We welcome mentors who are passionate about helping students conduct authentic science work, tackling real issues in the areas of improving wildlife habitat, dealing with invasive species, erosion control, prairie dog management, watershed research and management, and many other issues that were severely affected by the Colorado flooding in September of 2013.
Description:
The student and mentor will work together under the teacher's supervision to maintain and improve the natural resources through a conservation project which focuses on the Colorado flood area. Photo, video, GIS and other methods will be used to gather and collect information for the project and stakeholders. Students will 1. Identify and make contact with other stake holders, experts, and interested parties. 2.Understand questions stake holders have and incorporate those questions into the project solutions. 3. Look at successful restoration, conservation, and management projects in Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain region. 4. Research and implement learning on native plants, native animals, water quality and conservation, and habitat conservation and improvement. 5. Research and compile our information and useful results on an easy to share and access website with interested parties and stakeholders. 6. Website development and related technologies to compile, edit, and share information.
Benchmarks:
Colorado State Standard 2. Life Science Benchmark 1: Changes in environment conditions can affect the survival of individual organisms, populations, and entire species. Benchmark 2: Organisms interact with each other and their environment in various ways that create a flow of energy and cycling of matter in an ecosystem. Colorado State Standard 3: Earth Science Benchmark 1: Complex interrelationships exist between Earth's structure and natural processes that over time are both constructive and destructive Benchmark 2: Water on Earth is distributed and circulated through oceans glaciers, rivers, ground water, and the atmosphere Human activities can deliberately or inadvertently alter ecosystems and their resiliency (2.1)
Duration:
28
Grade Level:
8
Content Area:
Science
Student Outcomes:
Student will maintain a digital notebook with all their gathered information. All students will be involved with the conservation easement maintenance and improvement in some form. Students will understand the importance of protecting/restoring wild habitats and why they are needed. Students will also develop and maintain a website to keep community members, stake holders, and other interested parties informed of the conditions and progress in the restoration and maintenance of wildlife habitat.
Evaluation of
Student Outcomes:
Students will write a final letter to the mentor which will include a self- evaluation of the project, including what the student did well, what he would like to have done to improve upon the project, and what the mentor contributed to the project.
Teacher Role:
Teacher's Role: Teacher will aid student in identifying research areas of interest. Teacher will create guidelines for students to follow during the wetlands project. Teacher will evaluate student products.
Mentor Role:
Mentor's Role: Mentor will aid students in mastering and applying scientific inquiry during the course of developing a project for the conservation easement restoration, improvement, and maintenance.
