More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education.
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This project is to help fund some in school and at-home environmental lab activities. Hands-on environmental studies and labs increase our students' awareness of current environmental issues. Environmental literacy and conservation are among the most pressing of all scientific issues and awareness is the first step in creating informed, responsible stewards of the environment. This project will increase our classroom lending library with books focused on environmental problems and solutions! Each student can choose a book that interests them and will create a video review to share with classmates. I am also planning to incorporate an aquaponic demonstration and plant drowning project to demonstrate the importance of soil and water health on our food security. Learning about sustainable food growth is key to lowering greenhouse emissions and encouraging waste reduction.
Students will be given the materials to create an at-home water filtration system (that models groundwater filtration) as well as the importance of plant growth in preventing soil erosion. Students will be given materials to create a science notebook for data collection, observations, and reflections like those used in the field by real scientists. I will also have students test the decomposition of various waste by creating a “plastic bag composter”. The students will compare organic decay with man-made plastics and items marketed as biodegradable. My hope is that using hands-on data collection, studies, and gathering evidence students will get first-hand knowledge of issues like air and water pollution, plastic and microplastic pollution, urban sprawl, and ultimately the impact of climate change on them personally.
About my class
This project is to help fund some in school and at-home environmental lab activities. Hands-on environmental studies and labs increase our students' awareness of current environmental issues. Environmental literacy and conservation are among the most pressing of all scientific issues and awareness is the first step in creating informed, responsible stewards of the environment. This project will increase our classroom lending library with books focused on environmental problems and solutions! Each student can choose a book that interests them and will create a video review to share with classmates. I am also planning to incorporate an aquaponic demonstration and plant drowning project to demonstrate the importance of soil and water health on our food security. Learning about sustainable food growth is key to lowering greenhouse emissions and encouraging waste reduction.
Students will be given the materials to create an at-home water filtration system (that models groundwater filtration) as well as the importance of plant growth in preventing soil erosion. Students will be given materials to create a science notebook for data collection, observations, and reflections like those used in the field by real scientists. I will also have students test the decomposition of various waste by creating a “plastic bag composter”. The students will compare organic decay with man-made plastics and items marketed as biodegradable. My hope is that using hands-on data collection, studies, and gathering evidence students will get first-hand knowledge of issues like air and water pollution, plastic and microplastic pollution, urban sprawl, and ultimately the impact of climate change on them personally.