curriculum_and_instruction_table.docx | |
File Size: | 20 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Please click on the file above to see the curriculum and instruction table
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It's a Rotting World/3rd
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It's a Rotting World teaches students about a variety of organisms that help in the cycle of decomposition. Students observe the decomposition cycle by recording data on the changes of a banana peel over time. By observing a worm, students get to explore how one of the decomposers helps to break down the litter in the natural world. Students implement a compost pile on their school grounds. Students also created a model of a landfill with various items including plastic and styrofoam to observe how long it takes these items to decompose.
A third grade students journal notes and observations during their science unit in October of 2016 showing how a banana peel decomposes over time. |
Third graders have used red wigglers to compost while working on It’s a Rotting World in science. The students created small compost bins using the red wigglers and added items to compost while watching and recording the changes over time to the materials added to the bins.
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Many students commented that they now have compost bins at their homes and have begun using the matter created to add to their home gardens. The students also used the composting material when they grew their own vegetables in containers last spring of 2016.
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Fossils/4th
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Calvert County is known world-wide as a location to find Miocene fossils. The plants and animals that lived here during the Miocene occured in the neighborhood of 10-20 million years ago, when a great shallow sea covered the area that is now Calvert County. This region was home to a variety of sea creatures including whales and dolphins, sea cows, and a variety of sharks, including the giant shark, the Megalodon.
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Fourth grade students study the Megalodon as a vehicle for learning how fossil remains can teach us about past environments and the animals that lived in them.
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Students visit the Calvert Marine Museum to learn more about paleontology and the ancient environments that once existed here in Calvert County. The pictures below are of students on their field trip on November 2, 2016
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Energy Conservation/4th
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Energy Conservation is a unit in which students explored renewable and non-renewable energy sources and how to use them efficiently. Students study the ways that natural resources are used to create electricity. Students also learn the possible consequences that can occur when we use electricity.
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Students conducted surveys throughout the building to find out how we as a school can conserve energy.
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Children have created posters and made announcements to inform staff and students of their findings and ideas for improvement.
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Oysters/5th
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Students learn about the importance of the Eastern Oyster to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Students discover that the oyster population today is only a small fraction of the population that existed a century ago.
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Students visited Flag Ponds Nature Park to assist in an oyster gardening project and to learn first hand, about the role of the oyster in the ecology of the bay. Students use what they have learned to create a flyer or poster to promote oyster gardening among Calvert County residents.
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Families in Calvert County create and use oyster gardens to help re-establish the oyster population.The pictures below show students on their field trip to Flag Ponds on September 2016
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Land Use/5th
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Students learn about responsible land use by farmers and homeowners and how humans have impacted the environment, especially the Chesapeake Bay. They research how Maryland's environment changed since John Smith explored the Chesapeake Bay.
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The task: You will create a model of your home and its surrounding area. Your model will display how you and your family can use the model of “good farming practices” at home in order to improve the impact on the rivers streams and bay in Calvert County.
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Students and their families made changes around their home to help make a difference in protecting the Chesapeake Bay. Students also surveyed the land around the school and suggested improvements to reduce run-off and erosion.
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Science/3rd
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Students participated in a unit on sound to study how sound is produced and how we can change volume and pitch of sound.
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Students used materials that would usually be discarded or recycled to create musical instruments to demonstrate their understanding of sound.
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The students shared and played their instruments in a parade around the school on October 21, 2016.
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professional_development_table.docx | |
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Please click on the file above to view the professional development table.
Professional Development
The staff, volunteers and students of Appeal Elementary School continue to create an awareness of helping the environment through reading and sharing articles, resource books and videos, workshops, trainings and demonstrations, school morning announcements, staff meetings, and an after school green team.
- The green team leader is a member of edweb.net/growing school gardens and receives and shares regular updates that include information on gardening at school.
- A fifth grade teacher completed a workshop titled Growing Up Wild on October 29, 2014 that works with educators to develop appropriate practices that get students out exploring nature. This same teacher also developed activities for students to participate in on Earth Day. Pictures are included below.
Education and Certification. One of our fifth grade teachers has a bachelors degree in Science. His most recent courses included Ecology and Paleontology. He often shares information and strategies with members of the fifth grade team to supplement our science units. He spoke with our green team members during an after school meeting in February of 2017 on possible career choices in Environmental Science.
After school Club meetings attended by staff and students. Bob Boxwell from Cove Point Land Trust is an active member of our green team. He has provided additional training to our staff concerning native plants, bluebirds, and gardening. Pictures from an after school workshop in March 2016 are included below.
December Staff Meeting. At our December 2017 staff meeting the AES Green School Website was shared with staff to show the efforts of our green team and its volunteers on re-certifying our school as a green school. Agenda and sign in are included below.
pac_staff_meeting_agenda_dec_2016.docx | |
File Size: | 606 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Engineering is Elementary Training attended by 2 fifth grade teachers on June 2, 2015. Fifth grade teachers participated in an Engineering is Elementary Training at the Calvert County Board of Education on June 2, 2015. The following teachers received one CCPS credit for participation in the course: Yvonne Garner and Nancy Murphy. The teachers were given training related to engineering in general and specific training on implementing the unit A Slick Solution: Cleaning an Oil Spill. Each teacher present was given a binder as well as materials to use to complete the unit with their classroom. Additional kits were given to the school for the remaining fifth grade teachers, as well as replacement supplies for non reusable materials. The unit is part of the curriculum from Engineering is Elementary. Pictures from the workshop are included below.
Terrapin Keepers Professional Development. Third grade teacher Brenda DeChants attended a half day workshop on September 13, 2016 for training on keeping the terrapins in the classroom to support the students learning. A copy of the professional leave request has been provided below.
Master Gardener Workshops attended by Mrs. Beighley, our Part-time Art Resource Teacher. One of our resource teachers, Mrs. Beighley attended several master gardener workshops and has assisted students with plantings in our surrounding gardens and rain gardens. Descriptions of the workshops she attended are included below.
Celebrations
On Earth Day each year the students participate in a variety of outdoor activities that include garden and school-yard clean up and packing a waste free lunch.
Appeal Elementary participated in the annual Green Expo in May of 2014 at Anne Marie Gardens to showcase our schools efforts in helping the environment.
- For this years Earth Day celebration, the students will participate in a waste free lunch day with competitions across grade levels. On Arbor Day each year the third grade students are given Pine tree saplings to take home and plant.