Project Description:
Third-grade students compared the biodiversity of Blandford’s meadow and the mowed area and recognized the need to increase the biodiversity and reduce use of fossil fuels. They also pioneered the first-ever school field trip to the Plaster Creek Stewards greenhouse to investigate the connection between native plants and water quality. With the help of Rebecca Marquardt, the students had active involvement as they added the native plants to the landscape near the water catch basin.

Fostering Lifelong Stewardship:
Students applied their science knowledge to understand and make a needed change in their local environment. Students used their written communication skills to advocate for positive change in their community. Students collaborated with others while learning 21st century educational skills and behaviors needed to successfully complete real world project. The students applied their non-fiction reading skills to investigate their meadow project and created educational posters to illustrate their understanding.

Partners:
Revery Studio (Rebecca Marquardt), Plaster Creek Stewards, Blandford Nature Center.

Teachers:
8

Students:
106

Funder:
GVSU College of Education

Project Description:
The Grand Rapids Public Museum transformed into the 7th grade students’ classroom for a week. They were immersed in their learning as we leveraged the interpretive exhibition spaces, museum artifacts, and various museum programs. The week added to their development as problem solvers, innovators, storytellers, and empathetic contributors who value diversity. They used the museum’s resources and integrated school studies to create a collaborative project that answered the driving question, What ways can students at WSCS and our community help improve the coldwater fisheries community standards in the nearby Mill Creek Watershed? Even though our nearby creek should be a suitable habitat for trout, what’s keeping the trout from successfully surviving in the Indian Mill Creek Watershed? Students better understood the conditions needed for freshwater fish to live successfully through the new integration of the Salmon in the Classroom project. All of their exhibit experiences, museum investigations, school yard investigations, participation in the Salmon in the Classroom project, and integrated earth science studies equipped students to answer their driving question and create their own exhibit to educate the community. The students’ exhibits were on display this spring at school at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the LGROW Spring Forum, as well as at the Groundswell Student Showcase.

Fostering Lifelong Stewardship:
Students' understanding of how land use impacts nearby water quality will equip them as they make decisions. Their knowledge of water quality indicators increased, they have a deeper understanding of the abiotic variables that make up our ways, and the roles humans have in creating both positive and negative change.

Partners:
Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds, Blandford Nature Center, Grand Rapids Public Museum

Teachers:
2

Students:
30

Funder:
Baldwin Foundation

Showcase Video:
https://youtu.be/5OfJo3MUTUc

Project Description:

Students are presented with the following questions: What ways can students at WSCS and our community help improve the coldwater fisheries community standards in the nearby Mill Creek Watershed? What will we do to help solve the non-point source water pollution problem? 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum transformed into the 7th-grade students’ classroom for a week. They were immersed in their learning as we leveraged the interpretive exhibition spaces, museum artifacts, and various museum programs. They’re using the museum’s resources and integrated school studies to create a collaborative project that answers the driving questions. 

Students will empathize with the ecosystem of the nearby watershed as they care for and raise salmon. Through the process of observation, research, and collaborative partner presentations they’ll have a greater understanding of the non-point source pollution threats. This year’s project funds went towards the problem-solving solution to slow down the sedimentary water flow that enters rain basins near our campus. All of their exhibit experiences, museum investigations, schoolyard investigations, participation in the Salmon in the Classroom project and integrated earth science studies will equipped students to answer their driving question, problem-solve and educate as they worked together through this environmental stewardship project.

Fostering Lifelong Stewardship:

We witnessed a change in behavior and attitude. The students in this grade at first had a negative outlook, “Why should we care, we should leave nature alone, it’s too much work.” Their final reflections demonstrated that they enjoyed the learning activities. We had a student teach her parents about the invasive plants and removed the plant from their yard. The students celebrated knowing that each plant that they removed had 20,000 seeds that would have entered the nearby ecosystem. They also recognized that learning is fun when we can use our learning experiences to make a positive change.

Partners:

Lower Grand River Organization Watersheds, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Revery, Plaster Creek Stewards

Teachers:

Heath Brower, 7th Grade Science; Zack Klomp, 7th Grade Social Studies; Delia Roberts, 2nd Grade General Education; Lori Pott, 2nd Grade General Education

Students:

53

Funder:

GVSU Charter School office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

Showcase Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEUzHk0Sr1Q&list=PLV2DqaYFEsPw2JB18lRhsDlGdXGILwakG&index=2&ab_channel=GroundswellMichigan

Project Description: 

All living things depend upon water. Yet every day, our actions contribute to pollution that is detrimental to our waterways—and ultimately our watersheds. In this project, students took action to protect our watersheds. They investigated water samples to determine what was in their water and investigated ways to improve water quality. They researched local issues as they analyze the water quality data collected. They shared what they’ve learned by creating an action plan that focuses on improving water quality and water pollution issues in our community. Working in collaboration with community partners, they added their own student voice our support community water quality improvement efforts. Art (adding the A in STEAM) was integrated into this project as students made connections to their solutions for improved water quality as they created outdoor educational signage that now will be viewed by neighbors and school community members.
This project will now become a yearly portion of their integrated science education along with raising and releasing Salmon. This year’s student data will be added to future students’ water quality data in addition to contributing data to the H2Q map. Over time students will analyze water quality changes over time, are seeing areas of improvement or degradation. Yearly students will use their data to address problem-solving solutions for improved water quality.

Fostering Lifelong Stewardship:

Since we are focusing on our nearby places, students gain a deeper understanding of the natural resources in the places they live and have connections to. We’re setting the groundwork for lifelong stewardship. The integrated content skills the students learn in their classroom are applied directly to their community through immersive stewardship activities that they researched and proposed as problem-solving solutions. Giving students ownership to drive projects and have a direct and positive impact on their environment strengthens their sense of place and responsibility for their community’s natural resources now and into the future. In a recent survey prompted by the question, “In general, what problem do you hope to solve in the world?” A student shared, “Something I want to solve in the world is that I want to help people to start composting instead of just throwing it into the trash can.”
Also, as we walk our campus our students have a deeper awareness of the native plants they helped to research and plant as well as the native trees. Overheard last week during a summer camp a student that was a part of the project said, “That’s the Blue Iris I added to my painting to teach our community about these important native plants.” I expect that these projects lay the foundation for a new generation of homeowners and land stewards that value native plants and understand their role in improving water quality.
The students worked together to remove 20 bags of invasive Dames rocket and Garlic Mustard. An exciting event happened as a result of our Groundswell projects, a group of our middle school student leaders won first place in Michigan’s Earth Day contest.

Partners:

Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Blandford Nature Center, Kent Conservation District, Van Andel Education Institute

Teachers:

Meikea Herrera, 6th & 7th Grade, Science; Janet Staal, 6th Grade, Integrated Environmental Education; Jade Havenaar, 6th Grade, Language Arts & Social Studies

Students:

68

Funder:

The Wege Foundation

Showcase Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKpv-dZC8J4&list=PLV2DqaYFEsPwEUUHkVf4EWeARMMgZa9NL&index=25

Project Description: 

In this project, students are taking action to protect our watersheds. They investigated water samples to determine what was in their water and investigated ways to improve water quality. They researched local issues as they analyze the water quality data collected. They’re working to share what they’ve learned by creating an action plan that focuses on improving water quality and water pollution issues in our community. Working in collaboration with community partners, they’re adding their own student voices to our support of community water quality improvement efforts. Students worked with the native plant landscape architect (adding the A in STEAM) to design a master plan to increase native plants in places where non-native plants dominate our campus. The six grade students researched the native plants and collaborated with Plaster Creek Stewards to order the plants from Native Edges (Wes Landon’s) design.

This project will now become a yearly portion of their integrated science education along with raising and releasing Salmon. This year’s student data will be added to future students’ water quality data in addition to contributing data to the H2Q map. Over time students will analyze water quality changes over time, are seeing areas of improvement or degradation. Yearly students will use their data to address problem-solving solutions for improved water quality.

Fostering Lifelong Stewardship:

Since we are focusing on our nearby places, students gain a deeper understanding of the natural resources in the places they live and have connections to. We’re setting the groundwork for lifelong stewardship. The integrated content skills the students learn in their classroom are applied directly to their community through immersive stewardship activities that they researched and proposed as problem-solving solutions. Giving students ownership to drive projects and have a direct and positive impact on their environment strengthens their sense of place and responsibility for their community’s natural resources now and into the future. In a recent survey prompted by the question, “In general, what problem do you hope to solve in the world?” A student shared, “Something I want to solve in the world is to see more people appreciate and plant with native plants. We could have our yards help increase biodiversity and improve water quality too.

In addition, after having had some interaction with their nearby watershed the students helped to lead an Earth Day watershed clean-up working in collaboration with LGROW.

Partners:

Plaster Creek Stewards, Native Edge LLC, Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds

Teachers:

Meikea Herrera, 6th Grade, Science; Lauren Sturrus, 6th Grade, Social Studies & Language Arts; Delia Roberts, 2nd Grade, Science & Language Arts; Lori Pott, 2nd Grade, Science & Language Arts, Janet Staal, PreK-8th Grade, Integrated Environmental Education

Students:

65

Funder:

The Baldwin Foundation

Showcase Video: https://youtu.be/HAGpG72mj-U