EcoJustice Content Analysis in Developmental Context
My unit has been built on the notion that unlimited economic progress in a world of finite natural resources just doesn’t make sense. I created A Life without Trees: A Unit of Study for the 3rd Grade for Taft-Galloway Elementary. This school is in the Wayne/Westland school district. I chose to write the unit for Taft-Galloway because I pre-student taught at this school. I was impressed that the previous principal Stephanie Miller worked toward strengthening the school community and outside community. Her mission was to create more participation. My unit was created with this in mind. The planted trees give way to a community garden. Although this unit does not discuss a community garden, the idea is that the small section of land where the trees have been planted will spark inspiration for a garden. Planting a community garden is a big investment! This unit is the start of breeding small change and appreciation.
Trees are everywhere in Michigan! The numbers of trees in urban areas are significantly lower. Without the overwhelming company of trees how much appreciation is given? A better question; when is the last time you gave your appreciation to a tree? When is the last time a tree directly affected your life? It happens daily! This unit is about understanding this big idea. Trees affect your life every single day. Holidays like Arbor Day and Earth Day, take away from this understanding. Trees are glorified for a day, possibly a week and then forgot about. Once again trees are treated like an infinite natural resource.
The unit will be broken into four sections: Our History, Research, Observation and Action. Each section has a distinct theme and purpose of study. The unit has been designed to flow between sections. Content is integrated across the curriculum including Social Studies, English Language Arts, Math and Science. The big concepts for each section and the entire unit are progress, community and happiness. As the students gain new perspectives about the trees in their community they will be building a relationship within that community. Both the community at large and the students in the class benefit! How are we connected to the environment? What relationship do we have with the earth? What can we do to strengthen this relationship? What happens to our attitude and the attitude of others when we inform the public? Furthermore, the children will investigate how their attitudes change during the unit of study. What are they passionate about? How is being passionate about directly or indirectly related to happiness?
Progress is taught through the use of story books and local Michigan history. The students need to know where we’ve been to understand where we are now. I envision student’s first learning about the whole state of Michigan and the history of lumbering. Then students will slowly start to focus on their own community by comparing it to a community in the children’s picture book, Just a Dream. Students will be able to examine the changes in their own community by interviewing members of the community. I want students to gain a new perspective of the place they live in. How is 1955 different than 2012? Is this the future, members of your community envisioned? What impact can we make for the greater good?
Interviewing members of the community and inviting “experts” into the classroom, throughout the unit, unifies the classroom, school and community at large. I would always make sure that the children write thank-you letters! Writing a thank-you letter will instill in them at an early age the importance of taking out the time to write a letter. Writing a thank-you letter is also a good opportunity to reflect on the visit with that community member. Information overload can happen really quickly during this unit and year round framework. Take the time to teach children to pick out what is the most important and then be thankful for the shared information.
All three concepts are taught simultaneously. Happiness and community are deeply connected. As the students spend more time in the community and talking with and writing letters to members of the community their feelings of fulfillment and happiness will increase. As a class, we will also be able to discuss how different photographs of our own community (past and present) make us feel. How do trees evoke emotion? Paint a picture for the students. Everyone imagine you are lying in your bed, its Sunday morning, the sun is slowly rising falling into your window. The sun dances between the trees and falls right on your forehead. You scoot down farther in the covers so the sun rests on your pillow. Soon the sun fills your room and you jump out of bed. What if we removed the tree from this story? How would it change? What does the tree give us in this story?
The story above is an example of how we can explore the three concepts in a developmentally appropriate way. Everyone in Michigan has a story with a tree in it. Hiding behind a tree while playing tag or sitting under a tree and reading a book. Talk with community members about the Ash Borer. What local businesses has it effected? More than likely students at least one student in your class will have lost a tree from the insect. How will the Ash Borer affect these memories for future community members? What can be done to preserve these memories? Storytelling is a powerful way to share this information. There are plenty of informational texts and internet resources to fill in the gaps.
I will be showcasing three lessons from the unit of study. These lessons are scattered throughout the unit, but have been highlighted because of their importance to upholding the concepts, essential questions, theme and structure of the unit. The GLCEs culminate throughout the unit, but are emphasized during certain lessons.
Trees are everywhere in Michigan! The numbers of trees in urban areas are significantly lower. Without the overwhelming company of trees how much appreciation is given? A better question; when is the last time you gave your appreciation to a tree? When is the last time a tree directly affected your life? It happens daily! This unit is about understanding this big idea. Trees affect your life every single day. Holidays like Arbor Day and Earth Day, take away from this understanding. Trees are glorified for a day, possibly a week and then forgot about. Once again trees are treated like an infinite natural resource.
The unit will be broken into four sections: Our History, Research, Observation and Action. Each section has a distinct theme and purpose of study. The unit has been designed to flow between sections. Content is integrated across the curriculum including Social Studies, English Language Arts, Math and Science. The big concepts for each section and the entire unit are progress, community and happiness. As the students gain new perspectives about the trees in their community they will be building a relationship within that community. Both the community at large and the students in the class benefit! How are we connected to the environment? What relationship do we have with the earth? What can we do to strengthen this relationship? What happens to our attitude and the attitude of others when we inform the public? Furthermore, the children will investigate how their attitudes change during the unit of study. What are they passionate about? How is being passionate about directly or indirectly related to happiness?
Progress is taught through the use of story books and local Michigan history. The students need to know where we’ve been to understand where we are now. I envision student’s first learning about the whole state of Michigan and the history of lumbering. Then students will slowly start to focus on their own community by comparing it to a community in the children’s picture book, Just a Dream. Students will be able to examine the changes in their own community by interviewing members of the community. I want students to gain a new perspective of the place they live in. How is 1955 different than 2012? Is this the future, members of your community envisioned? What impact can we make for the greater good?
Interviewing members of the community and inviting “experts” into the classroom, throughout the unit, unifies the classroom, school and community at large. I would always make sure that the children write thank-you letters! Writing a thank-you letter will instill in them at an early age the importance of taking out the time to write a letter. Writing a thank-you letter is also a good opportunity to reflect on the visit with that community member. Information overload can happen really quickly during this unit and year round framework. Take the time to teach children to pick out what is the most important and then be thankful for the shared information.
All three concepts are taught simultaneously. Happiness and community are deeply connected. As the students spend more time in the community and talking with and writing letters to members of the community their feelings of fulfillment and happiness will increase. As a class, we will also be able to discuss how different photographs of our own community (past and present) make us feel. How do trees evoke emotion? Paint a picture for the students. Everyone imagine you are lying in your bed, its Sunday morning, the sun is slowly rising falling into your window. The sun dances between the trees and falls right on your forehead. You scoot down farther in the covers so the sun rests on your pillow. Soon the sun fills your room and you jump out of bed. What if we removed the tree from this story? How would it change? What does the tree give us in this story?
The story above is an example of how we can explore the three concepts in a developmentally appropriate way. Everyone in Michigan has a story with a tree in it. Hiding behind a tree while playing tag or sitting under a tree and reading a book. Talk with community members about the Ash Borer. What local businesses has it effected? More than likely students at least one student in your class will have lost a tree from the insect. How will the Ash Borer affect these memories for future community members? What can be done to preserve these memories? Storytelling is a powerful way to share this information. There are plenty of informational texts and internet resources to fill in the gaps.
I will be showcasing three lessons from the unit of study. These lessons are scattered throughout the unit, but have been highlighted because of their importance to upholding the concepts, essential questions, theme and structure of the unit. The GLCEs culminate throughout the unit, but are emphasized during certain lessons.