These projects are all about affecting the environment in a positive way. Many of these projects will include the restoration of indigenous species, the clean up of local landmarks, and promoting more environmentally friendly practices in the school and local community.
Projects are listed alphabetically by title.
Adopt a Park by Mary Wade in Prince George’s County. Created for elementary school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: English, Math, Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: English, Math, Science
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: This ongoing project was the idea of our 5th grade GOLD (Generating Outstanding Leadership Development) students who were asked to select and implement an environmental project with a committee of six 4th and 5th grade students. They selected Pop’s Park because it is located within a block of the school, making it easy for the students to maintain and because it was a way of getting involved in the local government.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Being surrounded by water living on the Eastern Shore, we recognized the need to keep our coastal areas clean. Assateague Island State Park in Berlin, MD, works with many middle and elementary schools to provide environmental educational programs. These projects meet growing environmental needs in our area as well as provide opportunities for students to gain service learning hours. Students become aware of environmental problems by conducting research about marine ecology, pollution in our coastal areas, and ways to stop pollution and encourage more recycling.
Primary Subjects: Science, Social Studies, Math, English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, Social Studies, Math, English
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: The project began with visits to Assateague State park to assess the park’s needs which could be met by our students. Next, throughout the year, Assateague State Park met with our students to help teach them about the diverse biology of the park, which related to several science standards. And finally, we completed public relation projects for the park in the form of posters and bulletins boards and visited the park to help with a clean-up project.
Bay Grasses in Classes by Linn Griffiths in Harford County. Created for C. Milton Wright. Sherry Unger winner.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Biology and Environmental Science students grow wild celery in their classroom for transplant into a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Students take turns monitoring and testing the growing grasses after completing preparation activities on the Chesapeake Bay's health problems, and possible solutions.
The Bayscape Garden by Pamela Pennington-Schau in Charles County. Created for middle school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: The purpose of the project was to correct an erosion problem on the banks of a wetland that previous 7th grade students had constructed, and provide a better habitat for wildlife. Bayscaping is a gardening method considered to be environmentally friendly due to the use of native plants. Native plants need little or no watering, fertilizing, and pesticides, yet provide food and shelter for diverse a population.
Bluebird Train by Stephen Fletcher in Anne Arundel County. Created for middle school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Students created a Bluebird Train and engaged in a landscaping workshop. We established a sense of pride in our schoolyard that if nurtured, could endure for years to come as well as improved the habitat for Bluebirds.
Bluebird Restoration by Marjorie Watson in Charles County. Created for middle school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: As students study the factors that have an environmental impact on an ecosystem, they will research and develop a plan of action to restore the population of a native species that has been diminished in the local area.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: The "Bringing Back the Eastern Oyster" was a restoration effort to enhance the near decimated Chesapeake Bay oyster bars, with particular emphasis on the Patuxent River region. Students assisted staff scientists in creating oyster habitat and in releasing healthy oyster larvae onto designated oyster bars in the Patuxent River.
Camp Todd by Caroline County. Created for high school. 2009 Annual Convening of Service-Learning Leaders Unit.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, English
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: All 9th grade students worked on site at Camp Todd, a subsidiary of the Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Coalition. Students worked in groups to help prepare the camp for the upcoming season. Students contributed by painting, scrubbing the facilities, as well as removing debris. The class also conducted water samples and tested for nitrates in the local waterways.
Primary Subjects: Science, Math, Social Studies, English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, Math, Social Studies, English
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: The staff at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center provides support and expertise to complete yearlong environmental service-learning projects as part of Chesapeake Connections with many Anne Arundel middle and elementary schools. The service-learning projects are infused into each school’s curricula and involve using community areas or school grounds for environmental restoration activities.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: The project has been funded each year by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. The students work in groups to brainstorm project options for the area each year. These projects could include: construction of an outdoor classroom; construction of animal habitats (bat and bird houses); construction of steps and retaining walls; sampling and study of fish, water, and plants; compass course construction; and trail construction and maintenance.
Primary Subjects: Science, English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, English
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: I planted a BayScape garden, which is an environmentally friendly landscape utilizing carefully chosen flowering and fruit bearing plants to provide food and shelter to the wildlife, and beauty for the community. Most importantly, since pesticide free, there are no run-off hazards to the environment, wildlife, or bay.
Drive for Supplies by Karen Crawford in Montgomery County. Created for elementary, middle, high school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: Students will engage in a reduce, reuse, recycle project that both benefits the environment and disadvantaged youth. The usable school materials salvaged from the school-wide end of year locker clean out activity are donated to disadvantaged youth.
Earth Day Celebration by Donald Brian Ansel in Dorchester County. Created for middle school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Science, Social Studies, English, Math
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, Social Studies, English, Math
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: During the spring of the 2004-05 school year, North Dorchester Middle School students were studying the history of Earth Day in social studies and learning about our environment in life sciences. As a team, the math and language arts teacher and I decided to incorporate all subject matters into a service-learning project to celebrate Earth Day.
Earth Day Eco-Fair by Candace Desonier in Frederick County. Created for middle school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Science, English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, English
Level of Service: Direct, indirect, advocacy
Project Description: Each spring, as a celebration of Earth Day, I sponsor an all-school Eco-Fair which features 5 or more service-learning projects focused on environmental service, awareness, and beautification of school grounds. Some of the projects have included creating a theme garden area with butterflies, Shakespeare, water gardens and a timber-frame arbor, mosaic garden stones, and ornamental trees. Students have also built birdhouses, bird feeders, created "bird seed recipes," and created a cold frame "mini greenhouse."
Environmental Clean-Up Day by Amy R. Pike and Thelma C. Smith in Montgomery County. Created for middle school. Sherry Unger winner.
Primary Subjects: Scienec
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Students were broken into groups of fifteen 6th and 7th graders with 8th graders as group leaders. The groups were sent to do various tasks on the school grounds. The tasks included picking up all debris and litter and putting it into a dump truck, cleaning two stream beds, weeding and mulching all the flower beds, working in our new school yard habitat (which was built by last year's 6th grade class), cleaning the inner courtyards, planting four trees, storm drain stenciling and painting yellow curb lines. Students worked for three hours and then went in to eat lunch and write their reflection statements for Student Service-Learning Hours.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Approximately 120 students were involved in a project called "Grasses in the Classes" which is sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). The CBF provided our classroom with all of the equipment necessary for this project including the wild celery seeds. Students grew two tubs of wild celery grasses, over 50 plants each. The grasses were transplanted in June into a Tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. The twenty students who monitored the grasses daily attended the transplantation field trip to Piney Run Park.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, Social Studies, Health
Level of Service: Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: As students learn about environmental preservation in science, healthy living in health classes, and advocating for things to improve the community and/or the quality of life in Social Studies classes, students began to express concerns about the lack of ready available fruits and vegetable served at lunch. As a result, students across the district put into action what they learned about all three of these areas by supporting the transformation of the Bragg Nature Center into what we now call the Great Kids Farm. As a result of their efforts, there is now an urban farm which grows, harvest and puts directly into the hands of City Schools’ students fresh fruit and produce during lunch on a daily basis.
Greenhouse Project by Heather Semies in Carroll County. Created for middle and high school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science & S.T.E.M.
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Students were responsible for grant writing, site planning, coordination with Lowe’s, and construction of our school greenhouse. The greenhouse will be used to house our wetland nursery for which we have partnered with the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
Green School Project by Anita Spanos in Anne Arundel County. Created for middle school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Become state certified as a Maryland Green School! This project involves a two-year commitment to holistic, integrated approaches to authentic learning that incorporates local environmental issue investigation, professional development with environmental best management practices, and community stewardship.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Biology students from Parkdale High School in Riverdale, Maryland, spent one week removing trash and debris from a local tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Working together over several hot and humid days in June of 2007, the students managed to haul away about 1000 pounds of trash from a local stream. In addition, to determine the overall health of the stream, students collected water quality data including; pH, temperature and salinity. This hands-on activity was an extension of the ecology unit in the PGCPS Biology Curriculum.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: The Berwyn Heights Elementary School water quality project (2006-present) combines student creation and maintenance of three Chesapeake Bay Trust rain gardens, construction of a rain barrel in our courtyard, and water quality testing of Still Creek and the Chesapeake Bay (NorthBay). Fifth and sixth grade students are currently partnering with a sister school in Italy to compare water test results, strategies and action plans to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and the Bay of Naples.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: The students in Carver's Program of Advanced Challenge and Enrichment (PACE) applied for a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust under the direction of Carver's Instructional Resource Teacher (me). Through this authentic writing activity, the students received funding to stencil "Don't Dump" on the storm drains in the Southampton neighborhood around their school.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Oakville Elementary students and staff created a meadow in April 2006. The entire school was involved in the project and will continue to be involved with the meadow. The students will observe the plants and grasses growing in the meadow. Once the meadow is established it will serve as an extraordinary “outdoor classroom.” Lessons have been and will continue to be conducted based on the meadow.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Students focused on how they could positively impact the ecosystems neighboring our school building. They developed questions to ask an expert guest speaker and read and used information about species native to our region in order to understand the importance of planting them in our environment. The expert demonstrated proper planting techniques and considerations and then students planted native species.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect
Project Description: As students study the abiotic and biotic factors that have an environmental impact on an ecosystem, they will research and develop a plan of action to restore the population of a native species that has been diminished in the local area.
Outdoor School by Carroll County. Created for middle school. 2009 Annual Convening of Service-Learning Leaders Unit.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, Math, Social Studies
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: Students participate in a variety of activities to empower them to become environmentally responsible citizens that value natural systems.
Primary Subjects: Science, Math, English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, Math, English
Level of Service: Advocacy
Project Description: Throughout this unit they learned about the oysters and the current conditions that have impacted the oyster population. Lastly, they developed a plan that allows students to improve the conditions surrounding the oyster population. The students used their classroom knowledge at the Maritime Museum. There they actually worked with the oysters by gathering data on the spats' growth and the water quality of the Miles River. While at the museum, the students took an ecology cruise and a guided tour of the museum to enhance what they had learned in the classroom. After the trip was over, the students created posters, fliers, PowerPoints, etc. to share with the community surrounding St. Michael's.
Oyster Gardening Project by Calvert County. Created for elementary school. 2009 Annual Convening of Service-Learning Leaders Unit.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect
Project Description: Students learn about the role of the oyster in the Chesapeake Bay and how the oyster populations have drastically decreased over time. Students work on monitoring and the maintenance of a local oyster gardening project during a field experience at a site on the Chesapeake Bay.
Protecting Earth’s Resources by Prince George’s County. Created for elementary school. 2009 Annual Convening of Service-Learning Leaders Unit.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: After completing Chapter 10 Guided Activity: How can paper be recycled? Through class discussion, 5th grade students expressed their desire for a new, healthy and safe environment. In response, the students began a recycling campaign at school.
Recycling Drive by Linda Bailey in Calvert County. Created for middle school. Fellows project.
Primary Subjects: Science, English
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, English
Level of Service: Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: In this service-learning activity, students and the teacher were involved in an aluminum can recycling drive. The first period classes held a contest in which the class that brought in the most cans by weight won a juice and doughnut party to recognize and celebrate their success.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct, Advocacy
Project Description: Students learn about environmental problems that affect the Bay and write letters in support of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's education and public awareness programs. Some of the letters also address public awareness of what goes in to the Bay from littering. As part of their course, students work in the outdoor classroom collecting data for the Baltimore Ecosystem Studies and refurbishing the area for underclassmen and elementary students who will visit the school grounds. Students also developed lessons that they will teach to other students about our environmental site and the Bay.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: A class of 7th grade students at Elkridge Landing Middle School engaged in a service-learning reforestation project by planting trees at the Howard County Conservation Property. This project allowed students to apply their knowledge of this unit, reflect on how their actions impact the environment, and boosted their self-esteem because they realized they had made a difference in the world.
Primary Subjects: Horticulture, Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Horticulture, Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Students and teachers visited the Storm Water Management site at Dr. Brown Elementary School. With guidance at this site, the students were supplied with tools, plants, and other materials to complete the project. The students planted a variety of wetland plant species, including those that grow both in and out of the water. Some students worked two days while others worked one day.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Through an after school program, Service-Learning through Environmental Education, St. Michaels Elementary 6th grade students heightened their understanding of the interrelationships between plants, animals, humans, and the environment. Through this program, students helped to build a greater awareness of natural resources and environmental issues in the school and community. Their projects included landscaping at the local fire department; developing brochures about water conservation and energy conservation; developing a school-wide recycling program; planting native plants; making presentations to the community, parents, and students on the importance of wetlands; and developing a school-wide Fun Fair about environmental education.
Primary Subjects: Civics
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Civics
Level of Service: Direct, Indirect, Advocacy
Project Description: Students have worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to "Adopt a Wetland" at HSMC. The area known as Key Swamp is a vital tributary to the St. Mary's River in Southern Maryland. Students work with the educational director and the historical horticulturist at HSMC to improve and maintain the environmental balance of the Key Swamp.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Advocacy
Project Description: The 6th grade students at Northern Middle School learned about the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle as part of the 6th grade science curriculum, ecology unit. During that unit students investigated the waste generated at their school by assessing the contents of the paper recycling bins and comparing the packing content of many items. As a culminating unit each student designed and painted their own reusable shopping bag that were transformed into works of art reflecting the creative images of how the young people are getting excited about environmental issues.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science & S.T.E.M.
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: For the past 18 years, seventh grade students in Calvert County have been assisting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S.F.W.S.) and the Virginia Institute for Marine Sciences in a bay-wide study of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). These underwater grasses play a critical role in the health of the bay as a filter for nutrients and sediment which can be detrimental to the health of the environment.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Indirect
Project Description: Students created reef balls at Environmental Concern’s Wetland Learning Campus. With the help of Environmental Concern’s youth educators, twenty-five sixth graders produced three artificial reef balls for use as habitat in a Chesapeake Bay reef sanctuary.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: The Towser’s Branch project is a multi-year habitat clean-up effort. Students began their project by evaluating Towser’s Branch (a stream on school property) and assessing the health of the stream. Students then planned and executed a stream clean up and storm drain-stenciling project.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Environmental Club, Horticulture
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Through Thorpewood Environmental Center, Carroll County students worked with teachers to establish Chestnut research and have a positive impact on the environment. The groves are being used for various secondary projects; reforestation, riparian stream banks, erosion control, and landscaping.
The Wetlands by Pamela Pennington in Charles County. Created for middle school. Sherry Unger winner.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: John Hanson Middle School was able to carry out Charles County's pilot Community Service-Learning Program in Science through a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust. We received $4,100 to complete a wetland on school property. The project temporarily stores runoff from the back of the school, the front parking lots and athletic fields. The retained runoff will be allowed to recharge ground water and prevent torrents of water from eroding soil. In addition, the wetland will provide a habitat for wildlife to increase diversity and population counts.
Primary Subjects: Science
Maryland Curriculum Indicators for: Science, English, Math, Social Studies
Level of Service: Direct
Project Description: Sudlersville Middle School's students have been erecting, maintaining, and checking wood duck boxes in our area waterways for 9 years. Every year we consistently follow sound ecological practices and then document the results. We have nesting success data for each of the years this project has taken place.