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Thirsty Planet; World Water...

Quest for Clean Shorelines

Description

General Assessment

Question	Response
What skills does this resource explicitly teach?	The resource does not teach specific skills in detail but gives many suggestions for the practice of skills that most likely would have been introduced in previous grades. Collaboration and consensus building, cooperative work, brainstorming, gathering of information from a larger group and narrowing the focus, KWL strategy, time use in broad topic area. Collecting of data, use of informal inventories Analysing of data through discussion Use of ratio, percentage, and comparisons using graphing on 100 square paper (visually effective more than mathematically accurate) Safety, around some issues-observation skills Record keeping Letter writing (suggestions for..)
What important, related ideas/issues are not addressed in this resource?	There is the concern that a student would be part of this project one year and then never be part of it again. This alone will not affect change. School-wide initiatives would alleviate this 'stop-start' issue to a certain extent. The age/grade range here is limiting, and one could consider the potential for this to be a true 'community' effort that is embedded into the daily life of the community. Funders have shown in the past that they will consider assisting community groups of which the school and students are part. This should be a primary consideration and initiative. Another important concern of waterways is the presence of chemical pollution - from farms and runoff of fertilizers, manures, pesticides; gas and oil from homes, industry, gas stations etc. What actions could be taken if students encountered these types of pollutants and contaminants during their river/stream/lake shore etc clean-up?
What important ideas are implied by the resource, but not taught explicitly?	That human activity creates the problem and human activity can also alleviate it.
To enhance this resource the following changes would be beneficial:	This resource idea is likely one of the most easily facilitated and potentially most effective of any that I have encountered. The possibilities here are endless. The mainstay ideas underpinning the resource have an integrity that is distinctly Canadian, and extended development of this resource could settle it firmly in national core curriculum for both schools and communities. The resource would benefit from reviewed and annotated lists of books about water (both fiction and non-fiction) which would meet a variety of reading levels. Copies of acceptable and unacceptable letters to government agencies suggesting change would be beneficial as would some dynamic visuals encouraging community change. Exemplars are always effective in assisting students to provide works of excellence.

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle	Rating	Explanation
Bias Minimization	Good	There is an opportunity here for stakeholders of the problem to express all of their points of view, looking to a solution, and not be just a maintenance situation.
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions	Good	Through the students' participation in the activities, audit and clean-up and the debriefing process, there are many opportunities for them to discuss and think critically around the many dimensions of the problems. There are important aspects of the relationships of the environment, society and economics within this issue and these concepts are explored and discussed.
Respects Complexity	Good	(see above) Activities do take into consideration plants and animals, small and larger, and their habitats, as well as the inter-connectedness of our actions as a society and the economic spin-offs relative to the environment.
Action Experience	Very Good	The Shoreline Clean-Up part of this resource is indeed an excellent activity. It exemplifies the fact that small efforts, when combined, can make a big difference. It is the action that underlies all grassroots efforts and has built-in an intrinsic value. The follow-up activities are critical even if the creek clean up is not undertaken. The students can cooperatively develop strategies for changing our less than excellent attitudes as a nation about water, waterways and the problem of litter. Through the audit development and data-collection the students will have gathered a great deal of information which can be shared with the entire community - a very effective tool to implement change at many levels. This can be built on.
Action Skills	Good	Lesson activities are sufficiently detailed. It may seem that cleaning up litter on a shoreline is a simple task, yet there are very specific skills that need to be taught to children in order that the clean-up be effective. Action skills are well supported within the activities. Students collect information and can decide on the best way to present it.
Empathy & Respect for Humans	Mediocre	What is found in the clean-up quite often leads to discussions about lifestyles and teachers do need to be prepared for this.
Personal Affinity with Earth	Good	The lesson activities do reflect an interest and awareness of plants and animals and not just humans. Students are encouraged to take care of where they move, not to disturb flora and fauna and to help restore the natural habitat. More information could be added with respect to fish habitat as that is an area where the public already has some interest but little awareness.
Locally-Focused	Very Good	The resource activities touch on global and local issues, and efforts are made for students to have hands-on experiences that in some cases are simulations of concepts and sometimes are actual visitations to sites. Students realize on a holistic level the significance of having safe fresh water and that their own "backyard" areas may be in need of attention.
Past, Present & Future	Mediocre	The resource does focus on the present situation, and emphasizes numerical information gathered to direct future learning. This resource lays the groundwork for potential social change that is sustainable. It serves as an excellent jumping off spot for children and youth to become authentically engaged in changing community attitudes about the environment.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle	Rating	Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction	Very Good	Students are greatly encouraged to use their own ideas, creativity, opinions and observations throughout this resource - with the complexity of the issues a constant reminder that there is no one "right" answer!
Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Learning	Very Good	This is a great resource for integrating many different subjects and learning situations. This resource could be more dynamic if a greater number of community people were brought in as part of the lesson discussions, and action plans. The interdisciplinary aspect of a project such as this is not just about the Social Studies and Math, but about the community. As is, however, there is an over-all "lived" approach to the environmental issues-looking at the whole problem, and not just from a single discipline.
Discovery Learning	Very Good	Students are given tasks that encourage a problem-solving approach. Reaching consensus and building on prior knowledge is critical. Students explore their own environment and make their own observations. They collect data, analyse their findings and find a way to best represent their information.
Values Clarification	Very Good	The first lessons build to a finale with the last three activities leading to the students providing the issues for discussion and community education. Students are given several opportunities to assess and discuss their own perspectives about water issues and to consider what they value and why.
Differentiated Instruction	Very Good	Several learning styles are facilitated in the lessons. Suggestions are made for various levels of learning, partly due to the fact that the resource was created for multiple grade use. There is tremendous potential for students who have worked through this series of activities to become mentors to younger students or even community groups. There is also potential here for this to be an excellent school-wide initiative.
Experiential Learning	Very Good	Students are very much connected to their local environment. The clean-up day is an authentic experience. The series of lessons prepares children for roles as change agents.
Cooperative Learning	Mediocre
Assessment & Evaluation	Mediocre	Students are engaged in self and peer assessment as they exchange ideas and share attitudes and previous experiences. Teachers can glean much about their students' learning and knowledge if they circulate constantly from group to group. The teacher's role is that of an educational facilitator and the 'teacher as sage' dims. The perceived need and the follow-up actions must come from the children themselves in order that their involvement and solutions be authentic.
Peer Teaching	Very Good	There is tremendous potential for peer teaching and community involvement. Not one single Canadian, wherever we live in this country can afford to abstain from being a peer teacher on this topic. This resource provides a context of action and ideas for development into a national initiative of the most important kind.
Case Studies	Mediocre	Teachers would need to get information about their own area- but other areas could be used as effective case studies. A forum for participants to share nationally their findings and their subsequent actions for change could be included. Teachers and students should check out the national website on this activity and submit their own stories and action plan results. Case studies could become the thread that defines what the problem is, how it has materialized, and most importantly, how communities have made effective and lasting positive change to sustain the integrity of our watersheds, waterways, and quality of water. This is a critical teaching/learning component.
Locus of Control	Very Good	The resource starts a phenomenally important investigation and the participants should really be held accountable for taking this as far as it can go. Developers, participant observers, and participants are thrown into the role of "caretakers of wonder" and as such, have a responsibility to make what they do, authentic.

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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Quest for Clean Shorelines

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Description

General Assessment

Sustainability Education Principles

Pedagogical Approaches

Relevant Curriculum Units

A project of

with support from

Quest for Clean Shorelines

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Description

General Assessment

Sustainability Education Principles

Pedagogical Approaches

Relevant Curriculum Units

A project of

with support from