SAVE THE BAY

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SAVE THE BAY
A 4th Grade Brain Targeted Teaching Unit
Created by Amanda Beyea, Kathleen Bittinger,
Karen Hennessy, Sonya Kim, Kara Senich, and Val
Wise
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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 1 Setting the Emotional Climate for
Learning
Creating the Climate for Learning

• Designate a section of the room for students to
  post questions about the topic.
• Discuss how to have debates and discussions.
• Provide extra materials for students to continue
  their learning.
• Arrange desks in a u-shape to encourage
  discussion.

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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 1 Setting the Emotional Climate for
Learning
Create the Setting of the Bay
Show pictures of the bay
Have the students feel sand, shells, etc.
Put on an ocean sounds cd.
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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 2 Creating the Physical Learning
Environment
The environment is a powerful ally and can become
the third teacher

• satisfying the brains need for novelty, interest
  and beauty
• Interest influnces learning in all academic areas
  (Resnick, Bill, Lesgold Leer, 1991 Renninger
  Wozniak, 1985)
• providing a sense of order
• Orderly environments are associated with better
  functioning and less organized environments are
  linked to negative outcomes (Wachs, 2000).
• Studies examining crowding demonstrate a negative
  impact on learning (Wachs, et. al., 1981 Evans,
  Lepore, Shejwal , Palsane, 1998)
• Facilitating a sense of community
• Young children especially feel more relaxed in
  homelike environments (Greenman,2006).
• Provide a framework for learning new schema

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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 2 Creating the Physical Learning
Environment
Physical Environment Activities

• The students participate in recreating a
  bayscape in the classroom. This area expands as
  the students learn new information and complete
  projects.
• Animals can help to contribute to the classroom
  climate. The class will raise oysters and bay
  grasses to release back into the bay.
• The sounds of birds of the bay used as a signal
  to gather the students for community meeting
  each morning
• Writing samples are carefully matted by the
  students featuring a bayscape.
• Many areas in the classroom where students can
  touch and manipulate materials related to the bay
  (shells, sand, feathers, grasses, water, etc.)
• The classroom is arranged to provide space for
  movement and flow.
• The children participate in keeping the classroom
  orderly and in rotating the displays.
• The environment also includes the outdoors field
  trips and out door explorations will be
  incorporated.

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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 2 Creating the Physical Learning
Environment
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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 3 Designing the Learning Experience
Learning Goal Students will demonstrate an
understanding of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and
threats to its well-being.

• Activities
• Students will review the concept map. As the
  students brainstorm ideas, their responses will
  be added to the map.
• Students will complete a KWL chart, indicating
  what they already know about the animals and
  plants of the Chesapeake Bay and what they
  anticipate learning during the unit.

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From the Classroom to the Field..experiential
learning
Habitat Fish out of Water role play activity
Animals/Plants Beneficial Interactions Tableau
work
Water Handels Water Music Activity
Energy Thermostat Movement Exercise
Interconnectivity Machine Movement Exercise
Animals Chesapeake Bay Animal Debate/Trial
Food Chain/Web Digital Media Presentation
Photosynthesis Light Box Art Activity
Materials Bay Portrait/ Conserve Art Materials
SAVE THE BAY


FLOW OF MATTER ENERGY
CONSERVATION
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Prior KnowledgeKWL Chart
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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 4 Teaching for Mastery
CONSERVATION

• ENERGY
• Thermostat Movement Exercise Conservation of
  energy within body

• MATERIALS
• Chesapeake Bay Portrait Conservation of Art
  Supplies

• ANIMALS
• First Person Play Chesapeake Bay Animal
  Debate/Trial how do we decide what animals to
  protect?

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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 4 Teaching for Mastery
FlOW OF MATTER ENERGY

• FOOD CHAIN/WEB
• Digital Media Presentation Food Chain of
  Chesapeake Bay Predator/Prey Game

• INTERCONNECTIVITY
• Machine Movement Exercise Interaction between
  animals survival dependency

• PHOTOSYNTHESIS
• Light Box Art Project Light Sensitive Paper,
  Scented Oils, and Paint representing parts of
  photosynthesis

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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 4 Teaching for Mastery
ECOLOGY

• ANIMALS/PLANTS
• Beneficial Interactions tableaus emphasizing
  connections between animals/plants

• WATER
• Handels Water Music Suite identifying the
  significance of water for many people

• HABITAT
• Fish out of Water role play recognizing
  beneficial/harmful changes as well as competition
  in an animals habitat

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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 5 Teaching for Extension and
Application of Knowledge

• Neural Connectivity in Real Life Problem Solving
• Associative Learning Outside of the Classroom
• and Outside of the Student Role
• 1 .The Clinicians 4th Grade Class
• 2 .The Patient The Chesapeake Bay

Clinical Model Assess Plan Implement
Evaluate
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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 5 Teaching for Extension and
Application of Knowledge
Assessment of the Chesapeake Bay on a
Field Trip 1 .Observation and recording of the
habitat and environment using journal writing,
journal drawings, taking pictures 2 .Create
questionnaires to use for informational interviews
local fisherman, local industry owners,
maritime museum experts 3 .Water quality testing
Action Plan 1 .Divide class into groups and
analyze info from assessment 2 .Each group comes
up with an action plan to make an improvement and
presents to class - i.e. recycle campaign,
fundraiser for money to buy and grow bay grass,
letters to Congress, bay awareness day 3.
Establish a budget 4. Class votes on one plan
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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 5 Teaching for Extension and
Application of Knowledge
Implementation of Action Plan 1 .Class as a whole
designs the steps that will be needed for the
plan and a timeline for completion. 2 .Class
divided into groups each group is delegated a
role in the action plan 3 .Each group elects a
project manager that is responsible for thats
group plan following the timeline. 4 .Plan
implemented
Evaluation 1 .Group evaluation as well as project
as a whole 2 .How was the implementation
received? 3 .Are there measurable outcomes 4
.Recommendations for changes
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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 6 Evaluating Learning

• Have students self-evaluate by continuously
  updating KWL chart
• Check bayscape for validity
• Use checklist to evaluate expository writing
• Use rubric to evaluate oral argument
• Provide on-going self-reflection through
  experiential learning journal
• Have students share journal entries with team
  members
• Use rubric to evaluate action plan project

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SAVE THE BAY
Brain Target 6 Evaluating Learning

• Oral Argument Rubric
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