| Nine NJ educators awarded funds to help teach students about the environment Nine New Jersey educators have extra money to help supplement lesson plans with hands-on learning, thanks to grants from PSEG. The energy company awarded nearly $20,000 this year to teachers who successfully linked their students' understanding of math, science, computer science, and technology with an enthusiasm and appreciation for the environment.
The PSEG Foundation has awarded Garden State educators more than $333,000 since starting the Environmental Education grant program 19 years ago.
“Our grantees come up with creative ideas each year, finding ways to get their students involved in activities that directly support what they’re learning in the classroom. “We’re proud to support their efforts to encourage students to think about the environment in new ways.”
Jo Ann Dow-Breslin, PSEG’s Manager of Community Affairs
Bergen County
Photo coming soon.
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Leslee Fisher and Deborah Kempin, Lyncrest Elementary School, Fair Lawn: $2,751 for “A ‘Ribbit’-ing Mystery”
Through collaborative efforts, third, fourth and fifth-grade students will investigate the “disappearance” of frogs from their local environmental center. They will look at the problem from different perspectives and create real life solutions to help the frogs.
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Taking on roles of zoologists, environmental chemists and ecologists, students will form teams and become “experts” in their fields. Third-graders will study zoology by setting up and investigating frog habitats. Fourth-graders will study the problems the frogs are facing globally. Fifth-graders will investigate how the physical properties of the ecological preserve may pose a problem for the frogs.
The teams will draw conclusions as to what they believed happened to the frogs in the preserve and begin to make recommendations on how to improve the center so the frogs can return.
Camden County
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Marques Stanard, Lawnside Public School, Lawnside: $2,754 for “Project Wind Power”
Eighth graders will take on the challenge of examining the advantages and disadvantages of wind power as an energy option. They will also explore other forms of renewable energy sources, such as wave, solar, geothermal and nuclear.
The students will conduct online research and collect current data regarding the productivity of wind farms worldwide.
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They will analyze and graph local wind data, and decide on the value of building a wind turbine at their school. A field trip to the Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm will allow for on-site scientific observation of how wind energy is produced.
Students will highlight their work and create awareness by generating a green energy page on the school’s Web site. Through blogging, they will share their results and progress. They will also produce a digital story of their project on DVD and present their findings to the local public.
Hudson County
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Eleni Verardi, Dr. Walter F. Robinson School, Bayonne: $3,430 for “The Global Community-Biodiversity is Everyone’s Responsibility.”
Fourth-grade students will learn that human activities and needs have a global impact and the decline in biodiversity is a worldwide problem across many different ecosystems. Through field trips and hands-on activities, children will describe and explain the basic needs of living things (plants and animals) and connect animals to their ecosystems. They also will describe how the animal is adapted to meet its basic needs in that ecosystem.
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Students will identify, investigate, research, and report on endangered species throughout the world. They also will create a list of possible causes of endangerment, devise a plan of action, and chart their progress. Based on their findings, they will make oral and Web-based presentations to the community. The project will teach the children to appreciate and act as caretakers of the environment and understand that human activities have a global impact.
Hudson County
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Rose Abeal, Washington Community School, Bayonne: $3,015 for “CSI-Washington School”
Using forensic science, eighth-grade students will gain an understanding of the forms of environmental pollution and develop solutions to them. Four “Whodunnit?” scenarios that relate to environmental pollution will take place at a local park. Each team will go to the cordoned off area of the “crime scene” and investigate the occurrence. With their deductive skills, students will solve the environmental “crimes,” which include groundwater, soil and stream contamination as well as littering.
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Equipped with gloves, goggles and aprons students will gather and classify evidence from the park and analyze it on the computer using the latest technology. They will pinpoint the spread of the pollution and perform a variety of water and soil tests. A videotape of their work will air on a local cable station affiliated with the school district. Students will present their findings at a school Science Expo.
Middlesex County
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Danita Guarino, Linwood Middle School, North Brunswick: $3,000 for “Environmental Effects of Fuel Alternatives”
Eighth graders will explore and compare alternative fuel sources by designing, creating and testing model cars powered by solar cells, hydrogen fuel cells and electric motors. Students will study how energy consumption impacts our environment. They also will consider the economic issues involved with choosing alternative fuels.
Students will keep logs, which will include drawings, detailed observations, and test results.
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They will test and compare their prototype cars, and present their findings to other classes, parents and the community.
As society looks to alternative fuels for transportation, this project will help motivate students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math, in addition to raising their consumer awareness.
Passaic County
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Michelle Lugerner (teacher) and Ellen Nash (school counselor), Macopin Middle School, West Milford: $2,820 for “Don’t Dispose IT! Decompose IT!”
Seventh graders will have an opportunity to investigate life science by making a working ecosystem. The students will construct several compost bins, using worms to assist in the decomposing of products. Students will study worm classification, and will compare and contrast common characteristics among various worm kingdoms.
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Students will research what types of materials are sufficient for a compost bin, using biodegradable materials from their lunches and their routines at home.
They will compare and contrast products that can and cannot be used for composting, and form a hypothesis about which medium will create the most nutrient-rich compost.
In the spring, students will plant flower and vegetable seeds, creating a set of gardens using different compost “recipes.” They will utilize their science and math skills to compare a control group to several variable groups. Ultimately, the project will reinforce the importance of recycling organic waste into compost, allowing us to return much-needed organic matter to the soil.
Union County
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Mark A. Ludwig, Leonard V. Moore Middle School, Roselle: $2,007 for “Trout in the Classroom”
Fourth and fifth-grade students will learn about our complex, delicate ecosystem by studying the habitat and life cycle of New Jersey’s native brook trout.
Using journals, the children will observe and document the growth and development of trout eggs delivered by the Pequest Fish Hatchery.
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They will learn about and study the living condition of these fish, how they fit into the food chain and the impact they have in their surroundings. They will also learn about water chemistry, and will strengthen their math and critical thinking skills.
At the end of the school year, students will release the fish into local fresh water with the support of Trout Unlimited. Ultimately, they will learn to appreciate their natural resources and understand the value of protecting the environment. |
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