Background
Information
T's for Trees is
an exciting interdisciplinary program for teaching core subjects
and environmental awareness, in which 7th grade students reduce
paper and plastic use in their community by recycling t-shirts
into reusable grocery bags. This iAdventure could be used by
several age groups, but has been written for use in a seventh
grade life science class as part of an interdisciplinary unit
called "T's for Trees". The goals of this iAdventure
are to increase knowledge of environmental issues, experimental
skills, and communication skills while allowing the students
to make educated choices about participating in our school's
T's for Trees project. Students will have the opportunity to
work both individually and in teams to research internet sources,
conduct experiments, and analyze data.
I've taken the
approach that students will individually prepare a position statement
as a "final project" for the iAdventure. Ending the
iAdventure at this point was deliberate on my part. That way
the position statement could be used to create web pages, oral
presentations, written essays, multimedia presentations (mPower,
Powerpoint, etc.), or in preparation for a debate or "town
meeting". The culminating "event" or product can
be done quickly or over an extended time period. It can be completed
in science class or in another discipline for interdisciplinary
teaming. This will allow me to continue to use the activity with
my interdisciplinary team or individually AND we can team up
in different ways in different years. During the first "T's
for Trees" year, students worked to make web pages. The
second year has focused on a social studies - science link that
allowed students to participate in a "city challenge"
project where they applied principles and processes of local
government to possible environmental problems that our city could
experience 50 years from now.
Students can promote
this environmental awareness activity to other schools by creating
web pages, distributing flyers, and giving presentations.The
culminating activity for our school has been the annual Earth
Day event at Whiteman Air Force Base, attended by several thousand
regional students and teachers. September 11 has prevented
that event to occur this year, but our local university is organizing
a smaller event, which we will participate in. At these events,
our students set up a display booth, give presentations, demonstrate
the making of T-bags, display the T's for Trees web site, and
distribute sample T-bags and promotional pencils. See the website
at: http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/trees
.
Whether you
are interested in joining the T's for Trees movement or not,
this iAdventure can still be used by you and your students for
the same goals.
Our T's for Trees
approach has been to introduce the students to environmental
awareness with a "webquest" designed by our reading
teacher. You can check this out at http://warrensburg.k12.mo.us/webquest/makeadiff. Following the introduction
in reading class, we have surveyed the students about their family's
trash/recycling habits. This is a good place to do some graphing
in math or science class. We have taught students how to make
graphs using Appleworks after researching internet sites for
data on environmental issues.
At this point we
are ready for research and the iAdventure!
Schedule
(based
on 85 minute blocks)
Day One and
Two. This
can be done in the classroom with one computer and displayed
with a projector or on the TV monitor. The students are shown
how to access the site and then taken through the first two sections
of the Introduction. This will remind them to get their math
data from the parent survey and they will be given the "Glossary"
assignment. A new addition for next year will have the students
calculating the number of bags that they can prevent from ending
up in the landfill. Click here to view the Bag Calculation Sheet designed to help students realize the
impact that using cloth bags can have. An appropriate number
of days should be given for completion of the glossary and to
tabulate the survey data and get it graphed (either in math class
or in science class). I have provided our first year data so that students can have
something to compare, practice double bar graphs, etc. I would
suggest making four different graphs. Item one, items two and
three (combined), and item five could all be plotted with bar
graphs. Item four could be done as either a pie graph or bar
graph, depending on whether you are comparing to the first year
data or not. The classroom computer can also be used on day two
to prep the students for experiment one, then allowing them to
set this experiment up.
Day Three and
Four. The
students should move to the computer lab to begin the research
phase. Ideally they should be able to work individually at computers
with internet capabilities. Guide the students through the opening
of the web site and navigating to the introduction page. They
will then need to scroll down to the "Paper or Plastic or
T shirt?" to start this second phase. Read the prompt with
them, emphasizing how to open and close the links that will open
in separate windows. Hand out several copies of the "Reporter's
Notebook" to each student. I require my students to "visit"
with all three of the experts and to explore and record at least
two of the internet sites suggested by each person. Prior to
the end of the second block, students should be ready to read
back through their "Reporters Notebook" and decide
which bag type is best for their family to use. They should follow
the prompt below the website table. This will guide them to picking
the link that they want to continue to investigate.
Day Five to
Seven (maybe Eight).
The students are now ready to rejoin their experiment one (To
Rot or Not to Rot?) and make some conclusions. They should then
be grouped in threes or fours, based on their most recent choice
of paper, plastic, or t-shirt bags. For the next activites, they
will need a computer intermittently to guide them through:
1. Instructions
for the team discussion and documentation of shared inferences.
2. Experiment Two: Battle of the Bags
3. Accessing the weblink for "Helpful Hints" for stating
positions
Experiment Two
allows the students to demonstrate their experimental design
abilities. I imagine students will compare the mass of bags that
can be compacted into a specific space and then compare that
to the mass of whole bags. I will try to limit my suggestions
and guidance to the students. I hope that they will develop some
creative ways to quantitatively compare paper and plastic bags.
It should be simple enough that they can conduct it and start
the primary data investigation on day six. Day seven will probably
be needed to wrap things up for some groups while others move
on to the Conclusion page.
Day Nine. Students now enter the
"Moving On" section to review their gathered information
and experiments. When they move to the Conclusion page they have
the opportunity to continue to support their original bag choice
or to use their material to support the use of a different one.
Students organize their collected information and thoughts as
they complete the position statement. Where you go from here
is up to you. See my suggestions above in the "Program Background" section.
I usually allow some time between the different stages of a project
like this. While the class does other activities, you have time
to get absent students caught up. Also remember that the results
from Experiment One need to be gathered and analyzed before the
final conclusions are reached and shared.
Resources
Needed
If you are not
doing the survey of home trash/recycling habits in math class,
you will have to allow time to send out the surveys, get them
back, tally the results, and to organize the data into graphs.
Click
here to
print a copy of the survey we send home with the students.
You will need a
group of internet-connected computers to carry out this iAdventure.
Some parts can be done with one computer set up in the classroom
connected to a TV monitor or projector. Experiment One can be
done with a variety of simple materials. The protocol that I
have chosen for decomposition may be similar to one you already
use. Please email me with your tried and true favorites. Experiment
Two will only require what you allow your students to use. The
expected materials would be: several bags of each type, metric
rulers and/or scales, calculator, graph paper, etc.
Click
here to
print the glossary assignment that is designed to help the students
better understand the material that they will be reading.
Click here to view the Bag Calculation
Sheet designed to help students realize the impact that using
cloth bags can have.
Click
here to
print the Reporter's Notebook. Students will need several of
these. They should visit at least two sites suggested by each
of the three expert. It is used by the students to record their
web site research. The teacher should use the classroom computer
and model for the students how to access the links and complete
the notebook. (i.e. some thoughts on how to decide what info
to write down, how to find out who actually created and/or sponsored
the site and how that information might affect the facts or inferences
stated at the site)
Click
here to
print the Decomposition procedure for Experiment One: Decomposition.
Click
here to
print some background information on composting.
Click
here to
print the Experimental Design Diagram to be used with Experiment
Two: Space Requirements. This is a great form to use all year
to help students learn and improve experimental design skills.
I have been using this form for ten years with great success
and must credit Cothron and Rezba, the source for the format.
Their latest book is listed below under the "Acknowledgements"
section.
Click
here to
print the Position Statement to be used to create the conclusion.
Assessment
I prefer to grade
on a point basis with exact amounts of points assigned to each
item or section of each assignment. I feel more comfortable about
the objectivity of my grading in this manner. If you prefer to
use rubrics, I would suggest exploring some of the other iAdventures
linked to the iAdventure
homepage.
Many of them will have samples of rubrics that could be modified
to suit your needs.
My assessment of
students will be both individual and in group and it will be
done in segments as students complete each stage of the project.
I will be assigning point values for each of the following items:
Graph of T's for
Trees Survey Data
Glossary
Reporter's Notebook ( six pages minimum) - scoring guide
Inference list from Scientific Research Teams
Decomposition Lab Report
Space Requirements Experimental Design Diagram and Lab Report
Position Statement
Creating
Conclusions and Student Products
I've taken the
approach that students will individually prepare a position statement
as a "final project" for the iAdventure. Ending the
iAdventure at this point was deliberate on my part. That way
the position statement could be used to create web pages, oral
presentations, written essays, multimedia presentations (mPower,
Powerpoint, etc.), or in preparation for a debate or "town
meeting". The culminating "event" or product can
be done quickly or over an extended time period. It can be completed
in science class or in another discipline for interdisciplinary
teaming. This will allow me to continue to use the activity with
my interdisciplinary team or individually AND we can team up
in different ways in different years. During the first "T's
for Trees" year, students worked to make web pages. We are
currently discussing a social studies - science link for next
year that would allow students to conduct a town meeting where
they would apply principles and processes of local government
learned in social studies.
These links open
the targeted page in a new browser window, so you may simply
close the new window
to return to this page.
Curriculum
Standards
This iAdventure
is designed to address Missouri Show-Me Performance Standards.
Specific Standards targeted by this program include:
1.2 (Goal 1, Standard
2) Conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information
and ideas
1.4 Use technological tools and other resources to locate, select
and organize information
1.8 Organize data, information, and ideas into useful forms for
analysis or presentation
1.10 Apply acquired information, ideas and skills to different
contexts as students, workers, and citizens
2.1 Plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for
a variety of purposes and audiences
2.2 Review and revise communications to improve accuracy and
clarity
3.2 Develop and apply strategies based on ways others have prevented
or solved problems
3.5 Reason inductively from a set of specific facts and deductively
from general premises
3.6 Evaluate the extent to which a strategy addresses the problem
3.7 Assess costs, benefits and other consequences of proposed
solutions
4.5 Develop, monitor, and revise plans of action to meet deadlines
and accomplish goals
4.7 Identify and apply practices that preserve and enhance the
safety and health of self and others
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Stan
Smith, Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Warrensburg
R-VI Schools for his guidance. The iAdventure concept was developed
in the Warrensburg, MO school district, as part of the "Learning
with iAdventures" program. This program was funded by a
Competitive Technology grant awarded to Stan Smith from the Missouri
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Images used
were acquired from the following sources:
Jeff
Bucchino's "Wizard
of Draws"
web site
The Amazing Picture Machine
FlamingText.com
Nova Development's Art Explosion 750,000 Images
Photos taken on site here at Warrensburg Middle School
References:
Science Experiments and Projects for Students. Julia H. Cothron,
Ronald N. Giese, and Richard J. Rezba. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt,
1996.
- Composting Lab
protocol prepared with the assistance of material from the the
following:
- Environment Canada:
Ontario Region
http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/glimr/classroom/chapter-7/compost-e.html
-
- Missouri Department
of Natural Resources
-
- Eco-Inquiry
For more information
on iAdventures, visit the iAdventure Home
Page.
