This lesson was provided by Andy Jackson, teacher and science supervisor for Harrisonburg Public Schools.
Overview- how this lesson fits into the overall science curriculum
6th grade science- Every student at Thomas Harrison Middle School spends a day in the field working with outdoor professionals from several different agencies learning about the science these professionals do in their jobs.
Life science Every student in Thomas Harrison Middle School spends a day on the South Fork Shenandoah River in McGaheysville, where the City of Harrsionburg owns a 35-acre site once used for generating hydroelectricity, and now planned for use as a water supply intake. It is covered in riparian woodlands that has been relatively undisturbed for the last 50 years. Students use GPS to record locations of key structures and trees at the site.
Earth science - Students monitor water flow through the school's storm water retention pond. Stormwater flows into this pond through two pipes. Students monitor flow rate and rainfall rate over the year and make observations as rain gardens are installed and mowing practices modified.
Environmental Science Students use GPS to document locations of water samples collected along Blacks Run our city's impaired stream. We have collected 10 months of fecal colliform data at 11 locations along the stream in cooperation with the DEQ, Eastern Mennonite University, and Eastern Mennonite High School. Students take this data and analyze it for trends in fecal populations using GIS.
SOL's adressed
6.7. Students will investigate and understand natural processes and human interactions that affect watersheds. Key concepts include
a) the health of ecosystems and the abiotic factors of a watershed;
b) the location and structure of Virginia's regional watershed systems;
c) divides, tributaries, river systems, and river and stream processes;
d) wetlands;
e) estuaries;
f) major conservation, health, and safety issues associated with watersheds;
g) water monitoring and analysis using field equipment including hand-held technology.
6.9 Students will investigate and understand public policy decisions relating to the environment. Key concepts include
a) management of renewable resources (water, air, soil, plant life, animal life);
b) management of nonrenewable resources (coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, mineral resources);
c) the mitigation of land-use and environmental hazards through preventive measures; and
d) cost/benefit tradeoffs in conservation policies.
Basic Operations and Concepts
C/T 6-8.1 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the nature and operation of technology systems.
C/T6-8.2 The student will demonstrate proficiency in the use of technology.
Social and Ethical Issues
C/T 6-8.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology.
Explore career opportunities in technology related careers.
C/T 6-8.5 The student will demonstrate knowledge of technologies that support collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.
Work collaboratively and/or independently when using technology.
Practice preventative maintenance of equipment, resources, and facilities.
Technology Research Tools
C/T 6-8.6 The student will use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
Problem-solving and Decision-making Tools
C/T 6-8.8 The student will use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.
Employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems.
Use a variety of technologies to identify and provide possible solutions to real-world problems.
Use content-specific tools, software, and simulations such as environmental probes, graphic calculators, exploratory environments, and web tools.
Participate in collaborative problem-solving activities.
Select and use appropriate tools and technology resources to accomplish a variety of tasks.
Technology Communication Tools
C/T 6-8.9 The student will use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.
Choose the appropriate tool, format, and style to communicate information.
Independently use technology tools to create and communicate for individual and/or collaborative projects.
Produce documents demonstrating the ability to edit, reformat, and integrate various software tools.
Time needed
There are several parts to this lesson. Each science teacher will spend several days at the very beginning of the school year discussing the parameters to be measured in the field and the importance of such measurements to the work done by the professionals we will be working with on the Plant-A-Seed field experience day. The core of the lesson will take place for a particular student during a day long experience in the field on October 3rd or October 4th. Throughout the remainder of the year, the experiences of the Plant-A-Seed day will be referenced.
Materials needed
10 Garmin eTrex Legend GPS units
Tackle box for GPS units
Trees at site pre-selected for identification
Student friendly Tree ID booklet
Description of the activity
This program was developed under the leadership of the Potomac Conservancy and is now being lead by Harrisonburg city schools. Click here for more information.
Sample assessments
6th grade
Student paper on the prompt of "How is science a part of the workday of the professionals you worked with? How does this affect your idea of who a scientist is?"
Extensions
6th grade Conduct follow up research on outdoor professional jobs. The research should include what education is required, what are the job opportunities, and what is the salary.