Wildlife Management

Activities related to Wildlife Management

Below are examples of activities that can be used while studying wildlife management.

Project WILD

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words – Students use photographs to examine the changes in public attitude toward wildlife and wildlife management.
Bird Song Survey – Students will identify and describe the importance of bird counting as one means of inventorying wildlife population.
Checks and Balances – Students evaluate hypothetical wildlife management decisions.
Deer Crossing – Students identify various factors involved in wildlife management issues.
Deer Dilemma – Students take on the role of a board of commissioners who must deal with an ever increasing deer population.
Dropping in on Deer ­– Students count deer pellet groups to estimate the population density of a given area.

Project Learning Tree

400-Acre Wood – Students play the role of managers of a 400-acre piece of public forest.
The Forest of S.T. Shrew – Students take a “shrew’s eye view” of the forest and gain an appreciation of the animals that make forests their home.

Book List

Ballard, C. 2008. Watching Wildlife: Animal Habitats. Heinemann.
Dinsmore, J.J. 1994. A Country So Full of Game: The Story of Wildlife in Iowa. University of Iowa Press.
Dinsmore, S. 1995. Iowa Wildlife Viewing Guide. Falcon.
Hyett, B.H. 1996. The Tracks We Leave: Poems on Endangered Wildlife of North America. University of Illinois Press.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 2000. Iowa: Portrait of the Land. Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Kurtz, C. 1996. Iowa’s Wild Places. Ames: Iowa State University Press.
Laubach, C & Laubach,R. 2002. Raptors: A Kid’s Guide to Birds of Prey. Storey Kids.
Leopold, A. 1989. A Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press.
Love, D., and J.M. Turley. 2005.  Awesome Osprey: Fishing Birds of the World. Mountain Press Publishing Company.
Savage, C. 1993. Peregrine Falcons. Sierra Club Books for Children.
Tait, M. 2006. Animal Tragic: Popular Misconceptions of Wildlife through the Centuries. Think Books.
Walker, B., Salt,D., and Reid, W. 2006. Resilience Thinking : Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World. New York: Island P.

Iowa Wildlife Cameras:

Dickinson County Conservation Board: Okoboji Osprey Camera
http://dickinsoncountyconservationboard.com/osprey-camera/

Decorah Eagles

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

IDNR Falcon Cams

http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/SocialMediaPressRoom/IowaDNRVideos/IowaDNRLiveFalconCam.aspx

Scott County Owl Camera

http://www.scottcountyiowa.com/webcams/webcam_120.php

Alcoa Eagle Cam

http://www.alcoa.com/locations/usa_davenport/en/info_page/eaglecam.asp

Scott County Bird Feeder Camera

http://www.scottcountyiowa.com/webcams/webcam_121.php

IDNR Trout Cam

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/iowadnr

 

 

Wildlife Management:

Iowa’s Wildlife Management

 Wildlife management is the application of scientific knowledge

and technical skills to protect, preserve, conserve, limit, enhance, or

extend the value of wildlife and its habitat.

When European settlers first arrived in Iowa they found a land teeming with wildlife of all shapes and sizes. There seemed to be no end to the abundance. However, within fifty years many animals had been hunted and exploited completely out of Iowa. In the 1930’s several Iowans, concerned by the declining wildlife populations, developed conservation and wildlife management plans and practices. The first wildlife management organization in Iowa was the Iowa Conservation Commission (which would later become the Iowa Department of Natural Resources).  The ICC worked to establish game law, enhance wildlife habitat, and stock the state with wildlife.

Today Iowa’s wildlife is managed by several agencies including the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The IDNR sets hunting and fishing regulations to regulate the harvest and protection of Iowa’s wildlife. They also conduct research, monitor wildlife populations, and manage land for wildlife habitat.

Wildlife are owned by no one but are held in trust by the government for the benefit of the present and future generations. This is known as the Public Trust Doctrine. Iowa’s wildlife are managed for everyone.  However, only two percent of Iowa’s land is in public ownership. This land is in preserves, refuges, public hunting land, state parks, county parks and other state, and federal land programs. These lands are protected and managed. A large art of Iowa’s wildlife management plan is dependent on private land management. Cooperation between land owners and wildlife managers is essential for Iowa’s wildlife. Programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), among others, are vital for managing Iowa’s lands for wildlife diversity.

Iowa State University Extension: Iowa Wildlife Management

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IAN401.pdf

Iowa Department of Natural Resources:

Iowa’s Wildlife
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Education/IowasWildlife.aspx

Wildlife Stewardship

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/WildlifeStewardship.aspx

Wildlife Landowner Assistance

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/LandStewardship/WildlifeLandownerAssistance.aspx

Hunting

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting.aspx

Fishing

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing.aspx

 

 

 

Educator Workshops

Implementing the Iowa Core Through Site-based Projects
July 1 & 2, 2013   (100% attendance is required for credit.) 
9:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (July 1); 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.(July 2)
Springbrook Conservation Education Center (2473 160th Road, Guthrie Center)

Educators will be introduced to a variety of nationally-developed resources that support authentic learning as well the Projects WILD, WILD Aquatic and Learning Tree (secondary modules). Training will include using a project-based learning model and field investigations to create relevant learning opportunities for students that support the Iowa Core. Trainers will work with educators to incorporate activities from the Projects into inquiry-based learning cycles and to develop real field investigations with their students. Educators will be encouraged to develop site based projects to study and/or improve their local natural resources. This can include service learning opportunities like Trees for Kids, IOWATER, NatureMapping, Wildlife Diversity monitoring efforts, development of outdoor learning areas or habitats, and more.

Participants are encouraged to bring information about their school site or a nearby natural area for use with workshop activities. Teaching partners/groups are encouraged to facilitate planning/implementation of projects.

You must register online:

Elementary Registration

https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/SC008899991401INV&*

Secondary Registration

https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/SC008999991401INV&*

Registration deadline is June 24, 2013. Registration fees include materials and 1 license renewal credit for $110 or 1 graduate credit from Drake University for $210. Meals are included in the registration fee. Lodging for participants is available free of charge at the Springbrook Conservation Education Center on Monday, July 1.

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The Practical and Fun Side of Science
June 17 & 18, 2013
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. (June 17); 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.(June 18)
Springbrook Conservation Education Center (2473 160th Road, Guthrie Center)

This class was designed to show elementary teachers that science can be fun and practical. You will be introduced to simple hands on science lessons that will make learning more enjoyable for your students. These lessons will not only be practical and fun to use, but will also help you and your students better understand basic science concepts.

You must register on-line:

https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/SC007399991401INV&*

Registration deadline is May 31, 2013. Registration fees are: $60.00 (1 licensure credit); $135.00 (1 Drake graduate credit); $37.00 (no credit).

For more information, contact A. Jay Winter; 641/747-8383 ext.11 or Kathy Hodges; 712-792-9082.

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Exploring Iowa’s Natural Resources On-line Course
September 2 - December 15, 2013

The goal of this course is to help you utilize local natural resources as unifying themes to implement Iowa Core concepts in your curriculum. You will work in small groups and individually to create a network of contacts and resources to teach natural resource concepts. Group and individual assignments will build on each other throughout the course. 

The course is arranged on a weekly basis. Each week a new Module (with required readings, resources and references, assignments, and occasional guest speaker discussions) will become available. Each module is designed to introduce you to a specific environmental education topic, strategy or skill. You will only have access to the current Module to complete assignments. Modules that have been completed will be visible the remainder of the class so you can go access previous assignment postings and resources.

You are required to spend 4-5 hours per week on-line completing assignments and participating in group discussions. You should be comfortable navigating web pages, have access to internet and a computer on a daily basis, and possess basic computer skills. A majority of the course materials will be provided on a CD with linked pdf files.

You must register on-line:
https://prodev.aeapdonline.org/4DCGI/22007499991401INV&*

Registration deadline is August 26, 2013. Registration fee includes materials and 3 license renewal credit for $75. This course is being offered by AEA PD Online, a joint initiative by all of Iowa's Area Education Agencies. This course therefore uses AEA PD Online's alternative fee schedule for license renewal credit. Transcripts and credit will be issued by AEA PD Online instead of Heartland AEA.

 

Value of Iowa’s Natural Resources

From our gentling rolling hills of native prairie, to our rocky bluffs along the Mississippi, Iowa teems with birds, mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians. While we may struggle with habitat loss, pollution, and other environmental issues, Iowa is a state that is rich in natural beauty and resources.

Iowa’s natural resources have value to humans economically, such as the soil that we grow our food in, as well for hunting, and fishing. These uses are considered “consumptive use” of Iowa’s natural resources. Our natural resources also have intrinsic value of their own, meaning they possess value in and of themselves.

 

Iowa’s Natural Resources Links
Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Iowa Wildlife Series: Iowa Insects, Spiders, and Other Invertebrates

Iowa Wildlife Series: Iowa Nesting Birds

Iowa’s Plants: Iowa Trees

Iowa’s Biological Communities Series: Iowa Prairies

Iowa’s Biological Communities Series: Iowa Wetlands

Iowa Wildlife and People Series: Iowa Biodiversity

Iowa Environmental Issues Series: Iowa Habitat Loss and Disappearing Wildlife

 

 

Famous Iowa Conservationists

To understand Iowa’s early conservationists we need to examine the world in which they grew up. Iowa’s landscape is one of the most altered in our nation. When Iowa’s early conservationists were growing up Iowa’s landscape was at the pinnacle of change. Iowa’s natural areas were being altered and destroyed and wildlife was being hunted with little regulation. As a whole, they were Iowan’s who spent time outside in the natural world as children and youths. They developed a connect with, and a love of nature, and became crusaders for the natural world when they saw its wanton destruction.

Studying Iowa’s famous conservationist should serve as a lesson to us as we educate and raise future generations. Children and youth who spend time outdoors in our natural world will develop a life-long love and appreciation for nature. If we want children to grow up to be stewards of the land we need to get them outside now.

To learn more about the Iowa conservationists listed below, and to learn about other pioneering Iowa conservationists, visit the ISU Extension webpage below and download your free copy of “Important Iowa Conservationist”.

Important Iowa Conservationists – Iowa Natural Resource Heritage Series

https://store.extension.iastate.edu/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=2136

Ada Hayden ~ 1884-1950

Hayden grew up on an Iowa farm where her family kept a tract of virgin prairie simply to enjoy its beauty. Her love of natural prairie later became the focus of her career and her lasting legacy. Hayden was the first woman to earn her Ph.D. from Iowa State College. She became a professor of botany and the curator of the university herbarium. Hayden was one of the first scientists to study prairies. She surveyed the entire state to locate and document native prairie tracts. Hayden viewed prairies as complete ecosystems and as valuable living scientific laboratories. Her legacy started a prairie preservation effort in Iowa and her work has been an inspiration to countless prairie conservationists.

Ames Historical Society – Ada Hayden

http://www.ameshistory.org/exhibits/ada_hayden.htm

John F. Lacey ~ 1841-1913

Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1888 Lacey was a conservation pioneer whose efforts were critically important to the protection of wildlife nationwide. The Lacey Bird Act of 1900 was just one of the issues that Lacey fought for diligently. The Lacey Bird Act of 1900 prohibited the transportation of illegally taken game across state lines, making the first significant dent in the economics of unrestricted market hunting and poaching.

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation – John F. Lacey

http://www.inhf.org/john-f-lacey.cfm

Bohumil Shimek ~ 1861-1937

A Professor of Botany at University of Iowa, and the first director of the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, Shimek was a pioneer of a comprehensive conservation and environmental education program for Iowa. He believed the first place to teach students about the natural world was in the field. Shimek helped his students not only learn about the natural world, but also encouraged and taught them to protect it.

The University of Iowa – Bohumil Shimek

http://uipress.lib.uiowa.edu/bdi/DetailsPage.aspx?id=343

Louis H. Pammel ~ 1862-1931

Pammel earned his Ph.D. in botany from Iowa State College and later became a professor of bacteriology, mycology, and plant pathology there. Pammel believed that humans could not exist without direct contact with the natural world. He developed the first working definition of conservation for Iowa and recommended that nature be taught in schools. Pammel help establish the Iowa State Board of Conservation and served as its president from 1919-1927. During that time he established the first Iowa State Park, Backbone State Park, in addition to 38 other State Parks. He is recognized as the “Founder of Iowa’s State Park System.”

Iowa State University – Louis H. Pammel

http://www.add.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/exhibits/150/template/pammel.html

Books of Interest

Broda, H. W. 2011. Moving the Classroom Outdoors. Stenhouse Publishers.
Cornell, J. B. 1998. Sharing Nature with Children (20th Anniversary Edition). Dawn Publications.
Dinsmore, J. J. 1994. A Country So Full of Game: The Story of Wildlife in Iowa. University of Iowa Press.
Lendt, D.L. 1989. Ding: The Life of Jay Norwood Darling. Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated.
Leopold, A. 1989. A Sand County Almanac. Oxford University Press.
Louv, R. 2008. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books.
Ross, C., and T. Gladfelter. 1995. Kids in the Wild: A Family Guide to Outdoor Recreation. Mountaineer Books.
Stein, S. 2001. Noah's Children: Restoring the Ecology of Childhood. North Point Press.
Van Tilburg, C. 2005. Introducing Your Kids to the Outdoors. Stackpole Books.

 

 

Aldo Leopold: Father of Wildlife Management

 “Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher "standard of living" is worth its cost in things natural, wild, and free.” ~Aldo Leopold

Iowa native Aldo Leopold is considered by many to be the “father” of wildlife management and of the United States wilderness system. Born in 1887 in Burlington, Iowa Leopold’s interest in nature started at an early age.  He spent countless hours exploring his natural surroundings and recording his observations in journals and sketches. Leopold’s father was an avid outdoorsman and took his children hunting, fishing, exploring, and camping.

Leopold attended Yale Forest School graduating in 1909 and pursued a career with the U.S. Forest Service. Leopold also completed Iowa’s first statewide biological survey, and created the nation’s first Department of Wildlife Management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Leopold was a conservationist, forester, philosopher, dedicated teacher, writer, and outdoor enthusiast. He was influential in the development of modern environmental ethics. Leopold's goal in his popular wildlife ecology course was "to teach the student to see the land, to understand what he sees, and enjoy what he understands."

Leopold’s powerful writings have made a significant contribution to modern views and values about wildlife and our natural resources. Leopold’s most popular writings, A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There, was first published in 1949 and remains in print today. It is a collection of essays written by Leopold describing the land around his home in Wisconsin. The essays are philosophical in nature and explore the relationship between people, land and wildlife. It was a call for a land ethic and written with the hope that readers would begin to treat the land with love and respect. A Sand County Almanac has had far reaching influence, over two million copies have been published and it has been translated into twelve languages.

Examples of Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, and Project WILD Aquatic activities to use with a study of Aldo Leopold:

Project Learning Tree

Poet-Tree – Students write and share poems to express their thoughts, values, and beliefs about the environment.

Who Works in this Forest? – Students explore forest-related careers.

Project WILD

Enviro-Ethics – Students develop and use a “personal code of environmental ethics.”

Philosophical Differences – Students select a wildlife or environmental issue and visit with the community about their views and opinions.

Wildwork – Students explore wildlife-related careers.

Project WILD Aquatic

Dragonfly Pond – Students evaluate the effects of different kinds of land use on wetland habitats.

Living Research: Aquatic Heroes and Heroines – Students identify people who have made contributions to conserving or preserving aquatic environments.

Related Links

The Aldo Leopold Foundation
http://www.aldoleopold.org/

The Leopold Archives

http://www.aldoleopold.org/AldoLeopold/archives.shtml

Using Leopold in Teaching

http://www.aldoleopold.org/AldoLeopold/teachingtools.shtml

 

 

Engaging Students with Citizen Science: It's for the Birds!

 

Iowa Bald Eagle Monitoring
In 2010, the Iowa DNR's Wildlife Diversity Program is initiating a new bald eagle territory monitoring survey. For many years we have tracked eagle nests on an opportunistic basis, encouraging citizens and natural resource professionals to report anything they could about eagle nests in their area. This approach has worked well but a few things have happened in recent years: 1) The number of nesting pairs in the state has grown exponentially making it more difficult to track all of them, 2) the eagle was taken off of the Federal Endangered Species List, and 3) while eagles are doing very well they still face some old threats (habitat loss) as well as some threats recently brought to light (lead poisoning). For these reasons we would like to put into place a more standardized and comprehensive eagle nest monitoring plan that would help us keep a better eye on trends of bald eagle productivity and population.

Volunteer Eagle Nest monitors are assigned an eagle nest to observe and report on yearly. It requires about a ten hour time commitment annually and volunteers must participate in some form of training either through attending a workshop or if you are unable to attend a workshop, the online training video and materials.

Iowa Colonial Waterbird Rookery Monitoring

One of the most unique groups of birds to occur in Iowa are the Colonial Waterbirds. Colonial Waterbirds are birds that depend on water for their food source and who nest in colonies called rookeries. These rookeries can have as many 100 or more nests and as few as two. The rookeries most often occur adjacent to or very close to water and depending on the species be in a tree or on the ground.

Only conservative estimates of the number of rookeries in the state are available, because Iowa DNR staff does not have the resources to monitor many of the Iowa nests, nor to adequately search for new colonies. Great Blue heron rookeries are by far the most common and can be found statewide. Monitoring these rookery sites is important as it provides data on the reproduction and population of these important species which among other things serve as indicators of our water quality. Monitoring of nests is left mostly up to volunteers and concerned citizens. Therefore, the discovery of new nests, which is often by chance, is primarily by volunteers, other citizens, and agency staff.

For more information and to learn how you can volunteer visit:

http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/WildlifeStewardship/NonGameWildlife/VolunteerWildlifeSurveys/ReportingRookeries.aspx

BirdSleuth

Are you still looking for a citizen science project to participate in with your class? Check out Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s BirdSleuth K-12! BirdSleuth is an inquiry-based science curriculum that engages kids in scientific study and real data collection through an exciting citizen science project. BirdSleuth encourages kids to answer their own questions about nature, spend time outdoors connecting with nature, and motivates kids with the real-world importance of the data they enter online which scientists use to study and help conserve birds. BirdSleuth offers educators kits, free resources, and training.

International Migratory Bird Day

International Migratory Bird Day takes place the second Saturday in May every year. On this day we celebrate migratory birds. What a fun way to celebrate after a citizen science project that has focused on birds!

Engaging Students with Citizen Science

IOWATER 

IOWATER is a volunteer water quality monitoring program that is a great way to get kids involved in citizen science.  IOWATER workshops include training, a manual, and equipment for monitoring Iowa waters with your class. IOWATER fits nicely with many Project WILD, Project WILD Aquatic, and Project Learning Tree activities. Below we have listed several activities from each that can be used in conjunction with IOWATER. For more information on IOWATER training visit the IOWATER homepage at: http://www.iowater.net/

Project Learning Tree
Democracy in Action – Civil action as it relates to water quality. Monitoring of water quality may lead to the need for civil action to improve water quality.

Every Drop Counts – In addition to monitoring water quality for IOWATER, students
monitor their water use, and design and implement a water conservation plan for
themselves. (This would also work on a class or school level).

Publicize It! – Lead students through the process of publicizing their IOWATER project.

Renewable or Not – Increase aware of renewable vs nonrenewable resources as pertains to water quality.

There Ought to be a Law – Law changes may be required when there are water quality issues. Students learn how laws are changed.

Watch on Wetlands – Help students gain important background information on wetlands if your water monitoring sight is a wetland.

Water Wonders – The Water Cycle. It is important to understand how the Water Cycle works when water monitoring. Helps students understand how and when poluution enters water systems.

We Can Work it Out – Use to show how different perspectives need to be taken into consideration, and differences worked out when deciding water quality issues.

Project WILD

Beautiful Basics – What animals need to survive and the importance of water (clean water) to all living things.

Learning to Look, Looking to See – Practicing observation skills which are important to have when participating in a scientific study.

Time Lapse – Learn the changes that take place to a ecosystem over time. Learn how to observe and track the changes to aquatic habitats during monitoring period.

Wild Words – Students record their outdoor experiences, and experiences participating in IOWATER in a nature journal.

Project WILD Aquatic

Dragonfly Pond – Relates land use and zoning/planning to water quality.

The Glass Menagerie – Shows the effects of nutrient overload on aquatic habitats.

Living Research: Aquatic Heroes & Heroines – Research past and present people who have made contributions to the conservation and preservation of aquatic resources.

Something’s Fishy Here – Explore possible avenues of action after reading the provided story or looking at their own IOWATER data.

To Dam or Not to Dam – Students explore the different views and concerns of individuals related to the complex issue of dams on waterways.

Water Canaries – Shows how aquatic life is effected by water quality parameters.

Watered Down History – Students investigate the history of a local waterway or watershed.

Watershed – Students study their local watershed and learn the connection between land and water quality.

What’s in the Water? – Pollution sources and impacts.

Where Does Water Run? – Helps students understand rainfall amounts, runoff, and the effects on water quality.

 

Citizen Science Project Ideas

Citizen science projects combine useful observation or data collection with an opportunity for students to learn more about scientific principles, problems, and processes as well as helping them better understand our environment and how to protect it.

Citizen science projects involve students in data collection, presentation, and involvement on a local, state, national, and even global level. Data collection can be wildlife watching, water testing, soil testing, plant monitoring, and many others. There are many citizen science projects that classrooms, and schools can choose to become involved in.

There are many projects out there - how do you choose? First, consider the age of the children in your class or program. Remember to match the age of the children to the skill level of the project. Follow the areas of interest of the children. Come up with several options and let them choose. Or ask them what they would like to contribute to and then find a project that matches.

Here are few things to consider:
• Is the project long or short term?
• Is the project local or national?
• Is there training required?
• What data is collected & how?
• How is the data collected presented to others?
• Are student materials and instructional resources available/provided?
• What types of tools and/or support are available?

Useful web sites to get you started on the path to citizen science!

What is Citizen Science in the Classroom?

Kids Count: Young Citizen Scientists Learn Environmental Activism

http://www.edutopia.org/service-learning-citizen-science

Engaging Students Through Citizen Science
http://www.kidsgardening.org/article/engaging-students-through-citizen-science

Citizen science: Real-world applications for science students
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/7210

Scholastic News - Kids Press Corps: Fireflies Count!
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3752450

Project citizen: promoting action-oriented citizen science in the classroom
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-313798147.html

Scientific American: Citizen Science
http://www.scientificamerican.com/citizen-science/

Citizen Science Can Renew A Child’s Love of Nature
http://www.education.com/reference/article/citizen-science-childrens-love-nature/

Citizen Science Project Opportunities

Iowa Opportunities
Iowa Department of Natural Resources: Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environment/WildlifeStewardship/NonGameWildlife/VolunteerWildlifeSurveys.aspx

IOWATER
http://www.iowater.net/Default.htm

Iowa NatureMapping
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/naturemapping/

National Opportunities
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
http://www.mlmp.org/

Firefly Watch
https://legacy.mos.org/fireflywatch/

BirdSleuth and eBird: Citizen Science in the Classroom
http://www.birdsleuth.org/

The Great Sunflower Project: The Backyard Bee Count – The world’s largest citizen science project focused on pollinator conservation
http://www.greatsunflower.org/

January

Environmental Projects:

Lowell Community Awareness Project

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
“Be the change you wish to see in the world”. What do those words mean to you? Every day we walk past things in our community that may bother us. Things that may make us think to ourselves “that needs to change”. How many of us take that first step toward change? One inspired elementary class took that first step and it led to a wonderful environmental project that impacted a whole community!

The fifth grade Expanded Learning Program class at Lowell Community Elementary School in Waterloo, Iowa, led by ELP teacher Stacey Jambura, designed and carried out a plastic bag community environmental project. The students brainstormed ideas, and decided to focus on plastic grocery bag litter. They conducted research to develop their project. They learned that not only do plastic bags look bad along the roadways and in ditches; but that they cause multiple problems once they enter our waterways.

The project expanded and eventually grew so big that the fifth grade class decided to ask the third and fourth grade classes to join them on the project. During the process the students wrote and published their own book “The Day I Got Thrown Away: A Diary of a Plastic Bag”. They held a community-wide event that showcased their project, it included displays, and demonstrations. The students sold reusable t-shirt bags made from old t-shirts that they had gathered from donations (and sewn themselves!). All of the proceeds from the sale went to organizations that they chose.

The students also have plans to expand their project in the future!

Watch this inspiring environmental project story on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZNFARWBBiI&list=PLP_s_GPHuWDfGCoD4E-1ax9n-mf-10lx1&index=7

January

Project-Based Learning: Environmental Projects

Articles, Examples, & Inspiration
Student created projects about the environment
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/wue/studentprojects.html#water

Goin’ With the Flow…Involving Students in Hands-on Stream Improvement Projects
http://www.iowadnr.gov/portals/idnr/uploads/education/goflow.pdf?amp;tabid=905

EPA - Service Learning: Education Beyond the Classroom – Highlights environmental projects done by students throughout the country
http://www.epa.gov/osw/education/pdfs/svclearn.pdf

Experience-Based Environmental Projects - Experience-based environmental learning is an opportunity to learn through one's own lifestyle and actions.
http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/enviroprojects/index.html

Kids Honored for Green Projects - Project Reservoir was designed, implemented, and maintained by the students. It's focused on the student's efforts to help revitalize and transform an abandoned local reservoir into a first class, state-recognized recreation and education center.
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3757171

Classroom Management for Project-Based Learning Work
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/11/classroom-management-project-based-learning-work

Another Take on Earth Day – Project-Based Learning
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/classroom-solutions/2010/04/another-take-earth-day

Books – For Educators and Students
Archer, J. 1998. To Save the Earth. Penguin Group (USA).
Arthus-Bertrand, Y., et al. 2004. Future of the Earth: An Introduction to Sustainable Development for Young Readers. HNA Books.
Berry, J.W. 2001. Every Kid's Guide to Saving the Earth. Warehousing & Fulfillment Specialists, LLC.
Byrnes, P. 1997. Environmental Pioneers. Oliver Press, Inc.
Cherry, L. 2002. River Ran Wild: An Environmental History. Harcourt Children's Books.
Clare, P. 2009. Living Green: Saving Our Earth. Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
Collard, S.B. 2000. Acting for Nature: What Young People around the World Have Done to Protect the Environment. Heyday Books.
Dr. Seuss. 1971. The Lorax. Random House, Incorporated.
Doherty, B. 2002. Ideas and Actions in the Green Movement. Taylor & Francis, Inc.
Elkington, J., D. Hill, J. Hailes, and J. Mekower.1990. Going Green: A Kid's Handbook to Saving the Planet. Viking Children's Books.
Gay, K. 1993. Caretakers of the Earth. Enslow Publishers, Incorporated.
Graham, K. 1996. Contemporary Environmentalists. Facts on File, Inc.
Graham, K. and G. Chandler. 1996. Environmental Hereos: Success Stories of People at Work for the Earth. Pruett Publishing Company.
Halpin, M. 2004. It's Your World - If You Don't Like It, Change It: Activism for Teens. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.
Holmes, A. 1993. I Can Save the Earth: A Kid's Handbook for Keeping Earth Healthy and Green. Silver Burdett Press.
Jakobson, C. 1992. Think About: The Environment. Walker & Company.
McKay, K., J. Bonnin, and D. de Rothschild. 2008. True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet. Natl Geographic Soc Childrens Boks.
Riley, T. 2007. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Living. Alpha Books.
Rooney, F. 2007. Exceptional Women Environmentalists. Orca Book Publishers.
Schwartz, L. and B. Armstrong. 1990. Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help Heal the Environment. Creative Teaching Press, Inc.
Sivertsen, L. and T. Sivertsen. 2008. Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life. Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group.
Sonneborn, L. 2007. The Environmental Movement: Protecting Our Natural Resources. Facts on File.
Stille, D.R. 2005. Natural Resources: Using and Protecting Earth’s Supplies. Capstone Press, Inc.
Suzuki, D. 1992. Looking at the Environment. Jossey-Bass.
The Earthworks Group. 1990. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
Wadsworth. G. 1992. Rachel Carson: Voice for the Earth. Lerner Publishing Group.
Wall, D. 1993. Green History: An Anthology of Environmental Literature, Philosophy and Politics. Taylor & Francis, Inc.
Whitman, S. 1994. This Land is Your Land: The American Conservation Movement. Lerner Publishing Group.

January

Project-Based Learning

What is project-based learning?
Project-based learning is the use of in-depth and rigorous classroom projects to facilitate learning and assess student competence. Project-based learning is an instructional method that provides students with complex tasks based on challenging questions or problems that involve the students' problem solving, decision making, investigative skills, and reflection that includes teacher facilitation, but not direction.

Project-Based Learning is focused on questions that drive students to encounter the central concepts and principles of a subject hands-on. Students form their own investigation of a guiding question, allowing students to develop valuable research skills as students engage in design, problem solving, decision making, and investigative activities. Through Project-Based learning, students learn from these experiences and take them into account and apply them to the world outside their classroom. Project-Based Learning is a different teaching technique that promotes and practices new learning habits, emphasizing creative thinking skills by allowing students to find that there are many ways to solve a problem.

What every good project-based learning project needs:
A project is meaningful if it fulfills two criteria. First, students must per¬ceive the work as personally mean¬ingful, as a task that matters and that they want to do well. Second, a mean¬ingful project fulfills an educational purpose. Well-designed and well-implemented project-based learning is meaningful in both ways.

1. A Need to Know - launching a project with an “entry event” that engages interest and ini¬tiates questioning. An entry event can be almost anything: a video, a lively discussion, a guest speaker, a field trip, or a piece of mock correspondence that sets up a scenario. With a compelling student project, the reason for learning relevant material becomes clear: I need to know this to meet the challenge I’ve accepted.

2. A Driving Question - A good driving question captures the heart of the project in clear, compelling language, which gives students a sense of purpose and challenge. The question should be provocative, open-ended, complex, and linked to the core of what you want students to learn. Without a driving question, students may not understand why they are undertaking a project.

3. Student Voice and Choice - In terms of making a project feel meaningful to students, the more voice and choice, the better. However, teachers should design projects with the extent of student choice that fits their own style and students.

4. 21st Century Skills - A project should give students oppor¬tunities to build such 21st century skills as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and the use of tech¬nology, which will serve them well in the workplace and life.

5. Inquiry and Innovation - Students find project work more meaningful if they conduct real inquiry, which does not mean finding infor¬mation in books or websites and pasting it onto a poster. In real inquiry, students follow a trail that begins with their own questions, leads to a search for resources and the discovery of answers, and often ultimately leads to generating new ques¬tions, testing ideas, and drawing their own conclusions. With real inquiry comes innovation—a new answer to a driving question, a new product, or an individually generated solution to a problem.

6. Feedback and Revision - Formalizing a process for feedback and revision during a project makes learning meaningful because it empha¬sizes that creating high-quality products and performances is an important purpose of the endeavor. Teachers can arrange for experts or adult mentors to provide feedback, which is especially meaningful to stu¬dents because of the source.

7. A Publicly Presented Product - Schoolwork is more meaningful when it’s not done only for the teacher or the test. When students present their work to a real audience, they care more about its quality.

(Project needs from “7 Essentials for Project-Based Learning” by John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller)

December

Inquiry & Scientific Questioning

Three Types of Field Investigation Questions

Descriptive Questions
Descriptive field investigations involve describing parts of a natural system. Descriptive questions focus on measurable or observable variables that can be represented spatially in maps or as written descriptions, estimations, averages, medians, or ranges.

• How many _____ are there in a given area?
• How frequently does _____ happen in a given period?
• What is the [temperature, speed, height, mass, density, force, distance, pH, dissolved oxygen, light density, depth, etc.] of ______?
• When does _____ happen during the year? (flowering, fruit, babies born)
• Where does_____ travel over time? (What is an animal’s range?)

Comparative Questions
In comparative field investigations data is collected on different groups to make a comparison. Comparative questions focus on one measured variable in at least two different (manipulated variable) locations, times, organisms, or populations.

• Is there a difference in ______ between group (or condition) A and group B?
• Is there a difference in ______ between (or among) different locations?
• Is there a difference in ______ at different times?

Correlative Questions
Correlative field investigations involve measuring or observing two variables and searching for a pattern. Correlative questions focus on two variables to be measured and tested for a relationship.

• What is the relationship between variable #1 and variable #2?
• Does _____ go up when _____ goes down?
• How does _____ change as _____ changes?

Read the following questions and classify what kind questions they are: descriptive, comparative, or correlative? How did you do? Review the descriptions above if you need help!

• When do maple trees pollinate in Iowa?
• Are more insects found in the schoolyard in September, October, or November?
• Is the wind speed greater near the building or out on the playground in March?
• Where do you find the most pillbugs (isopods): under a log, under a pot, or under bushes?
• Which habitat (in the forest, in the field, or by the stream) has the greatest percentage of sand in the soil?
• Are soil temperatures the coolest at the depth of 5cm, 10cm, or 15cm?
• What kinds of plants grow in your schoolyard?
• In April, which twigs grow faster, those on maple trees or those on oak trees?
• What is the air temperature at your school throughout the school year?
• When do robins in Iowa nest?
• Which location (under bushes, open grass, or on black top) has the highest temperature at 7:00 a.m. at your school?
• Are white-tailed deer more active during the dawn or the dusk in Iowa?
• Do birds sing more from 8:30-9:00 a.m. or from 3:00-3:30 p.m. in your schoolyard?
• How does dissolved oxygen change as water temperature goes up in your local stream?
• What is the relationship between the amount of sunshine and red color in leaves in the fall?
• How does pH affect the number of small-mouth bass eggs hatching in a stream?
• How often do Swallowtail Butterflies lay eggs in a season in Iowa?
• Are there more willow trees near streams or away from them?
• What is the range of bobcats living in rural Iowa?
• How do mouse populations change as hawk populations increase along Iowa’s roadways?

December

Inquiry & Scientific Questioning

“Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand."

Inquiry in the Classroom
Inquiry is the act of asking questions and the seeking of knowledge. You have been using the process of inquiry since you were a baby, without knowing or labeling it as “inquiry”. From birth we use our senses to take in the world around us, ask questions and discover the answers. The process of inquiring begins with this gathering of information. Inquiry-based learning is active learning and involvement that leads to understanding.

Inquiry in the classroom looks different than a traditional teacher-lead lesson. Inquiry is student-lead not teacher-lead. Rather than leading the lesson, teachers take on the role of coach, guide, or facilitator and help guide the students to their own questions and discoveries. When students choose the questions, they are motivated to learn and they develop a sense of ownership about the project. Your role is a teacher is to guide students in finding the answers to questions themselves and encourage them to ask new questions along the way. The best questions and discoveries are ones that stem from the students’ own lives, and experiences.

Inquiry plays on the natural inquisitive of children. It utilizes their natural curiosity to learn how the world “works”. Lessons embedded with inquiry provide students with opportunities to use their innate curiosity to engage in a variety of actions, including observing, explaining, concluding, sorting, classifying and predicting.

Thoughtful, open-ended questions are at the heart of inquiry. When students have to answer these types of questions, they are engaging in inquiry. Examples of such questions include:

• How would you describe the function of __?

• How would you compare ___ to ___?

• What would result if __ happened?

• Can you propose an alternative to __?

Links
Youth Learn - How to: Inquiry
http://www.youthlearn.org/learning/planning/lesson-planning/how-inquiry/how-inquiry

Concept to Classroom: What is Inquiry-based Learning?
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html

November: Community Connections

56 Environmental Community Service Ideas

1. Plant a garden or tree where the whole neighborhood can enjoy it.

2. Set up a recycling system for your home and participate in your neighborhood curbside recycling pick-up.

3. Organize a car pooling campaign in your neighborhood to cut down on air pollution.

4. Set up a seed or a plant exchange in your neighborhood.

5. Grow fresh flowers and deliver them to someone to brighten their day.

6. Pick up a trail during National Trail Day in June.

7. Make bird feeders for public places.

8. Collect Old phone books in your neighborhood for recycling.

9. Adopt an acre of a park or a mile of roadside to keep clean.

10. Elect a family "energy watchdog" to shut off lights, radios, and TV's when not in use.

11. Help everyone in your family conserve water.

12. Clean up trash along a river or in a park.

13. Create a habitat for wildlife.

14. Create a campaign to encourage biking and walking.

15. Test the health of the water in your local lakes, rivers or streams.

16. Got places to be? Burn energy on your bike instead of taking the family car.

17. Participate in the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program.

18. Start a butterfly garden at home, at a community center, senior home or school.

19. Sponsor an environmental slogan contest in school.

20. Build a bluebird trail.

21. Collect aluminum cans and donate the money to a favorite charity.

22. Get together with friends and make conservation posters for the community center.

23. Encourage your parents to buy products made from recycled materials.

24. Conduct an energy audit at your school.

25. Monitor the indoor air quality.

26. Organize an asbestos check.

27. Test the drinking water for lead.

28. Adopt an acre of rainforest.

29. Plant a commemorative tree to honor someone.

30. Create a children's nature garden, labeling plants and trees and scheduling guided tours.

31. Replace trees that have died.

32. Take household toxic waste to a proper disposal facility.

33. Check indoor radon levels.

34. Adopt highways and clean up clutter.

35. Volunteer to separate recyclables.

36. Organize a hazardous waste collection.

37. Start a recycling center at school.

38. Host a recycling fair.

39. Hold an invention contest with entries made out of recycled goods.

40. Form a volunteer lawn mowing service with your friends.

41. If you see a tree that's in trouble, try to save it. Pamper it, water it, or don't water it as the case may be. Find our what's wrong with it and how to make it better.

42. Pick up litter.

43. Use a lunch box instead of throwaway bags.

44. Practice the 3 R's in your house: Reduce, recycle, reuse.

45. Adopt a park with your friends and keep it clean.

46. Bring a backpack when you shop or reuse those little plastic sacks.

47. Clean up a beach or riverbed.

48. Start a compost pile and encourage your family to use it!

49. Plant trees.

50. Plant a commemorative tree to honor someone.

51. Ask your school to use recycled paper.

52. Repair homes or abandoned buildings.

53. Start an Environmental Club.

54. Hold a recycling contest.

55. Check homes and public buildings for lead based paint.

56. Clear a new trail at a nature center or park.

November: Community Connections

Guest Speakers in the Classroom

Why have guest speakers?
Many studies have shown that when parents and families are involved in their children's schools, their children do better. When local community members become involved in schools, they can act as role models and mentors and provide an additional layer of support and inspiration for students and teachers.

Guest Speaker LogisticsWhen inviting a guest speaker into your classroom, inform the speaker about your course and why he or she is being invited. Be sure the speaker is fully informed about his or her role in the class. What specific topics do you want the speaker to address? How long do you want the speaker to speak? Is the speaker willing to allow students to ask questions? Answer these and any other questions. Also, be sure to find out what the guest speaker needs from you. Computer? Projector? Table?

Before the guest speakers arrives prepare your students about behavior expectations while the speaker is there. Talk about what the speaker will be talking about, what is expected from them, listening skills, have them prepare questions, etc. Be sure to thank the guest speaker for their time before they leave. A sent thank you card after the class period is a nice gesture as well.

Scholastic community lesson plan http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/one_world/lesson_plans/index.asp?article=lessonx2

November: Community Connections

“If you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are.” Wendell Berry

What is a community?
A human community is a group of people who live and interact with one another in a specific region under relatively similar environmental, social, and political conditions. A natural community is a group of plants and animals that live and interact with one another in a specific region under similar environmental conditions.

Our human communities are essential for our daily life. They satisfy our needs for food, and shelter, as well as provide social interactions. Human communities are dependent on the larger natural community which contains the soil, water, air, plants, and animals on which the human community is sustained. The natural community supports itself and our civilizations.

Every community is unique. Each has its own historical background, natural resources, attractions and unique features.

Community History
Study the history of the human and natural community in your area. What was here before? How has it changed? Who settled your community? What traditions did they bring with them?

Prairie Voices: Iowa Heritage Curriculum
http://www.uni.edu/iowaonline/prairievoices/index.htm#I.%20The%20Land%20and%20the%20Built%20Environment

Explorations in Iowa History Project
http://www.uni.edu/iowahist/Default.htm

Iowa Folklife: Our People, Communities, and Traditions
http://www.uni.edu/iowaonline/folklife/intro/index.htm

IPTV Iowa Pathways: Explore Iowa History
http://www.iptv.org/iowapathways/

Creative Teaching with Historic Places
http://crm.cr.nps.gov/issue.cfm?volume=23&number=08

Reflections of Yesterday: Processes for Investigating Local History
http://moodle.aeapdonline.org/file.php/638/Reflections_of_Yesterday_Processes_for_Investigating_Local_History.pdf

People, Communities, and Their Iowa Environment
http://moodle.aeapdonline.org/file.php/638/People%20Communities%20and%20their%20Iowa%20Environment.pdf?=

Iowa’s Biological Communities
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IAN201.pdf

Changing Land Use and Values
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IAN501.pdf

Iowa Biodiversity
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IAN407.pdf