Summer Professional Development Institute
MEC Camp Discovery-June 24–27, 2024
9:30 – 1:00
Calling All Grade 3-5 Teachers!
- Teachers learn content and pedagogical approaches to deepen student interest and understanding of STEM content and process.
- Work on grade specific activity modules for their classrooms.
- Teacher will have an opportunity to work with educators delivering activities to students in summer STEM enrichment programs at the Meadowlands Environment Center.
Preparing teachers in this project aligned with the NJSLS standards in STEM areas will result in an interdisciplinary real world approach to the issues required to solve the environmental problems we are facing.
The Meadowlands Environment Center (MEC) is a Community Based Organization providing environmental education opportunities to schoolchildren in Grades K-12. Our programs encourage the use of the environment as a classroom, and help communities recognize critical environmental issues affecting communities such as health, energy use and global climate change. Through inquiry learning and cross-curricular activities we offer hands on educational programs for grades K-12. We provide “life-long” learning programs for young children, families, adults, older adults, and members of the community living with disabilities. Programs include instruction during the day and community engagement through family science nights and scout programs. Students are enrolled in public, private, charter, and homeschool programs. These children are: general education students; special education students from inclusion and self-contained programs; Title 1, low-income, high-risk students; English Language Learners; on the Autism Spectrum; Gifted students including those twice exceptional.
Teachers selected will meet virtually before the Camp begins for orientation.
Camp Schedule
Breakfast 9:00
Monday June 24
9:30 – 11:00- Introduction, learning outcomes, pedagogy, cross curriculum implementation.
11:15 – 1:00 -Life science – Food Webs
Food chain paper chain
- What are the components of a typical salt marsh food chain? What role do plants and animals play in the food chain?
A Tangled Web
- What are some of the human impacts that affect plant and animal populations? What happens when an organism is removed from a food web?
Build-a-plankton
- What are plankton? What physical properties influence an object’s/organism’s buoyancy? What adaptations do plankton have that influence their buoyancy?
Fish stamp ID guide
- What physical characteristics do most fish share? What are some differences among fish species?
Paper fish models
- How many fins does a fish have? Which fins are paired and which are single? What are the names of the different fins?
Gyotaku
- What is Gyotaku and what is its origin? How do you do Gyotaku?
Tuesday June 25
9:30 – 1:00-Life Science
2nd Chance Trash/paper planters
- What is trash? Why is it a good idea to reduce the amount of trash we discard?
Decomposer investigation
- What is a decomposer? What natural components need to be present in order for (organic) trash to decompose? How can we manage a compost pile in order to accelerate the process of decomposition? What are some common examples of decomposers found in temperature regions like NJ?
Feathers and Flight
- What are the different types of feathers? What function do different feathers serve for birds? What is the structure of a flight feather and how does its design help it function?
Raptorology
- What is a raptor? What adaptations do raptors have that distinguish them from other birds?
Birds and Worms
- What is camouflage? How does camouflage aid predators and prey in survival? What types of camouflage exist?
Animalympics – Learners compete in kinesthetic activities replicating animal behaviors (humming bird, lizard, grey squirrel, cricket, and marlin).
Wednesday June 26
9:30 – 1:00- Energy and Sustainability
Sink or Float
- What is buoyancy? What factors affect whether an object is or is not buoyant?
Garden in a Bottle
- Can plants grow without soil? What is hydroponics and how will it affect food production worldwide?
Mapping Resources Sources
- Where in the world does ALL OUR STUFF come from?
Wind and Water – Building for the Elements
- How can wind and water change the land and impact human structures? How can we build to resist the effects of weathering?
Soil percolation
- What is soil made of? How does the distribution of soil “ingredients” differ from one soil type to another?
Making an Impact (Crater)
- What is a crater? Do falling objects accelerate as they fall? How do different falling objects result in different craters? Can you make generalizations between an object’s diameter, mass and relative speed vs. force?
Thursday June 27
9:30 – 12:30-Human Impact – Climate change and Global Warming
A Day at the Beach
- What is solar energy? How can being exposed to a great deal of solar energy affect us? How can we protect ourselves from too much solar energy? Can too much solar energy effect Earth?
Climate vs. Weather
- What is the difference between weather and climate? What is causing climate change? What can we do to help stop climate change and save Earth?
Feel the Heat – the Greenhouse effect
- What is the greenhouse effect? How is it affecting global temperatures?
Sea Level Rise – Glaciers and Icebergs
- What is sea level rise? How do glaciers and ice bergs differ in contributing to sea level rise?
12:30 – 1:00-Evaluation and the future.