The entire student body and staff have been learning about sustainability and how our school can impact our environment. We have learned about how we can sort our food scraps, paper towels, and food trays into one bin, recyclables into another, and leave just a small amount of trash that will need to be landfilled. We have learned how those food scraps, towels, and food trays will be composted to create environmentally friendly compost that will be used to naturally fertilize plants. Our school will be getting some of our compost so that we can use it to fertilize the plants around our building, including our reading garden.
Students have had lessons through their science classes, through pod meetings, and were guided through the sorting process for the first two weeks by staff from Howard County Office of Sustainability. (February 24-March 6, 2015). Student Ambassadors then took over the job of monitoring the accuracy of sorting food scraps from recycling and trash. |
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The location of the garden will be outside the back doors of the media center. We chose this spot because it will collect water like a pond after and in between rains. In November of 2013, we met with Master Gardener, Bob Glascock to discuss and the basics on elements of a location for the garden. Mr. Glascock told us the key 6 things to the location of a garden are its slope, soil, water, size, light,
and scale/proportion. Also, Mr. Glascock gave us some preliminary goals including to test the soil (cooperative
extension), to choose a shape for the garden, to choose a measure size for the garden, and to determine the
hardscape.
and scale/proportion. Also, Mr. Glascock gave us some preliminary goals including to test the soil (cooperative
extension), to choose a shape for the garden, to choose a measure size for the garden, and to determine the
hardscape.
Soil Samples were sent out to the University of Delaware. The samples were returned and measured several things including flowering trees, shrubs, and flower beds. This has helped us in our planning of what we need to grow and what will grow best in the soil behind our school.
After the soil samples were returned we met with our master gardener again to formulate the next steps in our reading garden planning. We hope to break ground after spring break.
Field Trip to HCC
Howard County students joined together with Howard Community College students to help restore the habitat and a healthy ecosystem.
Curriculum & Instruction
6th Grade
Sixth grade students at Clarksville Middle attended Outdoor Education. Previously, students have traveled to Camp Ramblewood. This year students traveled to North Bay October 13-16, 2014. Students learned about the environment and the impact of humans on the environment. They also performed nature-related tasks such as fishing, canoeing, seining, hiking, and cleaning up beaches. Visiting forests and recording animal sightings were also part of the 6th graders' program. The sixth graders studied vultures and participated in a population study for vultures. In the process, students learned how to promote environmental friendliness, participate in cleaning up the Bay as well as understanding how to prevent erosion and to ensure they were doing their part. During Food 101, students actively sorted food waste, recyclables, and trash then measured the waste in an effort to reduce waste that had to be sent to the landfill. Students visited the compost bin to see the results of composting.
During 3rd quarter students identify possible solutions to problems associated with obtaining, using and distributing natural resources. Students also differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable resources. Additionally, students identified and described a range of local issues that have an impact on people: air pollution, water pollution, and trash. They then take this information and identify and describe ecosystems that can be impacted by human activities.
Sixth graders are also researching issues that directly affect our school - dripping faucets, amount of waste at lunch time, recycling at school, Waste Free Wednesday, lights and electrical use, televisions and electrical use, electricity used by iPods and telephones when charged and still plugged into an outlet and alternatives to the Styrofoam trays in our cafeteria. students go around and clean up the campus and separate recyclables.
Students in 6th grade participated in monthly “clean-ups” of our campus. Students toured the school and looked for ways to clean up trash and other debris.
Sixth grade students in their science classes realized that this year with all of the snow, there was way too much salt run-off. Students are in the middle of a large research investigation which focuses on how salt has impacted our local school community. Students in groups are working to research and examine the impact of salt and whether different salt solutions such as sand or beet juice are better for the local environment.
7th Grade
7th grade students at Clarksville began a huge program. Here at Clarksville we have a “Green School Team” that partnered with two other middle schools in Howard County along with Howard Community College. This partnership worked to apply for and receive the Governor’s “Stream Restoration” grant. This grant provided Howard Community College with over two hundred fifty thousand dollars for stream relief. Students at Clarksville in 7th grade and a few students from 6th and 8th have taken trips and are planning many more day long trips to HCC. Here students dug holes, replaced plants, planted trees and pull invasive species. Along the way students learned the process to why this is necessary. Students will continue to travel to HCC in an effort to improve their stream quality.
Seventh grade students traveled to the Chesapeake Bay. Students traveled to different locations and learned about the Bay and the watershed. Students participated in water quality tests and caught fish to determine the population in the Bay and it's growth. Students also went canoeing and on other types of boats to observe different sections of the Bay.
Students in seventh grade focus much of their class time on ecology. Students research the impact of humans on the environment and focus specifically on the health of the Bay. This ties in to the students field trip to the Chesapeake Bay.
8th Grade
Students in 8th grade along with students in other grades created an outdoor “reading garden.” Students researched what the requirements were for planting a garden with the wish of having students create a place to go outside and read during lunch. Students research plant types and how to create raised gardens. Students created over 120 square feet of garden space. Students prepared the ground and planted over 40 different type of native plants and bushes in an effort to clean up an unused space outside of our media center.
Students in 8th grade look closely at the physical sciences. During a unit on electricity students look at power generation (fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, water, etc.) Students and staff go over the benefits and problems associated with each and how they effect their families. Clean energy methods are researched, specifically in automobiles.
Eighth grade science classes study green energy as a part of the energy and electricity curriculum. Students also researched alternative energy sources.
Sixth grade students at Clarksville Middle attended Outdoor Education. Previously, students have traveled to Camp Ramblewood. This year students traveled to North Bay October 13-16, 2014. Students learned about the environment and the impact of humans on the environment. They also performed nature-related tasks such as fishing, canoeing, seining, hiking, and cleaning up beaches. Visiting forests and recording animal sightings were also part of the 6th graders' program. The sixth graders studied vultures and participated in a population study for vultures. In the process, students learned how to promote environmental friendliness, participate in cleaning up the Bay as well as understanding how to prevent erosion and to ensure they were doing their part. During Food 101, students actively sorted food waste, recyclables, and trash then measured the waste in an effort to reduce waste that had to be sent to the landfill. Students visited the compost bin to see the results of composting.
During 3rd quarter students identify possible solutions to problems associated with obtaining, using and distributing natural resources. Students also differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable resources. Additionally, students identified and described a range of local issues that have an impact on people: air pollution, water pollution, and trash. They then take this information and identify and describe ecosystems that can be impacted by human activities.
Sixth graders are also researching issues that directly affect our school - dripping faucets, amount of waste at lunch time, recycling at school, Waste Free Wednesday, lights and electrical use, televisions and electrical use, electricity used by iPods and telephones when charged and still plugged into an outlet and alternatives to the Styrofoam trays in our cafeteria. students go around and clean up the campus and separate recyclables.
Students in 6th grade participated in monthly “clean-ups” of our campus. Students toured the school and looked for ways to clean up trash and other debris.
Sixth grade students in their science classes realized that this year with all of the snow, there was way too much salt run-off. Students are in the middle of a large research investigation which focuses on how salt has impacted our local school community. Students in groups are working to research and examine the impact of salt and whether different salt solutions such as sand or beet juice are better for the local environment.
7th Grade
7th grade students at Clarksville began a huge program. Here at Clarksville we have a “Green School Team” that partnered with two other middle schools in Howard County along with Howard Community College. This partnership worked to apply for and receive the Governor’s “Stream Restoration” grant. This grant provided Howard Community College with over two hundred fifty thousand dollars for stream relief. Students at Clarksville in 7th grade and a few students from 6th and 8th have taken trips and are planning many more day long trips to HCC. Here students dug holes, replaced plants, planted trees and pull invasive species. Along the way students learned the process to why this is necessary. Students will continue to travel to HCC in an effort to improve their stream quality.
Seventh grade students traveled to the Chesapeake Bay. Students traveled to different locations and learned about the Bay and the watershed. Students participated in water quality tests and caught fish to determine the population in the Bay and it's growth. Students also went canoeing and on other types of boats to observe different sections of the Bay.
Students in seventh grade focus much of their class time on ecology. Students research the impact of humans on the environment and focus specifically on the health of the Bay. This ties in to the students field trip to the Chesapeake Bay.
8th Grade
Students in 8th grade along with students in other grades created an outdoor “reading garden.” Students researched what the requirements were for planting a garden with the wish of having students create a place to go outside and read during lunch. Students research plant types and how to create raised gardens. Students created over 120 square feet of garden space. Students prepared the ground and planted over 40 different type of native plants and bushes in an effort to clean up an unused space outside of our media center.
Students in 8th grade look closely at the physical sciences. During a unit on electricity students look at power generation (fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, water, etc.) Students and staff go over the benefits and problems associated with each and how they effect their families. Clean energy methods are researched, specifically in automobiles.
Eighth grade science classes study green energy as a part of the energy and electricity curriculum. Students also researched alternative energy sources.
green_school_2014_7th_grade_powerpoint.pptx | |
File Size: | 17545 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
Across All Grades
Students across all grades have worked to demonstrate their awareness of creating a healthy environment. Students at CMS have created films for the Howard County Environmental Film Festival. These films will be shown at the AFI theatre in Silver Spring come April 30th. These short films focus on different ways students can participate in helping the environment.