Project 2: Corduroy Brook Ambassadors

  General Information

  Project Overview

A partnership between Grand Falls Academy Primary School, Corduroy Brook Enhancement Association and Town of Grand Falls-Windsor has been established to help students appreciate and preserve the Corduroy Brook Nature Trail. Corduroy Brook is a small stream flowing from the Corduroy Pond to the Exploits River. The brook, once resplendent in natural beauty and abundant in trout, salmon and a variety of planets and other wildlife forms, has been degraded by residential and commercial development. Students of Grand Falls Academy Primary have "adopted" a section of the Corduroy Brook Nature Trail and will be undertaking its care on an ongoing basis. Results of water-tests, general litter cleanups, pollution watches, observation of ecosystem within the brooks will be undertaken by grade two students.

  Curriculum Connections

The goals of the science, social studies, language and mathematics programs lend themselves well to this project. Students will experience science learning through the study of the ecology around the brook, learn responsible citizenship towards the environmental (social studies), write their findings (language) and keep a mathematical record (e.g. chart/graph) of reoccurring phenomena.

• to help students enhance and appreciate the natural beauty of the brook's surroundings
• to develop a sense of personal responsibility and empowerment in relation to the environment and environmental problems within their local community
• to prevent deterioration of the brook and its environment
• to educate other students about the brook, the life forms it supports and its ecological significance

Intended Participants:

• local school with encouragement for others to join

Intended Learning Outcomes:

• adoption of a section of a local brook - January 1997
• monitoring the brook for evidence of environmental damage, specifically water pollution, litter, and general health of the ecosystem - monthly, creation of a home page for reporting on the state of Corduroy Brook
• experiment with technology to assist the writing process (e.g., word processing, the Internet, pencil and paper, CD-ROM)
• collect and organize data

Activities:

Students will:

• collect water samples for testing acid content
• clean up the brook and walking trail
• observe and learn about the plant ecology which surrounds the brook
• partner with Fisheries and Oceans to do stream surveys on Fish Population
• develop web pages about their project
• create habitats
• compile a species list...fish, birds, etc.
• winter bird watch
• tracks...fox, rabbit, etc.

  Resource Connections

Currently we have one computer with access to STEM~Net for teachers. There is no Internet connection for students. Without being able to access the Internet students cannot participate directly in this activity. Sharing their observations and following the observations of another school will enhance the learning that will take place from involvement in the project.

Technology Education:

• use communications technologies to build new knowledge from existing information
• use communications tools to access, evaluate and select appropriate information, and to create, modify and disseminate information

Science:

• understand that plants have certain characteristics and needs
• understand that animals depend on their environments
• understand that science is a way of learning about the world around us and is based on observations using the senses and tools to help extend the senses

Social Studies:

• to develop an awareness of personal connections with key global issues and an understanding of their interdependence

  Evaluation

The success of the project will be seen in the number of classes that these classes network with and motivate to join the project.

The amount of information gathered by the students around the brook environment and the seriousness with which they view their findings.

Their commitment to the responsibility they have undertaken by adopting the brook.