Grades 2-6
Aquatic Habitats: Exploring Desktop Ponds
The GEMS
Aquatic Habitat kit is targeted towards 2nd through 6th
grade students. The kit contains five interactive activities for the students to complete. Essentially the students set up their own living pond as a model for the different activities. They then use these hands-on activities to study the aquatic ecosystem they themselves have created. The kit is $357 and can be found on the Carolina Curriculum website at www.
carolinacurriculum.com. The Aquatic Habitat kit comes with a teacher’s guide, an information packet, and the materials needed for a class of 32. Creating the life-like pond is a gradual
process because students study and add one type of organism at a time (i.e. plants, worms, snails, fish, and mosquito lar- vae). This allows students to observe the interactions within a pond ecosystem right from the comfort of their own classroom. It could also be interesting to finish this kit and then take the students to a natural pond ecosystem so they could compare. This kit allows students “to increase their ability to comprehend the diversity of organisms, their adaptions, and interde- pendence within an ecosystem” (Carolina Curriculum). The befits of this kit include; introducing students to the foundational science concepts, all lessons are aligned with multiple state standards, the teacher’s guide provides step-by-step instruction, assessment suggestions, literature connec- tions, and ideas for future instruction, and finally, students will love the hands-on interactions. The Carolina Curriculum Company
did a great job incorporating everything that I would want to see in a science kit. The website provides the consumable materials you would need to replenish you kit for future years. The website also provides workshops where you can learn more about the different kits the company makes. I also found that the company is readily available to answer any questions you may have about what is in the kit, purchasing, or using the materials. The GEMS program was evaluated by the United States Department of Education’s Mathematics and Science Education Expert
CLEARING 2011
Panel, and it was found to be a “Promising Science Program.” The studies done on the GEMS program indicate that the program improves student learning, improves the understanding and practice of inquiry, reaches students of all levels, and fosters positive attitudes/motivation of students in science. The research is here to back up the GEMS science kits, and after looking deeper into the product, it is something I hope to use in the classroom to help my students learn and grow.
Tsunami Aftermath: Tracking Marine Debris
Debris from the tsunami that devas- tated Japan last year may reach the U.S. this winter. However, there is still a large amount of uncertainty over exactly what is still floating, where it’s located, where it will go, and when it will arrive. Check out this video, podcast, and story from NOAA.
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/features/dec11/ japan-tsunami-debris.html
Catch the Wind, Harness the Sun: 22 Super- Charged Science
Projects for Kids
By Michael J. Caduto. (Storey Publishing: North Adams, Mass.)
This entertaining book gives kids,
teachers, and parents 22 exciting activities for using sun and wind power to produce and play with renewable energy. Ages 8 to 13 will enjoy environmental science while fighting global climate change. Projects range from a solar campfire to the Pedal Power bicycle that charges a 12-volt battery for powering electronic devices. Humorous text, lavish color illustrations, photographs, games, and fun-fact sidebars spark curiosi- ty. Features Green Giants—real kids leading the way to save Planet Earth.
Curriculum: “The Whole Plate --
A Return to Real Food”
A 4-Unit course
in nutrition, cooking and food systems that uses lectures, exercises,
readings, and recipes, and integrates hands-on lessons like preparing and preserving food with critical analysis of nutrition issues and food systems. The curriculum includes lectures
on adolescent nutrition and agricultural practices, readings from Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” and Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring.” It also offers a PowerPoint presentation on reading la- bels, and hands-on activities like canning tomatoes and making pasta. By the end of each unit, students know how to make a complete meal for their families -- in fact it’s a course assignment! Individual units sell for $125 and
come in a 3-ring binder that contains the unit of your choice and a CD with easily printable files for student copies. The whole 4-unit curriculum sells
for $400. It’s four units in 3-ring binders, a folder containing Mini-Units, and a CD for easily making student copies.
http://www.thewholeplate.org/
www.clearingmagazine.org/online
National Bird Day Resources for Educators
Today nearly 12 percent of the world’s
9,800 bird species may face extinction within the next century and millions of captive birds lead miserable lives lan- guishing in cages. The National Bird Day Web site offers a full suite of resources including a book, lesson plan, posters, and more. Contact NAAEE member Monica Engebretson, for more information
monica@bornfreeusa.org or call 916-447- 3085 x 210.
http://www.NationalBirdDay.com
Toolkit for Teachers to Facilitate an Air Quality Workshop
The EPA has developed “The Air
Quality Workshop for Teachers: A Toolkit for Facilitators,” designed to help K-12 teachers better understand air pollution is- sues and related health effects, experience hands-on activities, and gain insights into global warming. The toolkit includes ev- erything needed for a workshop: agendas, hands-on activities, power point slides, recruitment notice, and more. Just change the logo, add your personal touch, and you are ready to begin!
http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=learning. workshop_for_teachers
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