have reached many see, feel, and know. They “know” ladybugs are red with media outlets, but how can a school become involved? black spots, but did they know that the number of spots dif- Environmental concerns may seem too big or too far away fers? Have they ever noticed the two tiny toes that beetles to tackle. Most schools are quite distant from farms, but have on each foot, or where the antennae and eyes really are?

Green Teacher 114 Page 41 even a mostly paved school can manage a pollinator garden. Our pollinator garden features many plants native to Rhode Island and we have flowers blooming from early spring to late fall. In their search through the garden, fifth graders learn we have bumble bees, carpenter bees, honey bees, miner bees, and green sweat bees. They learn that bees need flowers for nectar and pollen, and as they are active at different times, need options from early spring until late fall. Small groups of students help maintain the garden. Even focusing on one plant can help: The first graders plant Lemon Queen sunflowers in the spring to use as second graders in the fall when we participate in the Great Sunflower Project as citizen scientists, recording visitors to this species of flower. What about when the garden is dormant? Into the win- ter, third graders took over citizen science, keeping track of winter birds. We made the classic pine cone feeders (using vegetable shortening instead of peanut butter because of allergy concerns), and students took them home with a win- ter bird checklist to tally and return. Results were reported to the Cornell Winter Bird Count. In art, they designed cards in the style of Charley Harper, cutting out red cardinals, glu- ing them to salt-resist blue watercolors for a “snowy” effect,” and drawing out the details in black Sharpie and colored oil pastel. In the spring, we made crayon-resist paintings of goldfinches with “gold” frames, looking at the mixed-media of Gustav Klimt and his use of crayon, oil pastel, paint, gouache, and gold leaf. We compared the two species, did several activities about beak adaptations, and talked about migration. Also with the third graders, we focused a lot on water quality last year. I took 63 third graders on a two-mile hike along Annawamscutt Creek with the help of Lauren Par- in rings! They suggested more examples of how they could melee, Education Director of the Audubon Society of Rhode recycle, reduce waste, and clean up trash near waterways. Island, Sandra Wyatt and Virginia Brown from Barrington We wanted to show the public what animals were affected Land Trust, and science teacher Doreen Schiff of St. Luke’s by trash thrown into the creek. After the field trip, the chil- and her eighth graders, as well as the four third-grade teach- dren chose their favorite creek animal for art in the style of ers. We spent two hours doing six stations about the creek Huichol yarn painting. This was to show a “ripple” effect and having a picnic lunch. The stations included determining of protecting wildlife (while also teaching about culture pollution levels by macro fauna present in a card-matching and parallel lines). Nine of the artworks were included in game, examining leaf packs for actual macro fauna (we also three signs funded through the Lorraine Tisdale Award and found snails, a frog, and an American eel), identifying leaves were posted around the creek. The signs featured text such of trees in the area, matching adult and juvenile photos (frog as “Make ripples: Take away trash and restore wildlife,” and tadpole was easy, dragonfly and nymph not so much), “Keep Our Creek Clean,” and “Guess Who Lives Here? We playing a tag-like game to demonstrate a food chain of mos- Do? Please Don’t Pollute!” so the public would recognize quito, dragonfly, and frog, and participating in a food web that trash and pollutants were hurting the animals and the by clipping a picture of a living or non-living item to their environment. shirt and passing yarn back and forth between connected To find a way you can help the environment locally, items, such as a squirrel with an acorn, or tree with soil. It contact a land trust, your local Audubon chapter, or other was a huge success! Now to see how they could help these environmental groups in your area. Having a creek that runs animals… through our schoolyard and into another town where another teacher was also collecting data on it with the support of the Art draws attention local land trust was a perfect opportunity. Schoolyards and After one look at a picture of “Peanut,” the turtle who had community centers will vary greatly, of course. This is where gotten trapped so long in a six-pack soda ring that her shell consulting local scientists or environmental groups can help. had grown into a peanut shape, the children immediately They might know of a particular animal or plant that is in wanted to help her. Of course, she’s been rescued, but has danger. Sometimes it’s getting to know what’s around you. reduced lung capacity because of her shell shape. We dis- It could even be helping a common plant or animal get bet- cussed how she got stuck in there, if she had the thumbs or ter “press”: An Oregon group renamed solitary miner bees tools to get out on her own, and how could we prevent this “Tickle bees” to help protect this docile species, particularly from happening again. I showed them how to cut the soda from eradication by panicked landowners finding them in rings and advised them to do even better: Don’t buy soda their lawn.

Page 42 Green Teacher 114 You could make a mascot out of a sometimes reviled but cards” around the garden) to educate the public about litter, useful animal or plant, such as the tick-eating opossum or habitat, and local species. Art could be put on hats, t-shirts, the nutritious dandelion. You can even change your environ- and mugs, to sell or promote events like schoolyard or earth ment to attract and boost beneficial animals, such as if you day clean-ups. planted a pollinator garden or milkweeds for monarchs. Once Find local groups and a common cause. I frequently col- you have a cause, it becomes the subject matter of whatever laborate with community groups, including the Audobon art methods you are teaching as well as a public service Society of Rhode Island and the Roger Williams Park Zoo. announcement with the art displayed as a sign, poster, t-shirt, It’s summer time and I’m collecting maple samaras and or in a public place. thinking of da Vinci’s helicopter. I’m trying out dye made One year, a small group of third and fourth graders made from goldenrod. I’m learning about a new insect. September a model of a salt marsh, with a heron, a crab, turtles, fish, and will be here soon, and I would like a few more tools for that more along with native plants and the invasive Phragmites “teachable moment” when I take them outside. They will get australis. It was made entirely out of trash and recyclable concrete experiences, learn about habitats and animal adap- objects. We displayed our model at the Audubon Society of tations, get in-depth drawing from real specimens and mak- Rhode Island Bristol location, which includes a salt marsh ing models to show camouflage. They will learn how their and ASRI’s efforts to protect it. Our display included facts own efforts can draw attention to causes and how their own about invasive plants, items found polluting water, and facts behaviors, such as not littering or planting flowers, can pro- about animals that lived there. We also listed all the materials tect species. There is learning to be done! used and how they could be recycled. In another year, fifth graders made a model of a native Melissa Guillet teaches interdisciplinary arts education fish species, using plastic bottles, acrylic paint, and (clean) for grades K-5 at A.M. Waddington Elementary in River- “trash.” The best examples were hung in a large display with side, Rhode Island. She also teaches STEM to STEAM for plastic bag water plants and soda-ring nets. It featured facts the Rhode Island Museum of Science and Art and runs about the fish and trash collected at the last Rhode Island workshops and gives lectures for the URI Master Gardener beach clean-up. The display spent a month at the University Association. She is Central Rhode Island School Garden of Rhode Island Feinstein Shepard Building in an art event Administrator for the URI Desourdy School Gardens pro- open to the public. gram. Contact her at [email protected]. It’s not just the message, but the materials themselves: We make art from plastic bottles, cardboard tubes, egg car- tons, cork, boxes, foam trays, and more. All these could have Thank You! ended up in the landfill. We use Styrofoam trays collected Our Supporters and Friends provide us with extra funds (and washed) from meat portions to create Gyotaku prints, to help sustain Green Teacher. drawing native fish and carving out their details before roll- Join the list and find out more at www.greenteacher.com ing ink on them and printing them in a group display. (The removed pieces are collected and brought to the Eco-Depot To our Friends at the Johnston Resource Recovery Corporation to be repur- Harry Adam Sarah Fine Leigh Obrien posed.) The students learn about our native species through Bayside MS Jennifer French Emily Owings in-depth examination of laminated illustrations, and learn to create and problem-solve with repurposed materials. Marisa Bean Paul Gifford Jeannine Palms Robert Bixler Sandra Gilchrist Cathy Reas Eco-Art can teach the community Amanda Brown Xochitl A Gilkeson Victoria Rydberg- Community involvement can and should go in several direc- Vicki Caltabiano Dave Hall Nania tions. Community “experts” can be called in to share their Stephen Campbell Letha Henry Greg Sawatzky passion and knowledge. Other staff and the children’s adult Lisa Cassity Christina Lucciantonio Brandy Schell family members can be brought in to share the experience Sarah Conley Dolores Luis Gmitter Carolyn Sevier and take their new knowledge with them. On field trips, get- Greg Derbyshire Stacy MacLeish Zoe Ann ting parent chaperones is not just about safety, but to help reinforce support of environmental education at home. Col- Jennifer Doll Don McBean Stinchcomb lected data can be shared with scientists through programs Lisa Druchok Mary McGrath Sylvia Swift like The Great Sunflower Project or Cornell’s Winter Bird Lisa Duckworth Augusto Medina Janice Thomas Count. Finally, there is making work public, through public Johnny Dulku Cindy Murdough Kim Urbaniak displays and PSAs. Children’s artwork is always eye-catching. As the chil- To our Supporters dren learn about the environment through art-making, that Sheila Campbell Lois Nixon work can educate the community in many ways. Public dis- Rosalyn McKeown Denise Scribner plays in libraries, universities, and community centers with clear explanations is a great place to start. But if you can get grants or have other funding, there are many other creative options! Children could illustrate and design seed packets and sell them as a fundraiser. Art can be made into perma- nent signs such as our creek signs (and perhaps our bee “ace

Green Teacher 114 Page 43 Resources

Reviewers this issue: facts. The four-book series is arranged her mind, and her spirit as she strug- Peter Allemang, Ellen Bees, by progressive reading levels that gles for survival. The story follows a Alan Crook, Tim Grant, children can work their way through. young coyote who leaves the Cana- Megan Hunt, Jessica Hill, Each book is divided into six subjects. dian prairies to Kyle Lichtenwald, Raine Sillito, For example, the Level One reader seek a mate and Nick Townley, Bonnie Tulloch, includes: safari animals, reptiles, establish new Veronica Uzielli, Stacey Widenhofer, vehicles, animal habitats, insects and territory. In do- Kim Zumach outer space. Each book includes mini ing so, Coyote cue cards, glossaries and quizzes at and her mate Divest! the end of a section which help read- become the first In the film Divest, the viewers get ers recognize and remember key facts keystone preda- to come along with 350.org on the and words. Whatever your child’s tors to return to Do the Math tour as the organiza- interests, there’s something in these a remote area tion seeks to increase support for the fun and engaging reading aids for of Maine. The climate movement. With the help of everyone. – (MH) story unfolds several significant statistics, environ- Silver Dolphin Books, 2015. ISBN’s Level into a lesson in ecosystem dynam- mentalists Bill 1: 978-1-62686-451-1, Level 2: 978-1- ics and coyote behavior. Far from 62686-452-8, Level 3: 978-1-62686-453- anthropomorphizing Coyote, the novel McKibben and 5, Level 4: 978-1-62686-454-2 (hb), Naomi Klein de- 202 pp. each, USD $14.95 each, from provides a cautious glimpse into the scribe how fossil www.silverdolphinbooks.com inner world of the coyote through fuel companies Vistein’s captivating storytelling. have enough Wild Curiosity This book should be on everyone’s carbon in reserve “must-read” list, and would make an to push carbon Wonder and awe: excellent read-aloud or novel study dioxide levels these are things in an intermediate or middle school past the point that teachers and classroom. – (KZ) of no return. To parents know Tilbury House, 2015 ISBN 978-0-88448- prevent this cli- lead to creating 466-0 (hb), 184pp., USD $16.95 from www.tilburyhouse.com mate calamity, McKibben advocates lifelong learners. for divesting from fossil fuel indus- Using examples tries and outlines various campaigns, drawn from Uncovering Student Ideas such as Germany’s success with solar modern neuro- Uncovering Student Ideas in Earth energy and many universities’ drive to science and research in psychology, and Environmental Science is an edu- stop investment in fossil fuel com- author Erik Shonstrom offers insight cational tool created by Page Keeley panies. Other speakers share stories and tidbits of wisdom for inspiring and Laura Tucker to help science which illustrate the impacts of climate curiosity in children. In his book Wild teachers find appropriate and helpful change and how people are rallying to Curiosity: How to Unleash Creativity approaches to assessing their students’ stop it. The film is particularly geared and Encourage Lifelong Wonder- learning and progress. The assess- to post-secondary students, although ing, he argues that by celebrating ments include “justified lists,” where high school students could benefit spontaneity of the unexpected we can students have the opportunity to share from it as well. – (EB) expose children to a world of learning their knowledge and understanding Bullfrog Films, 2016 (DVD) 77 min., beyond the textbooks and classroom of concepts (such as tectonic plates Rent USD $95 or Purchase $295 from walls. Drawing on the works of ex- and volcanoes). Other assignments www.bullfrogfilms.com perts such as Ivan Illich and Richard include “friendly Louv, the author calls on the reader to talk” and “op- Smithsonian Readers awaken the natural curiosity of young posing views,” Who says teaching children to read minds. – (KL) where students Rowman & Littlefield, 2016, ISBN 978-1- can’t be fun? In the Smithsonian can share their 4758-1528-3 (hc), 171 pp., USD $28 from opinions and Readers se- www.rowman.com ries, staff at the ideas, and learn largest museum collaboratively. I am Coyote This guide also institution in the I am Coyote offers the reader a world offer a helps teachers glimpse into the life of the often mis- find the best perfect challenge understood, and sometimes vilified, to early readers. possible way to assess their class’ coyote. Author Geri Vistein weaves learning by offering evidence of each They do so while her experience as a carnivore biolo- also providing probe’s effectiveness and making con- gist with emotive storytelling in this nections to specific curriculum guides. books jam- compelling novel. The reader becomes packed with fun Using these probes, teachers will be immersed in Coyote’s physical state, able to better recognize progress and

Page 44 Green Teacher 114 difficulties in their students as well as dia influence. In the book The Great elementary school from Grades 4 to develop stronger, more specific learn- White Shark Scientist by Sy Mont- 6, however because of the unique ing goals for their class. – (MH) gomery, the quest to find a creature curriculum requirements of different National Science Teachers Association, whose ancestry dates back to the time areas and the unique needs of every 2016. ISBN 978-1-938946-47-9, 180 pp., of dinosaurs, takes on an adventure- student, I would recommend having a USD $37.95 from www.nsta.org seeking narrative. Enhanced by vivid copy of this book available to all K-12 photography by Keith Ellenbogen, teachers. – (JH) After the Sands the book NSTA Press, 2016 ISBN 978-1-941316- Does Canada have enough oil on-hand describes 09-2, (pb), 200 pp., USD $25.95 from to survive a short-term international what it www.nsta.org/store oil crisis? Who controls provincial takes for electricity grids, Canadians or Ameri- scien- Adventures of Bubba Jones cans? Does tar sands crude oil sink tists to The first installment of this series, or float? The answers may surprise study the by Jeff Alt, is sure to get kids pas- you, and not in a good way. This is illusive sionate about nature again. In The just a tiny sample of the exhaustively creatures Adventures of Bubba Jones: Time researched and documented informa- of our Travelling Through the Great Smoky tion you will find in this paperback, nightmares. While the narrative itself Mountains, Tommy and Jenny (aka self-billed as “an optimistic, uniquely is occasionally mired in scientific lan- “Bubba Jones” and “Hug-a-Bug”) dis- Canadian road map to a low-carbon guage and a slow progression of ideas, cover their family has a secret like no future,” and loaded with ideas relevant infographics make the book accessible other — they can beyond Canada’s borders. Couched in to students above Grade 4. This book travel through extensive energy history and contextu- would make a good addition to any time! Bubba and alized by current international events, science collection if there is a shark Hug-a-Bug use the author does indeed provide a basic enthusiast in the class, or a specific these newfound plan for securing an energy future for unit revolving around scientific re- abilities to spice Canada and meeting our Paris carbon search in marine biology. – (JH) up their camp- reduction targets, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016 ISBN 978- ing getaway while transition- 0-544-35298-8 (hb), 70pp., USD $18.99 to the Great ing workers from hmhco.com Smoky Mountain away from the National Park tar sands. All it Once Upon an Earth Science — by meeting takes is pivoting the park founders and earliest settlers, from consumer- Book and witnessing the park’s rich history ism to sufficiency, Once Upon an Earth Science Book: firsthand! Accompanied by Hannah prying the fingers 12 Interdisciplinary Activities to Cre- Tuohy’s illustrations, the book sets of transnational ate Confident Readers by Jodi Wheel- up an interesting concept for a series energy companies er-Toppen, is the perfect resource for which is sure to get kids thinking off our resources, any educator looking to promote an about the unique history of their own and moving on from free-market capi- inclusive class- communities. A great read for kids talism. Oh, and getting all the prov- room, or simply ages 9 to 12, and for use as a tie-in to inces to agree on lots of things. But provide more geography, history and social studies at its core, it requires that we change accessible mate- lessons. – (MH) rial for a few — each of us, so that public pressure Beaufort Books, 2015. ISBN 978- will generate the political will to do lessons in their 0825307867 (pb.), 176 pp. USD $9.99 from what so obviously can be done. There Earth Science www.beaufortbooks.com is almost too much information, and units. Not only it could be organized a bit better, but do the first three chapters outline Voices of Transition these are quibbles. Laxer deserves This DVD is an excellent introduction full marks for laying out a future for the scientific evi- dence behind each strategy presented to global grassroots efforts to over- Canada that need not be headed for a come some scary monsters: energy global warming cliff, or result in any- in the book, there are also valuable suggestions for monitoring progress descent, destructive farming, corpo- one freezing in the dark. It will take rate colonialism, and the like. It is tremendous effort, but there is a way and assessing the impact of each intervention used for the following ac- suitable for com- forward. Students from an advanced munity groups Grade 7 level may find it here. – (AC) tivities. The activities themselves are broken down into specific topics, with and students as Douglas & McIntyre, 2015, ISBN 978-1- young as grade 7 77162-100-7 (pb/ebook), 278 pp., CAD each topic addressing two or three $24.95 from www.douglas-mcintyre.com different reading strategies. While the or 8. For anyone assessment strategies are based on not familiar with the Tran- The Great White Shark Scientist US-standards of achievement, they are easily adaptable to any district, even sition Towns Sharks are the single most terrifying outside of the United States. Gener- movement and creatures to swim the oceans, thanks ally speaking, this resource is likely founder Rob in large part to the perception of me- the most useful to teachers of upper Hopkins, or enlightened food systems

Green Teacher 114 Page 45 like Agroforestry and small-scale and send warnings to other trees. Con- balance between sacred and scientific organic gardening, it’s an informa- versely, they also engage in ruthless understandings; Rick Bass details tive welcome mat. After a powerful competitions for resources like water. wondrous reflections in his daughter’s voice-over featuring Vandana Shiva, Wohlleben’s forestry background and eyes as the two observe eagles eating an all-too-rare hopeful, can-do tone scientific style of writing would be deer on the way to school. All in all, pervades the examinations of these best understood by secondary school this is good, affordable medicine. – issues. Director Nils Aguilar shows a aged students. This would be a won- (PA) swath of images almost wide enough derful book to read and study in the Orion Readers, 2012, ISBN (print) 978- to appeal to everyone. – (PA) classroom or at home. – (SW) 1-935713-02-9, ISBN (e-book) 978-1- 935713-03-06 (pb), 107 pp., USD $10.80 Milpa Films, 2012, UPC 609224857829, Greystone Books Ltd., 2015, ISBN 978- from www.orionmagazine.org DVD, 65 mins, USD $49.00, from 415-377- 1-77164-248-4 (hc), 272 pp., USD $29.95 5471, www.greenplanetfilms.org from www.greystonebooks.com The Woods The Hidden Life of Trees Wonder and Other Survival The Woods: A Year on Protection There is an entire world that lives in, Skills Island is a well among, and un- With this almost pocket-sized collec- written nonfiction derneath our for- tion of short essays, Orion Magazine book accounting ests. The Hidden offers a sort of psychological First Aid author Amber Life of Trees by to 9th Graders and up who suffer from McMillan’s dras- Peter Wohlleben post-modern despair and nature deficit tic decision to is an eye opener disorder. Collectively, the stories, move her family to the hidden life anecdotes, and insights of the 15 con- from the big city within the forest! tributors act as of Toronto across You can feel his a sort of “won- the country to a respect for trees der-flavored” small island near in his writing as multivitamin. For Vancouver Island he shares how tree “families,” “chil- example, Scott — all on a whim. McMillan weaves dren,” and “elders” interact. From Russell Sanders’ the history of Protection Island with descriptions of the ‘Wood Wide Web’ Telling the Holy humour as she describes her family’s and the forest’s own social network, describes his boy- daily life in their new home — a rou- we gain a better understanding of how hood Ohio neigh- tine that took some adjusting for the trees are like human families. They bourhood as a author, her husband, and their young use this fungal network to send elec- means of explor- daughter. The stories of their struggles trical signals to nurse sick neighbors, ing the deeper are told in an entertaining way, leav-

Children’s Books

Wangari Maathati An Inukshuk Means Welcome A beautifully illustrated biography of an inspiring An Inuksuk Means Welcome is an acrostic-poem picture woman, Wangari Maathai is the story of the Nobel book from author and artist Mary Wallace. The book Peace Prize winning environmentalist from Kenya. serves as a beautifully illustrated introduction to the Author Franck Prevot explores Wangari’s life from her Arctic and Inuit culture. After childhood — in which she was not allowed to attend touching on the cultural impor- school because of her gender and forced to adopt the tance of inuksuit, Wallace explores Christian name “Miriam” by British colonialists — to a new Inuit word for each letter of her creation of the Green the word inuksuk, from the power- Belt Movement and envi- ful nanuq (polar bear) to the freez- ronmental advocacy. The ing siku (ocean ice sheets). With powerful story is accom- each, the author first defines it, panied by Aurelia Fronty’s then provides a phonetic pronun- impressive illustrations. The ciation and Inuktitut characters. story is sure to inspire every There is also an interesting guide child, but especially girls, to to the various types of inuksuit, see that they are capable of their names, and what they signify. Artistically, the book overcoming adversity and is a visual feast with gorgeous, swirling illustrations. making a positive impact in the world around them. A Ultimately, this book is a fun and aesthetically striking great introduction to important topics such as conserva- way to teach children about a new language and culture, tion, women’s rights, and social justice for ages six to and could be a useful tool for early primary school nine. - (MH) social studies classes. – (MH) Charlesbridge Publishing, 2015. ISBN 978-1-58089-626-9 (hb), Owlkids Books Inc., 2015. ISBN 978-1-77147-137-4 (hb), 32pp., 48 pp,. CAD $19.95 from www.charlesbridge.com CAD $18.95 from www.owlkidsbooks.com

Page 46 Green Teacher 114 ing the reader wanting more. There is the fossil fuel industry outed. There not only bad press but bad personal always something new for the family is really nothing new here. And yet, experiences by the 85% who are to figure out during their year on the “conventional approaches are not sensitive to PI. She does so with grace island, from their reliance on unreli- succeeding” in refuting the deniers and style, largely by using PI as a lens able boats to get them to work and and moving discourse and policy in on botany and ecology, and linking school, to power outages, and even the right direction. It is doubtful that PI and its characteristics to important to stories of mysterious murders that simply adding some cartoons into the places, and especially people, in our have happened on the island. Students history. John Smith, of Jamestown mix will make much of a difference. Grade 7 and up would enjoy this great fame, first described it, from per- While the authors try to remain posi- read. – (NT) sonal experience, to Europeans. It Nightwood Editions, 2016, ISBN 978-0- tive, citing unanimous buy-in at the was planted, on purpose, by royalists 88971-329-1 (pb), 223 pp., CAD $19.95 Paris Climate Change Conference, (Louis XIV) and republicans (Thomas from www.harbourpublishing.com action at all levels except Congress, Jefferson). Botanist John Bertram, and how recent, global economic in his famous boxes, sent it to just The Madhouse Effect growth occurred without increases in about everyone who was anyone in This short, US-centric book by sci- carbon levels, they emphasize that the Europe. Darwin considered it one entist Michael 2016 election is “make or break,” and of most highly Mann and car- we all know how that turned out. This evolved plants in toonist Tom Toles is a good book for people wanting the world. Some attempts to com- facts and arguments for moving for- people actually bine science and ward with carbon pricing, renewable eat it (don’t try cartoons, effect energy and essential regulations. We this at home). By and affect, in an can only hope that it plays some small packing tidbits examination of part in somehow turning the corner, of information around histori- climate change against all odds, in the country where cal context, the denial. It is a good it matters most. – (AC) genius of PI is Columbia University Press, 2016. ISBN primer for high school students on revealed, along climate change and why we should 978-0-231-177863 (hc), 186 pp., US $24.95 from cup.columbia.edu with its beauty and value to the wide care about it, and the “whys,” “hows,” range of habitats in which it is found, and “whos” of the denial industry. and the many wildlife that depend Extensive, referenced endnotes keep In Praise of Poison Ivy on it. A short appendix provides a it fact-based. The stages of denial When people and poison ivy (PI) get no-nonsense primer on dealing with are refuted, their tactics exposed, the together, it’s often a bad thing. So PI and its relatives, poison oak and major figures and their connections to author Anita Sanchez has to overcome sumac. Taken together, the book is a

Our Food Little Honeybee What’s the difference between a fruit Little Honeybee is an absolutely gor- and a vegetable? Between brown and geous lift the flap and counting book white bread? What makes popcorn by Jane Ormes. We follow along in pop? Children are full of questions. a garden from winter to summer as In Our Food: A healthy serving of different flowers bloom and many science and poems, Grace Lin and insects and animals visit. Ormes takes Ranida T. McKneally will help you us on a counting journey, from one to and your students answer them ten, as we learn the names of differ- together. The book is loaded with scientific information ent flowers as well as a new describ- about fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, meats and dairy ing word for each. Nodding tulips, hollyhocks trembling and the importance of a varied diet. Based on the USDA in the breeze and climbing roses rambling are some such MyPlate food groups, this book would be a good jump- descriptions. The beautiful silk-screen illustrations give start to an inquiry-based project around food. Each double the illusion of depth and texture, that make the images page spread includes a question, a haiku poem, a band of appear like you could reach out and touch the flowers and informational text and the colourful playful illustrations by deer. This story would be an absolute joy for children ages Grace Zong include racially diverse characters. Although 2-5 as they lift-the-flaps and discover the secret world of a written and illustrated for primary students, the depth of garden. – (BT) the informational text is detailed and would also be suited Big Picture Press, 2015, ISBN 978-0-7636-8531-7 (hb), 14pp., US for older students. – (VU) $14.99/CDN $20.00 from www.bigpicturepress.net Charlesbridge, 2016 ISBN 978-1-58089-590-3 (hb), 40 pp., US $16.95/CDN $18.95 from www.charlesbridge.com

Green Teacher 114 Page 47 plea for coexistence with, not eradica- walks the reader Along with appendices of literature tion of, a rather amazing plant that, through skill and reading material, you’ll find case by accident, happens to rub most of building in wil- studies and mini-lessons that will help us the wrong way. A great intro to derness survival, you connect and botany, history and home remedies for including fire engage with Grade 7’s and above. – (AC) making, primi- students in more Taylor Trade Publishing, 2016. ISBN 978- tive cooking, and meaningful 1-63076-131-8 (hc/ebook), 180 pp., USD shelter construc- ways. For edu- $24.95 from www.rowman.com tion. It is direct- cators interested ed at educators, in cultivating Designing Adaptive and and includes specific tips drawn from community-in- Personalized Learning the author’s own experiences teaching volved practices Environments these skills. Nature centers, teachers, in their class- Designing Adaptive and Personalized and anybody involved in youth camps rooms and supporting a love of read- Learning Environments is unique in would benefit from the instructions ing, this is a resource you’ll return to that it focuses entirely on online learn- and examples included. Young people again and again. – (RS) from grade four and up will be drawn Pembroke Publishers, 2013, ISBN 978- ing spaces. As technology advances, 1-57110-859-3 (pb), 252pp. CAD $34.95 opportunities for educators to person- to these hands-on activities that show how life used to be and how much we from www.pembrokepublishers.com USD alize learning increase. All learners $25.00 from www.stenhouse.com are unique, and being able to adapt often take for granted. – (KL) the environment 2009. Contact author directly at argskids@ optonline.net USD $10.00 Nature Preschools and Forest to the needs of the student isn’t Kindergartens always easy Eco-tracking In our digitized world, a connection to in traditional Subtitled “On the Trail of Habitat nature is sometimes difficult to attain. classrooms. This Change,” this is a well-designed book Throughout this important resource, book discusses that provides Grade 5-8 students with renowned environmental educator the concepts of activities that encourage them to be- David Sobel and personalization, come citizen scientists. Author Daniel his colleagues including theo- Shaw includes share stories of retical perspec- typical concepts best practices tives with practical applications, and — habitats, and steps for offers research and practical guide- fragmentation, creating primary lines for designing digital learning en- biodiversity and environmen- vironments that support customization bias — within tal education of learning and instruction. While not chapters that programs. They specifically related to environmental are introduced all provide the education, the research discussed does with a brief reader with provide some interesting ideas to con- student story. a conceptual framework for creat- sider. Chapter 6 for example explores Shaw’s goal is ing a learning community of young Exploration-based learning and dis- to encourage young people to pay children who are easily stimulated by cusses student centered activities that close attention to changes in their curiosity of the natural world. While are critical in the learning process, local environment, and share what this resource is aimed at primary enabling students to inquire and find they see with their peers, scientists educators, it would be beneficial to a information to integrate in a manner and decision-makers. Throughout the range of audiences, including daycare meaningful to them. This is known book are sidebars that describe related providers, homeschoolers, early child- as constructivist learning, and these hands-on activities that enable young hood university programs, and school exploration activities can be adapted readers to become “eco-trackers.” division decision makers. The many to digital or physical environmen- This attractive hardcover book is both compelling stories remind the reader tal education practices. A dense but kid and adult-friendly. – (PA/TG) that children learn best through play interesting resource which provides University of New Mexico Press, 2010, and experiencing the world. Reading ISBN 978-0-8263-4531-8, (hc), 104 pp., it inspired me to get outside with my enriching research and techniques for USD $34.95 cloth, from 800-249-7737, any educator. – (RS) www.unmpress.com children to catch insects and jump in Routledge, 2016 ISBN 978-1-138- puddles. By teaching children to love 01306-3, (pb), 182pp., USD $49.95 from the natural world, they will have the www.routledge.com/education Caring Hearts & Critical Minds appreciation to save it later in life. Steven Wolk, the author of Caring –(KL) Hearts & Critical Minds provides Redleaf Press, 2016, ISBN 978-1-60554- Teaching Primitive Skills to detailed instruction on how educators 429-8 (pb), 260 pp., USD $39.95 from Children can best enable students to be socially www.redleafpress.org In a world of ever advancing techno- responsible. Through inquiry-based logical progress, a generation is at risk practices, this resource gives teachers of losing the know-how and ingenuity practical ideas and structure for de- of useful primitive skills. In this prac- veloping literature units that connect tical handbook, author Jeffery Gottlieb to the real world in authentic ways.

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Phone: 1-888-804-1486 95 Robert St. PO Box 452 www.greenteacher.com Fax: 416-925-3474 Toronto, ON M5S 2K5 Niagara Falls, NY 14304 [email protected] Are your students interested in creating habitat for monarch butterflies while engaging in project-based learning and citizen science?

EE FR D! LOA OWN The National Wildlife Federation D (NWF) with support from the This curriculum can be downloaded for FREE LEGO Community Fund U.S., have on NWF’s Eco-Schools USA website! developed a K-12, NGSS curriculum www.tinyurl.com/LEGOmonarchmission focused on using environment- based education to teach Science, Get it NOW and start planning Technology, Engineering and Math for your fall classes. (Green STEM).