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Townsend Fields Reserve STEM Brain Mapping 

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Townsend Fields Reserve STEM Brain Mapping 

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This Google Slideshow outlines my planning and thinking behind the resource selection and the learning experiences development.  It provides an overview of the Big Ideas, Big Questions as well as curriculum links, achievement objectives, progressions and possible Learning Outcomes.

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Townsend Fields Reserve - STEM Brain Mapping

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Mahinga Kai Field Trip along the Cust River 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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Mahinga Kai Field Trip along the Cust River 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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This is a really neat little video of a group of volunteers identifying the different Mahinga Kai in the Cust River which is part of the Kaiapoi Catchment. It would be great to use this with students as it relates to Aotearoa New Zealand Histories in society, linking the past to the present.

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Mahinga kai field trip along the Cust River

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The link below takes you to a collection of photos that I took.  They feature some of the flora and fauna at Townsend Fields Reserve.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MrubGqjR9Nx6IXMVGPnPemFOvATwC8os?usp=drive_link

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This is an incredibly useful resource which details the Natural History of the Catchment, The Maori History, European History, The Ecology of the catchment, the state of the contributory streams and main waterways as well as how the catchment is managed.

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Figure it Out Maths Resources to support STEM Learning Experiences 🗺️🔍📊🦆

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Figure it Out Maths Resources to support STEM Learning Experiences 🗺️🔍📊🦆

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Mapping Resource
The link below takes you to a fantastic resource for  teaching the students about maps.  Learning how to read coordinates, identify directions and locate specific places of interest.  It would be advantageous to use this resource in the classroom before venturing out and using the Taonga at Townsend Fields Treasure Hunt Learning Experience.
https://nzmaths.co.nz/resource/map-mysteries

Strip Graphs Resource
This resource will assist with students taking their findings and recordings from their Taonga Hunt table and presenting this information in the form of a strip graph.
https://nzmaths.co.nz/category/glossary/strip-graph

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The Ministry is migrating nzmaths content to Tāhurangi. Relevant and up-to-date teaching resources are being moved to Tāhūrangi (tahurangi.education.govt.nz). When all identified resources have been successfully moved, this website will close. We expect this to be in June 2024. e-ako maths, e-ako Pāngarau, and e-ako PLD 360 will continue to be available.

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Ngāi Tūāhuriri: Tuahiwi and Takiwā Educational Resource 🪶

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Ngāi Tūāhuriri: Tuahiwi and Takiwā Educational Resource 🪶

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This incredible little booklet contains information related to local history and places of cultural significance.  This booklet only comes in a hard copy so I have photographed the pages and it is here in its electronic version.

Below is also a link to the Tuahiwi Education website which is also an amazing asset to have for these STEM learning experiences at Townsend Fields Reserve.  It provides many rich resources that unpack many aspects of cultural significance specifically for our area.
https://www.tuahiwieducation.co.nz/

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Puketeraki Kāhui Ako Localised Curriculum Project - Manu 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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Puketeraki Kāhui Ako Localised Curriculum Project - Manu 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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This resource was a collaboratively constructed resource by the Puketeraki Kāhui Ako Within School Lead teachers and in partnership with Mātauraka Mahaanui.  It provides information, resource links and activity ideas for all the manu found in our area.  It is hoped that by using this resource, all the students in the Kāhui Ako gain a sense of belonging (tūrangawaewae) and develop understandings about the uniqueness of our special place in the world.  It would be advantageous to make a set of ID cards as field trip guides to help students with identification.

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The Kaiapoi Catchment Artefact Project - Google Earth 🌏💫🪶

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The Kaiapoi Catchment Artefact Project - Google Earth 🌏💫🪶

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In this learning activity, students will be exploring Technology, Science and Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum areas.

This project is a student collaboration learning experience that explores features of the Kaiapoi Catchment, it's history, ecology and cultural significance.
Places of significance have been identified and students  in small teams of 2 or 3, populate each 'place of interest' with visual information, creating living 'artefacts' and culminating in an interactive natural history resource to be explored by students now and in the future.  This activity can also be done by individuals who like to work by themselves.

This is a research based project so developing rich information gathering questioning techniques beforehand would be a great way to link in some literacy skills such as using a range of subject specific vocabulary to ask google a question that will give relevant and accurate information.

This project involves sharing the google earth project with the students.  The students need to have editing rights to the project and can choose a 'place of interest' to create their artefact which will appear as a 'small card' each time the 'place of interest' is clicked on.  They can populate the 'place of interest' with links, pictures, facts and information.

It would be beneficial to discuss the 'copy and paste no no' and how to write in our own words when using information off the internet.  Also how to give credit to when using photos and pictures.  Lots of room with this activity to explore digital citzenship.

The Google Earth project at the top is an example of how I would start.  I have added some 'places of interest' to get the ball rolling and have begun to populate the first few to give students an idea of what to do.  Students may need to add more 'places of interest' as they go, or as they find new information.  Once the project is opened, go to the 'Slideshow' feature to explore.

Key Resources for this learning experience are the Waitaha Wai - The Kaiapoi Catchment resource and the Google Earth HelpLink.  Both of these resources can be found in the resources section above.

This Learning Experience focuses on the Big Questions of

How did  Ngai Tuāhuriri use the Kaiapoi Catchment prior to colonisation?

How did the effects of colonisation, agriculture and townships impact on the land that is now Townsend Fields Reserve?

In what ways is the Townsend Fields Reserve part of the Kaiapoi Catchment? (location, indigenous species, movement of water, wastewater)

How does Townsend Fields Reserve represent how the area might have looked in the past - what is the same, what is different (the water, the land, the flora and fauna)? (see Planning for STEM Learning Experiences at Townsend Fields Reserve, Google Slideshow, Slide 4 on the Padlet).

Links to the Learning Outcomes are made throughout the Learning Experience.  Just click on the project at the top.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

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Building a catchment and exploring water quality 💦🪣🖼️🖌️🪶

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Building a catchment and exploring water quality 💦🪣🖼️🖌️🪶

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This is a 2 minute video that demonstrates how to make a simple catchment and some ideas for how to play with heights of land forms and the impacts of this on soil.

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This link take you to a really useful web page that details everything you need to know about building a model Water Catchment with students. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will find a docx detailing the process of building the model with lots discussion questions to promote further inquiry.

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A water catchment area is land that is bounded by natural features such as hills or mountains, from which all surface water, run-off water and groundwater flows to the lowest point in the landscape.

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This is a great website to explore water catchments in Aotearoa New Zealand. There is lots of useful information and videos explaining how a water catchment is shaped and formed.

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A water catchment is an area of land and the water that collects and moves through it. A catchment is often bordered by hills or mountains. The water enters via precipitation (rain or snow) and then moves across the surface or subsurface (as groundwater) until it drains into a stream or river.

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This little clip is really entertaining to watch. Its quick, about a minute and a half and breaks down what a catchment is in terms of its interconnectivity with the natural world.

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This map plots the safest and quickest route for students at Te Matauru Primary and the Maukatere Centre to access the reserve. There is an entrance off Townsend Road but as this is a busy road it is probably safer to use Angus Place.

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Te Matauru to Townsend Fields - Google My Maps

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Puketeraki Kāhui Ako Localised Curriculum Project - Trees 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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Puketeraki Kāhui Ako Localised Curriculum Project - Trees 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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In addition to the Manu resource the Puketeraki Kāhui Ako Within School Lead teachers and in partnership with Mātauraka Mahaanui also collaborated on this Trees of the Puketeraki Kāhui Ako resource.  It also provides information, resource links and activity ideas for all the trees and plants found in our area.  It would be advantageous to make a set of ID cards as field trip guides to help students with identification.

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Guide for Identifying Native Birds/Manu 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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Guide for Identifying Native Birds/Manu 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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This guide helps students to identify the names of the birds they might discover at Townsend Field Reserve.  It is a tick box and go to next screen so it is really easy to navigate.

This is another really useful link to help students with how to makes identifications. https://www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/how-identify-new-zealand-birds

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New Zealand Birds Online - The digital encyclopaedia of New Zealand birds. A collection of images, sound files and information about New Zealand’s unique bird species.

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This is an outstanding resource that compliments the STEM learning environment of Townsend Fields Reserve beautifully. At the bottom of the page are a plethora of resources for educators - videos, learning activities, fact sheets, identification charts. You name, it's there. What a find!!

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Kids Greening Taupo | Learning Through Nature

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Freshwater is an important place to Māori for mahinga kai (food gathering).

Freshwater is an important part of people's connection to land and to other people.

Some freshwater systems are used to generate power.

Freshwater environments can be a nice place to visit and relax in/on/near.

Threats to freshwater systems in NZ:
There are many things that can negatively affect freshwater ecosystems. Threats to freshwater ecosystems will depend on where you are and what type of ecosystem you're looking at. These threats also exist on different scales, they can affect one point in a freshwater system or they can affect the whole catchment.

Some freshwater threats to note:

Pollution: this can come in many forms; nutrient runoff from farming or agriculture, rubbish from dumping or stormwater drains and spills from industrial areas.

Sedimentation: this is when sediment (dirt) is deposited in a waterway that smothers features in the ecosystem.

Habitat degradation: this is a large-scale threat and comes in many forms such as draining, channeling, damming and other modifications to a freshwater ecosystems natural form.

Freshwater pests: these include pest fish, invasive weeds and land pests that also affect waterways.

Mātauranga Māori around Wai Māori:
Whakataukī are metaphors that help us to learn about the world. A good way to learn about Mātauranga Māori related to freshwater is to read and absorb Whakataukī. Here are some examples:

"He reo tō te wai, he reo anō tō te tangata, kotahi tonu te whakapapa, whakakotahitia"

Water has a language, and so too do people have theirs, both born of one whakapapa, united.

The above whakataukī acknowledges the importance of using our language and the language of our taonga in decision-making processes.

"E rere kau mai te awa nui mai te Kāhui Maunga ki Tangaroa, ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au"

The river flows from the mountain to the sea, I am the river, the river is me. The river gives to you and you give to the river by keeping it healthy.

"Ko te wai te ora ngā mea katoa"

Water is the life giver of all things.

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River Ecosystems - Kids Greening Taupo | Learning Through Nature

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River/Stream health * Freshwater macro-invertebrates * Freshwater Art * Mapping rivers * Wellbeing and Connection to Place

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If you are needing to differentiate the learning experience of designing and building a water filtration system this is a simple model to follow. A great starting point to get your head around what might be involved.

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Seventy percent of the Earth is covered with water. However, only about three percent that can be used for drinking water. While many people in the United States have clean, drinkable water from their kitchen sink, most of the people around the world do not have access to clean water and must boil or filter their water. You can teach your students how to water filters work with this easy project.

Homemade Simple Water Filter

You can easily make a water filter with children using recycled materials found at home. This project is best for children in grades three through six, but it will work for all ages. Construction of the homemade water filter will take about an hour to build. Testing of the water filter can take anywhere from an hour to several hours depending on how fast the water drips. By using natural materials that mimic the water cycle of the Earth, children can learn how the process of infiltration works and create a water filter that works.

Related Articles

Materials

Plastic soda or juice bottle

Vase or tall drinking glass

Gravel or small stones

Clean Sand

Activated Charcoal

Cotton balls, small cloth or coffee filter

Gardening dirt

Water

Scissors or knife

Instructions

1. Cut off the bottom of an old plastic soda or juice bottle using scissors or a knife.

2. Place the bottle upside down into the vase or tall drinking glass.

3. Place cotton balls, cloth, or a coffee filter inside the bottle as the first layer. The first layer should be about one to two inches thick.

4. Add an inch of activated charcoal as the second layer on top of the cotton layer.

5. Over the charcoal, add about two inches of gravel or small stones as the third layer.

6. Add about three to four inches of clean sand on top of the gravel.

7. Add gravel to the bottle as the final layer. Leave about a half inch of space from the top of the upside down bottle.

8. Add dirt to a glass of water to create muddy water. Alternatively, get creative and add other things like glitter, beads, cooking oil or other materials to make dirty water.

9. Pour the glass of muddy water on top of the homemade water filter and watch the water drip clean into the glass below.

How to Test the Water

For this experiment, it is best to test the water before and after the filtration.

1. To start, ask the child to make a hypothesis or prediction about the experiment.

2. Pour two glasses of water from the kitchen faucet. The first glass will serve as the control. The second glass will be "dirty."

3. Dirty the "dirty" water with materials found around the house. The "dirty" water can contain things like dirt, potting soil, glitter, dish detergent, kitchen oils, among other materials found around the house.

4. Have the children test the two glasses of water with a home drinking water test kit, like the First Alert Drinking Water Test Kit.

Pour each glass of water through the homemade water filter. Collect the filtered water in a glass. Test both water samples after filtration using the same home drinking water test kit. Compare all the water samples. Did the homemade water filter clean the "dirty" water sample? Is the filtered "dirty" water now the same as the control?

Testing Variables

Many of the materials used to make a homemade water filter can be found around the house and recycled for the purpose of this project. A small washcloth, chamois cloth or coffee filter can be used instead of cotton balls. If gravel is not available, small pebbles or stones can be used. If a plastic soda bottle cannot be recycled, a large funnel can also be used instead.

As part of the experiment, children can test different materials to determine which materials produce the cleanest water. Instead of using sand and gravel, children could try rice and sponges. Kids can build several water filters using different materials to determine which materials filter "dirty" water into clean water.

How the Filter Works

Each layer of the homemade water filter has a purpose. Gravel or small stones are used to filter out large sediments, like leaves or insects, whereas sand is used to remove fine impurities. Finally, the activated charcoal removes contaminants and impurities through chemical absorption.

Learn About the Water Cycle

A homemade water filter is a simple activity that children will love. Not only does the project help children learn about the water cycle, but it's a hands-on experiment using common materials found around the house or outside that will fascinate them. The Earth naturally filters water as it is absorbed into aquifers in the ground. The natural soil of the ground filters leaves, insects, and other debris out of the water as part of the infiltration process of the water cycle. Unfortunately, due to pollution such as lawn care products, household chemicals, and fertilizers, ground water can become contaminated and unsafe to drink.

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Homemade Water Filter Science Project | LoveToKnow

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Seventy percent of the Earth is covered with water. However, only about three percent that can be used for drinking water. While many people in the United ...

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More complex Water Filtration/Mini Wastewater Treatment Activity 💧🚰 🏗️👷

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More complex Water Filtration/Mini Wastewater Treatment Activity 💧🚰 🏗️👷

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This is a more complex model of a filtration project. Great to use if you are needing to differentiate the learning experience of designing and building a water filtration system for more advanced learners. It is also I great resource to go through prior to the learning experience as it gives you lots of food for thought.

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Quick Look

Grade Level: 9 (9-12)

(can be split into two 60-minute sessions)

Expendable Cost/Group: US $40.00

This activity also uses some non-expendable (reusable) materials such as a water quality testing kit.

Group Size: 3

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Life Science, Measurement, Problem Solving, Science and Technology

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Summary Student teams design and then create small-size models of working filter systems to simulate multi-stage wastewater treatment plants. Drawing from assorted provided materials (gravel, pebbles, sand, activated charcoal, algae, coffee filters, cloth) and staying within a (hypothetical) budget, teams create filter systems within 2-liter plastic bottles to clean the teacher-made simulated wastewater (soap, oil, sand, fertilizer, coffee grounds, beads). They aim to remove the water contaminants while reclaiming the waste material as valuable resources. They design and build the filtering systems, redesigning for improvement, and then measuring and comparing results (across teams): reclaimed quantities, water quality tests, costs, experiences and best practices. They conduct common water quality tests (such as turbidity, pH, etc., as determined by the teacher) to check the water quality before and after treatment.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Engineering Connection

Environmental engineers design wastewater treatment plants to clean water before discharging into rivers, streams, lakes and seas. They use a variety of stages and processes to remove solids and contaminants from wastewater, including biological and mechanical processes. Filters and settling are common mechanical processes used to remove large particles from raw wastewater. The removal of plastic from a water source is a new challenge for engineers, given the fact that plastic is not soluble nor magnetic and varies in its size and decomposition state.

Learning Objectives

After this activity, students should be able to:

Develop and test a model for an innovative and efficient water filtration system, and recover resources.

Conduct water quality tests.

Provide qualitative and quantitative results that describe the success (or failure) of a model filtering system in meeting the project objectives.

Understand the steps of the engineering design process.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Scientists and engineers can make major contributions by developing technologies that produce less pollution and waste and that preclude ecosystem degradation. When evaluating solutions it is important to take into account a range of constraints including cost, safety, reliability and aesthetics and to consider social, cultural and environmental impacts.

Feedback (negative or positive) can stabilize or destabilize a system. Engineers continuously modify these technological systems by applying scientific knowledge and engineering design practices to increase benefits while decreasing costs and risks.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This activity focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment-including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change-can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species. Biodiversity is increased by the formation of new species (speciation) and decreased by the loss of species (extinction). Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value. When evaluating solutions it is important to take into account a range of constraints including cost, safety, reliability and aesthetics and to consider social, cultural and environmental impacts.

Suggest an alignment not listed above

Materials List

Each group needs:

2-liter clear plastic bottle

2 liters of simulated wastewater containing a predetermined volume of these (or other) contaminants-pollutants; the following mix of materials added to 1.5 liters of water yields a challenging wastewater for students:

5 grams (~1 tablespoon) coffee grounds

40 grams (~2 tablespoons) sand

15 grams (~1 tablespoon) vegetable oil

1 ounce (~2 tablespoons) liquid soap, such as hand or dish soap

30 grams (~2 tablespoons) fertilizer, such as 1.5 lbs of Miracle-Gro all-purpose plant food at Walmart

4 grams of small, brightly colored plastic beads (or similar), such as from a 100-g box of ~6,000 2-mm glass seed beads at Amazon

safety goggles, one pair per student

rubber gloves, one pair per student

paper and pencils, for sketching, planning, data collection, calculating, analysis, reflection

Wastewater Design Project Info Sheet, edit as needed to reflect budget, costs and simulated wastewater composition

To share with the entire class:

1-liter stream, lake, pond or lagoon water, for Introduction/Motivation demonstration; alternatively, show a liter amount of the simulated wastewater

materials for water quality testing (as determined by the instructor), such as turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, conductivity or any other available tests

a water quality testing kit such as the Earth Force Low-Cost Water Quality Monitoring Kit at Carolina.com, which contains multiple tests and student-friendly instructions

scale, to measure in milligrams

fine-grain sand, ~45 lbs provides ~2 kg per group for a class of 30; such as "scenic sand" at Amazon

large gravel, ~45 lbs provides ~2 kg per group for a class of 30; such as 5 lbs "exotic 3/8-inch pebbles polished mixed gravel" for at Amazon

small pebbles, ~45 lbs provides ~2 kg per group for a class of 30; aquarium gravel from pet stores works well, such as a 5-lb bag for at Amazon

activated charcoal, ~45 lbs provides ~2 kg per group for a class of 30; available in pet stores, such as a 10-lb bag at Amazon

algae, such as 50 ml of spirulina culture at Algae Research and Supply

coffee filters, such as a pack 100 unbleached #4 size from Walmart

cotton mesh/cheese cloth, such as 1.5-square yards at Amazon

water and sink

(optional) computers with Internet access, for student research

Worksheets and Attachments
Visit [www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/uok-2216-wastewater-treatment-plant-model-water-quality] to print or download.

Pre-Req Knowledge

It is recommended that students complete the associated lesson prior to conducting this activity.

Introduction/Motivation

As wastewater is deposited into a river, downstream at the next town, drinking water is being pulled from the same river. So, even though drinking water is treated before it enters our tap, wastewater must also be treated and cleaned before it is returned to a river.

How do we clean up dirty water?

Let's take a look at a sample of river water [or show some of the teacher-made "dirty water] and discuss its cleanliness. (Show students the liter of stream, lake, pond or lagoon water. Give them time to discuss among themselves. Facilitate the discussion with the following prompts.) Would you drink it? Is it safe to drink? How is this dirty water related to your drinking water? Do they come from the same place? How would you clean up the dirty water?

Just like you have been doing, environmental engineers ask themselves these questions when they design wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. How do we clean up the dirty water?

Today, you will work in teams to design a way to clean wastewater. Your engineering challenge is to use the engineering design process to clean the water as efficiently and inexpensively as possible while also reclaiming contaminants in the water-such as fertilizer and plastics-for reuse.

Each group gets a (hypothetical) budget of $1,000, which mirrors what real-life engineers encounter. They must design and build their projects within a cost constraint. To help with your overall budget, you can sell back any reclaimed materials! Let's get started!

Procedure
Background
Similar to the Earth's natural water cycle-composed mainly of the evaporation, condensation and precipitation processes-urban water goes through its own water cycle (see Figure 1). Water is withdrawn from surface and groundwater sources and sent to water treatment plants. After purification, the water is distributed to homes, businesses and schools. Then, no longer clean, it flows to centralized wastewater treatment plants. At these plants, contaminants and pollutants are removed from the water before discharging the now-clean water into the environment-where it may be collected by another water treatment plant downstream to serve as another community's drinking water supply. In this cyclical process, all water is reclaimed water.

Figure 1. In the urban water cycle, water is cleaned and treated as it drawn from fresh water sources AND cleaned and treated before it is returned to fresh water sources.

Wastewater treatment plants vary in their configuration, depending on the contaminants present in the water and applicable treatment regulations. Typically, most wastewater treatment plants are designed with the steps illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. The steps of the conventional wastewater treatment process.

Most inorganic larger solids (such as trash from runoff) are removed in the grid and solids removal steps while the pre-treatment stage removes larger organic solids. The aeration zone is a form of biological treatment in which carbon and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus are removed and become solids, which separate from the water in the settler. Sometimes, water goes through an additional sand filtration process before finally being disinfected and released as clean effluent. Sludge from pre-treatment and the settler is collected and dried. The resulting sludge may be reused as fertilizer or sent to a landfill.

In this activity, students are challenged to create filtration systems to clean the provided wastewater sample. They focus on the grid, solids removal, and pre-treatment steps.
Before the Activity

Gather materials and make copies of the Wastewater Design Project Info Sheet. Before printing, edit as necessary to make sure the list of wastewater contaminants matches the simulated wastewater you have created (see next) and the hypothetical budget amount you are imposing as a project constraint.

Create samples of simulated wastewater, one per group. The suggested mix (or similar) below makes the activity sufficiently challenging for students. To a 2-liter bottle containing 1.5-liters of water, add:

5 grams (~1 tablespoon) coffee grounds

40 grams (~2 tablespoons) sand

15 grams (~1 tablespoon) vegetable oil

1 ounce (~2 tablespoons) liquid soap, such as hand or dish soap

30 grams (~2 tablespoons) fertilizer

4 grams of small, brightly colored plastic beads (or similar)

Set out filter materials (gravel, sand, etc.) in a centralized location in the classroom so that students may observe and collect them as needed throughout the activity.

Determine which water quality tests you want students to conduct on the simulated wastewater, and have available the necessary tools and supplies. Possible tests are for turbidity, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, dissolved oxygen and conductivity. Modify this list as you desire, depending on tests and materials available.

Assign the pre-activity reading/recap assessment as a group homework assignment to introduce students to the wastewater topic, as described in the Assessment section. Alternatively, conduct in class if time permits.

With the Students: Project Kickoff, Research and Design

1. Lead students through the Introduction/Motivation discussion, which presents the engineering challenge. Provide 5-10 minutes for students to also share and discuss their pre-activity group research findings. Explain that their pre-activity homework was step 2 of the engineering design process: researching the problem.

2. Divide the class into groups of three to five students each. Have each team obtain a 2-liter sample of the simulated wastewater.

3. Hand out a water quality kit/tests to each group. Direct students to test the water using the teacher-chosen water quality tests.

4. How do we clean the water? Direct the groups to move into step 3 engineering design process: imagine possible solutions for how they might go about cleaning the dirty water. Provide students with information from the Teacher Background and Concepts section. Encourage students to use the Internet and other resources to come up with ideas. Hand out the info sheet, which includes a list of the simulated wastewater contaminants.

5. Ask students to observe the filter material resources the teacher has made available to purify and extract contaminants from the water. Remind students of the goal: To clean the water as effectively and inexpensively as possible while also reclaiming contaminants for reuse.

6. Refer to the budget information on the info sheet and quickly review it as a class. Make sure students understand that each team has a budget ($1,000), each filtering method/material has a cost, and that filtering materials and contaminants also have a post-extraction value for reuse or resale. The costs and resale values are reproduced below.

Filtration Material/Method Costs
fine-grain sand = $400/kg

large gravel = $200/kg

small pebbles = $300/kg

activated charcoal = $1,000/kg

algae = $1/mg

coffee filters = $50 each

cotton mesh/cheese cloth $300/m ²
Reuse/Resale Value
clean fine-grain sand = $400/kg

clean large gravel = $200/kg

clean small pebbles = $300/kg

activated charcoal = $400/kg

fertilizer= $20/g

plastic = $10/g

Direct the teams complete step 4 of the engineering design process: to each develop a plan to submit to the instructor in the form of a diagram and budget of how the group intends to clean the water. Expect the plan to stay under the budget set by the instructor and use the provided materials. Remind students to consider how much of the materials can be reused. As students are designing their filters, ask them the Investigating Questions.
With the Students: Step 5, 6, and 7 of the Engineering Design Process: Create, Test, Improve

1. Based on the approved plan and budget, groups collect materials and construct their water treatment apparatuses. Through at least one build-test-redesign iteration, the aim is to develop a successful filter for wastewater treatment and resource reclamation.

2. Once the initial water treatment system is built, students begin running the contaminated water through it. Advise students to take time to discuss their observations and make modifications to their designs, as needed. Remind students that any improvements/redesigns must stay within the budget and that unused materials may be sold back to offset expenses.

3. Students conduct water quality tests on the filtered water using the same available measures and methods used for the initial contaminated wastewater. They collect and weigh the plastic beads to determine how much of the initial 4 grams they reclaimed. They measure the amount of clean water they reclaimed.

4. Have teams prepare the reclaimed used materials and pollutants for instructor evaluation (and resale) by making small piles of each material.

5. Direct students to clean up other supplies and turn them in to the instructor.

With the Students: Results and Evaluation

1. Have students calculate the reclaimed water and plastic beads as a proportion of the initial amounts put in the simulated wastewater.

2. As a class, have students compare their results about the reclaimed quantities, water quality tests, final costs and value of remaining resources across groups. Also have them share their experiences and best practices.

3. To conclude, assign students to reflect on their results via the post-activity assessment, as described in the Assessment section.

Vocabulary/Definitions

dissolved oxygen : The amount of free oxygen in solution in water or wastewater effluent. Adequate concentrations of dissolved oxygen are necessary for fish and other aquatic organisms to live and to prevent offensive odors. Abbreviated as DO.

effluent: The outflowing liquid from a treatment plant to a natural body of water after completion of the treatment process.

eutrophication: The process by which a reservoir, pond or lake becomes enriched with nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, that support the excess production of algae and other aquatic plant life.

flocculation: The process by which clumps of solids in sewage are made to increase in size by chemical action.

influent: The water, wastewater or other liquid that flows into a reservoir, basin or treatment plant.

organic chemicals: A broad class of compounds that contain carbon. Smaller molecules of this class are primary components of ecological systems. Larger compounds are commonly used to create fuels, solvents, pesticides, plastics and many industrial processes.

pathogen: A disease-causing microorganism, including pathogenic bacteria, viruses, helminths and protozoans.

sedimentation: A water-treatment process during which floating wastes are skimmed off and settled solids are removed for disposal or recycling.

sludge: A thick, soft, wet mud or a similar viscous mixture of liquid and solid components, such as the product of a wastewater treatment, industrial or refining process.

valorization: To give a value to, especially a higher value.

wastewater treatment: When water used by cities or industry is sent through a series of tanks, screens, filters and other treatment actions during which pollutants are removed.

WRRRF: Acronym for water recycling and resource recovery facility. A centralized plant where water used by the people in cities or industrial processes is sent through a series of tanks, screens, filters and other treatment actions for the purpose of removing, valorizing and reusing materials.

Assessment
Pre-Activity Homework
Wastewater Background: As a homework assignment, have groups of three to five students each read one section from the EPA Primer for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems and recap their findings, which they share with the class to kick off the activity. Recommended distribution of sections:

1. Requirements, Needs and Challenges (pages 4-6)

2. Collecting and Treating Wastewater (pages 6-7, 9)

3. Pollutants (page 8)

4. Wastewater Treatment (pages 9-16); consider further dividing this section into Primary Treatment and Basic Wastewater Treatment Processes, Secondary Treatment and Land Treatment, and Constructed Wetlands and Disinfection

5. Pretreatment and Advanced Methods of Wastewater Treatment (pages 16-19)

6. The Use or Disposal of Wastewater Residuals and Biosolids (pages 19-21)

7. Decentralized (Onsite or Cluster) Systems (pages 21-24)

8. Asset Management (pages 24-25)

Activity Embedded Assessment
Design Filters: Observe student teams as they design successful (!) model filters for wastewater treatment and resource reclamation. Make sure teams remain within the budget and that each student contributes to the design and build.
Post-Activity Assessment
Group/Self Evaluations: Have students explain the following through discussion and/or writing. The same reflection questions are provided on the Wastewater Design Project Info Sheet.

1. How effective at cleaning the water is your filter device? Be descriptive!

2. Provide evidence that your device is cleaning the water. Use test data to back up your claims.

3. Is this water safe to drink? Why or why not?

4. How would you change your device to make it more effective?

5. How could you have worked more effectively as a group to obtain higher-quality products?

Making Sense: Have students reflect on the science concepts they explored and/or the science and engineering skills they used by completing the Making Sense Assessment.

Investigating Questions

How can we filter out resources and reuse materials from polluted water to retain optimum value? (Possible answer: Use the gravel to filter out large materials, use the coffee filter to catch small materials, etc.)

Why do we want to separate materials for reuse? Why not just filter out and dispose everything? (Possible answer: Reasons to reuse materials are to save money by selling them to others or reusing the materials in order to offset the treatment process expenses; it often costs less to reuse materials than to obtain the same materials that have never been used before-especially if transportation costs are factored in; to be environmentally responsible, to aim for sustainability, etc.)

Real-world wastewater treatment plants have operating costs from pumping and renewing materials; how would these costs affect your budget? How would they affect your design? (Possible answers: Operating costs take additional funds from the budget, which might force your team to choose less-expensive materials, use fewer materials, or choose higher-quality materials that last longer so new materials do not need to be purchased as often, etc.)

Are the materials good for one use only? (Possible answers: The gravel could be used multiple times, sand might need to be cleaned before being used again, etc.)

Which pollutants and filtering resources can be reused and resold? (Answer: Sand, large gravel, small pebbles, activated charcoal, fertilizer and plastic.)

What methods can be used to minimize waste and retain value? (Possible answers: Use multiple filtering materials such as gravel to catch large pollutants and sand to catch small pollutants, use a coffee filter at the bottom of the filter to prevent particulates and plastics from getting through the filter, etc.)

Safety Issues

Require the use of safety goggles.

Wastewater that has set for more than 24 hours may become septic and require the use of gloves and more extensive sanitation measures.

Have paper towels handy in case of spills.

Activity Extensions

Testing, redesign and revision of student filtration systems could be iterated for improvement over several days. It is up to the instructor to decide how long to carry on the project. Consider implementing a project-based approach in which students research and develop their model devices, build and test them, revise them and test again, and eventually present finished products (model processes) to industry professionals or other expert personnel outside of the school setting.

Activity Scaling

For beginning courses, have students carry out simple water tests such as mass of sediment, pH and turbidity measured qualitatively. Help younger students with the water quality tests or conduct tests as a teacher demonstration.

For advanced courses, have students carry out more analytical testing procedures such as conductivity and turbidity using probes and chemical assessment of nitrogen and phosphorus using photometric methods.

Additional Multimedia Support

Primer for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2004, at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/primer.pdf

Copyright © 2018 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2017 University of Kansas

Contributors David Bennett; Sara Hettenbach; William Welch

Supporting Program SHIFTED RET Program, University of Kansas; Southeast Kansas Education Service Center-Greenbush

Acknowledgements

This curriculum was based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under RET grant no. EEC 1301051-Shaping Inquiry from Feedstock to Tailpipe with Education Development (SHIFTED) through the Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, hosted by the University of Kansas Lawrence and the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center (referred to as Greenbush). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Special thanks to Belinda Sturm, Samik Bagchi, Robert Everhart and Rachel Bowes.

Last modified: August 16, 2023

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Creating Mini Wastewater Treatment Plants - Activity

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Student teams design and then create small-size models of working filter systems to simulate multi-stage wastewater treatment plants. Drawing from assorted provided materials (gravel, pebbles, sand, activated charcoal, algae, coffee filters, cloth) and staying within a (hypothetical) budget, teams create filter systems within 2-liter plastic bottles to clean the teacher-made simulated wastewater (soap, oil, sand, fertilizer, coffee grounds, beads).

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I have made this Maths and Science learning experience for students to follow on from the Map Mysteries activity in the resource section.  This learning experience focuses on the Big Questions of

What indigenous species of flora and fauna live at the  Townsend Fields Reserve?

How does Townsend Fields Reserve represent how the area might have looked in the past - what is the same, what is different (the water, the land, the flora and fauna)

(see Planning for STEM Learning Experiences at Townsend Fields Reserve, Google Slideshow, Slide 4 on the Padlet).

Students use a map of Townsend Fields Reserve to plot the flora and fauna as they discover its location.  The students use the table to record their findings.

Follow up activities could include students comparing their findings and making a whole class map of the area with numbers of each species in each location, facts, pictures.

Note that this activity is on Slides 1-4.  Slide 5 is a graphing activity for the next Learning Experience 'How Many Manu?'

Links to the Learning Outcomes are made throughout the Learning Experience in the notes section of each slide.  Just click on the doc at the top.

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Taonga at Townsend Fields Reserve Treasure Hunt

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NIWA Field Guide to Freshwater Invertebrates 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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NIWA Field Guide to Freshwater Invertebrates 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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This is a really useful field guide to help you are the students with identification.  It features step by step cards and a macroinvertebrate community health guide.  From Page 26 you will find some step by step identification cards. It would be great to laminate the identification these to have them with us on our field study.

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How to study Macroinvertebrates in a Muddy Bottom Stream 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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How to study Macroinvertebrates in a Muddy Bottom Stream 🗺️🔍📊🦆🪶

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This clip shows scientists collecting Macroinvertebrates for study.  It is very useful as it demonstrates the 'best practice' for collecting living creatures in an environment that features a muddy bottom just like the Townsend Field Reserve.

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SHMAK Stream Life – Collecting Benthic Macroinvertebrates in Muddy-Bottom Streams

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The Kids Should See This! Waste Water Treatment Facility 💧🚰🏗️👷

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The Kids Should See This! Waste Water Treatment Facility 💧🚰🏗️👷

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This is a fascinating and entertaining YouTube clip about a large scale Wastewater Treatment System. Links can be made to the Wastewater Treatment System at Townsend Fields as many of the systems and processes are similar.

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Explore the Process of Wastewater Treatment with LeVar Burton: Reading Rainbow

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What happens to Wastewater once it leaves our homes. 💧🚰🏗️👷

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What happens to Wastewater once it leaves our homes. 💧🚰🏗️👷

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Although this clip focuses on the wastewater of Auckland, it shows the processes of how a wastewater management system works. As it is from New Zealand it is a great source of reference for students to make sense of the how the wastewater plant at Townsend Fields Reserve works.

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Ruataniwha/Cam River Topographical Map 🗺️🔍

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Ruataniwha/Cam River Topographical Map 🗺️🔍

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The green marker on the topographical map of the Cam river marks the Townsend Fields Reserve.  It shows the contributory waterways to the river and the location of the reserve in relation to the South Brook arm of the Ruataniwha. Once you open the link just click on the map and it becomes interactive.

Great to use this with making meaning of the Kaiapoi Catchment Topographical Map and creating meaning in the 'Catchment Collage Creations' Learning Experience.

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The link above provides some background information about the development of the Townsend Reserve and residential building project.

Below is a link to the engineers of the Townsend Fields Reserve.  It briefly provides an overview of the project challenge and solution with some beautiful photography to give a snapshot of what has been created. https://www.eliotsinclair.co.nz/projects/townsend-fields-2

This is another interesting article about the development.  This could also be used when linking in to the Global Sustainable Development Goals of 6.Clean Water and Sanitation and 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities. https://townsendfields.co.nz/townsend-fields-nominated-for-environmental-step-change-award/

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76 | Project Control Management: Townsend Fields Subdivision Quality surrounds and living Wide walkways, recreational reserves, waterways and extensive native plantings are a feature of Townsend Fields. DEVELOPMENT Kim Newth Drawn by the natural beauty and tranquil lifestyle on offer at Townsend Fields, a growing number of residents are putting down roots in this delightful new subdivision in West Rangiora. With its wide walkways and paths, there are plenty of opportunities for people to step outside and enjoy the gorgeous surroundings. Recreational reserves, waterways and extensive native plantings reflect the strong focus in this development on enhancing and protecting the local environment and ecosystems. Townsend Fields is named after the original landowner, English settler John Townsend, who farmed here some 150 years ago. The land has a more contemporary connection with Susan and Jim Wakefield, whose unique vision to share their passion for New Zealand art can be seen today at Christchurch's Ravenscar House Museum Gallery and Home, (52 Rolleston Ave). The couple, renowned for their philanthropic activities and contribution to the Canterbury arts scene, purchased the Townsend farm in North Canterbury in the late 1990s and developed it as their rural retreat. Townsend Fields celebrates this unique history and the family's desire to make a lasting positive impact in the district. Townsend Fields was nominated for the Environmental Step Change Award at the 2018 North Canterbury Business Awards in recognition of the considerable work done to enhance the land's natural features. The Wakefield family farm has been meticulously transformed by a series of enhanced waterways, water treatment facilities and reserves, adding up to an idyllic living environment. The family's next generation is playing a central role with Steve Wakefield being the subdivision's managing director. Justin Busbridge, who has been in the building industry for almost 40 years and has a long association with the Wakefield family, has served as Townsend Field's general manager since 2012. Both men are also trustees of the Ravenscar Trust, (with Steve chairing the trust). Justin is proud of the emphasis on quality in both the natural and built environment at Townsend Fields. "We have a duty of care to the community to create the best product we possibly can," he says, noting that he was invited to speak at a local land development forum recently to help showcase what can be achieved when aspirational standards are pursued. From an earthquake resilience perspective alone, Townsend Fields' TC1 status makes this an attractive place to build. TC1 properties are unlikely to experience land damage from liquefaction in future large earthquakes and ground settlement is expected to be within normal levels. Stage 1 (40 lots) has sold out and is fully built. Stage 2 (42 lots) has also sold out, with 35 homes currently underway. All 42 lots - bar one - have been sold in Stage 3 with titles expected in July. At time of writing, consents for Stage 4 - 52 lots in the subdivision's southwest corner - were about to be lodged. "All 52 have registrations of interest in them from purchasers," says Justin. "We're managing sales carefully as we are very conscious of making sure local people can stay in the market and make purchases here." The plan ahead is to develop one new stage a year (approximately 45 lots per stage) until all eight are completed. "We are in the process of applying for rezoning of an associated 45 acres to allow for stages five to eight to be formed." The Wakefield's influential role in Canterbury's arts scene is acknowledged in various street names at Townsend Fields that honour some of New Zealand's renowned artists. These include Angus Place (Rita Angus), Goldie Drive (Charles Frederick Goldie), Hotere Place (Ralph Hotere), McCahon Drive (Colin McCahon), Page Place (Evelyn Page) and Lusk Place (Doris Lusk). In West Rangiora, Te Matauru School has followed suit and named some of its Houses after the same artists - Angus, Goldie, Hotere, Lusk, McCahon - while another has been named 'Townsend'. "We're managing sales carefully as we are very conscious of making sure local people can stay in the market and make purchases here."

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=

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In the latest edition of Business South, with the pressure on the housing market, we look at some of the new subdivision developments underway in the south and at the developers - such as Veros Property and Universal Developments - involved in bringing them to market.

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This resource is very comprehensive and detailed but pages 10-19 are particulary useful for educator background knowledge and or use with learners.  It helps with developing understanding about, distance, direction, coordinates, orientation, symbols and contour lines.

LEARNZ is also a great 'go to' website when taking students on learning adventures.  This page has some great ideas and information about learning how to read and use Topographical Maps. https://learnz.org.nz/highcountry152/bg-standard-f/topographic-maps

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This little key can be used to understand how and where the various Resources can be linked to the Learning Experiences. It is not limited to what I have indicated but may help with navigating this padlet.

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This link takes you to information about James Townsend who farmed the land in 1856 that is now the Townsend Fields development.

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FERRYMEAD - James Townsend (1788 - 1866)

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If you scroll to the bottom of this page you will find a plethora of activities that relate to STEM learning experiences in a river environment. This is a fantastic resource to support learning in the Townsend Fields Reserve.

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Rivers and Us is a Waikato Regional Council (WRC) initiative to help teachers, students and communities investigate the water in their local area. It explores how people use water and the effects of these uses on water quality.

About Rivers and Us

Rivers and Us is underpinned by the key dimensions of environmental education:

Education in the environment - using water monitoring and other outdoor activities to develop science capabilities.

Education about the environment - developing scientific content knowledge.

Education for the environment - engaging with science to take action as part of the local curriculum.

Integrated throughout Rivers and Us are key aims of environmental education:

Kaitiakitanga - awareness and sensitivity to the environment and related issues.

Knowledge and understanding of the environment and the impact of people on it - including mātauranga Māori.

Attitudes and values that reflect feelings of concern for the environment.

Skills (capabilities) involved in identifying, investigating and problem solving.

A sense of responsibility through participation and action.

Science concepts and curriculum links

The resources featured in Rivers and Us explore Planet Earth and Beyond and Living World concepts:

The Earth has a limited amount of freshwater, and it is continuously recycled.

Water goes through physical changes as it moves through the water cycle. The changes are powered by heat from the Sun.

River catchments are part of the water cycle.

Natural features can be changed by human actions.

Earth's resources are affected by human actions.

Living things are suited to their particular environment.

Living things depend on each other and on the environment in which they live.

Changes in any part of an environment affect the relationships between the plants and animals that live there.

Changes in any part of an environment can hinder or improve the chances of some species surviving.

Freshwater monitoring

Rivers and Us includes an emphasis on freshwater monitoring and taking action to protect/enhance water quality in your local area. Monitoring stream health takes you step by step through water quality monitoring and assessment. Ideally, students will use this data to inform subsequent action.

Resources to support learning

The Hub has created a suite of wraparound resources for teaching Rivers and Us:

WRC Rivers and Us resources in downloadable PDF format:

Acknowledgement

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Rivers and Us is a Waikato Regional Council (WRC) initiative to help teachers, students and communities investigate the water in their local area. It explores how people use water and the effects of these uses on water quality.

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This is a go to place when you need help with creating a Google Earth project.  There are lots of easy to follow hints and suggestions making using google earth a really easy and  engaging project to do with students.

The Google Earth Education Site also has lots of handy hints and examples to explore and support the STEM Learning Experience.
https://www.google.com/earth/education/resources/

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Prerequisites

No programming skills needed!

A Chrome browser (download here), logged into your Google Account. Don't have one? Sign up here.

Let's Get Started!

The new creation tools in Google Earth allow you to easily create and share maps and stories about our world as an Earth project. You can create a project on any subject of your choosing, drawing placemarks, lines and shapes, adding rich contextual information to your places (text, links, images, videos, 3D views and Street View), and organizing your project into a narrative flow. You can share your project and collaborate with others. In presentation mode, viewers will fly from one place to the next following the narrative of your project, immersing them in the journey through Google Earth's imagery and the custom content you provide.

This tutorial will introduce you to the new creation tools, and walk you through the process of creating and sharing your own Earth project. In order to complete this tutorial, you will need some text, photo and video content to add to your project. You can use your own content or you can use the sample content provided by our friends at the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). Download the zip file below for the JGI images and extract the contents to a folder on your desktop.

JGI_sample_content.zip (249k Zip file)

If you choose to follow along with our Jane Goodall example, you may want to preview the finished sample Jane Goodall story before you start the tutorial.

Create a project and add places

1. Open Google Earth on your computer: https://earth.google.com/web

2. Click on the Projects icon in the left-hand navigation.

3. If you've never created a Project before, you will click the Create button to create a new project. If you've created Earth projects before, then you'll see a list of your projects and can click the New project button to create a new project. If you're not already logged into your Google account, you'll be prompted to do so.

4. In the Project Details panel, click the Edit button to the right of Untitled Project to edit the project's title and description. In this case, we've supplied some text below for you to copy and paste into these fields.

Project Title: Jane Goodall's Journey to Gombe

Description:
Jane Goodall is one of the best-known naturalists and conservationists in the world. Her work revolutionized our understanding of chimpanzees. She started the Jane Goodall Institute, which works for chimpanzee conservation across Africa.

You'll notice that your edits are automatically saved in Google Drive as you work.

5. Now it's time to add your first place to the map. There are two ways to add a place: dropping a placemark on the map or using Search to find a place. First, we'll try adding a placemark to the map:

Navigate around the globe until you see England. Now, click the Add placemark button in the creation toolbar at the bottom left-hand to activate the placemark tool.

Then click on the map, on England, to add the placemark.

Tip: If you are not seeing country and other place names on the globe, try changing your Map Style. Click on the Google Earth menu button and select Map Style. Change your Map Style to Exploration so that you can see place names on the globe.

6. In the Save to project box, click into the Title field and name your placemark "Jane's Childhood". The Project field should be set to "Jane Goodall's Journey to Gombe". Then click Save.

You should see your titled placemark appear in the list of features in the Project Details panel.

7. On the Nairobi National Museum Knowledge Card at right, click the Add to project button.

Click Save to add the second place to your project. You can close the Knowledge Card by clicking on the X in the top-right corner.

Adding a place from Street View

1. Now let's add a third and final place - this time a place in Street View! Use the Search tool again to fly to "Gombe National Park", but close the Knowledge Card without adding it to the Project.

2. Click on the Street View pegman in the bottom right corner. Blue lines and dots will appear wherever Street View imagery is available. Click on the blue line or dot to enter Street View on one of the forested hills in the park.

3. Navigate through the Street View until you find the view you'd like to add to the place. Click the Capture this view button.

4. Title the placemark "Gombe National Park" and save it to your project.

Preview your finished project

1. Click the Present button to see your project presented in a narrative format.

2. Click next and previous buttons in the Table of Contents at bottom left to fly to each feature in your project. Click the back button - the arrow in the top left corner - to exit the presentation.

Tip: You can also drop a placemark on the globe by clicking the New feature button and select Add placemark.

Tip: To change the narrative order of your project, go to the Project Details panel and reorder the feature list by clicking and dragging the features into a new order.

Add rich information to your places

Adding photos, videos and text

1. In the Project Details panel, hover over the first feature in your project and click the Edit button to open the Property Editor panel.

2. Click on the Camera button.

Here you will see options to upload an image from your computer, choose a photo from your Google Photos albums, search the web for images, select an image by URL or add YouTube videos.

Using the search option, search for images of Bournemouth (Jane's childhood home) and select one that you like. Click Select to see the image appear with a thumbnail view in the Property Editor panel.

3. Click the camera button again to add a second photo. Search for and add a second photo. Adding multiple photos will create an image carousel in your Info box.

4. Click the Description field and copy and paste the below text. This box has basic formatting options available, including bold, italics, underline, bullet lists, indentation, and hyperlinks. Text starting with "http.." will automatically be hyperlinked.

Jane Goodall grew up in Bournemouth, England. Growing up, she was fascinated by all kinds of animals. When she was young, her favorite books were Dr. Dolittle and the Tarzan series. All she wanted to do was go to Africa, observe the incredible animals living there, and write books about them.

Previewing changes

Click the Preview presentation button to see your changes in presentation mode. Click the back button to go back to the Property Editor panel and continue editing.

Styling placemarks

1. Scroll down the Property Editor panel and find the Placemark section. Click on the placemark size and change the size to Large.

2. Click on the paint bucket icon to change the placemark color to yellow.

3. Click on the placemark overflow menu and select See more icons. Search the icons using the word "book" and select the book icon to represent Jane's childhood.

Tip: You can also add a custom icon (your own icon image file) by clicking the placemark overflow menu and selecting Upload custom icon. Your icons must be in jpg or png file format and we recommend you use an image size of 128 x 128 pixels or 64 x 64 pixels (extremely large icons may impact the performance of the app).

Adding 3D views

Now that we know Jane grew up in Bournemouth, let's make the view in Earth of Jane's childhood more specific and immersive.

1. Click on the placemark and drag the marker to Bournemouth (just west of Southampton along the southern coast of England). You may need to zoom and pan the map to get a better view of the town.

2. Now, tilt and rotate the Earth's surface using the compass or keyboard shortcuts until you find a view of Bournemouth that you like.

3. Click the Capture this view button. This associates this 3D view with your location, and in presentation mode when you visit this location, the map will fly to this view.

Changing the Info box

You can change the style of the Info box that displays your content (text, photos, videos, etc).

1. In the Property Editor panel click the drop down arrow on the right-side of the Info box and change the Info box from Small info box to Large info box.

2. Click the Preview presentation button to see the changes. Decide which style you like best!

Add information to your second placemark

Now let's add information to the other placemarks in your project.

1. Click the back button to go back to the Project Details panel.

2. Hover over the second placemark and click the Edit button .

3. Keep the title "Nairobi National Museum" given by the Knowledge Graph, but add a new description to this placemark:
In 1957, on a visit to Kenya, Jane met the famous anthropologist and paleontologist Dr. Louis Leakey, and was hired as a secretary. Dr. Leakey was looking for someone to begin a study of chimpanzees to gain insight into human beings' evolutionary past.

4. Add an image by uploading the file titled jane_and_leakey.jpg (found in JGI_sample_content.zip) from your computer.

5. Set a 3D view and click the Capture this view button.

6. Now edit your third and final placemark, Jane's Peak. Add the following description:
Jane Goodall arrived in Gombe in July of 1960. The area was located in what was then the British protectorate of Tanganyika. It was unheard of at the time for a young woman of 26 to travel into the forests of Africa alone. Armed only with her binoculars and a notebook, Jane would climb to Gombe's highest peak in search of the chimpanzees. Over the years, Jane's research led to many new discoveries, for example that chimpanzees know how to make and use tools, like humans do. Her research team has studied the behavior and followed the lives of the chimpanzees of Gombe for many decades now.

Adding videos

While still in the Property Editor panel for the third placemark, click on the camera button and select YouTube. You may search for a YouTube video or you can access your public YouTube videos. If you have an unlisted YouTube you'd like to add, you can enter its URL in the search box to select it.

Add lines and shapes to your project

Draw a line

1. In the Project Details panel, click the New feature button and select Draw line or shape (Note: You can also click the Draw line or shape button in the creation toolbar at the bottom of your screen).

2. On the map, click to add a series of points to draw the line. Each time you click, a new segment is added to your line. To finish your line, press enter. For the Jane Goodall project, you might draw the path that a boat would take to get from the nearest city (Kigoma) to the research station in Gombe.

3. In the Add to project box, name your line and click Edit place.

4. Click on the color palette to select red for your line color. Alternatively click Custom colors to create your own color swatch (Note: the hexadecimal code can be edited directly for exact web color matches).

5. Zoom out to so that you can see the entire line and click Capture this view.

Tip: If you open the Property Editor panel for your line, you will be able to drag and move your line points to reshape your line, but you can't delete or add segments.

Draw a shape

1. Now, we'll add a shape. In the Project Details panel, click the New feature button and select Draw line or shape.

2. In the Add to Project box, name your shape and click Edit place.

3. In the Outline width and color section, change the outline to red.

4. In the Fill color section, change the fill color to yellow. You can also change the transparency using the drop down menu above the color palette.

5. Adjust the view and click Capture this view.

Tip: You can reshape your polygon by clicking and dragging points, but you can't delete segments. You can not click and drag your entire shape to a new location.

Add slides to your project

1. In the Project Details panel, click the New feature button and select Fullscreen slide.

2. Give the slide a title and description.
Jane Goodall's Journey to Gombe This is the story of Jane Goodall and her groundbreaking research with chimpanzees in Gombe National Park.

3. Add an image by selecting the Camera button, then Upload and selecting the file entitled jane_peak.jpg (found in JGI_sample_content.zip) from your computer.

4. Click the back button to get to the Project Details panel.

5. Click on the slide in the feature list and drag it to the top of the list of features.

Tip: You can add slides to introduce your project, create chapters or sections, to add an ending message or credits and more.

Tip: If you choose to use an image as your slide background, your title and description will appear at the bottom lefthand of your slide. If you choose to use color as your slide background, your title and description will appear centered on your slide.

Share your project

You have many options when you want to share your Earth project with others. All projects are private by default - only you as the creator of the project can view or edit it. Below you'll learn how to share the project, as well as how to collaborate on your project with others.

To share a link to the project

Copy the link. You can now share this link with others so that they can view your project. Note: if you turn link sharing on, anyone who the link is shared with can view your project. If you'd like to control access permissions by Google account then you will likely want to use the method described directly below instead of turning link sharing on..

Tip: By default, people with the link will only be able to view your project. If you'd like, you can change the permissions so that anyone with the link can edit your project.

To share the project with specific people for viewing or collaboration

Click the Share button on the Project Details panel.

More with Earth creation tools

Viewing your projects on web and mobile

You can find maps and stories you own and that have been shared with you by clicking on Projects in the navigation and looking through the list in the Projects panel. In the list, you'll see maps and stories organized by the categories Pinned to Earth, KML files and Recent. You can also use the New project button to open projects and KML files that do not automatically appear in your Projects list. You can also open an Earth project directly from Google Drive, or from a shared link.

You can view your projects on a mobile device by opening the Google Earth app, clicking the menu in the upper lefthand corner and selecting Projects. You can not edit your projects on mobile at this time.

Pinning Projects

In order to ensure that a project always appears in your list of projects (even if you haven't recently opened it), hover over the project in the Projects panel and click the pin icon. The project will now appear in the Pinned to Earth section on your device.,

Tip: Pinned projects are always visible on the globe (unless you toggle off visibility using the Hide project button), even when you're exploring a different project in presentation mode. You can use this feature to "mash up" several different projects and/or KML files together.

Importing your KML files

If you've already created a map using another mapping tool such as Google My Maps, Tour Builder or Earth Pro and saved it as a KML or KMZ file, you can import the KML or KMZ to view and edit in Google Earth (with some limitations):

Currently, you are able to import your KMLs only as local files. Local files are projects stored in your local browser storage on your computer. Local files are not stored in the Google Cloud. Local files cannot be shared with others and cannot be shared across devices. Local files are stored only in the local browser storage on the computer used to import the file.

Before you can import your KML files, you must turn on KML import in your Google Earth settings.

1. Click the Google Earth menu button and select Settings.

2. Scroll to the bottom of the Settings menu and toggle the setting for "Turn on KML file import" to on.

3. Click Save.

Now you can import a KML file.

1. Go to the Projects panel and click the New project button. Before you turned on KML file import, clicking this button only allowed you to create a new project or open a project from Google Drive. Now you will see options to create a KML file and to import a KML file from your computer or Google Drive.

2. Select Import KML file from computer.

3. Select the KML file from your computer and click Open.

4. Your KML file will appear in your Projects panel. You can now explore and edit your KML.

Tip: You may experience some issues importing more complex KML files. For example, some advanced KML features currently don't work well or at all in the new Google Earth for web and mobile, including 3D models, tours, tracks, time-based KML, and photo overlays. Also, very large KML files or complex features (eg: polygons with many vertices) may not import or render well.

Tip: If you create or import KML files, you will not be able to convert them to Earth projects (stored in the Cloud), so you will not be able to share your KML files with others.

Exporting KML

To export a KML of your project, go to the Project Details panel and click the overflow menu , then select Export as KML file.

Discussion and Feedback

Have questions about this tutorial? Want to give us some feedback? Visit the Google Earth Help Community to discuss it with others.

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Create a map or story in Google Earth Web

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How to create a story or map on the web using locations, photos, videos, 3D imagery and Street View.

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In this Maths, Science and Digital Technologies learning experience, students will explore using the data that they have collected in the table for the Taonga Treasure Hunt to make strip graphs and compare their findings between two times of the day, morning and afternoon.

This google sheet shows how data can be entered to reveal different coloured strips.  It is in view only mode at the moment but that could be changed to edit for the students.  A copy for each student could also be made and shared on Google Classroom.  Students could explore Google Sheets as a means of creating a digital outcome to communicate their understandings.

The graph and linked google sheet is also featured on Slide 5 of the Taonga at Townsend Fields Reserve Treasure Hunt Slideshow as well.

The beauty of using google sheets to create graphs is that you can add and subtract information in order to present the graph at different stages of the Slow Reveal Technique.  I would edit the graph to only display information 'bit by bit' as we go through the process of the slow reveal. https://slowrevealgraphs.com/
You could also change the graph for other flora and fauna data such as Macroinvertebrates, trees and/or plants.  Other benefits of using graphs in Google Sheets is that you can change the type of graph you wish to explore, find percentages and proportions and add different sheets at the bottom.  This feature would enable the students to have all the different types of graphs and data they wish to display all lined up at the bottom.

Through this process, students will be able to make inferences as to what time of the day different species of birds are more active and make predictions about the reasons for this.  For example, are there more of one species then another in the morning?  What could be the reasons for this?

This Learning Experience explores the natural world of Townsend Fields Reserve and focuses on the Big Question of

What indigenous species of flora and fauna live at the  Townsend Fields Reserve and how features of the natural world impact and affect their lives?

Links to the Learning Outcomes are made throughout the Learning Experience in notes on the Google Sheet.

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Taonga at Townsend Fields Reserve Treasure Hunt - Manu Strip Graph

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💧Putting the Wai in our Water - Engineering/Technology - Townsend Fields Reserve

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I have used the Maukatere Design Process to make a Google Slideshow that could be used with students.  I found that teasing out this activity was a really useful task to think through the discipline of Engineering and Technology and how making a water filtration system could be a transdisciplinary approach to all STEM disciplines.  It also gave me an idea of what it might ‘look’ at the Maukatere Centre.

Through the learning experience, students follow a process of Ask, Imagine, Create and Improve.  Transdisciplinary links are made in the notes section at the bottom of each slide indicating possible across curriculum achievement objectives and progressions for Science, Technology, Mathematics and Statistics.  In addition to this, Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum links have been added.  I have added all possible links to the achievement objectives and progressions so that who ever is teaching this learning experience can pick and choose the ones that fit best at whatever stage of the design process the students are.

This Learning Experience focuses on the Big Questions of

How does the human activity of creating wastewater impact on our environment, now and in the past?

How does a residential area co-exist with a biodiverse ecosystem at Townsend Fields Development?

(see Planning for STEM Learning Experiences at Townsend Fields Reserve, Google Slideshow, Slide 4 on the Padlet).

Links to the Learning Outcomes are made throughout the Learning Experience in the notes section of each slide.  Just click on the doc at the top.

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💧Putting the Wai in our Wastewater - Engineering - Townsend Fields Reserve

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Kaiapoi Catchment Collage Creations 🖼️🖌️🪶

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Kaiapoi Catchment Collage Creations 🖼️🖌️🪶

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In this Science, Art and Maths Learning Experience, Students engage with the Topographic Map of the Kaiapoi Catchment and make meaning of distance, direction, coordinates, orientation, symbols and contour lines by creating meaning by making 'Catchment Collage Creations'

Students will need a range of materials, corrugated cardboard, string, rope, anything and everything you can get your hands on to create contour.

Students will select and use a range of different materials to create a collage that tells the story of the Kaiapoi Catchment using the Kaiapoi Topographic Map as stimulus to identify the landforms and features unique to the area.  By making a collage, the students will start to think about the 3 dimensional elements of a topographic map and how to interpret what they see in symbols and lines into what it might look like in a real life context.

The Learning Experience will provide the background knowledge for the 'Build a Model of the Kaiapoi Catchment' learning experience so the students will need to include
●      The Puketeraki Mountain Ranges from Mt Oxford through to Maukatere

●      The Rakahuri, Ruataniwha and Waimakariri rivers and main contributory streams and the connections between them as well as how they enter the ocean at the mouth of the Waimakariri river

●     Undulations in the land such as the Cust plateau and the Oxford Plateau and
●     Townships
An inital sketch of the key features of the topographic map will provide a 'draft/template' for them to build their collages on.

This Learning Experience focuses on the Big Questions of

In what ways is the Townsend Fields Reserve part of the Kaiapoi Catchment? (location, indigenous species, movement of water, wastewater)

How does Townsend Fields Reserve represent how the area might have looked in the past - what is the same, what is different (the water, the land, the flora and fauna)

Links to the Learning Outcomes:
MATHS Position and orientation

Identify main landforms (mountains, rivers, undulations, streams,) on a topographical map of the Kaiapoi Catchment and their location in terms of direction and distance.

THE ARTS - Visual Art
Select and use a range of different materials to create a collage that tells the story of the Kaiapoi Catchment using the Kaiapoi Topographic Map as stimulus to identify landforms and features unique to the area.

SCIENCE - Earth systems:
Discuss the role of mountains, hills, valleys and flat areas in water flow
Observe and compare slope steepness and velocity of water flow
Observe and discuss the role of tributaries to larger streams and rivers
Observe and discuss the connections between surface water systems - streams, rivers, lakes.

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Build a Model of the Kaiapoi Water Catchment 💦🪣🪶

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Build a Model of the Kaiapoi Water Catchment 💦🪣🪶

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This Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths Learning Experience could either be conducted by small groups of 2-3 or as a whole class.
Using a range of different materials, students design and build a model water catchment.  There are a couple of examples in the resource section of this padlet on what resources you might need to source prior to the students building a catchment and you will need to use the students 'Catchment Collage Creations' from their understandings of the topographical map of the Kaiapoi Catchment to identify the mountains, hills and flat areas relevant to the Kaiapoi Catchment.

Key features to have in their water catchment models are
●      The Puketeraki Mountain Ranges from Mt Oxford through to Maukatere

●      The Rakahuri, Ruataniwha and Waimakariri rivers and main contributory streams and the connections between them as well as how they enter the ocean at the mouth of the Waimakariri river

●     Undulations in the land such as the Cust plateau and the Oxford Plateau.

This Learning Experiences focuses on the Big Question of

In what ways is the Townsend Fields Reserve part of the Kaiapoi Catchment? (location, indigenous species, movement of water, wastewater)

(see Planning for STEM Learning Experiences at Townsend Fields Reserve, Google Slideshow, Slide 4 on the Padlet)

Links to the Learning Outcomes:
SCIENCE Investigating in science

Design and create a simple model of a water catchment, ask questions, make comparisons, identify similarities and differences explanations  between their model and the Townsend Field Reserve to explain how Townsend Fields Reserve works as a water catchment and contributes to the Kaiapoi Catchment

Identify why scientists use models

Earth systems:

Discuss the role of mountains, hills, valleys and flat areas in water flow

Observe and compare slope steepness and velocity of water flow

Observe and discuss the role of tributaries to larger streams and rivers

Observe and discuss the connections between surface water systems - streams, rivers, lakes.

Interacting systems:

Understand the Earth has a limited amount of freshwater which is continuously recycled

Know water goes through physical changes as it moves through the water cycle.  The changes are powered by heat from the sun

Know that river catchments are part of the water cycle

Understand that natural features can be changed by human activity

Understand that Earth’s resources are affected by human activity

TECHNOLOGY Technological Knowledge: Technological modelling - Students will: Understand how different forms of functional modelling are used to explore possibilities and to justify decision making and how prototyping can be used to justify refinement of technological outcomes
Nature of Technology: Characteristics of technology - Students will:  Understand how society and environments impact on and are influenced by technology in historical and contemporary contexts and that technological knowledge is validated by successful function. understand how different forms of functional modelling are used to explore possibilities and to justify decision making and how prototyping can be used to justify refinement of technological outcomes.
MATHS Position and orientation

Identify coordinates of the Kaiapoi Catchment and Townsend Fields Reserve with the relevant grid references.

Identify main landforms (mountains, rivers, undulations, streams,) on a topographical map of the Kaiapoi Catchment and their location in terms of direction and distance.

Aotearoa New Zealand Natural Histories

KNOW

Know how the Kaiapoi Catchment contributes to Maori interconnectedness to the natural world.

Know the significance of the Kaiapoi Catchment to Ngai Tuahuriri.

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Landscapes for Belonging - Townsend Fields Reserve Imagination Stations🏗️👷🪶

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Landscapes for Belonging - Townsend Fields Reserve Imagination Stations🏗️👷🪶

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This is a highly motivational learning experience that I created with students at my previous school.  It was so much fun and the levels of engagement were very high as it focused on the discipline of Technology where the learning grew through the students following the Engineering Design Process to design and develop a solution to a 'real world' problem in an authentic context.  I would love to do this again but integrate more Maths, Science and Engineering into it in a more deliberate way.
Background
During lunchtime play and conversation, the senior students discovered that the junior students wanted to have an interactive activity wall that had some water play elements to it.  They then conducted interviews with the junior student stakeholders and got an idea of what they wanted to play with in an activity wall.
We had access to some pallets and when the students saw these they decided that they could engineer them into a cube with castor wheels on the bottom so they could be moved around the school and into the shaded areas when needed.
In small groups the students then designed and painted background scenes on the pallets that represented elements of Aotearoa - their Landscape for Belonging.  They then sourced and gathered a range of recycled 'junk' that they adhered to these to the pallets to create moveable Imagination Stations.
This Learning Experience would fit beautifully with STEM at Townsend Fields Reserve as the Imagination Stations could represent all the Big Questions.  Students could feature the landscape, natural features, history and places of cultural significance that they have learnt about in all the learning experiences featured on this padlet.
STEM integration that would enhance this Learning Experience:
Links to Science: Students will be able to,

Link their knowledge of water in the Water Catchment and Water Filtration Activity to create water play that teaches about these elements in a 'show you know' way.

Links to Engineering: Students will be able to:

Identify ways of constructing a cube from pallets, thinking about the stability of the construction, the ways of securing the pallets together, the overall weight and ease of the cubes being moveable, the size of castor wheel required and the need for locking devices on the castors.

Explore ways of catching the water from the water play elements so that the school ground don't become a swamp and a 'waste'.

Links to Maths: Students will be able to,

Explore measurement to position the 'play' activities at the right play height for the junior students.

Explore angles and how different sized angles impact on the flow of water through the water play activity.

Links to Technology: Students will be able to,

Undertake prototyping in the form of models prior to final product development.

Seek ongoing feedback of design ideas from Stakeholders and make adjustments to the physical and functional attributes on the final product.