GPS (Goose Poop Study)

Grade Level: 9-12

Academic Areas: Science

Duration of service: Year Long

Character Virtues: Respect, Caring, Responsibility, Trustworthiness, Civic virtue and

Citizenship

Technology: GIS, GPS

Service Areas: Environmental

 

Service Learning Project:

Students will study the recent effects Canada geese have had on a local park in Schenectady.  The increased goose population has had an effect on the quality of life for local citizens.  The excessive droppings are a health concern and raise aesthetic issues.  The park has many recreational uses, including boating, fishing, swimming, athletic activities, and picnicking.  Students will use the GPS units to determine waypoint locations of goose dropping concentrations in a defined area. 

 

 The students’ effort will be in partnership with park officials to determine whether town efforts to control the goose population have been effective.  Students will compare their findings concerning goose droppings with pre-existing data measuring goose population to determine what change, if any, has occurred. This project provides a context in which the students and the community can be linked in a positive manner through Character Education and Service Learning.  They will illustrate their findings using GIS on an ArcView map of the park, which they will post on the internet.  


Goals and Objectives

Academic

Learning Goal: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using

GPS and GIS Technology

Standard: MST 2 Information Systems

 

Learning Goal: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts and principles

pertaining to the Living Environment.

Standard: MST 4 Science

 

Service

Community need targeted for improvement:  The increased presence of goose droppings

in local parks makes recreating at those parks difficult.

Possible Community Partners:  Town Park Officials

 

Objective: To partner students with park officials in an effort to serve the community’s

need for clean, accessible parks.

 

Objective: To help students recognize and help solve an environmental problems.

 

Technology

Learning Goal: Students will learn effective skills for GPS as a field data recorder

Objective: Students will collect data using the Garmin etrex Legend

 

Learning Goal: Students will learn to transfer data from GPS into ArcView mapping

software

Objective: Students will utilize ArcView software to transfer data information and create maps

 

Character

Virtue: Civic Virtue and Citizenship, Respect, Responsibility

Objective: Students will gain respect for their citizenship by helping to improve the

quality of life for community citizens.

 

Virtue: Caring, Trustworthiness

 

Objective: Students will recognize a community problem and become concerned citizens

who can be trusted to help solve those problems.

 

Key Activities

Key Planning Activities

  1. Students will practice using GPS equipment to collect data points.
  2. Students will set up a partnership with local park officials.

 

Key Service Activities

1.      Students will use GPS equipment to collect locations of goose droppings.

2.      Students will measure the area and concentration of goose droppings.

  1. Students will organize the collected data into a map of goose dropping locations and concentration in ArcView mapping software.
  2. Students will work with local park officials to evaluate their findings and determine whether goose population control measures are working.

 

Key Reflection Activities

1.      After students survey the park and witness the effect the geese have there, they will write a journal entry about their perception of the importance of parks in communities. (written, civic virtue and citizenship)

2.      After the students post their map showing the effects of geese, they will have a group discussion in which they evaluate their knowledge of local park activity and goose populations before and after the project.  (oral, caring and responsibility)

3.      Students will make recommendations for the use of their program in neighboring parks.  (written, responsibility)                                                                                                 

 

Celebration Activity

Students will host a C.L.E.A.N Celebration Day.  The community will be invited to the C.L.E.A.N Celebration Day.