Cultural Enrichment
Upcoming Cultural Enrichment Event on Empowering Environmental Change for Our Students
We are excited to incorporate the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) framework into our educational programs and Cultural Enrichment focus for this school year. Within this framework, we are specifically focusing on educating students about the enviornmental issues facing our world and the need for change. We are fortunate to have a local non-profit organization, Change is Simple, dedicated to this exact work with whom we can partner. As described on their website: “Change is Simple brings Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)- based lessons to classrooms to evoke passion and provide students with a comprehension of the direct connections between environmental and human health.”
In partnership with Change is Simple, we have developed a program for Cutler students that will focus on specific changes each student can do to address environmental issues. In order to make these concepts more tangible for students, Change is Simple has organized the activities to be grade-specific with each grade having its own access point to our Big Read story, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Below is a brief description of the program for each grade level:
Kindergarten: Understanding William’s need to grow food for his community, students will learn about growing and nurturing the parts of the plant and will start a classroom greenhouse. These lessons will teach the fundamentals of soil, plant growth and nutrition.
Grade 1: Understanding how William made supplies out of others’ waste, students will learn the fundamentals of reducing, reusing, recycling and composting. They will engage, for example, in a competitive relay race that challenges them to eliminate all the trash in their waste stream.
Grade 2: Understanding where William lived in Africa, students will explore CiS’s giant world map to learn about how the environment affects endangered species and how weather plays a role in every aspect of our lives. They will learn about the bigger environmental picture of their actions and choices.
Grade 3: Understanding William’s community’s need for running water, students will learn about our most important natural resource: water. Using CiS’s water table, students will engage in learning about the water cycle and how it is connected to our community and our health. Students will be able to understand how people affect the cleanliness of our natural bodies of water and the importance of conserving water.
Grade 4: Understanding William’s need for electricity in his community, students will investigate the natural resources needed to produce electricity, the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources, how much energy they each use and their own carbon footprint. Students will become experts on energy efficiency and conservation as they use energy monitors to test common electronics found in their classroom as well as at home.
Grade 5: Fifth grade students will receive the energy lessons described above in grade 4, but will take the lesson one step further. Drawing on William’s construction of a windmill, students will focus on how to solve problems with innovative solutions: the fifth graders will be challenged to create their own unique turbine made from waste items and other materials.
Change is Simple is scheduled to be at Cutler on Tuesday, December 9th and Thursday, December 11th to work with with each classroom.
We are excited to incorporate the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) framework into our educational programs and Cultural Enrichment focus for this school year. Within this framework, we are specifically focusing on educating students about the enviornmental issues facing our world and the need for change. We are fortunate to have a local non-profit organization, Change is Simple, dedicated to this exact work with whom we can partner. As described on their website: “Change is Simple brings Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)- based lessons to classrooms to evoke passion and provide students with a comprehension of the direct connections between environmental and human health.”
In partnership with Change is Simple, we have developed a program for Cutler students that will focus on specific changes each student can do to address environmental issues. In order to make these concepts more tangible for students, Change is Simple has organized the activities to be grade-specific with each grade having its own access point to our Big Read story, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Below is a brief description of the program for each grade level:
Kindergarten: Understanding William’s need to grow food for his community, students will learn about growing and nurturing the parts of the plant and will start a classroom greenhouse. These lessons will teach the fundamentals of soil, plant growth and nutrition.
Grade 1: Understanding how William made supplies out of others’ waste, students will learn the fundamentals of reducing, reusing, recycling and composting. They will engage, for example, in a competitive relay race that challenges them to eliminate all the trash in their waste stream.
Grade 2: Understanding where William lived in Africa, students will explore CiS’s giant world map to learn about how the environment affects endangered species and how weather plays a role in every aspect of our lives. They will learn about the bigger environmental picture of their actions and choices.
Grade 3: Understanding William’s community’s need for running water, students will learn about our most important natural resource: water. Using CiS’s water table, students will engage in learning about the water cycle and how it is connected to our community and our health. Students will be able to understand how people affect the cleanliness of our natural bodies of water and the importance of conserving water.
Grade 4: Understanding William’s need for electricity in his community, students will investigate the natural resources needed to produce electricity, the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources, how much energy they each use and their own carbon footprint. Students will become experts on energy efficiency and conservation as they use energy monitors to test common electronics found in their classroom as well as at home.
Grade 5: Fifth grade students will receive the energy lessons described above in grade 4, but will take the lesson one step further. Drawing on William’s construction of a windmill, students will focus on how to solve problems with innovative solutions: the fifth graders will be challenged to create their own unique turbine made from waste items and other materials.
Change is Simple is scheduled to be at Cutler on Tuesday, December 9th and Thursday, December 11th to work with with each classroom.
