Chesapeake Classrooms

Course Syllabus Template

Course Title: Environmental Literacy in Carroll County Dates: July 28 August 1, 2014
Leader/Co-leader: Claire Jaeger & Carroll County Outdoor School Staff Course Sponsor: Carroll County
Outdoor School
Office Point of Contact: Tom Ackerman

Mentor Teacher: Carroll County Outdoor School Educators

Pre-reading (and how will it be used): Selected Chapters from Island Out of Time & Framework for Issues
Investigation
Orientation Session (date and format (in person, conference call, etc): Carroll County Outdoor School & CBF
will set up Orientation for teachers prior to course most likely in email format & phone calls to teachers

Day 1:
Start/End Time & Location: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Carroll County Outdoor School
Hashawha Environmental Center - Carroll County Outdoor School
300 John Owings Road, Westminster, Md. 21158
Please meet at Bear Branch Nature Center (on the grounds of the Hashawha Environmental Center, same
address) When you turn into Hashawha, you will pass a lake on your left and then you will see a sign that
says Bear Branch Nature Center on your right. Please turn right and head up the hill.

Driving/Essential Question:
How Does Land Use in Carroll County affect the health of local rivers & streams and the Chesapeake
Bay?

Context-Setting Activity:
o CBFs State of the Bay Report Card

Investigative Questions:
o What is a Watershed, what is our local watershed address, & how does that connect to the
Chesapeake Bay?
o What type of land use exists in Carroll County past, present, future?
o How does land use affect water quality?
o How can we assess the health of a stream?
o How can connect Environmental Literacy into our classroom curriculum & field based
investigations?

Evidence, Artifacts, Investigations:

o Watershed Content (investigated/demonstrated/taught):
Chesapeake Bay Watershed map activities; local map investigation
FieldScope & Google Earth to determine local land use and local watershed
Demonstrate pervious versus impervious surfaces & affect it has on polluted run-off

Stream study Biotic & Abiotic Indexes

o Field Based Pedagogy (modeled/debriefed/taught):

Demonstrate pervious versus impervious surfaces & affect it has on polluted run-off
Stream study Biotic & Abiotic Indexes
o Application (including connections to County Curriculum or education reform initiatives*):
Developing Driving Question & Investigation Questions
Natural & Social Systems Mapping Your Schoolyard, Schoolyard Report Card
Developing a list of local resources to support field investigations & student action
projects
Connecting activities to curriculum
Schedule for the Day:
9:00 Meet and greet CCPS teachers: Please bring your employee ID number with you so that you can
get paid!
9:15-11:30: Explore what a watershed is, experiment with pervious and impervious surfaces, look at
how the land has changed over time, and assess two streams that we have at Hashawha using both
biodindicators and physical features of the stream and land around it.
11:30-12:15 Lunch and bathroom break at Bear Branch (yes, there is indoor plumbing)
12:30-2:00 National Geographic Fieldscope crashcourse with Bryan Shumaker (STEM Coordinator) in
the Wetlands Classroom. We will be looking at the watersheds that we explored that morning and then
making predictions about another watershed we will visit that afternoon.
2:00-3:00 Travel to East Middle Schools Longwell run, one of Westminsters streams. We will assess
this stream with the same methodologies as the morning.
3:00-4:00 Debrief, curriculum connections discussion (please bring ideasyou know your curricula the
best!!) Then head on home!
Logistics Notes:
Please bring a lunch & reusable water bottle (water for refills provided)
Wear clothes that are weather & field appropriate and that can get wet and/or dirty
Bring a change of clothes for the end of the day if field clothes get wet/dirty
Bring a pair of closed-toe shoes that can get wet and/or dirty we will be doing a stream investigation
and walking on trails
Bring anything else you might need to be comfortable outside for a portion of the day: hat, sunglasses,
sunscreen, rain gear, bug protection (we recommend light-weight longsleeves & pants as the best
protection against bugs & sun)

Day 2:
Start/End Time & Location: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Chesapeake Bay Foundations Baltimore Harbor
Program.
Meet at Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
We have arranged for a bus to drive us from Bear Branch Nature Center to the Inner Harbor, to avoid
traffic, parking and just to try to carpool . The bus will be at BBNC at 7:30 with plans to leave at 8:00.

Driving/Essential Question:

How Does Land Use in Carroll County affect the health of local rivers & streams and the Chesapeake
Bay?

Context-Setting Activity:
o Bottom grab of sediments

Investigative Question:
o How is Carroll County connected to the Patapsco River?
o How do we assess the health of a river system?
o Why are oysters considered a keystone species?
o What are some of the economic drivers that both help & hinder improving water quality in the
Patapsco River?
Evidence, Artifacts, Investigations:
o Watershed Content (investigated/demonstrated/taught):
Local map activity charts, watershed, county maps, and Healthy Harbor map
Water quality data
Oyster dredge
Trawling
Observations about land use and other activities that take place in the Harbor

o Field Based Pedagogy (modeled/debriefed/taught):

Performing water quality tests and analyzing & interpreting results
History & Ecology of the Eastern Oyster
How to Read a Fish learning about the adaptations of fish
Observations of land use, historical pictures & articles about Baltimore waterfront &
industry
Bird Identification
o Application (including connections to County Curriculum or education reform initiatives*):
Journal time
Connecting field activities to curriculum
Logistics Notes: We will be Outside all day on the Baltimore Harbor Programs boat, Snow Goose
Please bring a lunch & reusable water bottle (snacks & water for refills provided)
Wear clothes that are weather & field appropriate and that can get wet and/or dirty
Wear closed-toe shoes while on the boat NO FLIP FLOPS, you will not be allowed on the boat
Bring anything else you might need to be comfortable outside all day: hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, rain
gear, change of clothes/shoes for the end of the day in case you get wet

Day 3:
Start Time & Location:
12:00 PM - Somers Cove Marina 715 Broadway, Crisfield, MD 21817- (410) 968-0925
Travel by boat to CBFs Smith Island Island Education Center- (410) 968-1902

Driving/Essential Question:

How Does Land Use in Carroll County affect the health of local rivers & streams and the Chesapeake
Bay?

Context-Setting Activity:
o Island Out of Time Readings

Investigative Questions:
o What is the history of Smith Island?
o What is a waterman & how do they make a living?
o How does water quality & other factors affect the health & abundance of Blue Crabs?
o What are the ecological & human connections between Menhaden & Blue Crabs?
o How can we use food as a teaching tool?

Evidence, Artifacts, Investigations:

o Watershed Content (investigated/demonstrated/taught):
Investigate local charts
Set crab pots
Water quality data
o Field Based Pedagogy (modeled/debriefed/taught):
Learn about the history of Smith Island from 1st person accounts from locals
Investigate local charts to learn about Island geography, where & why to set fishing gear
in certain areas
Learn how to bait crab pots & lessons on the ecological & human connections between
Menhaden & Blue Crabs
Water quality sampling to compare to results from river & stream results & to learn about
connections to Blue Crabs
Dinner prepared by a Local Smith Islander & how we can use local cuisine to teach about
ecology & history
o Application (including connections to County Curriculum or education reform initiatives*):
Journal time
Connecting field activities to classroom
Developing an Issue Investigation & Student Action Plan
Logistics Notes:
See the What to Bring/Pack list that was distributed in pre-trip information & on Day 1
Our kitchen from the Hashawha Environmental Center will be providing the other food for the rest of
the trip. Food will be as follows:
o Breakfast one day: eggs, bacon, bagels (oranges, bananas, apples will be available as well)
Second day: pancakes and sausage
o Lunch both days (please provide your own lunch on Wednesday)
Watermelon, cantelope, cold cuts (turkey, ham and provolone cheese), lettuce,
tomatoes, onion, pickles, mayo, mustard and hummus, chips cookies, tortilla chips
and salsa.
o The second dinner: Pork loin, red skinned potatoes. Salad, and brownies for dessert.

o Drinks: we will bring lemonade and iced tea mixplease bring reusable water bottles so
we reduce trash and recycling. Also, if you could please bring a hankerchief or cloth napkin
to use, that would be great! We will aslo bring coffee and tea as well
o IF you have a special diet that you follow, or food that you are allergic to, please let me
know and we will do what we can to accommodate. Also, if there is anything you would like
to bring either for yourself or to share, please feel free.

Day 4:
Start Time & Location:
CBFs Smith Island Island Education Center- (410) 968-1902

Driving/Essential Question:
How Does Land Use in Carroll County affect the health of local rivers & streams and the Chesapeake
Bay?

Context-Setting Activity:
o Investigate a crab scrape

Investigative Questions:
o What are the functions of SAV & why are they important?
o What are the functions of the marsh?
o What is Smith Island like today & what is its future?
o How can we use food as a teaching tool?

Evidence, Artifacts, Investigations:

o Watershed Content (investigated/demonstrated/taught):
Investigate Underwater grass beds & learn about functions
Species collection & Identification from pulling a scrape
Town Tour 1st person interviews of local Smith Islanders
Blue Crab Anatomy during crab feast
Fish Anatomy through art & fish printing
o Field Based Pedagogy (modeled/debriefed/taught):
Investigate Underwater grass beds & learn about functions
Species collection & Identification from pulling a scrape
Town Tour 1st person interviews of local Smith Islanders
Blue Crab Anatomy during crab feast
Fish Anatomy through art & fish printing
o Application (including connections to County Curriculum or education reform initiatives*):
Journal & Reflection Time Using Art as a reflection tool
Connections to curriculum
Continue connections & development of field based issue investigations & student action
plans

Logistics Notes:

Please note that the days activities will be determined by wind, weather, & tides activities will adjust
accordingly
Course leader & Island staff will tell you what you need to wear/bring each morning & before any new
activities
Feel free to bring money to purchase souvenirs & lunch during our Town Tour on Day 4 at Smith Island

Day 5:
Locations & End Time:
CBFs Smith Island Education Center & Depart from Somers Cove Marina by 3:30 PM

Driving/Essential Question:
How Does Land Use in Carroll County affect the health of local rivers & streams and the Chesapeake
Bay?

Investigative Questions:
o How do I incorporate field based issue investigations back at my school?
o How can I incorporate student action projects into my curriculum/school?
o What can I do as a citizen of the Bay watershed to protect & improve water quality?

Evidence, Artifacts, Investigations:

o Complete any field investigations that we did not get to in other days
o Review data & investigations from the week
o Continue work on developing issue investigation plans & student action projects

Application (including connections to County Curriculum or education reform initiatives*):

o Forming & Presenting Conclusions from the week
o Reflection

*Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science standards, STEM, etc.