Building Capacity for Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences

Abstract

As a signatory of the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement, the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA, pledged to help provide a meaningful, watershed-focused outdoor experience (MWEE) for every student prior to their graduation from high school . While the benefits of such hands-on , inquiry-based field experiences are well-documented, effective programs are not always easy for classroom teachers to implement. Common obstacles include lack of funding, transportation issues, and teacher confidence. Starting in 2010, the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Marine Advisory Program (VIMS MAP) partnered to provide professional development workshops with the goal of increasing educators’ knowledge of local flora and fauna, wetland ecology , scientific instruments, and field safety measures. Drawing from program experiences and a needs assessment of area teachers , this chapter illustrates challenges that educators face in conducting MWEEs and presents a tested approach for building capacity in watershed programming. The chapter concludes with recommendations for systemic approaches to MWEE training that has emerged from CBNERR and VIMS MAP initiatives.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Example Evaluation Instrument

Appendix 2: Example Implementation Plan

Climate Education Planning Outline

(Steve Marshall, Kings Fork High School , Suffolk, VA)

• A. Preparation/Classroom Integration

  • 1. Audience /grade level: Earth Science (9th grade) or Oceanography (11th–12th grade).

  • 2. Theme and objective(s): Determine effects of sea-level rise (both periodic (tides) and long-term due to climate change ).

  • 3. SOLs to address:

    • ES.10 The student will investigate and understand that oceans are complex, interactive physical, chemical, and biological systems and are subject to long- and short-term variations. Key concepts include

      • (a) physical and chemical changes related to tides, waves, currents, sea-level and ice cap variations, upwelling, and salinity variations;

      • (b) importance of environmental and geologic implications;

      • (c) systems interactions;

      • (d) economic and public policy issues concerning the oceans and the coastal zone including the Chesapeake Bay.

    • ES.11 The student will investigate and understand the origin and evolution of the atmosphere and the interrelationship of geologic processes, biologic processes, and human activities on its composition and dynamics. Key concepts include

      • (e) potential changes to the atmosphere and climate due to human, biologic, and geologic activity.

        • Science and other skills to address: data observation, collection, recording, summarizing, and analyzing as discussed below.

  • 4. Teacher’s Prep

    • (a) Background needed on the topic, question, problem, issue. Potential sources of information. Review causes of sea-level rise, human impacts. Use various NOAA an NERRS sources received at Climate Education workshop

    • (b) Background needed on appropriate methods, experimental procedures, equipment.

      Become familiar with Mock Marsh Transect activity, beach profiling, sieving, and grain size analysis

  • 5. Students’ prep—activities/assignments to

    • (a) Deliver content/background required and pique student interest

      Use fact sheets and other introductory material on sea-level rise obtained from Climate Education Workshop. Use applicable sea-level rise Web sites to show effects of sea-level rise on local areas, or use local storm surge maps.

      Conduct Mock Marsh Transect activity to help students visualize magnitude/effects of various sea-level changes.

      To make sea-level change relevant to the students, conduct the Stakeholder role-playing game as described in the Climate Education workshop binder.

  • 6. Scheduling: time of year, date, time: Introductory lessons can be taught near the beginning of the year. If possible, two field experiences will be conducted, one in the fall and another in the spring to compare any differences in beach profile, vegetation, grain size, etc. Additionally, each trip should schedule during a time when hopefully a time close to high tide and close to low tide can be observed to make any comparisons and highlight the effects of even periodic, short-term changes in sea-level

• B. Field Studies/Stewardship Project

  • 1. Permissions (Administration, field site, permits, parents): Field trip application/approval, site accessibility, sufficient number of chaperones.

  • 2. Logistics (Transportation to field site, adults, guest speakers, safety): Secure bus transportation and sufficient number of adult chaperones. Water safety instructions.

  • 3. Equipment, materials, supplies: Transect/profiling materials: measuring tape, transect poles (or higher tech surveying equipment), sample bags, grain size charts, vegetation identification pictures/charts

  • 4. Funding: If needed, consider possible sources such as Suffolk Education Foundation grant or other grant sources, student fee, etc.

  • 5. Data collection ( data sheet): Beach profile data sheet, sediment sampling site chart and sediment observations, vegetation identification chart

  • 6. Student/team activities: Assign teams for beach profile, sediment collection/observation, vegetation observation, and comparative observations between high and low tides

• C. Reflection, assessment, outcomes

  • 1. Results:

    • (a) Organization of data : tables, graphs (kinds), charts, maps: beach profile data table and graph. Sediment grain size frequency graph for each sampling location (beach face, berm, back shore, and lagoon (sound)).

    • (b) Analysis: appropriate to kind of investigation and data , level of math needed. Explain shape of beach profile. If two trips were possible, compare profiles and provide explanation for any differences. Analyze grain size data for similarities and differences and explain any patterns or reasons for a particular result being in a particular sampling location. See if students can predict where the sediment was taken based on comparing the frequency diagrams.

  • 2. Conclusions and discussions: Summarize effects of sea-level change (tides) or wave energy on a beach profile or sediment size. Discuss any variation in types or abundance of vegetation and why they exist. Have students predict what changes may be expected if sea-level rises.

  • 3. Student reporting: what kind(s) of report(s)

    • (a) Individual involvement and responsibilities: All students will be responsible for completing activities assigned prior to, or after, the field experience. For the field experience, individuals should have some role in data collection, observation, analysis, and conclusions.

    • (b) Team involvement and responsibilities: The beach profile team will be responsible for creating a data chart of elevation changes and constructing a beach profile. Sediment team shale be responsible for sieving and creating grain size distribution charts and graphs for each sampling location. Vegetation team shall report on species diversity. Other observations team will report on their observations and the possible effects of sea-level change on those observations.

  • 4. Assessment and outcomes

    • (a) Demonstration of knowledge : Pre-assessments and post-assessments will be given

    • (b) Demonstration of skills: The teacher will make observations of students’ performance in all activities, especially the field experience, and determine a rating or grade for student demonstration of skills. Students will be expected to demonstrate skills required for the completion of the responsibilities for their respective teams .

    • (c) Products or project: Summary report for results of stakeholder role-playing game. Beach profiles. Grain size frequency distribution graphs. Conclusions and communication of findings and predictions as related to sea-level change.

    • (d) Changes in attitude or behavior: Observations of students will hopefully reveal a more engaged student, and students will be expected to have an increased awareness of the relevancy of the content being studied and an increased concern for the effects of sea-level rise.

  • 5. Follow-up or future plans: Reflect on success of plan. If two trips are not possible in one year, conduct a trip the next year for the time the trip was not taken in the first year so comparative data can still be obtained and eventually analyzed.