Jones Gap Preparation

Third graders embark the week after spring break on our mountain trip to Jones Gap State Park.  We spent today preparing by doing some vocabulary review.  Students can continue to practice the must-know terms at this link.  We also looked at water quality test we will conduct at the park, layers of the forest, and life cycles of some of the macro-invertebrates we hope to find.  Students did a great job researching and composing their expert cards highlighting one of the many living organisms that calls Jones Gap home.  Take a look at their work!

Delany- Fetterbush
Srianeesh- Eastern Hemlock
Makell- Sassafrass
Brianna- Tulip Poplar
Kevin- Wild Violet
Kathleen- Foam Flower
Ivan- Sourwood
Rohan- American Beech

Acid Rain

Today students looked at acid rain as the possible culprit in the case of the dying fish of Gray Area. They tested the acidity of the Gray Area rain and also that of of the different bodies of water in the area.  We found some interesting results.  Next week we will learn more about acid rain and consult with our next suspect, the owner of the toy factory, to try to make sense of our findings.

We also continued our novel study of Listening to Crickets, and began research on the student selected plants and animals of Jones Gap to prepare our expert cards for the field study.

Richland County Judicial Center Field Study

We had a fantastic time observing the trial of Mr. Sticky Fingers and the case of the stolen cell phone. Students got to hear opening statements, observe evidence and witness testimonies from both the prosecution and defense, and take part in the the final verdict.  The beautiful day and outdoor lunch were a hit as well!

Jury duty.

The judge and court clerk.

The prosecutor addressing the jury.

The Defense answers student questions.

Project Share and Bio-Indicators

We started our day with some awesome Systems Project Presentations!  I am really proud of the products that were shared!  It has been great for the presenters as well as the audience to practice systems thinking and see the examples that are being shown.

 

Students took a closer look at the results from the waterslide chlorine tests, performed a bio-assessment of their own on a macro-invertebrate called daphnia to check the more long term effects of chlorine on the area, and examined some secret documents that provided further clues.

Graphing

We focused heavily on our M^3 Math today as we embarked on Chapter 2 and graphing. Students will be collecting survey data and learning to represent it in various way.  Today we interpreted bar graphs and double bar graphs and our math discussions focused on writing quality questions that use and compare the data shown.  

We used some of these websites as a fun follow-up to our lesson.  Students wanting more practice can enjoy exploring them more at home!

Interpreting Data

Data Bank Research

Bar Charts

Bar Charts 2

IXL

Create your Own

We didn't neglect our Gray Area investigation.  Students role-played a reenactment of a meeting of the Gray Area Board of Supervisors where our suspect and owner of the water slide was consulted and shared results from chlorine tests conducted down the river from the water slide.  We also reflected on our last time together and compared a river to the report card of it's watershed.  Next week, students will take a closer look at the results, perform a bio-assessment of their own, and examine some secret documents that may provide further clues.

We also read the first chapters of Listening to Crickets, our novel study about environmentalist Rachel Carson.  We are learning from her example and identifying Habits of Mind that Rachel used to find success in her field.

Student Reflection:

So far Rachel has used persisting, gathering data through all senses, and thinking flexibly. She used persisting during the Great Depression when she always had a job.  She gathered data through all her senses by listening to nature, staying still, and listening to her mom. She thinked flexibly by writing different stories.  This is what I would say for character traits and habits.

WATER!

This week, from our Morphic Thinking all the way to our farewell our focus was on water.  Students read A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry and saw the effects of disrespecting water as a resource. They also saw that there is hope for restoration of polluted waterways and how they can play a part in the solution.  Research was done on watersheds and students got to participate in a simulation of pollution's downstream journey.

We also looked at different tests that can be conducted to evaluate water quality.  Some of these tests will help us identify our Gray Area culprit.  We learned about turbidity tests to check for clarity and sediments, (helpful in the investigation of the erosion caused by the clear-cutting logging company) phosphate and nitrate tests to see if fertilizers may be causing an abundance of algae growth, (helpful in the investigation of the cattle ranch and farm)  bio-assessment tests for macro-invertebrates, and pH tests.  We also were introduced to our novel study of Listening to Crickets, a story of conservationist Rachel Carson.

Watershed demonstration.

Compiling evidence on our Gray Area suspects.

Welcome to Gray Area

We are officially embarking on our journey as environmental detectives!  Today students did a review of systems and a teamwork challenge to prepare themselves for their upcoming experiences. Students were introduced to the Gray Area and the mysterious fish kill that has been taking place there over the last five years.  They met some of the key players (suspects?!?!) in the region, looked at maps of the area to identify factors that may be at play, and studied the history of the area as they compiled a time line of events and developments over the past 100 years.  Throughout this semester they will be acting as scientists, council members, reporters, and detectives as they conduct tests and research to uncover the reason behind the declining fish population.

Systems Review...

The Human Knot Teamwork Challenge...

Gray Area Timeline Mapping...