Whole Kids Foundation- Garden Program & Bee Program
Partners Active in the School SY 20-21
Nature Playground- Loyola University
In conjunction with Loyola University, Arlington piloted a program to establish a simple nature playground on the front lawn of Arlington. This area will be used by all, but specifically the PreK through 2nd Grade classes to facilitate outdoor learning in all forms.
Little Free Library Partnership
Access to multicultral books with emphasis on environmental and STEAM selections. We installed a Little Free Library on-campus for our students and community use.
Trout In The Classroom
Port Discovery Virtual Learning Partnership
Grade-Level: Activity Title: Port Discovery Virtual Partnership Subject: Science Teacher(s): Thompson, Mitchell, When: Number of Students: 60 Description: Students from ____grade level experience 4 virtual lessons, experiments and dissections with the Port Discovery team. Topics include a variety of life and environmental science. This includes owl pellets and other fun experiments. Documentation: Images, Work samples
Whole Kids Foundation-Lettuce Grow Program
Grade-Level: PreK-5th Activity Title: Lettuce Grow Farm Stand Subject: Gardening Teacher(s): Thompson, Wright, Bankins, West, Mitchell, Hunter, Thomas, Scott When: 9/2020- Current Number of Students: 180 Description: Lettuce Grow Program to install indoor farm stand hydroponics system. Documentation: Images, Emails
Baltimore City Public Schools- Great Kids Farm
Grade-Level: PreK-5th Activity Title: Great Kids Farm Partnership Subject: Gardening Teacher(s): Thompson When: 6/2020-Current Number of Students: 250 Description: Great Kids Farm Curriculum Writing, Growing Kits & Name the Chicken Event Documentation: Images, Emails, Work Samples
School Year 2018-2019 & Prior
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Grant
Grade-Level: All levels Activity Title: Chesapeake Bay Foundation Mini Grant Subject: North Bay Trip and Outdoor Classroom Garden Teacher(s): Thompson When: November 30, 2018 Number of Students: 565 Description: Members of the student Green Team worked endlessly to establish an outdoor mini curriculum and learning center for our school community. Students gained experiences from their NorthBay Adventure trips and applied them to the creation of this curriculum. Students used partnerships within the school community to clear, clean and plant new species in an outdoor learning area. Students also created age-appropriate lessons to teach younger students in a new addition to our "Green Days" event.
Baltimore Energy Challenge Grant- BCF
Grade-Level: All levels Activity Title: Baltimore Energy Challenge and Americorps Subject: Environmental Education Lessons and STEAM Fair Projects Teacher(s): Thompson When: February 1, 2019 Number of Students: 565 Description: With funding from the Baltimore Energy Challenge we were able to incorporate energy lessons into our events this school year. We were able to replace light bulbs, do energy audits and run programs to reduce energy use. With the support of the AmeriCorps team, we were given additional resources in the classroom to plan and implement STEAM fair projects.
Green Healthy Smart Challenge Grant-BCF
Grade-Level : All levels Activity Title: Green Healthy Smart Grant Subject: Environmental Education Lessons and Outdoor Garden Classroom Teacher(s): Thompson When : January 10, 2019 Number of Students: 565 Description: The Green Healthy Smart Challenge grant has funded our projects for over four years. The most current are documented on this site, and an important one will be coming this spring in the form of an outdoor garden. The funds provided the resources to establish our outdoor garden curriculum and learning space. By clearing an already established area and installing new structures, we formed a classroom for students to learn about photosynthesis, pollination and native species. We used this area to facilitate major celebration events and had a sign up sheet for teachers to use the area as they wished. We also scheduled teachers to receive lessons in the garden and assigned mentor students to help incorporate new environmental topics into current curriculum.
Phillips Wharf Partnership
Grade-Level: All Grade Levels Activity Title: Fishmobile, Phillips Wharf Education Center Subject: Chesapeake Bay Diversity, Oyster Restoration Teacher(s): Thompson, Yorkshire When: September 14, 2017, September 28, 2017 Number of Students: 565, 120 Description: All 7th and 8th grade students took a trip to Phillips Wharf Education Center on Tilghman Island, Maryland. During the visits, the students created an action plan for introducing more oysters into the bay. This included a visit by a local environmentalist who allowed students the opportunity to sign up for a summer internship. Not only did the students learn the science behind oyster anatomy, they also learned about introducing more prey items back into the Chesapeake Bay Food Web. And before the trip itself, CBF's Fishmobile came to Arlington. This event allowed all students hands-on experience with different marine animals that are vital to the health of the bay. Both events were thoroughly enjoyable for the students and extremely eye opening to why we do ALL our other programs. Objective: the healthier we keep our micro environments, the healthier it keeps our macro environments. Objective achieved.
School is Active in the Community
School Year 2018-2019 & Prior
Zoo Service Learning Project
Grade-Level: 7th and 8th Activity Title: Searching for Compostables Subject: Nutrition, Composting, STEM Careers Teacher(s): Yorkshire, Tutt, Thomas, Pennie When: May 11, 2018 Number of Students: 120 Description: All 7th and 8th grade students participated in a service learning project at the Baltimore Zoo. During this project students helped to create a scavenger hunt focused on careers around the zoo. The students also participated in a composting program that helped create meals from left over park food for the animals. Students were able to use their engineering skills to create composting bins, collect food scraps from different areas of the zoo and to design an implementation plan for the zoo to use. This project not only changed the way the students thought about nutrition, but it also put into motion a new initiative that the Zoo uses currently.
Baltimore Beyond Plastic
Grade-Level: 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Activity Title: Styrofoam Advocacy Team Subject: Solid Waste Partnership Teacher(s): Thompson When: 2016, 2017 and 2018 Number of Students: 38 Description: Over a three year span Baltimore City advocates wanted to removed Styrofoam from the city. Baltimore City Public Schools was a huge consumer of these materials and joined the fight against Styrofoam. Students traveled from Baltimore City to Annapolis, MD during the first two years to advocate at the state level. The third year the students headed to City Hall to speak out against Styrofoam use. Green Leader, Melissa Thompson, even gave a financial presentation to City Council members on the expense requirements of using Styrofoam continually over the next 10-year period. The vote continued and the students worked hard to ensure an alternative was found. The Green Team is excited to announce that this year (2018-2019) Arlington Elementary/Middle School no longer uses Styrofoam in the cafeteria and is still on the mission of helping the city remove its use entirely.
University of Maryland- Master Gardeners
Grade-Level: 7th and 8th Grade Activity Title: Master Gardeners Indoor Composting- Modeling Session Subject: Indoor Composting Teacher(s): Thompson, Yorkshire, Tutt, Pennie When: November 30, 2017 Number of Students: 120 Description: Members of the Master Gardeners program came to Arlington to model how to teach vermicomposting to our 7th and 8th grade students. This lesson incorporated multiple aspects of environmental science and engineering. Students began by understanding the food chain and food web relationship of worms. They continued by understanding the species we would be working with. Next the students read and learned about the important requirements for composting before starting the project. The students then built the composting boxes with the help of the instructors. Finally the students put the worms into the boxes and maintained the composting elements for months to come. This lesson was first modeled by the Master Gardeners and then facilitated by the General Educator after the initial modeling session. This was important for future years to come as it allowed the teacher to continue with the lessons without the presence of the Master Gardeners.
Blue Water Baltimore- Drain Painting
Grade-Level: 7th and 8th Grade Activity Title: Blue Water Baltimore Drain Painting Subject: Drain Painting Teacher(s): Thompson, Yorkshire, Tutt, Pennie When: October 24, 2018 Number of Students: 120 Description: Members of the Blue Water Baltimore program came to Arlington to model how to teach Storm Drain painting techniques to our 7th and 8th grade students. This lesson incorporated multiple aspects of environmental science and the arts. Students began by understanding the food chain and food web relationship of Chesapeake Bay. They continued by understanding the species that would be affected by reducing waste that goes into the bay. Next the students read and learned about the important requirements for recycling before starting the project. The students then went outside and painted the drains with the help of the facilitator. Finally the students wrote reflections on how their actions can help the community and included how it affected them personally. This lesson was first modeled by Blue Water Baltimore and then facilitated by the General Educator after the initial modeling session. This was important for future years to come as it allowed the teacher to continue with the lessons without the presence of the Blue Water Baltimore.