USDA FOREST SERVICE USDA FOREST SERVICE ADOPT A SCHOOL ADOPT A SCHOOL

PROGRAMPROGRAMATAT

FRANKLIN SQUARE FRANKLIN SQUARE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Quin HolifieldQuin HolifieldUSDA Forest ServiceUSDA Forest Service

Janie GordonJanie GordonBaltimore Ecosystems StudiesBaltimore Ecosystems StudiesParks and People FoundationParks and People Foundation

Baltimore, MarylandBaltimore, MarylandOctober 19, 2006October 19, 2006

INTRODUCTIOINTRODUCTIONN

• Michael T. RainsMichael T. Rains– Director of the Northern Research Station USDA Forest Director of the Northern Research Station USDA Forest

ServiceService– Initiated the ProgramInitiated the Program

• Newtown Square, Pennsylvania Newtown Square, Pennsylvania

– Developed in direct response Developed in direct response • ““No Child Left Behind” mandateNo Child Left Behind” mandate

– Specific goal:Specific goal:• Increase environmental literacy Increase environmental literacy

– EducatorsEducators– Students Students – Family members Family members – Surrounding communitiesSurrounding communities

ADOPT A SCHOOLADOPT A SCHOOL

GOALSGOALS• To improve environmental literacyTo improve environmental literacy

• To provide positive role modelsTo provide positive role models

• To provide positive career choices in the To provide positive career choices in the fields of math and sciencefields of math and science

• To track academic achievementTo track academic achievement

• To increase diversity among our rank and To increase diversity among our rank and file scientist in the USDA Forest Servicefile scientist in the USDA Forest Service

THE TEAMTHE TEAMJanie Gordon- BES Education Coordinator, Parks and People Janie Gordon- BES Education Coordinator, Parks and People

FoundationFoundation

Joyce Wheeler- BCPSS Elementary School Science Curriculum Joyce Wheeler- BCPSS Elementary School Science Curriculum OfficerOfficer

Barbara McGuiness- USDA Forest ServiceBarbara McGuiness- USDA Forest Service

David Garrison- USDA Forest Service Grants SpecialistDavid Garrison- USDA Forest Service Grants Specialist

Terry Patton- Principal, Franklin Square Elementary SchoolTerry Patton- Principal, Franklin Square Elementary School

Natasha Thurmon & Arsenia Ponce-Natasha Thurmon & Arsenia Ponce- Fourth Grade TeachersFourth Grade Teachers

Sherwood Lennon-Sherwood Lennon- Fifth Grade TeacherFifth Grade Teacher

Ted Dixon- BCPSS Legal AdvisorTed Dixon- BCPSS Legal Advisor

WHY FRANKLIN SQUARE WHY FRANKLIN SQUARE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?

Existing youth environmental enrichment after-school Existing youth environmental enrichment after-school program:program:

“ “KidsGrow”KidsGrow”

Baltimore Ecosystem Study for Long Term Baltimore Ecosystem Study for Long Term Ecological Research (BES-LTER)Ecological Research (BES-LTER)

Parks and People FoundationParks and People Foundation

School Yard School Yard GardenGarden

WHAT’S THE BIG WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?DEAL?

Some Some Very ImportantVery Important people are finding out people are finding out about the environmental about the environmental activities taking place in activities taking place in Watershed Watershed 263…………………263…………………

CONGRESSIONAL VISITCONGRESSIONAL VISIT

Public Speaking

Confidence Building

Character Development

Sharing Science-Based Information

“KidsGrow” Presentation

CONGRESSIONAL VISITCONGRESSIONAL VISIT

FRANKLIN SQUARE ELEMENTARYFRANKLIN SQUARE ELEMENTARYSCHOOL YARDSCHOOL YARD

FRANKLIN SQUARE ELEMENTARYFRANKLIN SQUARE ELEMENTARYSCHOOL YARDSCHOOL YARD

FRANKLIN SQUARE ELEMENTARYFRANKLIN SQUARE ELEMENTARYSCHOOL YARDSCHOOL YARD

Home Depot EventHome Depot Event

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

FOURTH GRADEFOURTH GRADE

FIFTH GRADEFIFTH GRADE

FOURTH GRADEFOURTH GRADE

• Alignment of Lesson Plans with Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Voluntary Standards

• Unit One Life Science: A. Diversity of Life– Lesson Plan: “How Healthy is the Soil? Soil Testing of School Yard

Soils”

• Unit Four Life Science: E. Flow of Matter and Energy– Lesson Plan: “The Root Race Experiment”

USDA Forest Service Grant Proposal Franklin Square Elementary School

GRADE 4 Unit One Life Science: A. Diversity of Life (Days 1 – 9; two weeks) Content Standard: The students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the dynamic nature of living things, their interaction and the results from the interaction that occur over time. Indicators “Big Ideas” Proposed

Lesson Sample Item or Task

Instructional Focus

Resources

1.3.A.1 Students are able to: Compare and explain how external features of plants help them survive in different environments

Diversity of Life Each plant species has structures that help it deal with the different environmental conditions of the school yard ecosystem. By studying the plant species in different soils within a schoolyard ecosystem, students can see how plant populations deal with environmental pressures

How Healthy is your soil? Soil testing of school yard soils (See Appendix)

Is the soil in the school yard a suitable environment for different types of plants? Do different plants thrive in different soils found in the schoolyard? Ask the students if they have observed the soils in their neighborhoods and the types of plants they have seen growing there. Ask the students to share what they know about the plants growing in their neighborhoods. Ask especially if any family members have gardens. Brainstorm about what things are needed for the growth and

Introducing Developing

USDA Forest Service

FIFTH GRADEFIFTH GRADE•Alignment of Lesson Plans with

Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Voluntary Standards

• Unit One Life Science: A. Diversity of Life – Lesson Plans: “How Healthy is the Soil?”“Soil and Plant Connections”

FIFTH GRADEFIFTH GRADE• FIELD TRIP FIELD TRIP

– SOLDIERS DELIGHT NATURAL SOLDIERS DELIGHT NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AREAENVIRONMENT AREA

“How Healthy is the Soil?”“Soil and Plant Connections”

                                                                        

CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS

• Curriculum Development Curriculum Development – Conducted by the Academic Conducted by the Academic

Development TeamDevelopment Team– Ensuring scientific accuracy of Ensuring scientific accuracy of

knowledge presentedknowledge presented– Assisting with writing curriculum textAssisting with writing curriculum text– Working with interested teachersWorking with interested teachers

• Approval from Baltimore City Public Approval from Baltimore City Public School SystemSchool System– Curriculum is being implemented as a Curriculum is being implemented as a

pilot program pilot program

CONCLUSIONS CONCLUSIONS

FUTURE FUTURE DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT

• Adopting a New Science Curriculum Adopting a New Science Curriculum – To be later used by science teachers To be later used by science teachers

from all 125 schools in the Baltimore from all 125 schools in the Baltimore City Public School SystemCity Public School System

– To include levels of instruction for To include levels of instruction for •elementary schools elementary schools •middle schoolsmiddle schools•high schoolshigh schools

T