In this lesson, students identify the basic needs of plants and animals (food, shelter, air, water).

In this lesson, students make observations about the plants and animals in their habitat. This is a new lesson created because the standard for this part of this unit focuses on habitats and how different life cycle stages the organism may use a different habitat. In past years, this was not the focus of the lessons and so this lesson was created to establish and introduce what a habitat is before students dive deeper into plant and animal life cycles.

In this lesson, students make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change. Students define ecosystem and the levels of organization in an ecosystem and began naming the nonliving (abiotic) and the living (biotic) things found in an ecosystem. Students write to explain the levels of an ecosystem and what effects may occur if the ecosystem was to change.

In this lesson, students make observations and measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation. Students identify and describe weathering and erosion. Students demonstrate the effects of weathering and erosion on soil within a lab.

Gilpin Manor Elementary School provided a public schools comprehensive, multi-disciplinary environmental literacy program infused within current curricular offerings and aligned with the Maryland Environmental Literacy Standards. The Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) is a learner-centered framework that focuses on investigations into environmental issues and leads to informed action. MWEEs are made up of multiple components that include learning both outdoors and in the classroom and are designed to increase environmental literacy by actively engaging students in building knowledge and meaning through hands-on experiences. In these experiences, the core ideas and practices of multiple disciplines are applied to make sense of the relationships between the natural world and society. MWEEs help connect students with their local environment and equip them to make decisions and take actions that contribute to stronger, sustainable, and equitable communities.

Students in PreK work hard during the end of February and early March to create birdhouses for the outdoor classrooms and no mow zones. These bird houses happen throughout the entire week. See attached lesson plan (Week 29, Week 5 - Second and Third Page).

In this lesson, children in Kindergarten learn that organisms have basic needs, Organisms can survive only in environments in which their needs can be met. Each animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth and survival. Animals have life cycle including birth, maturation, reproduction and death. Animals closely resemble their parents. They can observe with all five of our senses. Observation is the act of gathering information about something through our senses. When the students observe they record what they experience like capturing a photograph with a camera. Attached is just on of the unit lessons. The students then go to a far to release the chicks into a stable environment where their needs are met.

The staff was introduced to the Green School application process at a staff school improvement team meeting with the presentation below. The staff was informed on ways they can support the school's environmental literacy plan and ways to document what they are already doing in their classrooms. The presentation was presented on 09/14/2022 to 52 staff member (see attached).

For Earth Day 2022, the students of Gilpin Manor celebrated all of their green school accomplishments, which include bird feeders, trash clean up, recycled material bird houses, and collections of batteries, ink cartridges, and more. The students shared their next steps, which included the outdoor classroom to be completed in 2023. The students also celebrated their new habitat restoration with the community. Over 469 students and community members participated. Students were given certificates for the completion of the projects.

Another Earth Day Celebration with Certificates is planned for April 21, 2023.

Grade 5 teachers were given environmental professional development by the county coordinators at the beginning of the school year. This included a new Maryland Watershed Environment Education component and soil study.

Robin Lane-Cragle attended a Watershed Academy to learn ways that the schools can protect our watershed. This professional development taught ways to engage students in the importance of our watershed.

Lori Pitcock attended the MEGS (Maryland Educators of Gifted Students) conference on October 14 and 21, 2022. At this conference, she attended a session entitled "Using Green Education to Help Gifted Children Find Their Voice: How Sustainability/Environmental Investigations Can Build STEM Skills." Throughout this presentation the presenters explained with the awareness of sustainability and environmental degradation is at an all-time high. By merging the issues with inquiry, differentiation, and independent study, gifted students can engage in rigorous curriculum that also meets their social and emotional interests while also building their critical and creative thinking skills in STEM areas.

Grade 2 teachers were given environmental professional development by the county coordinators at the beginning of the school year. This included a new Maryland Watershed Environment Education component and soil study.

Grade 2 teachers were given environmental professional development by the county coordinators at the beginning of the school year. This included a new Maryland Watershed Environment Education component and soil study.

Grade 2 teachers were given environmental professional development by the county coordinators at the beginning of the school year. This included a new Maryland Watershed Environment Education component and soil study.

The Kindergarten students at Gilpin Manor Elementary School spent time outside gathering litter from the school grounds. The students were identifying pollution and waste. Their teacher (Mrs. Moore) completed a lesson on keeping the environment clean.

The school engaged in a water challenge to drink fresh water and prevent pollution by using reusable bottles. These were supplied by the school to all students. Students monitored their own use and refilling habits as a study. Students presented results to classroom teachers. Students encouraged the teachers to also engage in this activity. Students are located in the cafeteria with the lights off and the use of natural light to share their water bottle pictures.

Students in Grades 4 and 5 worked with the local conservation team from the county and the water works system to develop a no-mow zone to build a natural habitat.

Students are monitoring the daily use of energy in their classrooms by recommending or reminding their teachers to use natural light as often as possible.

The students enjoy their lunches in the cafeteria with the use of natural light from the windows on reusable trays.

Students share energy conservation tips on the morning announcements.

Students promoted the use of reusable trays to reduce waste from the previously used disposable trays.

Students repurposed used materials into art projects via a book with ripped pages.

Students in Grade 5 created a no-waste lunch Wednesday schedule to reduce waste of lunch trash and promote reusable containers.

Students in grade 4 and 5 worked together to develop a ink cartridge recycling program for Gilpin Manor Elementary to reduce environmental impacts.

The preschool class is excited to be planting native plants in their pods that will be later transferred to the school grounds to help prevent erosion.

Students participated in creating bird feeders, bird houses, and installation of butterfly bushes, a rock garden, bird houses, no mow zones, and more. The students worked hard to create these various green areas, which included an outdoor classroom with picnic tables, water tables, and more for students to use and participate in learning.

Students participated in water analysis of a local creek to identify organisms that are healthy for the creek's overall health.

Students created bird houses to be placed in our habitat restoration area at the front of the building with our butterfly bushes.

Students work together to remove invasive species from the new habitat restoration area, which will include new butterfly bushes, bird houses, bird feeders, river rocks and native plants.

Students in grades 2-5 have had their learning changed dramatically. Chromebooks have been deployed to classrooms to support online learning and engagement. Students utilize the Chromebooks to research content, engage in interactive activities, and submit work to their teachers through Google Drive and Schoology. Chromebooks use less energy than traditional desktop computers and their charge can last an extended time period. Utilizing Chromebooks also cuts down on the number of paper copies of assignments that would need to be run through the copiers.

Students use picnic tables to have opportunities to work outside and learn in their natural environment.

Students participated in water analysis of a local creek to identify organisms that are healthy for the creek's overall health.

Students went on a walking field trip to a local theater to reduce their carbon footprint and get to know local ecosystems, emphasizing the effects on climate change on their way.

The event that is held every year around the time of Thanksgiving promotes healthy habits, while also gathering non-perishable food for our community and families. The students donate the canned items and run to raise awareness of those in need. This year, we threw a twist into it and are also adding the Green Run portion to raise money for our environmental education projects and our community garden.

Kindergarten students were eating locally picked apples that included instruction on healthy eating and samples of the apples picked.

The students of Gilpin Manor have worked diligently to organize and collect gently used clothing for our Community Pantry. This is a location where families in need can obtain items for their family. The students also do a canned food drive to support families in need of food.

Gilpin Manor Elementary School sat up a tent for the local community at the back to school community event. At this location, staff played games with kids, gave out free books, and other school supplies while engaging with family members. A fun day was had by all.

The Judy Center partnership held the Pumpkin Patch event at the Neighborhood Community Center for families of children ages2-4. Families enjoyed a magic show, held baby ducks and chick, pet rabbits, and made scarecrows to take home.

The fifth grade students at Gilpin Manor held a fundraiser event at the Trunk or Treat to support their environmental initiatives related to the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE). The students used a guess the candy corn game with participants to raise money for their environmental project materials. The students raised over $200 at the event.

The kindergarteners went to the local public library to explore the resources and practice with their digital library cards. Students use the wall at the public library to explore the waterways of Maryland and how the watershed works.

Students went to a local garden not far from the Cecil County line to learn about local plants and native species appropriate for the outdoor classroom.

Grandparents were welcomed into the school to participate in lessons with their grandchild. These lessons often included environmental science. The event was open to the entire school.

The Singerly Fire Company of Elkton presented to the entire school about fire safety over the course of two days. The children were given activity books and materials to make a map. The children were able to climb onto the fire truck.

The Elkton YES Organization works with Gilpin Manor Elementary School to build stronger families in the county. This program provides childcare, so parents can attend parenting workshops (specifically about Trauma). The program supplies dinner and transportation for our families. Service learning credits are also available to parents through this program. Teachers are also at the event to lead activities with the children, while the parents learn. This is a great example of the community working closely with our school.

The Community was invited into the school to assist students paint rocks for our new rock garden with the repurposed rocks from a previous rock garden.

Students received a presentation from the local editor of the Cecil Whig (local newspaper) about the importance of conserving paper and appropriate reporting.

The Development Command of the Chemical Biological Center of the U.S. Army came to the school to present about the importance of environmental friendly weapons and how water is a vital component to make batteries more natural.

DEVCOM returned to the school to teach the students about acid in the environment and the impact acidity has on various habitats.

The school was awarded $200 for the Bird and Butterfly Habitat Installation Project set to benefit the entire school through the environmental literacy standards. The goal of the project is to purchase and install Butterfly bushes and Butterfly Weed, as well as Bird Boxes in the outdoor classroom setting developed by the students of Gilpin Manor Elementary School. The project will be a sanctuary for local, native wildlife, which will allow the students to observe and monitor migration habits and will be home to an outdoor classroom for all 472 students and teachers.