What
is the Problem with Boston Harbor?
Grade Level:7- 8-9. What is the problem with Boston Harbor? How did
the problem come about? What are the options and consequences for what
needs to be done? Is the benefit worth the cost and who should pay for
it? What are the benefits and the drawbacks of solving the problem?
ESL Lesson
An integration of language arts and introductory earth and biology
sciences with an emphasis on water ecology for beginner-level adult students
of English as a second language
Seeking
a Fortune in 18th Century Maritime Boston
The unit focused on Boston Harbor, the topogragphical feature which
has enhanced the city's beauty, shaped the character of its people, and
expanded its economic influence. Grade Level SPED 4
The
Study of Urban and Suburban Environments within the Mystic River Watershed
The development of a comparative investigation of urban and suburban
environments of the Mystic River Watershed, which may serve as a model
for comparison of any diverse environments within a common watershed. The
Town of Reading is located at the headwaters of the Aberjona and Mystic
River system; 18 miles downriver, at the mouth of the river system, is
the City of Chelsea. High school students from Chelsea and Reading will
examine each their own water-based environments, within the Mystic Watershed.
As the learners engage in inquiry-based, hands-on projects, critical thinking
skills and problem-solving, the project will lead them to cross the domains
of science and interdisciplinary connections, as they begin to explore,
describe and understand two diverse ecosystems in the Mystic Watershed.
Waterworks
in Braintree
Create environmental awareness with an open-ended topic which allows
an interdisciplinary team approach, uses local and state resources and
offers a variety of assessment tools. It should stimulate inquiry thinking,
require consideration of various points of view and tjhe importance of
individual political and community involvement. The topic allows expansion
and application to other topics and disciplines throughout the community.
Middle School level.
The
River Classroom: Experiential River Education
An interdisciplinary river and water resource awareness unit for 200
seventh grade students attending GDRMS and a preceding three-day workshop
for 7 teachers. Both students and teachers will be immersed in riparian
issue through hands-on experiments, field studies, wildlife surveys, canoeing,
lectures, debates, and slide shows. The unit, with a focus on science,
geography, history, and government, will stress the tremendous importance
of our rivers and their adjoining greenways as a resource. The students
will build on this one-week experience through the year, educating fellow
students, parents, and community members to the importance of greenways
and river resources. The project will encourage environmental careers as
well as continuing environmental education at GDRMS.
Rivers
Activities
These are activity based learning experiences designed for primary
age school children in inclusionary classrooms. The activities were designed
with the Massachusetts Mathematics and Science Curriculum Frameworks in
mind. The children will initially learn about their watershed by investigating
rivers. What is a river? How do they originate? How do they flow? Definitions
of lakes, ponds,oceans and their relationships to rivers will be explored.
The children will learn and develop an understanding (developmentally appropriate)
of the water cycle, plant and animal life along their river and the impact
of man, pollution and other environmental issues on their rivers, streams,
lakes, etc. They will develop a scientific and mathematic vocabulary as
they complete their activities.The learning experiences will provide opportunities
for young children to use an inquiry approach, critical and creative thinking,
and emphasize interdisiplinary connections.
The Mill Brook Project: Shoreline Survey of Mill Brook, Arlington, MA
Arlington High School and Ottoson Middle School students collaborate as stewards on
surveying the shoreline of Mill Brook. Field studies will be done on the shoreline; Students will learn to identify the watershed in their area; Students will collect data and present results to another group in the community; Students will heighten community awareness by displaying data for community information and awareness.