OUR WATER HABITAT TEACHING/LEARNING EXPERIENCES

Our classroom water habitat website provides examples of the many learning experiences that take place within this Water Habitat unit. These pages include:

First Pond Page
This page provides an Introduction to the Water Habitat Project and links to examples of learning experiences with it including science, math, literacy, social studies, geography, visual arts, and service learning components. Link:: First Pond Page [Note: all links on this page will open new browser windows]

A Look At Photo Journals
This page describes the process of children creating photo journals using our school computer lab and our classroom computers. The process of creating photo journals is a critical component of developing literacy, communication, visual arts, and technology skills within the water habitat project. In this process the children are using digital images in word processing programs to generate the documentation of pond field trips. The published photo journals are used for reading lessons and assessment. The entire collection of photo journals beginning in 1993 are used as longitudinal data for science, math, social studies, geography, and service learning understandings. This webpage gives example to how the new tools of technology are continually unencumbering the process of children's learning and the process of their documenting and sharing what they are learning. Link: A Look At Photo Journals

Writing About Water Habitats
This page gives further information and example about how the Water Habitat Project experiences using technology are unencumbering and enhancing children's development of writing, reading and communication skills toward literacy/communication/technology standards. There are links to the two major components of our classroom writing curriculum, the Bird Print Writing Process and WRITE to Care. There are examples of individual first and second graders pond water habitat writing documents. The keyboarding skills embedded in these writing experiences are described here. Link: Writing About Water Habitats

Water Habitat Quilt
This page tells about the quilt patch artwork on local water habitats that was exchanged between our primary class and two other primary classes, one at Kimball Elementary in Seattle, Washington and one at Escuela de la Costa in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. It is one example of children using art as a means of collaborative communication. All three schools have been participants in the water habitat project through the International Education and resource Network (I*EARN). The water habitat collaboration with a Kimball Elementary primary class is documented in an article published in Green Teacher Link: Water Habitat Quilt

First Meeting With Mr. Alan Davis
This page documents the first meeting about changes in our local pond habitat that the class had with Mr. Alan Davis, supervisor and Director of the City of Pullman Parks. This meeting gives example of performances of understanding as the children planned and carried out the meeting with Mr. Davis. Their questions of inquiry about changes in the pond reflect their efforts to go beyond the information to explore ways to analyze and more deeply understand the dynamics of environments and the relationships of human impact on environments. Link: First Meeting With Mr. Alan Davis

Response to Pond Floods
In February, 1996, our region experienced sudden snowmelt and resulting floods. This page documents how the flooding in our city affected the children, impacted the pond water habitat, and generated action from the children amidst an environmental event caused by climatic changes. The documentation exemplifies the generative components of this water habitat unit where learning experience continually unfolds because the content and focus of the curricular unit is a real life, dynamically evolving environment. The lessons in this component of the water habitat unit give example to using the WRITE to Care framework as children used their literacy and telecommunication tools to comprehend and process their experiences. It is an example of primary children's Performances of Understanding as they wrote about and took action in response to what they learned and experienced from the floods. Link: Response to Pond Floods

Observation of the Great Blue Heron
The class observation of a Great Blue Heron at the pond habitat, launched them on learning experiences in studying ornithology from local to global contexts and learning more about species/habitat interactions including human impact on species in an environment. It was the observation of the Great Blue Heron that inspired the class to learn more about what characteristics of the pond habitat could be enhanced to continually attract this bird there. The class reviewed used this page as a resource to review the observations of the heron as they did their habitat restoration research with the City of Pullman and the Washington Fish and Wildlife. The children's Great Blue Heron artwork on this page gives example to the integration of Art Standards into the Water Habitat project. The e-mail collaboration document on this webpage gives example to how local to global telecommunications enhances learning towards achieving Science and Geography standards. Link: Observation of the Great Blue Heron

Presentation to City of Pullman
This webpage documents the May 1998 presentation that the students from our class made to the City of Pullman Parks and Recreation Committee requesting their support in restoring the pond water island and habitat. This action by the students exemplifies Performances of Understanding. Most importantly, the students Performances of Understanding were affirmed by local city leaders as making significant contributions to the local community. Their Performances of Understanding, both in preparing and making their presentation, exemplify learning experiences towards achieving Science, Geography, Art, Literacy, Math, Technology, Civics/Government, and Behavioral Studies Standards. Link: Presentation to City of Pullman

Pond Birds
The water habitat unit includes longitudinal observations and inquiry towards understandings about the birds at the pond. This component of the unit provides opportunity for children to develop understandings of the dynamic changes in species/habitat interactions including how human habitat management decisions influence those dynamics. These webpages document how the water habitat teaching and learning enhances children's opportunities to:

1. make science/geography data observations
2. analyze and make further inquiry from science/geography data
3. create written documents illustrated with digital images to develop literacy skills and to communicate understandings

Pond Trees and Shrubs
The water habitat unit includes longitudinal observations and inquiry towards understandings about the flora of the pond environment. This component of the unit provides opportunity for children to develop understandings of the dynamics of plant/habitat interactions, especially the habitat requirements for tree and shrub species and human management of those species. The children used this webpage as a resource when doing their habitat restoration research and action. These webpages document how the water habitat teaching and learning enhances children's opportunities to:

1. make science/geography data observations

2. analyze and make further inquiry from science/geography data

3. create written documents illustrated with digital images to develop literacy skills and to communicate understandings

This webpage gives examples of how the water habitat unit provides lessons towards meeting science, geography, literacy, and technology standards. Link: Pond Trees and Shrubs

Water Habitat I*EARN Conference Keynote Address
In July, 1998, one of the second graders from our class gave an opening keynote address o the Water Habitat Project to the International Education and Resource Network (I*EARN) International Teacher's Conference in Chattanooga Tennessee. This keynote address exemplifies Performances of Understanding. His address gives evidence of how Generative Topics are continually embedded and emerging within this unit. His address exemplifies meeting Understanding Goals and Throughlines. The documentation of learning experiences included in his keynote give evidence of the way that this unit successfully integrates and seamlessly weaves together learning experiences in Science, Literacy, Arts, Math, Civics and Government, Behavioral Studies, Geography, and Technology. Link: Water Habitat I*EARN Conference Keynote Address

Photo Journal August 1999
In August, 1999, the City of Pullman restored the island in the park pond. When school resumed at the end of August, the class took a field trip to the park to see the new island. Their appreciation and enthusiasm for the new changes in the pond had an extra component of ownership and pride of accomplishment. They realized that the efforts of their class and classes preceding them had resulted in:

1. restoring the island beyond what they imagined
2. in bringing back the mallard duck population
3. having clean pond water!

1. research/action to re-vegetate the island
2. ongoing monitoring/action to maintain clean pond water quality
3. research/action to attract herons and Canada Geese
4. research/action on the issue of pond fish populations
5. action to encourage ongoing community education and support for the pond water habitat

Second Meeting With Mr.Alan Davis and Mr. Fetter
After the first field trip to the pond in the 1999-00 school year, the class contacted Mr. Davis, Supervisor of the City of Pullman Parks and Mr. Larry fetter, Director of the City of Pullman Parks and Recreation Department for a meeting to talk about the new island and make plans for: 1) helping with plantings on the island and 2) maintaining the clean water. Mr. Fetter was the new Director of Parks and Recreation. He had learned about the history of our class water habitat project and was eager to collaborate with us. This webpage documents the conversations that took place when the class met with Mr. Davis and Mr. Fetter. The process of having this meeting exemplifies how Generative Topics evolve and emerge within the water habitat unit. The lessons in preparation for and within the meeting exemplify learning opportunities toward meeting Science research, Civics and Government, and Behavioral Standards. This component of the water habitat unit gives example of Performances of Understanding, as well as progress towards meeting Understanding Goals and Throughlines. Link: Second Meeting With Mr.Alan Davis and Mr. Fetter

Research on Plantings for New Island
As the suggestion of Mr. Davis and Mr. Fetter, the class used the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department as a resource for research on what plantings would:
1. protect the island from erosion
2. attract and protect ducks and Canada Geese on the island nesting site

Using an Internet search tool, the class learned about the Washington Fish and Wildlife Department. The class made phone contact with representatives of the department to initiate collaboration. They used a telephone speakerphone feature so the whole class could listen to the conversations. This webpage documents that collaboration and the class research findings. This component of the water habitat unit exemplifies progress toward Science research and Civics and Government standards. It exemplifies Performances of Understanding and progress toward meeting the water habitat unit Understanding Goals and Throughlines. Link: Research on Plantings for New Island

Planting Grass Seeds Photo Journal October 1999
This webpage documents a service learning action component of the water habitat project. With assistance from the City of Pullman Parks and Recreation Director, Park Supervisor and Staff, the children helped re-plant the island and shore area of the pond. Their participation in this action exemplifies progress toward Science and Civics and Government Standards. This hands-on lesson provides learning opportunities toward meeting the water habitat unit Understanding Goals and Throughlines. Link: Planting Grass Seeds Photo Journal October 1999

Studying Pond Macroinvertebrates
Within the same week that the class did grass seed plantings, they also had classroom and pond field site lessons on monitoring water quality through macroinvertebrate sampling. These guided lessons were provided through a Washington State University Environmental Education Center grant. This website documents the process and learning that took place in the macroinvertebrate lessons. This component of the water habitat unit exemplifies progress towards Science, Math, and Geography Standards. It documents Performances of Understanding and progress toward meeting Understanding Goals and Throughlines. Link: Studying Pond Macroinvertebrates

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