Objective 1 - Use of the Environment as a Context for Learning
6th Grade Units - Bay Museum Project, Goin' Green/ Alternative Energy
Outdoor Environmental Education
7th Grade Units - Hydroponics/Aquaponics, Genetics, Trout in the Classroom
8th Grade Units - Green Home Design, Climate and Geologic Change over Time Calendar
Core Classes - Math - CBF Project,Oyster Filter Power, Sorting Lunch English Environmental Leadership
6th Grade Units - Bay Museum Project, Goin' Green/ Alternative Energy
Outdoor Environmental Education
7th Grade Units - Hydroponics/Aquaponics, Genetics, Trout in the Classroom
8th Grade Units - Green Home Design, Climate and Geologic Change over Time Calendar
Core Classes - Math - CBF Project,Oyster Filter Power, Sorting Lunch English Environmental Leadership
SCIENCE 6th grade - Bay Museum Project.
Students design a habitat exhibit that illustrates the vast ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The exhibit includes a life-sized model of an animal that lives in the Watershed, and includes biotic and abiotic factors that affect the animal. A poster is included that shows classification schema, the food chain, and adaptations the animal might make to adjust to and thrive in the environment.
Students design a habitat exhibit that illustrates the vast ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The exhibit includes a life-sized model of an animal that lives in the Watershed, and includes biotic and abiotic factors that affect the animal. A poster is included that shows classification schema, the food chain, and adaptations the animal might make to adjust to and thrive in the environment.
6th grade - Goin' Green/Alternative Energy
Our students created public service announcements addressing a local environmental issue. They were asked to differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable resources, determine human impact on their environment of choice, and research various alternative energy sources and implementation strategies. This unit builds on the knowledge gained through the museum project.
Our students created public service announcements addressing a local environmental issue. They were asked to differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable resources, determine human impact on their environment of choice, and research various alternative energy sources and implementation strategies. This unit builds on the knowledge gained through the museum project.
6th grade - Outdoor Environmental Education
Time spent at Outdoor Environmental Education gives Rocky Hill students the opportunity to put classroom environmental lessons into practice in an authentic setting. Orienteering, stream study, and the confidence course adds specialized skill sets to a foundation established through group work and project-based problem solving.
Time spent at Outdoor Environmental Education gives Rocky Hill students the opportunity to put classroom environmental lessons into practice in an authentic setting. Orienteering, stream study, and the confidence course adds specialized skill sets to a foundation established through group work and project-based problem solving.
7th grade - Hydroponics/Aquaponics
Rocky Hill 7th grade students use recycled/repurposed materials to construct hydroponic and aquaponic environments for plant and fish growth. Students are asked to address the issue of limited arable land in our county vs. a growing population and the need for a reliable supply of vegetables that are locally grown. The plants they grow have been used to feed both families and the faculty of our school.
Rocky Hill 7th grade students use recycled/repurposed materials to construct hydroponic and aquaponic environments for plant and fish growth. Students are asked to address the issue of limited arable land in our county vs. a growing population and the need for a reliable supply of vegetables that are locally grown. The plants they grow have been used to feed both families and the faculty of our school.
7th grade - Trout in the Classroom
During the past 4 years, our students have successfully hatched, monitored, and cared for trout donated to our school from Trout Unlimited and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The study of these trout and their environment gives our students a curricular bridge from their ecosystem, adaptation, and food web studies in the 6th grade, as well as a way to replenish the niche that overfishing and overdevelopment in Great Seneca Creek has wrought. Our students have seen the results of previous Rocky Hill efforts in replenishing the food web - 6-8 inch trout have been seen, caught, and released in the vicinity of our release point!
During the past 4 years, our students have successfully hatched, monitored, and cared for trout donated to our school from Trout Unlimited and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The study of these trout and their environment gives our students a curricular bridge from their ecosystem, adaptation, and food web studies in the 6th grade, as well as a way to replenish the niche that overfishing and overdevelopment in Great Seneca Creek has wrought. Our students have seen the results of previous Rocky Hill efforts in replenishing the food web - 6-8 inch trout have been seen, caught, and released in the vicinity of our release point!
7th grade - Genetics and GMOs
The project work our students undertake during the hydroponic/aquaponic unit is utilized and extended during our discussions and debates about genetically modified crops and their effect on the environment during our exploration of genetics and DNA.
The project work our students undertake during the hydroponic/aquaponic unit is utilized and extended during our discussions and debates about genetically modified crops and their effect on the environment during our exploration of genetics and DNA.
8th grade - Homes for Humanity
Our 8th graders used the concepts of heat transfer, the global energy budget, latitudinal and seasonal patterns, geographic influence on climate, the water cycle, and atmospheric and ocean surface and vertical currents to design and build model homes to fit specific environments. These homes were tasked with decreasing global greenhouse emissions and being constructed of as many recycled/repurposed materials as practical and possible.
Our 8th graders used the concepts of heat transfer, the global energy budget, latitudinal and seasonal patterns, geographic influence on climate, the water cycle, and atmospheric and ocean surface and vertical currents to design and build model homes to fit specific environments. These homes were tasked with decreasing global greenhouse emissions and being constructed of as many recycled/repurposed materials as practical and possible.
8th grade - Making History Calendar Project
In this concept-driven project, students look back at Earth's history from a geologic and climate-based perspective and examine our atmospheric composition and structure, as well as the geologic forces and processes that have shaped and weathered the planet over time. This past-present relationship is then applied in a predictive way, factoring in human intervention and leads to a calendar that forecasts potential changes in the future.
In this concept-driven project, students look back at Earth's history from a geologic and climate-based perspective and examine our atmospheric composition and structure, as well as the geologic forces and processes that have shaped and weathered the planet over time. This past-present relationship is then applied in a predictive way, factoring in human intervention and leads to a calendar that forecasts potential changes in the future.
Math Connection - Chesapeake Bay Project
Students gather information about various water characteristics in the Chesapeake Bay. This statistics-based project asks students to gather data from 10 buoys in the bay, including location, salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature. One water quality attribute becomes the focus for each student, who then gathers more in-depth information and uses measures of central tendency to plot the data on a poster.
Students gather information about various water characteristics in the Chesapeake Bay. This statistics-based project asks students to gather data from 10 buoys in the bay, including location, salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature. One water quality attribute becomes the focus for each student, who then gathers more in-depth information and uses measures of central tendency to plot the data on a poster.
Oyster Filter Power
Students gather information on their personal water consumption including toilet flushing, tooth brushing, hand washing, showers, baths, and personal water consumption. They apply these totals to the known capacity of an oyster to filter a given amount of water to determine the total number of oysters they would need to support to meet their needs.
Students gather information on their personal water consumption including toilet flushing, tooth brushing, hand washing, showers, baths, and personal water consumption. They apply these totals to the known capacity of an oyster to filter a given amount of water to determine the total number of oysters they would need to support to meet their needs.
Sorting Lunch
Without being told the purpose of the activity, students are asked to eat lunch in their classroom. While eating, students discuss the difference between the terms reusable, recyclable, reducible, and non-recyclable. Compost is also discussed. After lunch, students sort the remains of their lunches into appropriate containers. Students then weigh each box and record the data - creating a poster from the results.
Without being told the purpose of the activity, students are asked to eat lunch in their classroom. While eating, students discuss the difference between the terms reusable, recyclable, reducible, and non-recyclable. Compost is also discussed. After lunch, students sort the remains of their lunches into appropriate containers. Students then weigh each box and record the data - creating a poster from the results.
English Connection - Environmental Leadership
During this exercise, students focus on an environmental problem such as agricultural or construction runoff and research the topic to find a person who has been active
in trying to solve the problem. Actions, results, and character traits are
accounted for, images are chosen, and key words and their meaning to the
solution are highlighted. The student work is then presented in a manuscript
accompanied by pictures.
During this exercise, students focus on an environmental problem such as agricultural or construction runoff and research the topic to find a person who has been active
in trying to solve the problem. Actions, results, and character traits are
accounted for, images are chosen, and key words and their meaning to the
solution are highlighted. The student work is then presented in a manuscript
accompanied by pictures.