Creating a Cooperative Living Habitat:

A Community Service-Oriented Participatory Citizenship Project

Lesson Plan #: AELP- ENV0200

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An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan
Submitted by: Dr. Richard Oakes Peters
Email: docdk39@hotmail.com
School/University/Affiliation: Augusta (GA) State University

Date: October 18, 1999

Grade Level: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Subject(s):

  • Science/Environmental Education
Duration: 10 months

Description: Students are engaged in a process of creating a model COOPERATIVE LIVING HABITAT in the local community.

Goals: As a result of their direct involvement in a school year-long service project, students will be able to:
1) explain the concept: COOPERATIVE LIVING HABITAT,
2) identify the characteristics of a COOPERATIVE LIVING HABITAT,
3) engage in the process of creating a COOPERATIVE LIVING HABITAT, and
4) become aware of the process of maintaining a COOPERATIVE LIVING HABITAT.

Objectives: Students will:
1) interact with community resource people,
2) interact with a selected natural environment site,
3) read about conservation/stewardship/management practices and programs,
4) map the natural environment site,
5) collect (on film and video tape) data,
6) analyze data,
7) evaluate alternative strategies re: site management,
8) select a preferred site management strategy, and
9) design/implement a detailed site management plan.

Materials:

  • Community resource people
  • a natural environment site
  • sketch pads/pencils
  • compasses
  • reference materials (print/non-print and software)
  • still/motion picture cameras and video tape equipment (for data collection purposes)
  • water testing kits
  • soil testing kits
Procedure:
Working with their social studies and science teachers, students are introduced to the concept: COOPERATIVE LIVING HABITAT. A 'CLH' is a given area in which MAN and NATURE coexist and mutually prosper -- as a result of human efforts to
1) create a quality life space,
2) protect natural phenomena/processes,
3) protect the health and well-being of humans, and
4) balance the interests of MAN and NATURE.
Students are introduced to a selected natural environment site in the local community/region.
The site is 'adopted' by the student -- becoming their community service project for the school year.
Working with community resource people, e.g., soil conservation/wildlife management/forestry department/water management personnel, students learn about site management strategies.

A management plan is designed/implemented, by the students, to:

1) improve/eliminate environmentally-destructive conditions,
2) remove natural debris,
3) remove human-caused litter,
4) conduct an environmental impact study,
5) design a nature trail system -- to be used by K-12 students as a field-based learning laboratory, and
6) create/maintain a COOPERATIVE LIVING HABITAT at the selected natural environment site.
Assessment: Students will demonstrate the ability to:
1) explain the concept: COOPERATIVE LIVING HABITAT,
2) discuss concepts, e.g., conservation, stewardship, resource management,
3) draw maps,
4) use compasses,
5) collect data at field-based sites,
6) analyze data,
7) make decisions,
8) create audiovisual presentations,
9) participate in the creation/maintenance of a COOPERATIVE LIVING HABITAT at a selected natural environment site,
10) write essays about field-based experiences,
11) correctly answer 90% of matching, multiple choice, and completion (supply) test items,
12) test water samples,
13) test soil samples,
14) analyze rock samples, write science lab reports.

Useful Internet Resources:
* National Council for the Social Studies
http://www.ncss.org

* North American Association for Environmental Education
http://www.naaee.org

* National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org

* United States Environment Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov

* World Wide Fund (WWF) Global Network
http://www.panda.org

* Rainforest Action Network
http://www.ran.org

* The Nature Conservancy
http://nature.org/