Student Service Learning (SSL)

SSL Links:

http://www.servicelearning.org/
http://www.mssa.sailorsite.net/home.html

SSL in the 7th grade

The SSL requirement in 7th grade is found in Life Science and Language Arts.  Since ECOLOGY is a major topic in Life Science in 7th grade, SSL projects that focus on improving the schoolyard habitat lend themselves nicely to meeting both curricular and SSL goals.  While the planning and implementing of the program is usually done in science, language arts teachers play an important role in guiding student research before the planning stages and then again during the reflection stage when the action piece has been completed. Three components -- planning, action and reflection -- are necessary to meet the SSL requirement for 7th grade.

School Yard Habitat (SYH)

What is a schoolyard habitat?

A schoolyard habitat is a diverse landscape, including wetlands, forests and meadows that offers so much more than the typical barren, blacktopped school grounds.  The habitat provides opportunity for formal and informal learning.  Students involved in the planning, implementing and study of habitat will build skills in all disciplines.  Research has shown that students involved in these types of projects have less discipline problems, a greater sense of community and improved academic achievement (see State Education and Environment Roundtable Executive Report at http://www.seer.org).

Working on upgrading habitat on schoolyards provides many benefits. Given the large parcels of land on which schools are found, decreasing the amount of impervious surfaces and increasing the buffer zones can greatly improve water quality in our local waterways. Doing so with habitat improvement in mind greatly increases the positive impact local schools have on our natural resources.  By allowing students the opportunity to turn their school grounds into a living laboratory, we offer them the chance to learn about best practices and the impact that individuals and groups can have on improving the world around them.  This allows them to imagine a different future in which they see themselves as part of nature as opposed to something they observe from the outside or that must be “controlled”. 

SYH Links:

• http://www.ecoschools.com/Wildlife/Wildlife_wSidebar.html - Resources for Schoolyard Wildlife Habitats from around the world
• http://www.bayjournal.com/article.cfm?article=1096 “Students, teachers going wild over Schoolyard habitats” Bay Journal article.
• www.chesapeakebaytrust.org  Easy to write grants. These folks love grants written by kids!
• www.maeoe.org  Environmental education information specific to Maryland.