Spreadsheet: 0c4ae234-8db2-4617-a26b-5361ca22e3d3
Sheet: Lesson Plans

 | Lesson Plans - Curricular materials
 | Updated: March 14, 2012
 | GRADE | TEACHER (S) | PROGRAM | KEYWORD 1 | KEYWORD 2 | KEYWORD 3 | KEYWORD 4 | TITLE | SHORT [NAME]
 | ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL
 | 1st | Slyvia Alberta &                        Chantelle Orlen | FFEC | Meadow Habitat | Edge Habitat |  |  | Living on the Edge | Part of the grade level focus on meadow, which transitions into forest the following year. To bridge the gap, this unit is centered on edge habitat, studying what constitutes edge habitat to understand cycles, why cycles exist, habitats, and the importance of a forest edge as a habitat. After learning using their five senses, students will analyze a plot of edge habitat and share their findings with community partners.
 | 1st- 8th | [NAME] | FFEC | Trees |  |  |  | Why Are the Trees in the Forest Important to Me? | Three staged curriculum to first engage students, then provide them with facts and information, and then finally complete a service-learning project. Throughout the course of the project all students keep a nature journal. By participating in this unit students not only learn more about trees, but also develop a personal connection.
 | 1st | [NAME] | FFEC | Forests | Soils |  |  | A Forest Year: Soils Unit | Students make weekly visits to a local forest, which allows them to develop a strong attachment and respect for the land. In learning about the forest ecosystem, students also learn about problem solving and collaboration. A soils unit is done in the spring focusing on characteristics of rock and soil, how soil can affect plant growth, and erosion after students have extensive experience in the forest.
 | 2nd and 5th | [NAME] | FFEC | Forests | Soils | Geology | [NAME] | An Introduction to Our Local Townshed Forest Areas, Integrated with Early Settlement and a Sense of Place | Full year project done in conjunction with the fifth grade focusing on establishing a sense of place and belonging, the forest habitat, soils and geology, and Vermont history. In the journey through their Town Forest, students participated in classroom lessons, fieldwork, site visits, and an ongoing nature journal. A service-learning project was also included, which teachers hope to eventually lead to the development of a town forest or public access trails.
 | 3rd | [NAME] | FFEC | Soils | Insects | Forests |  | Soils, Insects, and Forests | Collection of three subunits, soil, insects, and forests, which is aimed at helping students develop a sense of awe and wonder for the forest around them. Through a series of different activities, students will learn about topics such as patterns within a forest, identification of insects, and the components and properties of soil. Finally, students present projects to the school community and school board addressing the patterns, pieces and processes of the forest and stewardship of the forest ecosystem, including future uses.
 | 6th | [NAME] | FFEC | Sense of Place | Brook | Forests |  | Forest Forays: and Processes of Barnard Brook Exploring the Pieces, Patterns | Students develop a deep sense of connection from a self-selected spot on a brook, which they visit throughout different seasons and times of day. By keeping a field journal, mapping their site, sketching the landscape, trapping and studying insects, and other activities, students learn the “pieces, patterns, and processes” of their selected place. Their personal journeys culminated in an overnight stay at their site and a SpeakChorus performed at their graduation.
 | 6th-8th | [NAME] | FFEC | Mathematics |  |  |  | Caring for Our Forests: A Legacy of Stewardship | Students learned the critical role that mathematics plays in forest management while meeting state standards for math in a variety of areas. Using data, tables, and charts supplied by the Vermont Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service, students learned how and why foresters count trees and the various uses of public land. The unit culminated with a circle sweep plot survey at MBRNHP.
 | 7th | [NAME] | Park Research | Local geography | History | Agriculture |  | [NAME], From Farm to Forest: Exploring Changes in Land Use in New England | Introduction to 7th grade world geography course by applying the five themes of geography on the local level. Historical and agricultural connections were made to develop a sense of place by studying the MacKenzie, King, and Billings Farms. Students discovered how Vermont’s hillside transformed from agricultural farm to forest through a series of historical events, changes in technology, and understanding of sustainable land use.
 | 7th | [NAME] | FFEC | Forests | Natural History | Stewardship |  | Caring for Our Forests: A Legacy of Stewardship | Curriculum designed for global studies/social studies and English, with creating a sense of place so that students are driven toward stewardship and acquiring observational skills to read the changes hat have taken place across the landscape. Students will gain these skills through tips in the field and nature journaling, which will hopefully push them to promote more sustainable forestry practices. Students completed an orienteering activity at the culmination of the unit to learn about possible recreational uses of the forest.
 | 7th | [NAME] | FFEC | Forest Soils |  |  |  | Why Is it Important to Understand the Relationship Between People and the Natural Community? | Part of the school’s Northern Forest Unit, which is used as a vehicle to teach the 7th grade Life Science curriculum. By studying the structure, makeup, inhabitants, and chemistry of soils, students are introduced to ecosystem interactions. Experiments with red worms and vermin-composting teach the scientific method, soils, habitats, food webs, and decomposition. The unit culminates with students creating posters that are displayed in local town offices focusing on topics relevant to the community.
 | 7th and 8th | [NAME] | FFEC | Natural Communities |  |  |  | What are the Pieces, Patterns, and Processes of a Natural Community? | By visiting various natural communities, students learn about the physical and ecological characteristics of these particular areas. Through trips to Mount Mansfield, Snake Mountain, Mississquoi National Wildlife Refuge Wetland, and the Winooski River students learn topics relating to function and cycles of plants, making and using a dichotomous key, writing a report, and the interdependence of natural systems.
 | Middle & High School | Melissa Fellows & Jen Stainton |  | Climate Change | Vermont | Measuring Impacts | Maple Syrup Industry | Climate Change in Vermont: Measuring Predicted Impacts | In the Emerging Science episode “Climate Change: A Northeast Primer,” students are introduced to present-day and potential future impacts of climate change on Vermont. Through these activities, students plan ways to measure climate change, explore climate change data, and use phenology to detect a species’ response to climate change.
 | HIGH SCHOOL
 |  | [NAME] |  | Agricultural History | Natural History |  |  | An exploration of the natural landscape and agricultural history of the King Farm.
 | 9th | Jen Stainton | Park Research | Mercury Monitoring |  |  |  | Building Stewardship Through Science- Mercury in Our Environment | By working with various partners, including Dartmouth College’s Toxic Metals Research Program, students determined mercury levels in macroinvertebrates taken from the [NAME] in MBRNHP. Students also learned how mercury moves through air, water, and through the food chain. By reading Marsh, learning about [NAME] and Rockefeller, students will cultivate a sense of stewardship and reflect on their own choices.
 | High School | Katerina Jimerson |  | Sculptures |  |  |  | Creating Sculptures from Natural Materials | This unit developed by art teacher [NAME] has students use place and sculpture to consider the question: How can I positively impact viewers and encourage them to notice what they might otherwise overlook?
 | 10th Grade | [NAME] |  | Poetry | Dialogue |  |  | Dickinson, [NAME] and You in Dialogue Across Time and Place | An American Literature unit developed by [NAME] that is rooted in time, place, and poetry.
 | 10th-12th | [NAME] | FFEC | Invasive Species |  |  |  | Invasive Invaders | By being directly involved with real issues and problems, students learn the skills and create a desire to be proactive with non-native invasive species. The teacher identified a local site with five invasive species, which became the study area for the class. Students predicted what the study area would look like twenty years following an invasive explosion and also completed a service project to remove the invasive species from the area.
 | 11th | [NAME] | Park Research | Nature | Art | Conservation |  | Nature, Art, and Conservation at MBRNHP | Through on site visits at MBRNHP, school based lessons, and independent research, students explored the relationship between development, nature, and art. Students read Man and Nature, explore the park, and study the Hudson River School paintings. By keeping journals, analyzing primary sources, and creating a final project relating an issue at MBRNHP to that at another park, students learn how nature inspired artists and the conservation movement.