Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Wonderful Weeds: What's Growing in the Garden and When? Weed ID for Schools



"
What is a weed?"  "What's this? Shall I pull it out?"

Here is an 18-page photo guide to help identify the top 30+ most frequently weeds in schoolyard gardens, and some thoughts on best management practices.
Download, laminate and use this photo guide for outdoor learning classes!


Downloadable at Weed Identification for Schools 2014 from Mary Van Dyke



And if you are interested to find out more on weed science and management, check out the new free digital iBook Principles of Weed Ecology and Management by Bruce Ackley and Alyssa of Ohio State University (336 pages for version 1.0,  December 2014).
Downloadable from:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/principles-weed-ecology-management/id953632085?mt=11




Thursday, December 11, 2014

UL Innovative Education Awards for Non-Profits in US and Canada - apply now!


THE UL INNOVATIVE EDUCATION AWARD IS GRANTING $250,000 TO NONPROFITS. HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!
Dear NAAEE (North American Association for Environmental Education) Members:

If you attended our annual conference this year, you may have heard about NAAEE’s exciting new collaboration with Underwriters Laboratories (UL, the global safety science leader), the UL Innovative Education Award! The program, open now for submissions, supports the development of our future leaders by awarding nonprofits for their work in environmental and STEM education for children.

This is a first-of its-kind opportunity and a total of $250,000 will be awarded in addition to professional mentorship opportunities and more! But to find the most deserving organizations, we have to let them know that this opportunity exists. 

We need your help to spread the word about the program far and wide!  If you are involved with or know of an educational nonprofit that fits within the guidelines below, please let them know! By driving interest and enthusiasm for the award, you can help support the great work of non-profits across the U.S. and Canada as well as elevate the visibility of environmental education as a driver of STEM and curiosity.

Award Overview
The UL Innovative Education Award aims to recognize and support the critical work of U.S. and Canadian nonprofits that embrace E-STEM to inspire school-aged children to be the next generation of game-changing scientists, business leaders, researchers, inventors, and engineers.   The program supports E-STEM work with school-aged children (K-12) that is:
  • Advancing STEM learning through research and investigation
  • Promoting social responsibility and citizenship
  • Tackling environmental problems

Recognition Grants and Support
One $100,000 grant, two $50,000 grants, and two $25,000 grants will be awarded in the final program. In addition to recognition grants, UL employees, including science, engineering and technical experts, will work directly with the selected organizations to provide expertise, resources, and volunteer hours to help further their efforts in E-STEM education.  

Eligibility
Participants must:
  • Be a US 501c3 not-for-profit corporation or be registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as a non-profit organization (NPO) or be a program run by a US 501c3 not-for-profit corporation or Canadian equivalent NPO.  
  • Utilize E-STEM principles in innovative ways to teach school-aged (K-12) children in the US or Canada
  • Have an organization or program operating budget no greater than $2 million.

The UL Innovative Education Award website address is: http://naaee.org/ulinnovativeeducation. Pass it on today!

Please feel free to contact me directly with additional questions. Furthermore, if you would like to join the mailing list for the UL Innovative Education Award, you can sign up here: http://ulinnovationeducation.naaee.net/mailinglist

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely,
Christiane Maertens
Deputy Director
North American Association for Environmental Education
Christiane.Maertens@gmail.com

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Birds and Maps: How about using YardMap as a SchoolMap?


YardMap screenshot

YardMap is a new citizen science project NSF funded through Cornell Lab of Ornithology to help map habitat for birds in the environment.
  • Use the YardMap tool to map habitat for birds in your home yard.
  • Then use YardMap to map habitat for birds in your school or a park?




At Jamestown Elementary School, Arlington, the school's "Green Team" club and Ms Payack's Second Grade class have made a bird feeder station.

The Second Grade class follows neotropical migrating birds and connects with a school in Nicaragua through the Smithsonian's Bridging the Americas. Bridging the Americas/Unidos por Las Aves is a year-long project that enhances both cultural and environmental awareness for schools in MD and VA, NH and VT through partnership with schools in Latin America.

It may be that these students and others can use this YardMap tool to map and analyze their schoolyard bird habitat - both in the courtyard and also in the playground and surrounding meadow and forest areas?

Details at http://content.yardmap.org/


Saturday, November 22, 2014

Growing Outdoor Learning and Sustainability at Your School?

Are you trying to grow outdoor learning and sustainability in your school community?
Here's a presentation I gave a couple of weeks ago to the Jamestown Elementary School PTA on Growing Outdoor Learning and Sustainability at the school. 


We discussed our school community, vision, goals, wishlists, budget and funding sources - and several of the many environmental education and sustainability programs and projects for 2014 - 2015.




I am working part-time as "Visiting Horticulturalist" at the school and help to coordinate and facilitate outdoor learning. I appreciated this opportunity to meet with the PTA and discuss vision, goals and funding for the next year.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Registration Open: Middle School Students for Sustainability Conference (S4S) for January 26 2015


Students for Sustainability Conference (S4S)
Monday, January 26, 2015
8:45 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School
Upper School Campus
Alexandria, Virginia  22304


Middle school students are invited to join us for this educational, fun, and rewarding experience at the seventh annual Students for Sustainability Conference (S4S)! Bring a “green delegation” to be part of this exciting day of learning, discussion, and planning for environmental sustainability in your school and community. We encourage sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students who are passionate about the environment to attend, along with their faculty chaperones. Each year, hundreds of students gather for this special day. We welcome students from Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia schools to lend their energy and enthusiasm to this special day and take home new knowledge and inspiration! 
Keynote Speaker
Our 2015 conference 
speaker is Ian Cheney, an Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker. His films and collaborations include "King Corn," "Big River," "The Greening of Southie," "Truck Farm," "The City Dark," and "The Search for General Tso." Mr. Cheney grew up in New England and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, where he was a co-founder of the Yale Sustainable Food Project. In 2011 he and longtime collaborator Curt Ellis were awarded the Heinz Award for using humor and innovative programming to engage people about sustainable food. He is currently a Knight fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Green Activity Zones
After the keynote, students will participate in "activity zones" where hands-on learningand sustainability merge. Activities will range from building a windmill to creating art from recycled technology items. S4S needs creative faculty leaders to design and run the activity centers to make the day a success for our students. Please see the conference website for details and to register to run a session. 
An interactive Green Forum after lunch will give students the chance to weigh in on environmental issues and compete for prizes in a match of “green” knowledge.
REGISTER TODAY at www.s4sconference.org. Cost is $25 per student or faculty member. Public school groups, please contact Brian Kane for registration details.
History
S4S was originated by St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School in 2008 as part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability. Each year, hundreds of students from regional schools attend the only student-focused conference on sustainability in our region. Local and national leaders have lent past support to S4S, including former Vice President Al Gore, Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Congressman Jim Moran, Alexandria Mayor William Euille, and EPA administrator Gina McCarthy. S4S has been highlighted by The Washington Post, Alexandria Gazette-Packet, Alexandria Times, Washington, D.C. television news stations, Green Schools Alliance, Virginia Living magazine, National Association of Independent Schools, and Independent Education.
Questions? Please contact Brian Kane, SSSAS Director of Environmental Stewardship, at bkane@sssas.org or (703) 212-2912. For more information about St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School, please visit www.sssas.org.

Friday, November 14, 2014

A Big STEM Project for 3 - 4 Year Olds and Up: Build Your Own Sandbox


Our vision is to make a sandbox for the kids. But what if perhaps we make the sandbox with the kids? After a one-minute conversation with teacher, aide and myself we decide to assemble the sandbox with the kids.
The result: I enjoy a wonderful afternoon building a sandbox with seventeen 3-4 year olds in the Montessori Program at Jamestown Elementary School.

The students do a great job. This is STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and project and place-based learning at its best.
  • Let's have a go. We sit in a circle around the big box labeled "sandbox" and open it....  
  •  It's exciting! Let's see what's inside. What do we do?
  • We do lots of math. (The pieces are numbered.  How many corner pieces? How many side pieces? How many screws do we have?  And so on)
  • The students follow diagram directions
  • Everyone has a go and we use tools like Allen key, screwdriver and a hammer
  • We learn teamwork
This "Build Your Own Sandbox" is a great STEM project for tots and adults.

To do your "Build Your Own Sandbox" project you need:
People: Two to three adults and up to 16 kids (3- 4 years old - or older) optimum
Time to assemble: One hour
Time to fill: One hour - plus play time!
Sandbox Kit: We use a KidKraft Sandbox, 5 foot square, (cost about $150 from Amazon.com). Cost of sand, pebbles and earth not included.
Tools needed: An Allen key is in the box. You might like to have an extra Allen key(s) so kids can share, and a hammer, a few old nails, and screwdrivers (flat and Philips) just in case you need them.


Next week:  We'll put the sandbox outside in a quiet place in the playground, and fill it with sand, pebbles and earth for digging.

Thanks to staff Rachel Kipperman and Margaret MacLaughlin at Jamestown Elementary school for facilitating this project with students in the Montessori Program.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Happy 4th Birthday to "How to SMILE" and Celebrating Their Free STEM Lessons

Looking for something STEM to do with kids?

Check out www.howtosmile.org for 1000's of STEM lessons - a collection built up over the last four years.

On your phone too...
Looking for something STEM and active?

...To promote hundreds of STEM activities that get learners moving, Howtosmile.org has partnered with the Let's Move! Museums & Gardens initiative of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services."

"Howtosmile.org celebrates its 4th anniversary this month! Launched in 2010 at the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) annual conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, SMILE has grown to nearly 4,000 STEM activities from more than 150 source institutions, in 28 languages.... 
Photo: Project directors Darrell Porcello and Sherry Hsi were all smiles at their first NSDL conference after SMILE was funded.

....Howtosmile.org has been honored as an ALA Great Website for Kids, AASL Best Website for Teaching and Learning, and Homeschool.com top educational website. Initially funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), SMILE has been a broad collaborative effort from its inception. Founding partners included Children's Museum of Houston, Exploratorium, New York Hall of Science, Science Museum of Minnesota, Lawrence Hall of Science, ASTC and the National Science Digital Library."

Reposted from: http://www.howtosmile.org/blog/posts/smile-turns-4-0

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Numbers in Nature at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry







In Chicago with kids? Then take time to check out the Numbers in Nature exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry.

"Your kids will never look at the world around them the same way after seeing the stunning new exhibit Numbers in Nature at the Museum of Science & Industry. This new permanent exhibit aims to make math fun and relevant for kids by illustrating how mathematical concepts are all around us in our everyday lives."

More at

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Seeing Math Patterns in Nature - For Kids of All Ages

Here's a preview of my presentation for a workshop on Seeing Math Patterns in Nature for the National Science Teachers' Association, NSTA Conference in Richmond, VA, 16 - 18 October.  This is timely, as the October 2014 issue of the NSTAs Science and Children e-Journal is on "Patterns" too.

In my workshop, we'll take a look at plant growing patterns that you see in pinecones, pineapples, sunflowers and other plants that are easy to find in your garden, schoolyard and grocery store - and we check out Fibonacci and non-Fibonacci sequences.

Here's my powerpoint:



Seeing Math Patterns in Nature from MaryVanDyke

As Vi Hart might say,  "Are you still feeling spirally today?"
If so, give yourself 20 minutes and check out her YouTubes:
Doodling in Math: Spirals, Fibonacci, and Being a Plant Part 1: http://youtu.be/ahXIMUkSXX0

Part 2: http://youtu.be/lOIP_Z_-0Hs
Part 3: http://youtu.be/14-NdQwKz9w

And also spend a minute or two playing with Wolfram Mathematica's interactive models.
My favorites are:

Fibonacci Tree by Sandor Kabal

3D Spirals by Stephen Wolfram

On the Fundamental Theory of Phyllotaxis by Dmitry Weise


Enjoy the math.
It's as easy as one plus one...and then some.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Count Your Sunflower Spirals - and Fibonacci and Lucas Sequences

I'm continuing research for a presentation on Seeing Math Patterns in Nature - and I am looking at growth patterns in sunflowers and other plants.

Sunflower - photo by Mary Van Dyke
Current estimates are that 90% of plants follow the Fibonacci sequence: (1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89... ) for optimum flow of auxin, the plant growth hormone, and evolutionary adaptation to maximize efficiency in packing seeds.

Here's Ron Knott's diagram of a 1000 seedhead sunflower with 89 and 55 spirals at the perimeter:



Some plant species, such as sunflowers, can follow both the Fibonacci and other sequences such as the Lucas sequence (1, 2 3 4 7 11...) - and other permutations of series too.

A big global citizen science experiment to study sunflowers and count their spirals has been running since 2012 in honor of mathematician Alan Turing's "enigma code breaker's" 100th anniversary of his birth - and the discovery of his unfinished work on the math of sunflowers.
See Turingsunflowers.com.




In 2012 people around the world planted sunflowers and counted their spirals - here's how from the Geeky Gardener - Anna Evangeli.


Fibonacci V Lucas: spot your sunflower's spiral › Science Features (ABC Science)

From the initial big data experiment of Turing's Sunflower Project - results came from 557 sunflowers from 7 countries as follows:
  • Fibonacci spiral sunflowers - 458
  • Lucas spiral sunflowers - 33
  • Double Fibonacci sequence numbers sunflowers - 26
  • Other spiral numbers - a small number of sunflowers with no apparent Fibonacci or Lucas number patterns
How about counting the spirals of the sunflower seedheads you planted in your garden this year?
Or do you plan to plant some sunflowers to count next year?


Collecting Sunflower Seeds - photo by Mary Van Dyke


Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Infographics - Talking Pictures

A picture speaks a thousand words, and catches your attention and appreciation.

Wow your class with this fluttering butterflies infographic by Eleanor Lutz at Tabletop Whale.

http://tabletopwhale.com/2014/08/27/42-butterflies-of-north-america.html


Perhaps your students could also draw a couple of butterflies and animate them using simple gif-techniques?

Tabletop Whale publishes new infographics with science theme every two or three weeks. Check back frequently - or sign up to receive them.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Learning from Nature - Generative Design and Structural Tessellations

I am researching for my upcoming workshop on Fibonacci and Seeing Math Patterns in Nature.
I have been looking at sunflower, pinecone and branching patterns and the difference to hexagonal close-packing patterns such as in honeycombs and wasp nests.

In my google research I came across a fun blog from product designer Markus Kittner talking about "generative design and learning from nature" - and "structural tessellations and morphologies".

In the case of the Fibonacci sequence that we see in some growth patterns in nature we have a very simple input operation, that starts with the number one and simply is adding the previous number to it: i.e. the Fibonacci sequence is 1, 1+0 = 1, 1+1 = 2, 1+2 = 3, 2+3 = 5, 3+5 = 8, etc.

See more about generative design here:
http://74fdc.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/generative-design-learning-from-nature/


Find out more about the structure and economy of hexagonal honeycomb packing:

http://74fdc.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/structural-tessellations-and-morphologies/


Generative design and structural tessellations - such as seen in sunflowers, pinecones, branching patterns, and wasp nests and honeycombs, are fun applied math and design topics to explore with students K-12 both in the indoor and outdoor classroom.



Friday, August 15, 2014

Earth Force Next Steps Institute Professional Development Program in DC includes Agriculture and STEM Pathway

See http://www.earthforce.org/NSI for details of this Earth Force professional development program: Next Steps Institute, NSI, for teachers in STEM education.

Are you interested in agriscience, food and sustainability?
One of the pathways you can choose at this year's NSI is Harnessing the Power of Agriculture with STEM.


The Next Steps Institute (NSI), powered by Earth Force, is the premier professional development program that promotes hands-on, minds-on learning in STEM education. Organized by pathways that take participants on an engaging journey into critical STEM learning arenas, the Institute offers the depth and breadth of content needed to enhance effectiveness in action and advocacy around STEM.
NSI offers participants:
• Inquiry-based professional development at an affordable cost;
• Tools for effective materials management; and
• Strategies for promotion of 21st century STEM skills using an educational partnership model.

2014 Next Steps Institute: Integrating STEM Learning in Communities
Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center
3800 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC 20007
Sept. 22-23, 2014
Registration closes September 16, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Rooms are available for $149/night. Click here to reserve your room.

   Cost:
Individual - $360
Team of 3 or more people - $330 per person




NSI_website


See http://www.earthforce.org/NSI for further details of all the pathways.
Here below is the promo for the one focused on Agriculture and STEM. 

  • Harnessing the Power of Agriculture with STEM
Building an educated workforce with the skills and expertise necessary to sustain the world’s growing population is at the core of this pathway. Responsible for our food, water, shelter, and energy, agriscience provides a compelling and relevant context to address current issues and events on global and local scales. This pathway, facilitated by faculty from Murray State University and DelCastle Technical High School, takes an issues-based approach to understanding the ways agriscience deepens student understanding of STEM content using relevant, real-world examples.
Come share and generate best practices in teaching and learning that excite students and demonstrate the relevance of agriscience now and in the future. Problem-solving and inquiry-based activities provide a structure for learning crucial content, including: biofuels, crop management, biodiversity, conservation, nutrition, and genetics. 

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Nature: Observation, Drawing and Painting

Tiger Swallowtail - watercolor by Maya
My daughter came back from wildlife study camp today - with beautiful watercolors of butterflies she had caught and studied.  At first, she thought of making a booklet of the butterflies, but tomorrow she tells me she is going to make a mobile.

I'll post more pictures when her project is done.  It reminds of the beauty of taking time to slow down, to study and draw in the summer.

Also see the blog piece "Keen Observation" from the Junior Master Gardener's website contributor David Cain on observation and nature/plant journaling.  Maybe like you, I will be inspired, to make time and to get out some paper, the paint box and sharpen my pencils, and put the camera away for a day or two - and get outside and observe and draw!



July Flowers





These are the flowers I picked from my garden that look beautiful today.


July Flowers
All except one of these flowers are species native to our Chesapeake region or are cultivars from natives.  Being ‘native’ means these plant species co-evolved in this region to thrive with the geology, soils, climate and wildlife. While I am picking these flowers I notice bees, butterflies, moths and other pollinators feeding on the plants’ nectar and pollen and eating their leaves.
Click for links:
Liatris spicata
Blazing Star – Liatris spicata
Plant Liatris for its vertical emphasis and the accent of the purple starburst flower stems. Liatristhrives in sun or part-shade and is very drought tolerant once established. The flowers attract many beneficial insects and a range of pollinators including hummingbirds.  The seedheads feed our songbirds.






Pink and White Phlox
Pink and White Summer Phlox – Phlox paniculata
Summer or Garden Phlox
Phlox paniculata
Phloxes likes a moist site and can tolerate sun or part-shade, and is one of the few plants that will grow under black walnuts. Phlox has a long flowering season from mid-July to September, and the aromatic scent is more noticeable in the evenings. The pink or white flowers spotlight a shady area in the garden.  The white flowers are visible at night, and the phlox is pollinated by night-flying moths in addition to day-time butterflies, other insects and hummingbirds. Phlox is very prone to mildew on the leaves and there are many cultivars that have been bred for different colors and characteristics such as mildew resistance.  I enjoy Phlox both in the garden and in the vase.
Buttonbush
Buttonbush – Cephalanthus occidentalis
 Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
The creamy-white spherical flowers of buttonbush are adapted to optimize their surface area for  pollinators: and this is a wonderful bush to attract pollinators to your garden: bees, moths, flies, and hummingbirds. The flower scent is a light-honey, and I like the glossy leaves and arching branches.  Buttonbush grows as a native alongside the Potomac River. If you hike to Great Falls on the Maryland side, you will see Buttonbushes growing between the rocks and cascades. You can also see a tree-form of the Buttonbush at Arlington’s Long Branch Nature Center.  Buttonbush is a great choice for a moist site in your yard or a raingarden where there is space.  With ideal conditions it can grow into a small tree (6-12+ feet high).  Buttonbush can tolerate drought and also occasional flooding. In my yard I planted the buttonbush in the sun so it flowers profusely, and where it gets occasionally flooded by rain from a downspout. I enjoy watching butterflies, bees, flies and other insects feed on nectar and pollen.
See the Fairfax Island Creekes School website for more details of the ecology of Buttonbush.
Brown-Eyed Susan
Brown-Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia triloba
I notice that this Brown-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia triloba, plant prefers damper and a more shady locations than the extreme heat and drought tolerant Black-Eyed Susan (see below). The small flowers of Rudbeckia triloba and tall branching habit are pretty in the garden where it self-sows freely.  Rudbeckia triloba mingles well with other Rudbeckia: Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida andRudbeckia hirta.




Black-Eyed Susan
Black-Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia fulgida

Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia fulgida
This is the yellow and black flower you see “everywhere” in the DC metro area landscape in the summer. There are many cultivars of the native species.  The cultivar shown here is Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm. Rudbeckia fulgidais very tolerant of sun, heat, humidity and disliked by deer.  So it is adapted well to our urban street conditions such as sunny roundabouts, medians – and yards. You might  be lucky to see Black-Eyed Susan on a hike in a open-forest or meadow too
Anise Hyssop
Anise Hyssop – Agastache foeniculum
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Anise Hyssop is drought, deer tolerant and from the mint family (the plant has a square-stem).  The fragrant leaves are easy to pick and make one of my favorite flavorful herbal teas.  Flowers are very attractive to bees and hummingbirds too.  It spreads freely by self-sowing. You may have seedlings to give to plant sales and neighbors!


  


Coneflower


Purple Coneflower
Echinacea pupurea
This flower’s Latin name Echinacea comes from the Greek word for hedgehog, and the cone-like seedhead and flower center may remind you of a prickly hedgehog! Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, is non-native to the Chesapeake region, and is native to the southeastern United States: moist prairies, meadows and open woods.


Purple Coneflower – 
Echinacea pupurea

The plant is very tolerant of drought, heat and humidity and poor soil; and grows very well in our urban environment. Have you tried Echinacea medications to help get over a cold? Echinacea is one of the most popular herbal remedies in North America, and you could see if it works for you. Here’s some research from the University of Maryland Medical Center about Echinacea and whether or not the plant is an effective medication.  If you leave the seedheads on the plant after they flower you will find goldfinches feeding on the seeds all winter long.
Mary Van Dyke is the Community Leader Program Coordinator for the Plant NoVA Natives campaign with the goal of encouraging Northern Virginia residents to plant more of our region’s native plants.
For June Flowers see  The Language of Flowers.
Look out for next month’s TMI Living blog on flowers to pick in Northern Virginia in August.

Contributor: Mary Van Dyke
Reposted from the TMI Living - It's a Lifestyle blog, July 22, 2014