Implementing a Green Curriculum
Dan Grubb, Alderwood Elementary, Irvine
Bill Brooks, Eastshore Elementary, Irvine
Joseph Starks, Westchester High School
Kirsten Johnson, 93rd Street Elementary
Moderator: Duke Graham, Gaia
Alderwood Peace Garden Partnership with OneOC & Second Harvest Food Bank
150 lbs of produce for hungry families in Orange County
The Grow Wall
Four different types of squash. Planted and grown by 6th grade students.
Alderwood’s Green Team recycles paper, bottles and cans
It all starts with a need Do you see a problem?
Brita Hydration Station Be sure to get the one that chills the water!
Food Waste 7 Pounds per trash can on
average
Worm Bin to reduce food waste
Next Step Aquaponics
Paper Recycling
Lunch waste reduction
Green Waste Composting
Fall 2013 Fall 2014
Vermicomposting
Reducing Lunch Waste Dispensers replace individual packets
Napkin and Straw dispensers replace individually wrapped ones.
Stainless eating
utensils instead of disposable
sporks.
Students wash utensils and the
cafeteria sanitizes them.
Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling during Eastshore’s lunch. Cafeteria trays to picture frames! Eastshore students play first and then eat which helps us focus on reducing, reusing and recycling during our lunch period.
Teaching students to look at energy consumption differently – solar water heaters
The Problem: - How much hot
water does the average family need?
- How hot can you get the water with the solar oven?
- How would design a system to provide hot water?
Solar cell for pump
Future projects include wind power and solar cooking
Green education is right-brained learning that leads our students to thinking about real-
life problems
Resources Arbor Scientific Kid Wind
http://www.kidwind.org
Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets Green Construction Class
Teacher: Joseph Starks
3 Magnets: Environmental & Natural Science (ENS)
Other 2 Magnets: Aviation & Aerospace & Health and Sports Science
Industry Sector: Building and Construction Trades
Pathway: Residential and Commercial Construction
ENS theme - SUSTAINABILITY
What students are learning
Basic Construction Skills
Photovoltaic (solar)
Passive Solar
Wind Energy
Deconstruction
Weatherization
Geothermal Energy
Prefabricated Construction
Sequence of classes Const. Worker 1 Const. Worker 2 Const. Worker 3
Students are challenged to think critically, communicate
effectively, which will allow them to achieve academically.
WESM is also a Linked Learning school
Ensuring that students are ready to succeed in college and career
Linked Learning is an approach that is transforming education for California students by integrating rigorous academics with career-based learning and real world workplace experiences. Linked Learning ignites high school students’ passions by creating meaningful learning experiences through career-oriented pathways in fields such as construction, engineering, health care, performing arts, law, and more. When students love what they’re learning, they work harder, dream bigger, and learn more.
Focus 12TH 11TH 10TH 9TH
Achieve Academically
ENS graduates are college and career ready, familiar with the process of applying to and succeeding in higher education by taking personal responsibility to research post-secondary options and meet all application expectations.
ENS students demonstrate initiative and resourcefulness to expand one’s own learning beyond the expectations of the classroom (i.e. internships, volunteer work)
ENS students set goals, implement a plan and reflect on their current academic and post-secondary goals.
Identify short and long-term academic goals and with guidance understan what is needed to accomplish those goals.
Communicate Effectively
ENS graduates articulate and champion Environmental and Social resilience in the 21st century, using multiple mediums, appropriate for the message and audience.
Students integrate an appropriate voice and style in their verbal and non-verbal communication, which is characterized by a clear organization and articulation of ideas.. Students apply a thorough understanding of written and electronic communication, such as accurate spelling, grammar and format.
Students can interpret verbal and non-verbal communication, organize thoughts and clearly articulate directions or ideas. Students demonstrate an understanding of written and electronic communication, such as accurate spelling, grammar and format
Students can identify barriers to effective and appropriate communication. Students recognize elements of written and electronic communication such as accurate spelling grammar and format
Thinking Critically
Through the use of scientific inquiry, cost-benefit analysis and systems thinking, an ENS graduate analyzes the environmental challenges to social, political and economic structures while designing evidence based solutions to re-envision usage of finite resources
Students investigate environmental challenges to social, political and economic structures to formulate evidence based solutions to re-envision usage of resources.
Students identify patterns in environmental challenges to social, political and economic structures to predict potential impact.
Students identify environmental challenge while reporting on solutions to recognize usage of resources.
ENS Student Outcomes
Rigor & Relevance Framework
Old Blooms New Blooms
Evaluation Creating – Can the student create a new product or
improve upon one, support a point of view.
Synthesis Evaluating – Can the student justify a stand or
decision.
Analysis Analyzing – Can the student distinguish between the
different parts.
Application Applying – Can the student use the information in a
new way.
Comprehension Understanding – Can the student explain ideas or
concepts.
Knowledge Remembering – Can the student recall or remember
The information.
Aquaponics
Westchester Aquaponic Greenhouse 2013 Aspen Challenge Winner
Saturday school students put in work on the Aquaponic greenhouse.
Students prepping for
Green construction students using they’re newly acquired construction skills
to build the Aquaponic Greenhouse.
Students not afraid to get their hands dirty.
Westchester’s female students display their skills.
Student engagement & community involvement
Students taking ownership
Students are applying the same techniques and operating the same power tools used in today’s industry.
Students learn about urban farming
Class Projects Student designed and constructed solar house
What’s Next? NCCER certification for students in Renewable Energy (National Center for Construction Education and Research) Spirulina Microwfarm to grow and harvest spirulina. Work base learning opptunities for ENS students With the help of Industry partner Rafael Quesada of the Rootstock Foundation will bring urban farming to other campuses. Water Catchment system 5 kilowatt photovoltaic System for Greenhouse (Solar)
Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets
The future of scientific thought today
Sustainability Instruction, Opportunities and
Community Service Projects
CEFPI School of the Future Competition 2011-2014 Learning Garden – School Community 2012-
Present Field Trip: La Plaza 2014-15
Water Conservation Project – School to Home Fall 2014
School Wide Compost Creation Fall 2014 By Kirsten Johnson – 93rd Street Elementary
School
CEFPI Curriculum
•School of the Future Design Competition Curriculum Unit 1 – STEM & Visual Arts Connections to Green Schools •Unit 2 – Green Schools •Unit 3 – Designing the Floor Plan I •Unit 4 – Designing the Floor Plan II •Competition Guidelines •Critical Dates •Mentor Program •Mentor & Teacher Checklist
Curriculum, Instructions & Guidelines
Components of School of Future Competition
Power Point Presentation
Project Made from Recycled Materials
3 Page Paper detailing sustainable components of proposed Green School
Speakers Intro – Q and A Prep
Middle School Competition
Local-State-Regional-National
CEFPI 2011
CEFPI 2011 – Southwest Reg. Finalists
Additional Support for CEFPI Success
Visiting Architects
Visiting Architecture Students
Realtor Presentations
Visit to Knox El – Leed Cert. School
City College NY Materials
Holle Solar Lessons – Boats/Fountains
Planting/Tending of Learning Garden
CEFPI 2012
CEFPI 2012 – 2nd Place State Finalist
CEFPI 2012
CEFPI 2012 – Mayoral Visit
CEFPI 2012 – Mayoral Visit
CEFPI 2012
Realtor Report/LA Times Feb 2012
Students Focus on Tech, Green
School of the Future
Our Lady of Lourdes in Northridge was
selected recently to represent California in
a nationwide “School of the Future Design
Competition” sponsored by the National
Association of Realtors and the Council of
Educational Facilities Planners.
Five sixth graders from a class of 25 at
our Lady of Lourdes — top right photo, left
to right, Nicole Leitheiser, Vanessa Olguin,
Cheyanne Washington, Ellen Malham, and
their teacher Kevin Gallagher — convinced
a panel of 15 judges that their design was
worthy of moving on to regional and national
competitions.
The students consulted architects for tips
in designing a community oriented school
The Learning Garden 2012
CEFPI 2014
CEFPI 2014
Water Conservation:Garden
Reduce Reuse Recycle
Recycling Reuse in Classroom:
Bubbles
Field Trips: La Plaza
La Plaza: Corn Black Bean Salad
Field Trips: La Plaza
Salad Creation
Water Conservation: Planning
Water Testing: Quality Analysis
Water Analysis/Testing
Water Conservation Curriculum
Building a Water Meter
Water Conservation Personal Meter
Water Conservation Tracking and Accountability
Compost Creation 3 Bins – Leaves Only, Working Bin, Resting Bin
Grades 4th-6th Compost Commanders
3 Month Cycle
Just began two weeks ago
Compost – when complete – will support Learning Garden Growth
L A Register August 4th 2014 Two Los Angeles Unified School District teachers are among six state finalists for the prestigious 2014 Presidential Awards for
Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.
Erica Rood, a third-grade teacher at CHIME Charter School in Woodland Hills, and Kirsten Johnson, a fifth-grade teacher at Ninety-Third Street Elementary School in South Los Angeles, teach science from an outside-the-book approach, relying on interactive approaches to get kids interested in and ultimately learning about science.
For Johnson, science education is about having an experience.
“I like them to be participants, to have that hands-on opportunity,” Johnson said. “It promotes that critical thinking, ‘I’ve got to build something, got to do something.’ Those are the classes I remember and that’s what I try to do for the kids.”
Johnson has taught for 21 years at Ninety-Third Street Elementary and is the science lead teacher. One of her proudest accomplishments is being part of a concentrated four-year stretch in standards testing improvement, she said.
The school’s overall pass rate of the California Standards Tests began at 18 percent, but with intensive attention to in-class teaching methodology, the rates jumped to 49 percent.
“My favorite method, I think, is getting the kids involved. A lot of the time, when the kids come to me, I find they’re getting a lot of the same (in many classes): the same worksheet, the same books,” Johnson said. “I find the best way for kids to do it is to be a participant.”
For Rood, science is an interactive collaboration that often uses art and music.
Rood has taught at the CHIME Institute in Woodland Hills for six years, in a classroom of students who have special education needs, have standard development or are gifted, all in the same space.
“That’s pretty indicative of my method,” Rood said. “My teaching philosophy has to reflect that. All kids are capable of learning and all kids should be able to learn science. We use lots of art and music and things in our everyday classroom.”
Rood has collaborated on a classroom partnership with NASA through her master’s education program, which allows her to expand the kinds of resources and tools her students interact with – such as actual moon rocks. Rood draws on her arts perspective to show
Contact Information Kirsten Johnson
93rd Street Elementary School
330 East 93rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90003
323-754-2869 Room 51