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
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
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
