Urban Ecology Center Erin Jamieson Kathleen Hogan

Driving Questions To introduce this lesson we will talk about what makes Wisconsin environmentally unique among other states? Are there certain ways that we do to preserve our environment to make it a healthier place? These questions can be the starting point on a unit on the environment or about native Wisconsin features.

Objectives of this Field Trip The major objective of this field trip is to show the students a variety of resources that will help them when learning about environmental education. The Urban Ecology Center is located in the middle of a city--a place most people don’t think of as environmentally conscious--and after attending the fieldtrip the students will be able to see that it is possible to protect our environment. The students will learn more about the importance of recycling and protecting our environment the best that we can, and also about different aspects of wildlife native to Wisconsin. After the students attend the Urban Ecology Center field trip they will be able to learn multiple ways to better the environment, learn more about native Wisconsin animals and forests, see the importance of and multiple ways to recycle, and motivate students to take an active role in participating in environmental education.

Terms Native animals - animals that are unique to a certain habitat. Camouflague - the ability to conceal an animal or thing’s identity. In animals this may aid in survival because they have a chance to hide from their prey. Recycling - the process in which materials are collected and then made into new materials. The most popular items to recycle are paper, aluminum and plastic, but there are other materials that can be recycled as well. Green roof - a live, growing green space on top of a human- made structure which manages excess water run off by keeping it out of the sewers, insulating the garage, and reducing temperature. Rain Barrel - a rainwater harvesting system that is connected to a building’s downspout which reduce people’s water consumption and also save money.

Native Animals The students can learn more about animals that are Native to Wisconsin in the “Native Animal Room.” In this room there are a variety of different wildlife including snakes, turtles, and fish that are unique to the land and water of Wisconsin. All of the animals are in tanks, and are labeled with what kind of animal it is, and which forest it is located in in Wisconsin. One of the fun activities along with the native animals would be to allow students to slide down the stream side which shows the entrance from the Milwaukee river into Lake Michigan.

Camouflage One of the most interesting parts in the whole program was looking for the camouflaged wall that led into a hidden room at the Urban Ecology Center. This will clear up any student misconceptions that might think that only animals can use camouflage. The other interesting thing about this room is the murals of the same Wisconsin park at all different seasons throughout the year. The students can try and locate where the camouflaged animals are in the murals, and see different techniques that the variety of animals used to protect themselves. In all parts of the building the Urban Ecology Center is consistent with using recycled materials to make something completely new. In this room the blackboards were recycled slate chalkboards from a church in Whitefish bay, and the carpet was also recycled.

Recycle The students will learn that if we recycle there are many useful things that can be made. Some of these things are new blackboards, carpet, rubber floor (science lab), pink brick from a warehouse in Chicago, and the siding and roofing on the building. The Urban Ecology Center also is sure to conserve as much water as possible, even their toilets use rain water and the person in the bathroom can choose if they want to use a full tank of water, or 1/2 of a tank.

Green Roof The green roof is a garden of native Wisconsin plants that directs water to the pond through a water management system. Normally the green roof is basically an outdoor classroom, and in the winter it can be seen from the street, or from the tall observation tower.

Rain Barrel The Urban Ecology Center is very dedicated to conserving rainwater. They try to help Milwaukee’s sewer system in any way they can by limiting the amount of water that leaves their site. Some of the places students can see this is in the toilets, the rainwater recreation pond, paths made of Ecocrete, and driveways directing water toward plants. Another way that students can see the water conservation is through the use of rain barrels located around the building. They may not be able to have pathways made of Ecocrete, but they could certainly conserve water themselves by using a rain barrel.

Costs to Run This Trip Trips to the Urban Ecology Center are included in the school’s budget. Schools have an option of 24 different school days that the classroom can go on a fieldtrip. The Urban Ecology Center works very closely with the schools that use them in their budget, and offer over 50 different programs that can be implemented in the fieldtrip.

Date: Dear Parent/Guardian: As a part of the school science program, we will be going on a field trip to The Urban Ecology Center. This field trip will provide your child with the opportunity to experience the following: (learn more about Wisconsin’s native wildlife, and continue our unit on recycling and environmental education). An itinerary and a schedule of our proposed activities during the field trip is included for your information. Please review this material and contact the school if you have any questions about our plans. If your child has any special physical or medical problems (e.g., allergies), please bring this to our attention. Contact the school if you feel that these problems may interfere with your child's participation in this activity. We would like you to come along on this exciting learning experience. We encourage you to sign up as a volunteer. Thank you for your cooperation. _____________________ Teacher _____________________ Principal Consent Form I will be able to take part in this field trip as volunteer. Yes ______ No ______ Comments: ___________________________________________ I permit my child to take part in the field trip described above. I have notified the school of any physical or medical problems which might interfere with my child's participation in this activity. Date: Signature:

Importance to Students This fieldtrip will be important to the students’ learning processes because they will be able to see firsthand what they have been learning about in class. They will discover some of the information by themselves by taking an active role in reading some of the different blurbs and information on the walls. They will participate in the programs that the Urban Ecology has provided for the students. Basically this fieldtrip will be a learning tool that will emphasize some of the children’s background knowledge, while also building their schemas on environmental education.

Assessment Checklist Were the students well behaved? Were the students actively involved in the lesson? Did the students ask questions? Did the students answer questions? Were the students able to discuss what they have learned, and how it applies to what they have previously learned about this topic?

Trade Books and Resources Here Comes the Recycling Truck - Meyer Seltzer. The X-Ray Picture Book of Amazing Animals - Gerald Legg & David Salariya. g ty/

Cross-Curricular Connections This can be applied to more than science class. It can be used in math class if they are using figures to see how much % of paper is being thrown away that could be recycled etc. It can also be used in social studies to talk about the differences between different cultures views on recycling, or how dirty the environment used to be (cities in Europe). The students can also write letters to the mayor, or other public officials if they have any suggestions to make our environment a better place. Not to mention learning about recycling could be a lifestyle change for some of these students.

Misconceptions Before going on this fieldtrip students may think that the only things that can be recycled are paper, plastic and aluminum. At the center the students will see how all different types of materials can be used, recycled and reused to create new things. Another misconception might be that students weren’t aware of the fact that a lot of wildlife that we see everyday might only be native to Wisconsin, or nearby. The Urban Ecology Center focuses greatly on what occurs right around Milwaukee, and the students will be able to learn more about what occurs in this city and state. While we were traveling through the center we realized that although we have learned over and over again about recycling, we never realized just how beneficial it is. The Urban Ecology Center is a very interesting place made of many recycled and recyclable materials, and it shows that many useful things can be made just from recycling. By attending the center I learned more about recycling, so I think that the students will learn even more that what they were in science class by seeing and hearing about some of the recycling processes firsthard.