Schoolyard Report Card Anne Fichter ext. 109

What is it and why should I use it? The Schoolyard report card is a resource from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation that is used to evaluate how “Green” your school is. Fits in to the green school application under education of environmental issues and it also helps identify which BMPs (best management practices) your school needs to work on

What will I need? Image or Map of your school yard I recommend Google Maps because It’s quick, easy, and everyone has access to it Copies of the schoolyard report card for students Clipboards optional (will make it easier to record observations when outside) Calculators optional (will help calculate scores for younger students)

What does it evaluate? Identify runoff/erosion issues around your school Evaluate transportation methods to and from your school Evaluate the quality of vegetation around your school Discover biodiversity by evaluating the vegetation and habitat around your school Appraise the level of environmental awareness at your school

What does it all mean? Each category is totaled to give you a numerical picture of how green your school is This is a great jumping off point to target key areas of concern Provides suggestions to improve your score for each area Great to help you plan which projects you may want to do at your school

Project ideas for low scores Runoff Plant a rain garden Install a rain garden Transportation Install bike racks Letter writing to county for bike lanes Vegetation Plant a wildlife garden Start a micro-nursery for tree plantings Biodiversity Plant native species Restore habitat Awareness Read about or study the bay Go on a bay fieldtrip

How is it relevant to what I’m doing? The report card helps students link what happens locally at their school to what happens in the Chesapeake Bay For example: excess runoff at your school can have an effect on water clarity, nitrogen/phosphorus levels, dissolved oxygen levels, underwater grasses, and the oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay

How can I use this in the classroom? There are many ways to adapt this activity to use in your school or classroom. Here are a few ideas…. Have each class complete the entire report card Have GT students or the Environmental club complete the report card Have each class or grade level focus on one section of the report card and then compile results as a grade/school Have students split into groups and only focus on one section of the report card and then compile results

Then what? Once the initial evaluation is done… It can be done again in the middle of your green school process to assess your progress and identify areas still of concern It can be done a third time at the end of your projects to see how much your school has improved

Need help? If you would like help planning how or when to do this activity at your school, I am here to help! Anne Fichter ext. 109