Curriculum
LEGEND:
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This indicates a time-sensitive lesson - requiring at least a week in advance for preparation.
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This indicates our favorite lessons!
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This indicates a simple activity that doesn't require materials.
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Recommended Academic Schedule
| 2019-2020 Lesson Timeline |
Introduction:
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An Introduction lesson: This is the first lesson that should be taught every year.
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Biodiversity (and Ecology):
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Adaptations: A fun lesson were students learn about animals in their own community and the adaptations that they use to survive.
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Aquatic Ecosystems: In this lesson, students will learn the importance of biodiversity in an ecosystem, the effects of pollution, and how to take an appropriate approach toward pollution. Taught with the Shark Fish Algae: Lesson donated by NatureBridge TEEM program.
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Animal Interactions: Student better understand, observe and appreciate how animals interact with one another and with their habitat. Students will understand the interaction between animals and available resources with activities including Oh Deer!, Web of Life and Create your Own Food Chain.
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Go Fish!: This is a hands-on lesson adapted from one written by Jeremy Szerlip (Scarsdale High School, Scarsdale, NY). The purpose of the activity is to introduce the concept of “The Tragedy of the Commons.”
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Oh Deer!: In this game, students will learn how animals interact with their ecosystem. Thank you Adventure Link Hemlock Overlook for providing written lesson.
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Stream Monitoring: In this lesson, you will find tools to teach students about water quality either by traveling to a local stream or bringing back little critters to the classroom.
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Tree Scavenger Hunt: Students learn about different trees on their school grounds.
Not enough time? An adaption is leaf/bark rubbing prints or tree drawings. This lesson was written by W&M students for the trees on their campus. Students can adapt the lesson based on trees on their school grounds. |
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Tragedy of the Commons: Students better understand their positive and negative effects on their community and environment with activities including "Shark, Fish, Algae" and "Go Fish!". Tragedy of the Commons explains the idea that there we all share certain spaces and resources, and therefore must be careful not to take more than our share.
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Climate Change:
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Greenhouse Gas Tag: Students will demonstrate the greenhouse effect by having some of the students (Greenhouse gases) "trap" or tag the other students (energy).
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Consumption & Waste
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Reduce-Reuse-Recycle (3 R's) - Making a Cereal Box Folder: "Trash" can be converted into useful items in every day life. This is the goal of this lesson. Students will learn the implications of waste and understand the difference between reduce, reuse, and recycle. This specific link using the upcycling craft or a cereal box folder. More complex Instructables instructions link.
ESLI Pre-made PREZI presentation SEE YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE but keep it simple. No need to use hole punches, measure to binder size or use super glue with young kids. Using the guide above, you can replace "cereal box folders" with any upcycled craft
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Upcycled Musical Instruments
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T-shirt Tote Bags: Learn how to make a tote from a T-shirt. This is also an opportunity for students to understand the importance of repurposed "trash": Link
Milk Carton Wallet: Link
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Trashion Show
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More Consumption & Waste Lessons
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Recycling Relay: Learn the differences between recyclable items, trash and items you can compost through a fun relay race.
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Energy:
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ESLI's Renewable Energy Lesson: Use solar panels, windmills, a hydroelectric wheel and batteries to teach kids about electricity. Don't have access to the Fairfax County ESLI kit? We've also energy cards to act out energy flow from the source to the home.
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Kill-A-Watt: Use Kill-A-Watt meters to explore energy usage for different common appliances. Start the lesson with a brief energy review.
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Pizza Box Solar Oven: This lesson includes the creation of pizza box solar ovens and renewable tag. Thank you to W&M ESLI member, Gracia, for typing up lesson. Several versions of the pizza box solar oven have been made. Another one is by Scientific American here.
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Energy & Society Kit: Project Learning Tree's Energy & Society kit provides formal and non-formal educators with tools and activities to help students in grades PreK-8 learn about their relationship with energy and investigate the environmental issues related to energy's role in society. Their site link is attached.
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Strip Mining by Donuts: Students will learn about strip mining and the damaging effects that it causes in this simulation. This activity is geared toward older students. Lesson donated by Rachel Clausen.
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Sustainable Food:
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Grow it Anywhere: In this lesson plan, students will understand where their food comes from and how to grow their own food themselves. There are two parts to this lesson 1) Map It: Identify where our food currently comes from 2) Plant it: Plant seeds in a recycled container. You can do both lessons or split them into two days.
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Eating Parts of a Plant: This lesson teaches the kids about the different parts of a plant, and allows them to discover which parts of the plant their favorite veggies are. Plus, students prepare and enjoy a plant burrito snack. This is a collaborative lesson made possible by Arcadia Food and LifeLab.
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Build a School Garden: Students will learn how to start a garden at their school. Real Food for Kids and Arcadia Farms partner to create a list.
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Life Lab Garden Classroom: Everything you need for farm or garden-based lessons are in this packet created by Life Lab. We found this pack online. To view more activities on their website, click here
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Seasonality Snacks: Review the parts of the plant
and make a fun snack out of in-season fruits and vegetables. |
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Seasonality Chart Tool: This is a Seasonality Chart donated by Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture. It shows which fruits and vegetables are in season in the Washington, DC area during the different months of the year.
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Transportation:
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Traveling Green: Discover environmentally-friendly ways to get around near you. Downloadable photos for exercise on the right.
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ABC Bike Check: Teach kids how to navigate air, brakes and chains on their bikes and explore alternative transportation options in the community.
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Urban Planners: Have your students build a walkable, bike-able city using upcycled materials like milk cartons and oatmeal containers!
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Water:
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RECOMMENDED: Watershed Activity: Teach the kids what is a watershed and how green spaces help keep our water clean.
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RECOMMENDED: Conserving Water through Art (Earthday Network)!: In this lesson, students will learn about the scarcity of water and begin to think of ways that they can conserve water in their own homes. They will make a pledge to personally use less water, and will use their creativity to make items that will remind them to conserve in their home.
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Drop in the Bucket: Through a visual presentation, the students will learn the different sources of freshwater, and the relative ratios of these water sources on Earth. Donated by Rachel Clausen. Originally from Utah State University.
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Water Audit: With this, one can keep track of the amount of water they use throughout their daily life. Donated by Rachel Clausen.
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The Water Treatment Process: How water gets from its source to your tap!
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Thank you to Life Lab Science Program, NatureBridge, NWF, Adventure Link Hemlock Overlook, Earthday Network and all the wonderful teachers for many of these lessons!
