Making+Environmental+News!



In this program, 4th grade students will research and write news articles about environmental problems and solutions -- highlighting the ways green schools intiatives are part of the solution to global problems. They will also prepare a news show for delivery to other 4th grade students at Tamarac. This oral presentations will be on Wednesday, May 13. This is the 2015 schedule.

In the first session of the program, we introduced the EcoEd program, introduced the RPI students (and their majors), and shared the excitement of being able to choose an area (or two) of study when one goes to college. Each of the fourth graders sketched out their future on our "What's Your Flavor?" handout.

In the second session of this program, we will shared information (through [|this google slide show]) about an array of environmental problems, and an array of solutions (with some examples from green schools). Students were given a sheet to rate their interest in different topics, which we will late tallied. See the 2015 4th grade tally -- with topics and mentors assigned:

I'll deliver packets tomorrow, with material you have compiled on our list of topics and readings for 4th grade packets.

In the third session of this program, we will help students read their packets to address the five+ questions they will address in their journal articles: They will first read the material we have given them, underlining important passages and noting in the margins which question the passage addresses ("who," for example). They will then cut the passage out and glue into their article outline:
 * What is happening? Where?
 * When did the problem or solution start?
 * Why is this happening?
 * Who is causing this problem or providing a solution to a problem?
 * What do people think about this problem or solution?

I doubt we will get to the cutting stage tomorrow. Please make sure that the articles you have provided have the information needed to address the questions. If not, please add articles (or web page snapshots) -- add links to the articles on our list of topics and readings for 4th grade packets. Let me know if I need to print additional materials.

We don't go to Tamarac next week (May 11). We go again on Wednesday, March 18. At this point, we aren't scheduled to go again until May 13 -- when students will present their work as a news show. We need to think about how to get from here to there.