Environmental Education for School Groups

Pennsylvania Farm Day • Outdoor Garden Classroom

 

The Macoskey Center embraces opportunities to partner with local schools to help students better understand our world and how everyone can practice the principles of sustainability.

 

 

 

 

 

"Where does your food come from?"

To help promote the answer to this question, the Macoskey Center presents Pennsylvania Farm Day (formerly 'Cows on Campus').  Different campus and community groups come together to bring elementary aged children to Slippery Rock to have a "real" farm experience. Various outside displays present dairy cows, chickens, sheep and goats.  Other educational displays are available for kids to learn how to milk a cow, meet the local dairy princess, learn more about nutrition and overall have a day of fun "down on the farm".

 

Project Objectives

Develop understanding in elementary students about local food systems / where food comes from

Freak out SRU with live cows in the quad

Provide opportunities for SRU students to get involved in teaching and planning of an Environmental Education event

Address PA Environment and Ecology standards

• Know the importance of agriculture to humans

• Identify the role of the sciences in PA agriculture

• Know that food and fiber originate form plants and animals

• Identify the biological requirements of humans

• Environmental conditions influence where and how people live

• Explain how human activities may change the environment

 

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Outdoor Garden Classroom

 

Began in 2001 as a partnership between:

Slippery Rock Area Elementary School (Jill Takach) and

Macoskey Center (Christine Glenn and Thomas Reynolds)

 

with financial support by :

PA Department of Environmental Protection

Safari Club International

Macoskey Center

The ALTER Project

Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts

Local Businesses

 

Project Objectives

• Increase student interaction with natural systems

• at different levels (design, manipulation, observation)

• at different scales (macro, micro, temporal)

• Assist teachers in addressing the new Environment and Ecology standards

• Develop a living laboratory for different curriculum agendas, facilitating the “All education is environmental education.” paradigm

• Enhance the relationship between SRU and SRAES and provide opportunities for vertical learning

 

 

 

Students have participated in design sessions with teachers, parents, administrators, and the RAMC to brainstorm ideas for garden developments.

 

 

 

 

Students have participated in preparing the soil and planting seeds and plants in garden beds, as well as harvesting elements for “art” projects.

 

 

 

 

 

Students have had classroom instruction in a variety of areas including: Butterfly Life Cycles and Anatomy, Native Plant Habitat, and Ecological Garden Design.

 

 

 

 

 

Students have used the garden as inspiration for art projects, some of which are displayed in the OGC.

 

 

 

 

Project Assessment           

• Teachers feel the OGC visually enhances the school (85%)

• Teachers feel their students are interested in having class in the OGC. (77%)

• Teachers are using the OGC for teaching non-RAMC influenced curriculum.

• Teachers are very interested in additional lesson plans and/or more lessons conducted by third parties relating to the OGC.

 

If you are interested in developing an Outdoor Garden Classroom at your school or organization, please contact the Macoskey Center (724) 738 - 4050 or macoskey.center@sru.edu