Creating+an+Ecological+Project

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**Creating an Ecological Sanctuary in Middle School ** =**Project: ** = =**Launching an Ecosystem At Chestnut Ridge Middle School ** =

==** Aim: How can we have a long term environmental impact on our community? ** ==

The club will develop a project to protect the habitat of an endangered species in our area. The program emphasizes science while integrating other content areas and incorporates 21st century skills including the ability to identify problems connected with human activity, propose solutions based on research and evidence, and apply science in a local context to help solve both local and global concerns. While teachers enroll their class or classes in DPC, it is the students who initiate, develop and implement all parts of the project. Research indicates that this type of interactive, collaborative, student-centered learning environment provides a meaningful way to make science come alive for students. DPC addresses several of NSTA’s environmental education declarations that suggest that programs should: 1) foster observation, investigation, experimentation, discovery and innovation; 2) provide interdisciplinary, multicultural, and multi-perspective viewpoints to promote awareness and understanding of environmental issues, potential solutions and ways to prevent emerging environmental crises; 3) strive to present a balance of environmental, economic, and social perspectives; and 4) foster critical thinking, recognizing and avoiding bias.

==** Guiding Questions ** == ==** Subcomponents ** ==
 * What is the relationship between the goals, action plan and outcomes?
 * Are the project goals educational (e.g.,to inform others about an issue) or about environmental impact (e.g., to change the issues) or both?
 * How was this project important to students, the school and/or community?
 * Will we see the effects of this project in 5 years? What is (are) the enduring aspect(s) of this project?
 * How did students move from aw areness, to stewardship and possible long-term, responsible action?
 * <span style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Action Plan
 * <span style="font-size: 18px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Long-Term Benefit