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Project Idea

2022-2023 School Year

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7th/8th Grade Science

My new classroom will have easy access to the Connecticut river, a research vessel, engineering spaces and our classroom laboratories.

How healthy is our river?

Students will utilize school resources and partnerships to explore the Connecticut River, it's ecosystems and watersheds. We will look into historical and current uses for the river and how those uses are affect by pollution, diving into Native culture around the river and how the Mohegan name "Qwannitucket" shaped the state's name. We will partner with the Connecticut River Conservancy and their mission for a cleaner river. We will participate in clean-ups and collect samples for the conservancy's microplastic study. During this project we will explore plastic pollution, its sources and ramifications. 

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Possible Texts and Resources

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Goals

  • Students will understand the process that goes into plastic production and the effect these products have on society, both positive and negative.

  • Students will be able to create a argument for why plastic production and pollution has increased over the last century and be able to tie the production to an increase in global population.

  • Students will understand how species, ecosystems and populations change and adapt when disturbances such as plastic pollution happen.

  • Students will be able to design a method to monitor the river for plastic pollution and propose a solution to the impact the pollution is having.

  • Students will be able to design and implement a solution to plastic pollution in the Connecticut river.

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Standards

  • MS-PS1-3: Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society

  • MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment

  • MS-ESS3-4: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems

  •  MS-LS4-4: Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment

  • MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions

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Possible Products

 

1. Activism for change related to the Connecticut River

Audience: Anyone who is affected by the Connecticut River

Examples:

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2. Products with alternatives to plastic

Audience: Community members interested in reducing plastic consumption

Example:

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3. Art that speaks to awareness

Audience: Community members

Example: (below) This is an art piece done completely with marine debris taken from a beach clean-up

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