Potomac River & Chesapeake Bay Issue Investigation:
Hands on Science in Action
Environmental Science Summer Teacher Institute
2011 Dates TBA
Hard Bargain Farm offers annual professional development opportunities for teachers and environmental education practitioners. During institutes and workshops, teachers become “students,” actively exploring our curriculum and field studies by participating in hands-on activities, models, and conducting in depth field study investigations amid diverse habitats on the farm and in nearby Piscataway National Park. Teachers learn and practice activities designed to investigate issues at their school and to prepare their students for an outdoor experience.
WHO: 4th to 6th grade & elementary science teachers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Priority given to teams of two or more teachers from any given school
WHAT:
- A curriculum of wonderful lesson plans, based on MVSC indicators, that can be used to enhance your instruction of scientific inquiry and environmental studies;
- Nationally recognized issue investigation methods for guiding students in the scientific inquiry of authentic investigations;
- Hands-on participation in a series of authentic field investigations to identify and investigate environmental problems;
- MSDE credits upon completion of portfolio; small stipend
- Overnight lodging available (30 minutes from Washington, D.C. and 50 minutes from Baltimore).
WHERE: The Alice Ferguson Foundation, Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center
WHEN: 2011 Dates TBA
FLYER: Click to Download 2010 Flyer
REGISTRATION: Registration forms will be accepted on a rolling basis and applicants will be notified after about one week regarding their registration status.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
AFF Contact
Contact: Karen Jensen Miles
Phone: (301) 292-5665
Fax: (301) 292-1070
We recently received unsolicited emails from several participants. Here are a couple of excerpts from them.
"The Teacher Institute at Hard Bargain Farm is an amazing experience that I would recommend to any teacher! There were so many fantastic elements. As both a student and a teacher, I was very impressed with this environmental science educational program. My knowledge base increased through very relevant hands-on activities. Not only was I fully engaged in the lessons being taught, I left with an amazing binder full of resources, so my experiences and knowledge can be passed on to your students! The materials are very professional, following the 5 Es Lesson Plan and connecting to state standards. This institute gave me the tools to teach science in a more meaningful, engaging, and inquiry-based way. As the student, it was very cool to learn the content, and then actually go outdoors to apply it. I have always known that my students could benefit from learning outdoors; I just wasn’t sure what to do once I got out there. This Institute has shown me ways to accomplish this! In the future, I would like to facilitate my students in planning and planting a few butterfly and water gardens on the school property so they have natural environments to observe and learn from.
I would have to say that the activity that had the most impact on me, personally was the Trash Timeline and the reminder that Reduce and Reuse come before Recycle! To be aware of length of time that non-recyclable items sit in landfills and to see the enormous amount of trash that comes into a local recycling center has made me change my behaviors. I am much more conscious about reducing, reusing, and recycling, so much so that I am going to begin a “Recycling Challenge” program at my school. Students will collect plastic and aluminum items to be taken to Recycling Drop Off Sites by staff volunteers. We will also collect items that cannot be recycled, such as glue sticks and ink pens. These items are reused through the TerraCycle program and our school will earn money while doing our part to keep our Earth clean!"
-- Danielle Spisak, Cool Springs Elementary School, Prince George’s Public Schools"I wanted to thank you again for such an amazing week! I can't tell you how much it changed just simple ways that I now think about things." – Teacher, Capital City Public Charter School, Washington, D.C.
"I wanted to thank you and your staff once again for a wonderful experience on the farm. Before coming to Hard Bargain, nature and I was not the best of friends...however, upon leaving I have not missed one day enjoying her beauty (I've even been canoeing several times). So again, many thanks and hats off to your fantastic staff...I am so looking forward to next year!!" – Teacher, Rosaryville Elementary School, Prince George's County, MD