Project Description: Second grade students learned about plants: their requirements
for life, their parts, and their life cycle. Once students gained this
understanding, they each planted sunflower seeds. The fifth grade
students used their math skills to determine how to evenly space the
plants in the garden. Students then determined how many cubic feet of
mulch were needed for the garden. Finally, students used budgeting
skills to create a plan for the purchase of garden supplies.
Fostering Lifelong Stewardship: Students took what they learned from their classroom instruction
and then applied it to a real life experience. They planted seeds and
were charged with watering their own seedling and observing its growth.
Partners: Grasman Greenhouse
Teachers: 1
Students: 40
Funder: GVSU College of Education
Project Description: BCCS would like to have a boardwalk on the property north of our
school to enable students to observe and interact with nature up-close
throughout the school year. In March, a school-wide presentation was
given about wetlands, watersheds, and their importance. Our own
wetland was highlighted, and the student body was introduced to our
wetland and the role students will play in building of the boardwalk.
On this property, there is both upland and wetland, which includes two
watersheds and a vernal pond. A few weeks later, we had a wetland
consultant delineate our wetland to the north of the school. Due to
the weather, the students were not allowed to accompany her. However,
she came into the classrooms and discussed the results of her wetland
evaluation with the students.
Fostering Lifelong Stewardship: The students will be keenly aware of wetlands, watersheds, and
their importance. They will also learn what they can do to preserve
and improve wetlands. Since students will be involved in the design of
the boardwalk, they will have ownership, which will augment their
stewardship behaviors and attitudes.
Partners: Lakeshore Environmental Inc., Friends of Buck Creek
This project is the first step in a multi year/multi grade level
outdoor learning curricular plan. The 6th and 7th grade students as
part of their science and math class will 1) identify invasive
species in the BCCS grassland and woodlands 2) study the impact
invasive species have on the native plant community 3) in 6th collect
baseline data for long-term monitoring on invasive species present in
the area in connection to their statistics unit in math. After the
data collection season is done, in terms of teaching the process of
science, it is important to do something with it –students need to
realize that scientists don’t just collect data, they
spend a lot of time analyzing it as well. Possible crossover to the
6th grade math unit include
Analyzing overall biodiversity indices for comparison year to year.
4) next will be to have the 7th grade safely remove invasive species
5) provide justification for the seeding of native grasses to the area
to mitigate effects of these invasive populations. 6) understand the
importance of maintaining accurate invasive species data to support
the restoration of a grassland area.
The project will be based off of the following Jenison High
School project
but replicated at a middle school level
