CHESAPEAKE CHESAPEAKE 2000 2000

AGREEMENTAGREEMENTEducation Education ObjectivesObjectives

Provide students and teachers alike with opportunities to directly participate in local restoration and protection projects, and to support stewardship efforts in schools and on school property.

Beginning with the class of 2005, provide a meaningful Bay or stream outdoor experience for every school student in the watershed before graduation from high school.

Meaningful Watershed Education Experience

What is a MWEE?

1. MWEEs are investigative

or project oriented.

• Experiences include activities where questions, problems, and issues are investigated by the collection and analysis of data, both mathematical and qualitative.

• Electronic technology, such as computers, probeware, and GPS equipment, is a key component of these kinds of activities and should be integrated throughout the instructional process.

• Use equipment, • Take measurements, and • Make observations for the

purpose of making interpretations and reaching conclusions.

a) Investigative or a) Investigative or experimental experimental design activities design activities where students or where students or groups of students:groups of students:

• restoration, restoration, • monitoring, and monitoring, and • protection projects, that are protection projects, that are

problem solving in nature and problem solving in nature and involve many investigative involve many investigative skills.skills.

b) Project-b) Project-oriented oriented experiences, experiences, such as:such as:

These experiences should These experiences should involve: involve:

fieldwork, fieldwork, data collection and data collection and

analysis, and analysis, and directly relate to the directly relate to the

role of the Bay (or role of the Bay (or other bodies of water) other bodies of water) to these peoplesto these peoples’’ lives. lives.

c) Social, economic, c) Social, economic, historical, and historical, and archaeological questions, archaeological questions, problems, and issues that problems, and issues that are directly related to Bay are directly related to Bay peoples and cultures.peoples and cultures.

Experiences such as tours, gallery Experiences such as tours, gallery visits, simulations, demonstrations, visits, simulations, demonstrations,

or or ““nature walksnature walks”” may be may be instructionally useful, but instructionally useful, but alonealone do do

not constitute a not constitute a meaningfulmeaningful experience as defined here.experience as defined here.

2. MWEEs are richly structured and 2. MWEEs are richly structured and based on high-quality instructional based on high-quality instructional

design.design. a) The a) The preparation phasepreparation phase

shouldshould– focus on a question, focus on a question,

problem, or issue problem, or issue – involve students in involve students in

discussions, research discussions, research and team assignments and team assignments

– management and management and safety preparation.safety preparation.

b) The b) The action phaseaction phase should include one or more should include one or more outdoor experiences sufficient to conduct the outdoor experiences sufficient to conduct the project; students should be actively involved with project; students should be actively involved with the measurements, planning, or construction as the measurements, planning, or construction as safety guidelines permit.safety guidelines permit.

c) The c) The reflection phasereflection phase should: should:- refocus on the question, problem, or issue - refocus on the question, problem, or issue - analyze the conclusions reached- analyze the conclusions reached- evaluate the results- evaluate the results- assess the activity and the student - assess the activity and the student learning. learning.

3. MWEEs are 3. MWEEs are an integral an integral part of the part of the instructional instructional program.program.

Experiences should: Experiences should: • notnot be considered ancillary, peripheral, or enrichment be considered ancillary, peripheral, or enrichment

onlyonly• be clearly part of what is occurring concurrently in the be clearly part of what is occurring concurrently in the

classroomclassroom• be part of the division curriculum and be aligned with be part of the division curriculum and be aligned with

the statethe state’’s learning standards, and s learning standards, and • occur where and when they fit into the instructional occur where and when they fit into the instructional

sequence.sequence.

4. MWEEs 4. MWEEs are part of a are part of a sustained sustained activityactivity

Though an outdoor experience itself may: Though an outdoor experience itself may: • occur as one specific event, occurring in one day, occur as one specific event, occurring in one day, • the total duration leading up to and following the the total duration leading up to and following the

experience should involve a significant investment experience should involve a significant investment of instructional time.of instructional time.

5. MWEEs consider the 5. MWEEs consider the watershed as a system.watershed as a system.

• Experiences are not limited to water-based activities Experiences are not limited to water-based activities

• As long as there is an intentional connectionAs long as there is an intentional connection made to the made to the water quality, the watershed, and the larger ecological system water quality, the watershed, and the larger ecological system

• May include terrestrial activities in the local community (e.g., May include terrestrial activities in the local community (e.g., erosion control, buffer creation, groundwater protection, erosion control, buffer creation, groundwater protection, pollution prevention, or recycling).pollution prevention, or recycling).

6. MWEEs involve external sharing 6. MWEEs involve external sharing and communication.and communication.

Experiences should warrant Experiences should warrant and include further sharing of and include further sharing of the results beyond the the results beyond the classroom. Results of the classroom. Results of the outdoor experiences should be outdoor experiences should be the focus of:the focus of:

• school-based reporting school-based reporting • community reporting community reporting • publishingpublishing• contribution to a larger contribution to a larger

database of water quality and database of water quality and watershed information watershed information

• or other authentic or other authentic communication.communication.

7.MWEEs are 7.MWEEs are enhanced by enhanced by natural natural resources resources personnel.personnel.

• Both in the classroom and leadership on-site during outdoor Both in the classroom and leadership on-site during outdoor activities. activities.

• Have technical knowledge and experience that can serve to Have technical knowledge and experience that can serve to complement the classroom teachercomplement the classroom teacher’’s strengths and s strengths and

• Can serve as important role models for career choices and as Can serve as important role models for career choices and as natural resources stewards.natural resources stewards.

It is clear that these kinds of experiences must be It is clear that these kinds of experiences must be extended to all students including students with extended to all students including students with disabilities, in alternative programs, and special disabilities, in alternative programs, and special populations. No child should be excluded from a populations. No child should be excluded from a

meaningfulmeaningful watershed experience. watershed experience.

8.MWEEs are for 8.MWEEs are for all all studentsstudents..

A meaningful watershed educational experience is:

1. Investigative or project oriented.

2.Richly structured and based on high quality instructional design.

3. Integral part of the instructional program.

4. Involves sustained activity.

5.Considers the watershed as a system.

6.Involves sharing and communication.

7.Enhanced by natural resource personnel.

8. Is for all students.

Spatially Connecting Kids to the Bay

Funded by a NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training Grant

From the Mountains to the Estuary: From the Schoolyard to

the Bay

Funded by A NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training Grant

From The Mountains to the Estuary From the Schoolyard to the Bay Program Overview:

• “What is a watershed?”• “Why is the state of the watershed

important to people?”• “How can we improve water quality in

the watershed?”