Title of Project: Cleaning Up a Local Creek Grade Level: 3-5 Number of Students Participating: Contributed by: Teacher: Valerie Smith, Information for this lesson plan was compiled by Jennifer Cofer School: Collins Lane Elementary District or County: Franklin County Schools, KY Overview/Description of Project: While studying science and environmental issues, students cleaned up a local creek, helping to clear it of debris and trash. Goals: • To provide hands-on experiences for the students while they learned scientific principles • To provide a service by cleaning the creek area • To instill environmental awareness of how pollution and litter affects both humans and animals Core Content Areas: Reading and Writing: 1.11 Students used their experiences with this project to write portfolio pieces. Science: 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 After learning about simple machines (lever, pulley, wedge, block and tackle) students used these concepts to provide an efficient clean up of the creek, especially for the items too large or heavy for one person to move. Students applied the science process skills of observing, communicating, inferring and predicting. They studied animal adaptations and aquatic life and discussed how environmental pollution can affect organisms. Students directly observed the relationships between producers, consumes, and decomposers while cleaning the creek. Social Studies: 2.19 Students examined land use and how human activities affect the animal and plant life in the environment. They discussed proper disposal of waste items that are environmentally safe. Arts and Humanities: 2.22 Students constructed recycled art from some of the items they found during the clean-up. Practical Living: 2.30 Students discussed environmental considerations when making consumer choices. Vocational Studies: 2.36 Students discussed careers at Kentucky Fish and Wildlife (they own the land where the students did their clean-up) as well as careers with KET who videotaped the clean-up. They learned the importance of teamwork while conducting the clean-up. PARC MODEL STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE PREPARATION: • Students studied science issues: use of simple machines, plants, animals, adaptations. • The class was watching Kentucky Afield where they learned about the need for this area to be cleaned up. The teacher contacted Kentucky Fish and Wildlife to get details on how they could become involved. • A speaker from Kentucky Fish and Wildlife came to the classroom to discuss the project. The speaker focused on how they could use what they had learned in science to do this project. ACTION: • Students spent an entire day cleaning up the area near the creek. They used simple machines to help them lift and carry heavy or large objects. • While at the site, students observed animal life and the effects of environment pollution. REFLECTION: • Upon returning, students studied decomposition rates of various items they had seen while at the clean-up site. • Students brainstormed the different types of writing (persuasive, informative, personal, narrative, poetry, short story) that they could use as a possible portfolio piece. Each student wrote about their experience in whatever form they wanted. • Students received their clean-up which was shown on Kentucky Afield. • Open-response prompts (suggested): • You are an environmental biologist who is teaching students about pollution. Describe how human behavior affects the environment. Give examples of items that may pollute the environment and explain the physical and chemical changes that occur with each item during composition. • You have found an area in your community that is filled with trash and debris. You need to convince others to help clean it up. Give several reasons why they should become involved and how this will impact the community. Explain how you plan to keep this area clean in the future CELEBRATION:
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