Field Trip to SciTechWe started 4th quarter with a trip to SciTech to learn about oysters in the Bay. We were able to observe the oysters under a microscope and learn about the organisms that live on the oysters. We also talked about the internal structure of oysters. The students also learned about the oyster impact and population in the bay. We were also finally able to visit Mr. Trash Wheel while we were down there! Service DayFor our school-wide service day, we partnered with the 2nd graders to share our knowledge of water conservation & pollution. We met together and prepared presentation to share with the four classes. We broke into small groups to teach a 30 minute lesson. We also encouraged the students to support the creation of the new Trash Wheel in Canton and shared with them what we learned about Mr. Trash Wheel. The New LeafWe continued to work on the next edition of the New Leaf Gazette. You can see it here. This month's focus was recycling. Future MakersWe had "Future Makers" come and work with our students on creating energy. The students learned how to create circuits and the difference between energy from a battery and energy that they could create themselves using a crank generator. We discussed which was more efficient, sustainable and the benefits of each. The students used their new knowledge of energy and circuits to create their own prototypes of inventions. You can see more details of our lessons on our padlet. Trash TalkBrigid came to talk with our students about trash and recycling. She showed up in her Halloween Costume- "RecycQueen"- a completely recycled costume. She shared a presentation that highlighted the impact trash can have on our neighborhoods and communities. She then was able to share ideas on how the students can help their neighborhoods and communities. The students were so excited to talk with her and we look forward to partnering with her again next year! See more information about "Trash Talk" here and here. Zoo Field Trip- Climate ChangeThe Green Team visited the Baltimore Zoo to participate in their climate change program. They learned how changes in climate are affecting animal habitats. They completed a food web activity and also played a game showing the affects of climate change on different species. Of course, we then visited the rest of the zoo animals. It was a great day!
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We started off this quarter with a visit from Leanna Wetmore and Adam Lindquist from the Waterfront Partnership. We were so excited to present them with $500.00 to donate to the construction of the Trash Wheel in Canton. They talked to us about the Bay's report card and about all the ways we can help with the pollution of the bay. We also learned about some of the crazy things Mr. Trash Wheel has come across like a giant snake and a hula hoop! They left us with some materials to help our neighborhood clean up days, like buckets and trash grabbers. We also went on a field trip to the Maryland Science Center. We first went to a a program called "Green Energy Challenge" and learned how circuits work and about renewable energy. We were able to power a light bulb and a fan using a solar panel. We also explored the rest of the Science Center and spent a good amount of time in the "Power Up" exhibit learning about all the different types of renewable energy.
The Green Team has been busy throughout the second quarter. We started our fundraising efforts for the Canton Water Wheel by making and selling reindeer ornaments made from recycled wine corks. It was very successful and we made about $100. We also took advantage of a nice weather day and cleaned up the trash in Patterson Park. We continued our energy audits and created and delivered door hangers to each of the classrooms. We also finished up our first issue of the "New Leaf Gazette" which will be sent home with our monthly announcements. Some students worked on drawings, crafts and jokes for the newsletter. Others interviewed staff members. Some students researched tips and prepared answers to questions left in our "Ask the Green Team" box outside the office. We also worked on some water conservation signage for the bathrooms here at school. We watched a few videos about Water Conservation and brainstormed tips and facts to share with our school community. We wrote each tip on a water drop to be hung in clusters around the school. We also continued our fundraising for the Canton Trash Wheel by selling Valentine's Day Candy Grams. We sold over 600! It took a lot of collaboration and hardwork getting all the candy grams tagged and ready for delivery by Valentine's Day. We are so excited to announce that together with both our fundraisers, we raised $500 to donate to the construction of the Canton Water Wheel. The Waterfront Partnership will be meeting with us later in the month to collect our donation.
The 4th Grade Green Team started off the year by coming up with an action plan. They worked in small groups to brainstorm ways to help their environment and our community. They were so excited and had so many great ideas! You can see our action plans here. We narrowed down our ideas to focus on Water Conservation/Water Pollution, as well as energy conservation and advocacy. We also conducted energy audits throughout the school. We noticed that the thermostats were not set on energy saving temperatures. We also noticed that many teachers left computers and other electronic devices plugged in and on when not in use. Most staff members did remember to turn off lights at the end of the day. The students plan to continue thermostat checks and award prizes to teachers that have their thermostats set at energy 78 while heating and 68 while cooling. The students also plan to share energy saving tips through a newsletter they titled, "The New Leaf Gazette," during morning announcements and through a video they hope to share with the school community. You can see our audits here. We also went on our first field trip to SciTech in downtown Baltimore. It was great! The students learned about rain gardens and water conservation and pollution prevention. They worked in a lab to explore how rain gardens work and then went outside to observe the rain gardens. We also took a short walk to visit Mr. Trash Wheel, but he was on vacation! We hope to go back. The students will be helping to raise money for another trash wheel in Canton which will be closer to their neighborhoods. We did get a short introduction on how the trash wheel works and watched a short video. The students have been so eager to get to work on their projects that they have been giving up their recess times to work on some activities. Some students volunteered to pick up trash in Patterson Park and recruited many other students to help. It has become a weekly event. Other students started working on the "New Leaf Gazette." They can't wait for the first publication. We have jokes, comics, crafts, tips and even an advice column! We also made sure that all the classrooms in the building had recycling bins. We are looking forward to beginning our fundraising for the Canton Water Wheel during 2nd quarter. We also will be starting our energy contest and hopefully will publish the first volume of the "New Leaf Gazette."
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OrganizersMrs. Jodi Gowans Archives
May 2016
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