inactive
Seventh-graders learn by getting out of the classroom
By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer
Cooperstown seventh-graders
have been working hard in the classroom
accumulating background
knowledge about how food choices
have an impact on people’s health
and the health of the planet.
Last week, the students were
able to see their studies come to life.
They put on their work clothes,
headed out into the frigid cold, and
took an agriculture expedition to
the Brunner organic dairy farm in
Hartwick.
This marks the fourth year the
Cooperstown Middle School has
participated in the Expeditionary
Learning Schools Outward Bound
Program (ELS). ELS is an organization
that provides professional development
and technical assistance
to schools across the nation. The
program focuses on improving student
engagement, achievement and
character by offering frameworks
for curricular design and classroom
instruction, as well as methods for
building stronger, more positive
school communities.
Using expeditionary learning
techniques, teachers involve students
in learning through rigorous
academic service to the community,
which is embedded in learning expeditions.
Teachers develop learning
expeditions using community experts
and outside resourced that result
in major projects and products.
The two-day field trip, designed
by life science teacher Amy Parr,
was an exploration of life science
and art using agriculture as a lens.
Students got the opportunity to look
at food production, how ecosystems
work, learned about water quality,
and plotted acres with stakes to see
how much land it would take to support
their lifestyles.
``I wanted them to have an introduction
to agriculture and ecology
and reinforce the knowledge of cycles
in nature,’’ said Parr, who is the
daughter of the owners of the farm,
Cliff and Patti Brunner. ``I wanted
the students to look at the farm as a
system.’’
While trying to net critters out of
a creek, Jordian Siver said the goal
at hand was to catch,
identify and determine
where the critter should
be placed on the food web.
She said she had caught
some fish and crayfish.
Other students said
they saw or caught stone
flies, baby dragon flies
and salamanders.
Siver said she had visited
her uncle’s farm before,
but did not know that
there were so many different
types of cows. For example,
she pointed to a
light brown one and identified
it as a Jersey.
Rebecca Odell said
something she found interesting
was the fact that
cows are not actually
called cows until they
have had two calves.
Olivia Phillips said she
learned that feeding cows
molasses helps their blood
sugar and produces better
quality calves.
Max Ofer said the students
were applying what
they have been learning
in math class to real-life
situations.
For example, he said
he not only learned an
acre is equivalent to
44,560 square feet, but
got to stake out a piece of
land to see how big it actually
is.
Ofer said he also
learned it is a good idea to
rotate cows from pasture
to pasture and that birds
go into the manure to find
things to eat and digest.
- inactive
-
- Olympic rower launches program A two-time Olympic rower and head coach of Cooperstown Crew will be starting a new indoor rowing program in partnership with the Oneonta Boys and Girls Club.
- Autism walk to be held Saturday at Glimmerglass State Park Cooperstown will be among five sites kicking off Autism Awareness Month this Saturday.
- Shooting leaves residents dismayed Village residents are expressing shock about Friday’s shooting incident and are eager to reach an understanding of why it happened in a small, close-knit community like Cooperstown.
- Earth Festival is Saturday at MCS The Earth Festival, now in its fifth year, is an environmentally focused, interactive event featuring exhibits, workshops, vendors, food and entertainment, all with a fun, earthfriendly twist.
- Booan takes the helm as new C’town leader Joe Booan was sworn in at noon Monday and later that evening set an aggressive agenda for the village during the board of trustees’ annual reorganizational meeting.
- Shooting leaves residents dismayed: New mayor’s statement After canceling a press conference scheduled for Monday afternoon, new Mayor Joe Booan made the following statement during the village’s reorganizational meeting Monday night concerning Friday’s shooting incident.
- Hage appointed village trustee Mayor Joe Booan appointed Charles Hage to the board of trustees to fill the vacancy created when he was elected mayor.
- CCS makes more cuts to lower tax levy Last-minute changes have been made to the Cooperstown Central School proposed 2010-11 budget.
- Cuts likely at CV-S Cherry Valley-Springfield Superintendent Robert Miller says he has been losing sleep during his time preparing for the 2010-11 school budget.
- Relay for Life has new name, location The countdown is on; there are only 50 more days until this year’s local Relay for Life cancer fundraiser.
- More inactive Headlines
