Lily Calmeyn
3334 Arrow Pass
Pinckney, MI 41869
December 8, 2012
CCES/SEMIS
880 South Grove St.
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198
Dear CCES/SEMIS,
I am an Elementary Education major and Reading and Integrated Science minor at Eastern Michigan University. I have a lot of passion, not only for Education, but my content areas. I developed an EcoJustice Education unit, A Life without Trees. My unit is based on the premise that we could not have life without trees. The unit is designed for the 3rd grade and specifically Wayne/Westland school district. This unit could be adapted for any county that does not have enough resources or support for a school garden, but still wants to get their fingernails dirty.
I hope that students gain a sense of wonder and responsibility while exploring their nature world. My unit fosters critical thinking skills, independence and responsibility within a community. The unit asks that students explore the concepts on their own and come up with real solutions that are appropriate for their community. The unit is student-centered and requires a lot of preparation from the teacher. The teacher inherits the responsibility of gathering resources and being an active community member herself.
I have highlighted three lessons of the unit. The big concepts of this framework are progress, community and happiness. First students would read the book Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg. Before, during and after reading strategies are used to deepen a whole-class discussion about trees and the underlining concepts. The story sparks a lot of what if questions. An adapted CCES lesson was created to show students how everything in a community relies on each other. Finally, students ask what their community ought-to-be and dream together. Students will use resources specific to their community to come up with a plan. They will utilize map-making skills to explore their community.
My hope is that teachers in association with your organizations can use the tools and lessons provided to help students gain a new perspective. The idea of this unit is to develop a love for trees and the natural world around us. With us being the key! We are all in this life together and we all have something to offer. When we collaborate, we strengthen the community and the environment. Change can happen with a seed and the voice of a third grader!
Kind Regards,
Lily Calmeyn
3334 Arrow Pass
Pinckney, MI 41869
December 8, 2012
CCES/SEMIS
880 South Grove St.
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198
Dear CCES/SEMIS,
I am an Elementary Education major and Reading and Integrated Science minor at Eastern Michigan University. I have a lot of passion, not only for Education, but my content areas. I developed an EcoJustice Education unit, A Life without Trees. My unit is based on the premise that we could not have life without trees. The unit is designed for the 3rd grade and specifically Wayne/Westland school district. This unit could be adapted for any county that does not have enough resources or support for a school garden, but still wants to get their fingernails dirty.
I hope that students gain a sense of wonder and responsibility while exploring their nature world. My unit fosters critical thinking skills, independence and responsibility within a community. The unit asks that students explore the concepts on their own and come up with real solutions that are appropriate for their community. The unit is student-centered and requires a lot of preparation from the teacher. The teacher inherits the responsibility of gathering resources and being an active community member herself.
I have highlighted three lessons of the unit. The big concepts of this framework are progress, community and happiness. First students would read the book Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg. Before, during and after reading strategies are used to deepen a whole-class discussion about trees and the underlining concepts. The story sparks a lot of what if questions. An adapted CCES lesson was created to show students how everything in a community relies on each other. Finally, students ask what their community ought-to-be and dream together. Students will use resources specific to their community to come up with a plan. They will utilize map-making skills to explore their community.
My hope is that teachers in association with your organizations can use the tools and lessons provided to help students gain a new perspective. The idea of this unit is to develop a love for trees and the natural world around us. With us being the key! We are all in this life together and we all have something to offer. When we collaborate, we strengthen the community and the environment. Change can happen with a seed and the voice of a third grader!
Kind Regards,
Lily Calmeyn