Science and technology in local challenges

“Because Your Children Live What They Learn…”

By:

Cynthia Domenghini, NGA Staff

Right Side Box:

Here are some meaningful plant selections to incorporate into your peace garden:

Rhododendron - in Russia, the blossoms signify peace, health, and purity

Mistletoe - in Scandinavia, associated with Frigga, the goddess of love

White pine tree - for the Native American Haudenosaunee, or Six Nations Peoples, the five needles joined together indicate unity

Peace Rose - a rose variety introduced in 1945 to commemorate the end of World War II

Sunflowers - a symbol of freedom from the threat of nuclear weapons during the 1990s. Sunflowers are warm and welcoming; grow in friendly crowds; and produce nutritious seeds for people and wildlife.

Cosmos - named after the Greek word for well-ordered universe; symbolizes peace and order

Education in the garden is a great way to teach kids to live responsibly and peacefully.This philosophy, from the creator of Playschool Child Care, Inc., Carol Acosta, is what continues to guide the program more than 25 years later.

Mountains as Biodiversity Hotspots - Appalachain Expedition Part 1

The Expedition Begins

The Appalachians. Photo: TMIAfter weeks of planning and preparation, your expedition is finally going to begin. First you land at Logan County airport in Ethel, West Virginia. After renting a car, you drive 20 miles to the town of Hetzel.

Hetzel, the closest town to Blair Mountain, is where you will spend a day making final preparations for your expedition.

The Right Spot for a Rain Garden

By:

NGA Staff

Overview

The first step in rain garden design is scouting an appropriate site. This activity challenges students to explore one aspect of this process: soil drainage assessment. (For full background information about the purpose of rain gardens and basic design principles, please read Rain Gardens to the Rescue.)

Buddy Plants, Beer, and Blenders

Submitted by sarahp on Fri, 05/21/2010 - 10:53

Testing Pest Control Wisdom

Ask gardeners about homegrown pest control and you'll get a slew of creative responses: beer-filled dishes to attract slugs, a spray of juiced bugs to deter insect relatives, marigolds planted to repel nematodes, and so on. Will these strategies work in your school garden? Which are most effective for which pests? What is the scientific explanation, if any, for the effectiveness of each approach? Might any techniques be harmful to plants or beneficial insects? Such questions are rife with possibilities for student inquiry.

Inquiry Flows

Submitted by sarahp on Wed, 04/21/2010 - 00:49

Creating a Classroom River

"Exploring life in the river near our school intrigued my third and fourth graders," reports Waits River, VT, teacher Cheryl Ollman. "But, of course, the time for working outside is limited by our climate. When I discovered that a local educational group was experimenting with an indoor river simulation, I volunteered to test it out in my classroom."

The Right Size for a Rain Garden

By:

NGA Staff

Overview

Students will use math skills to determine how large their rain garden must be to effectively manage stormwater runoff at a chosen location.

Materials

Measuring tape
Graph paper
Pencils
Calculators

Rain Gardens to the Rescue

Absorbing Stormwater Runoff...and Student Interest!

Also known as a bioretention system, a rain garden is a landscape feature planted in a shallow depression designed to capture stormwater runoff. Once collected, stormwater is slowly absorbed into and filtered by the soil. As a result, rain gardens decrease the amount of water and pollutants entering municipal drainage systems and natural waterways.

From the Garden to the Sea

Students Fight Pollution Where It Puddles

Before Photo: Site of the future LEGO Rain GardenThe 10 fifth grade students in the FIRST LEGO League Team at Greenbrier Intermediate School in Chesapeake, Virginia received the following challenge in the fall of 2005: "Choose an ocean or sea activity or resource and trace its impact on our oceans’ health, biodiversity, and productivity. Learn what the experts are doing in this area, and identify a challenge they are facing.

Homemade Hydroponics Systems

Submitted by admin on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 15:30

Question: Are there simple hydroponic systems that kids could fairly easily and inexpensively create themselves?

Answer: The beauty of hydroponics is that the basic systems work as well as more elaborate systems. Simple hydroponic designs can be modified once the kids figure out what's needed. Here are two simple systems to get things flowing.

Growing Good Citizens

Empowered students improve their world

We believe that children are able to observe their environment and assess its needs; children should be empowered to make the kinds of changes in their environment they see as necessary; by educating our children about environmental issues they will become concerned, active, environmentally conscious adults.