Building Impact

Grade Level: 9-12

Academic Areas: Mathematics, Science, Technology

Duration of service: 1-2 months

Character Virtues: Respect, Responsibility, Civic Virtue and Citizenship, Giving

Technology: GIS, GPS

Service Areas: Environmental, Public Safety             

 

Service Learning Project:

Students will participate in a month-long project to develop a storm water management plan for a site on campus where new building construction will take place.  Initially, students will be introduced to local storm water issues by gathering related data and information.  These data and information will then be used to investigate best management practices and requirements pertaining to Storm Water Management Rule: N.J.A.C. 7.8.  The campus data will be gathered using GPS technology.  Students will create a final map of their findings using ArcView GIS.  Using this map, students will make predictions for how construction activities will impact the storm water from the campus site.  Students will display and evaluate each other’s maps in order to select one map to represent the project.  Students will ultimately make recommendations to the Board of Education and the town’s Environmental Commission to outline Best Management Practices for storm water abatement and management during upcoming construction. 


Goals and Objectives

Academic

Learning Goal: Students will understand the consequences and impacts that development has on local watershed quality.

Standard: Math, Science and Technology

        4.  Science -- Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and

        theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the        

        historical development of ideas in science.                                                                                     

Learning Goal: Students will apply mathematical and mapping tools to create a model predicting the impact of new construction activities on storm water.

Standard: Math, Science and Technology

            1.  Analysis, Inquiry, and Design -- Students will use mathematical analysis,

            scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek            answers, and develop solutions.

            2.   Information Systems -- Students will access, generate, process, and transfer

            information using appropriate technologies.

            3.   Mathematics -- Students will understand mathematics and become

            mathematically confident by communicating and reasoning mathematically, by     applying mathematics in real-world settings, and by solving problems through the             integrated study of number systems, geometry, algebra, data analysis, probability,   and trigonometry.         

            5. Technology -- Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to         design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.

Learning Goal:  Students will understand the role of local, state, and federal government regulation as it applies to the Storm water Management Rule: N.J.A.C. 7.8.

Standard:

  • Social Studies 5 (Civics, Citizenship, and Government) -- Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

Learning Goal: Students will utilize GPS/GIS technology to survey campus area.

Standard: Math, Science and Technology

           5.  Technology -- Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to         design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.

 

Service

Community need targeted for improvement: Future construction activities will impact the amount and movement of storm water in unidentified ways.   

Possible Community Partners:  Montvale Borough Environmental Commission

 

Objective: Students will provide the Board of Education with a digital map and recommendations of Best Management Practices in issues of storm water during upcoming construction activities.

Technology

Learning Goal: Students will understand how to use a GPS receiver to record x,y coordinate locations related to storm water management.

Objective: Students will record point locations and boundary lines with a GPS receiver.

 

Learning Goal: Students will understand how to create a basic map and perform basic calculations with ArcView GIS.

Objective: Participants will create a basic map with ArcView GIS.

 

Character

 

Virtue: Civic Virtue and Citizenship

Objective: Students will realize the effect of government decisions on their everyday lives.  Participants will also realize that their involvement in local government can make a difference in their community

 

Virtue: Responsibility

Objective: Students will understand how storm water affects watershed quality and is therefore an important public safety issue.  They will demonstrate responsibility through a commitment to and concern for the project.

 

Virtue: Giving

Objective: Students will give of their time and talent to the community as they help prevent future storm water contamination by developing their plan.

 

Virtue: Respect

Objective: Students will gain a greater respect for the environmental needs of their community as well as their ability to attend to those needs.

 

Key Activities

Key Planning Activities

  1. Teacher will obtain GPS equipment/GIS software needed to complete the project.
  2. Teacher will obtain permission from the school principal and Board of Education to create a storm water management plan for upcoming construction activities. Teacher will obtain a copy of plans for intended construction activities.
  3. Students will be trained in the use of GPS equipment.

 

Key Service Activities

1.      Students will collect and map the locations of storm water outfalls, drains and culverts on campus.  They will also make note of areas of storm water damage, erosion, deposition and/or sediment contamination.

2.      Students will develop a map of the campus using ArcView GIS to address storm water management.

3.      Students will investigate best management practices for abatement and control of storm water during construction activities. 

4.      Students will develop a report that addresses storm water abatement and control during future construction activities on campus.

 

Key Reflection Activities

1.      Students will display their maps in order to evaluate and compare their plans (performance – responsibility).

2.      Students will journal their experience to directly link learning to the goals of the course (written – all values).

3.      After the group presentation, there will be a question and answer period during which students may get feedback on their proposed plans (oral – civic virtue and citizenship).

Celebration Activity

Students will present their plan to both the local Board of Education and the Environmental Commission.  Parents and community members will be invited to attend the presentation.  Following the presentation, students will host a tour of the campus sites involved.