Teaching with the Outdoors ~ Upper
Peninsula Environmental & Field Sciences Workshop ~ May 2-3, 2003
Presenters:
Joan Chadde, Education Program Coordinator
Western U.P. Center for Science, Mathematics & Env. Education
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Dr. , Houghton, MI 49931-1295
Tel: 906-487-3341 Email:
jchadde@mtu.edu Website: http://wupcenter.mtu.edu
Introduction -
Back to the Future video
Unit Objectives & Michigan Content Standards
Students
will be able to :
a.
Identify
the cultural, historical and natural character of their community and what
makes their community an attractive place to live;
b. Describe how the visual
and natural environment impacts the economic, environmental and aesthetic
qualities of their community;
c. Identify potential
consequences of future land use changes;
d. Explain why there are
different perspectives on community growth and change;
e. Identify parts of a
community and be able to arrange in a compatible fashion;
f. Design, conduct and
tabulate public surveys to determine community attitudes (towards future
growth, sprawl, private property rights, and community character);
g. Understand how community
planning tools can be used to enhance a community's visual appearance and
preserve the "character" of their community.
h. Make recommendations for
how to enhance the visual appearance and livability of
their community.
i. Design and implement a Community Enhancement Project to improve a
part of the
community (landscaping,
adding park furniture, developing a public awareness
campaign, improving signage)
Community
of Choices video
"Shaping Our Future" survey
Station A: Across These United States
Use postcards from Viewfinders Activity 1-3 to
identify those places you find attractive and those where you would not like to
live. Record responses on a bar graph
Station B: Values Barometer - participants reflect
on their feelings about community growth
Station C: “What Is The Message?” Review children’s books (Lesson 9) using response form provided.
Strategies & Challenges For Teaching This Unit
(see Teaching Controversial Issues, Summer 2000, # 62 issue of Green Teacher, p. 29-32).
Science Connections
o
Loss
of prime farmland.
o
Loss
of biodiversity – include an activity where students compare the biodiversity
of an undisturbed area, a city park, and a parking lot.
o
Compare
changes in runoff in forest, cropland, suburban area, pavement (see Color Me A
Watershed in a Project WET).
o
Transportation
choices – sprawl requires people to travel in their cars, difficult for senior
citizens and youth to get around, uses up valuable time and energy resources
(see Divorce Your Car by Katie
Alvord).
o
Conduct
stream monitoring and compare water quality and biodiversity of organisms in
undisturbed upper watershed, suburban area, and downtown.
o
Air quality impacts due to increased traffic.
Curriculum Resources
Dunn Foundation’s Viewfinders (Gr. 3-5) & Viewfinders Too (Gr. 6-8) curricula
Michigan State Extension’s This Land is Your Land curricula (Gr. 3-5)
Looks Count resource list
Field trip to Community of
Big Bay (see
Lesson 3 – Neighborhood View Teams)
Workshop Evaluation