Churchville Elementary School Second Grade LMC Classes

Goals and Objectives To provide hands-on interactive learning as well other differentiated instructional styles to reach a broader variety of student learning modes Students will have access to digital camera and storytelling software Students will actively engage in the physical preparation and planting of a garden Students will have access to a wide variety of video, websites, nonfiction, picture and reference materials To support second grade Standards of Learning science and language arts instruction while improving the understanding of the investigative process SOL 2.1 Science Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic SOL 2.4 Science Life Processes SOL 2.7 Science Earth Patterns, Cycles and Change SOL 29. Language Arts Student will demonstrate comprehension of information in reference materials. SOL 2.11 Language Arts Student will write stories and simple explanations To enhance the incorporation of technology into instruction and support the NETS*S (National Educational Technology Standards for Students) Students will produce digital stories NETS*S 2.aInteract, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employ a variety of digital environments and media To provide a collaborative learning experience between the elementary and high school. High school and elementary students will work collaboratively to plan and execute a garden To support the standards for high school level ecology studies Students will increase knowledge of and degree of biodiversity in a school setting Students will increase awareness of plant and animal interaction in an ecosystem Students will become acquainted with seasonal plant cycles

Ready to head outside for pictures of the hill and our future garden.

This is the back of our school looking toward the library media center.

THE HILL!!!

These are more pictures of the ugly hill.

Second grade photographers.

This is spring and the hill is still ugly.

Mrs. Harmon works on cutting locust saplings.

This is Coach Harmon spraying the weeds on the hill.

They put this plastic wire on the ground to try to keep the hill from eroding. It worked, but it is ugly.

These are books and videos about erosion and gardening. We were able to buy them with money from the VAE.

Thanks to the VAE!

A research project.

What is Investigation? Observation, questions, hypothesis, model, conclusion

Living Things Living Things ~ Plants by Tucker, Abby, Kelsi and Jared Living things grow, change, and react to the sun. The plant’s resources it needs are air, water and sun. Leaves make food from the sun to eat. Roots in soil get water from the ground. Flowers hold baby seedlings and when it dies or wilts it will use them to grow new plants.

Characteristic of Plants By Tara, Madison, Luke Keirsten and Emily Plants can reproduce. The soil is needed to help them grow. Plants need food which it can get from the leaves. Plants grow and die. Plants are like humans in what they need, but they can’t walk.

What is Soil? By Carlee, Serena, Cody and Levi Some people call soil dirt. Soil is earth. It is the top part of the earth. It is made up of things that once lived and things that never lived. Plants grow in earth. Soil can be moved by erosion.

Erosion and Weathering By Trent, Katelyn, Ashley, Sam and Josh Weathering is “the process that weakens rocks. Erosion is the “moving of rocks and soil.” Erosion can happen by water, ice or wind.

References Dirt on Dirt ( Paulette Bourgeois) Science as Inquiry for Children (Schlessinger Science Library) Characteristics of Plants (Schlessinger Science Library) How the Land Changes Cochran. Mountains, Erosion, and Weathering. From Discovery Education. Video Segment What is soil? Erosion Experiments with Soil 100% Educational Videos. "Erosion." Discovery Education: How the Land Changes What is soil?ErosionExperiments with Soil

Our letter we wrote to our parents. Dear Families, We are making a new garden on the hill outside the library. Our school received a grant from the Valley Alliance for Education to help us make the garden. They gave us money to buy books, videos and tools for our garden. Several nurseries are going to help us, too. Vulcan Materials is donating stone for our garden. Even Buffalo Gap students are going to help us! We are wondering if you can help us with the flowers. If you are digging up any perennials or bulbs such as daffodils, lilies, and iris and would like to share them with our garden, we would love to have them. Please package them any way you want and write us a note about what kind of flower it is. Don’t forget to write your name, too. Please send them in anytime until the Monday, May 4. Oh, yes, we will also be glad to plant any flower you would like to buy for us. Thanks so much for making our school more beautiful. Sincerely, Second Grade Students

Buffalo Gap High School students help us do the hard work!

Digging out for our garden.

Hauling dirt. We mean soil!

Digging is finished.

Our Vulcan Materials rocks arrived.

Our Garden!!

Many thanks! Valley Alliance for Education Vulcan Materials Churchville Families Coach Harmon and his Environmental Science Classes Jason Harvey Trucking and Commonwealth Excavating Lone Fountain Landscaping