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Updated 10/31

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Experiment Observation and Conclusion Work Sheet (3)

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Article written with intern, Alyssa Chiascione 

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Article written with intern, Alyssa Chiascione 

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Articles by Alyssa Chiascione - Park Science (U.S. National Park Service)

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WHVC Climate Change Activity 2023-2024

Activity Work booklet. Updated 10/31.

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Tree Booklet final Oct 2023                                            school program 2023-2024

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Jody Shampton-Moore

Email: jody_moore@partners.nps.gov

Phone: (771) 201-0280

Education Administrator

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Updated 12/1

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Knowledge, Compassion, and Action is at the heart of Katie Thompson's teaching philosophy. In fact, it's Ms. Thompson's mantra. "First, I give my students knowledge - the 'what, why and how' of a topic. Once they really know something," Ms. Thompson remarked, "then they start to care about it. When they care, then they want to act, to help make a difference."

Ms. Thompson is the Global Education teacher at Pine Springs Preparatory Academy, a public charter school in Holly Springs, North Carolina, where she teaches 750 kindergarten through fifth-grade students. Galvanized by her lifelong instinct to protect the environment, Ms. Thompson focuses her third-grade lesson plans on the importance of pollinators.

But knowledge and compassion are only part of Ms. Thompson's education equation: next comes action. After learning about the indispensability of native bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, birds, bats, and other wildlife for the health of our planet, the third-graders are then empowered with the voices to make a difference. Every year, the students channel their newfound pollinator-passion into writing more than a hundred letters to mayors across Wake County, NC, encouraging local leaders to sign the National Wildlife Federation's Mayors' Monarch Pledge.

2023 has been a record year for the Mayors' Monarch Pledge! 365 mayors and other heads of local government have dedicated themselves to pollinator conservation. Since 2018, Ms. Thompson's students have gotten a total of 14 mayors to commit to saving pollinators across North Carolina's cities, towns, and communities. The National Wildlife Federation owes much of our program success to our many local partner organizations and activists like Ms. Thompson and her third-graders.

Not only did Ms. Thompson's promising third-graders motivate four additional mayors to sign the Pledge in 2023, they also took their pollinator advocacy to the next level. Ms. Thompson asked her students how they could do more for pollinators, and what they came up with was nothing short of remarkable.

Their first project, Pizza without Pollinators, was inspired by a 9 year-old student named Isaac. Isaac and his classmates designed stickers of a sauceless pizza crust with a QR code. The stickers were distributed to local pizza restaurants in Holly Springs, who then put the stickers on pizza boxes that were delivered into the community. "When local pizza lovers scan the code," said Ms. Thompson, "it takes them to our Pollinator Protectors website to watch a commercial created and scripted by my third-graders, which explains why pizza would only be the crust without pollinators."

The students' witty public service announcement demonstrates how tomato sauce exists because pollinators help tomatoes grow. And the cheese that makes pizza so delicious? That's produced by cows who largely feed on grains pollinated by bees and other pollinating insects. A world without pizza would be tragic, but the distressing reality of our agricultural system without pollinators goes far beyond a pizza-free diet. Research demonstrates that pollinators can be thanked for one-third of the food we consume, making bees, wasps, and butterflies critical to cultivating crops for global populations.

Ms. Thompson's students also organized the BEE Smarter Plant Harder campaign - slogan created by Idali N., age 9. Hand-drawn posters were created and placed in local garden centers so that gardeners can make good choices for pollinators by purchasing pollinator-friendly plants. The posters include a QR code that takes you to a list of plants that pollinators love, all researched and presented by the brilliant third-graders.

Last on the third-graders' list for 2023 was the No Pesticide Pledge, initiated by Alex K, age 9. This powerful project encouraged people in the students' local community and beyond to eliminate pesticides from their gardens and lawns.

Pesticides, specifically the use of a particular group of insecticides known as "neonicotinoids," harm pollinators and the surrounding environment by accumulating in the soil and negatively affecting flight ability in bees. Ms. Thompson's students are well aware of the dangers of pesticide usage, and urge people everywhere to sign the No Pesticide Pledge today!

Across the globe, young people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and pollution since their bodies and minds are still developing and they rely on adults for their safety and well-being.

However, as demonstrated by Ms. Thompson's third-graders, young people are anything but helpless: it's evident that today's youth have loud, commanding voices with so much wisdom to share. Young people are pleading for change from adult leadership that prioritizes "the small ones" - like insects and other overlooked critters and, in some ways, themselves. It's imperative that we heed their call to action, for their futures and ours. It's up to us to provide the Knowledge, Compassion, and pathways for Action, that will lead to a better, more sustainable world.

From the insightful words of Ms. Thompson: "Teaching kids about this crisis - the key pollinators, why they are important, and why they are in trouble - starts an important conversation and ultimately leads to conservation. The kids are able to be a voice for pollinators and create real change."

We can't wait to see what Ms. Thompson's third-graders accomplish in 2024 - we know they are capable of great things!

Learn more about National Wildlife Federation's pollinator and monarch resources here, more about the Mayors' Monarch Pledge here, and more about the Schoolyard Habitats® program here and here.

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Pollinator Protectors: The Power of Youth Education in Safeguarding People, Pollinators, and the Planet * The National Wildlife Federation Blog

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Ms. Katie Thompson's third-graders combine talents to protect pollinators and urge local mayors to sign the Mayors' Monarch Pledge.

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After measuring trees in the park, the students have their data calculated in iTree and see how trees can benefit the park and community.

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Ranger reviewing how climate change has an impact on the NPS annual Christmas tree celebration on the Ellipse. No snow.

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Ranger and student exploring the White House history at the computer terminal.

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Students and teachers working on completing climate change workbook.

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https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/177aPQXf8OqauxYODHhYcd9Ea_E1VZSuT/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108516574284704110244&rtpof=true&sd=true

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White House VIRTUAL Walkthrough 6/14.pptx

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Ranger PowerPoint: Climate & Ecosystem Services.pptx

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Connect:  How are the ideas and information you learned today connected to what you already knew?

Extend:  What new ideas did you get that broadened your thinking or extended it in different directions?

Challenge:  What challenges or puzzles emerged for you?

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updated 10/31/2023

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NPS Intern Alyssa Chiascione highlights Flintstone Elementary Schools Community Garden Clean-Up Day

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Intern Alyssa working with students on identifying a tree on the Ellipse in President's Park.

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Students spent the day learning about how to identify trees in President's Park.

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Intern Alyssa working with students inside the White House Visitor Center.

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Students spent the day at President's Park learning about climate change and pollinators and White House History.

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Students conducting an experiment on sea rise as it relates to glaciers. 

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Students spent the day at President's Park learning about climate change, pollinators and White House History.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Kennedy Garden - White House Sept 10, 2022

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Kennedy Garden - White House Sept 10, 2022

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We need are pollinators.

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Teachers touring the White House Oct 1, 2022. Thank you for participating in the parks education program. 

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Teacher Workshop Oct 1 - White House Tour

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Teacher Workshop Oct 1 - White House Tour

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Learn about the benefits that trees provide!

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Urban Ecology Research Learning Alliance

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Urban Ecology Research Learning Alliance

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Your Parks Have Climate Stories

The National Park Service is dedicated to the mission of preserving the unimpaired natural and cultural resources of the park system for current and future generations. And in sharing their unique stories, we recognize that climate change plays an integral part in the stories of the national parks. Whether in the glaciers or the deserts, your parks have climate stories.

Climate change is injuring our national parks. From the increase of invasive species in delicate ecosystems to the acid rain on National Mall monuments to even more severe floods that damage trail infrastructure, the effects of our changing climate are threatening the treasured resources of our parks. No longer a problem for the distant future, climate-warming trends caused by human activities are already impacting the parks here in the National Capital Area and beyond.

The diverse parks in our nation's National Capital Area experience climate change's impacts in many ways, and park units are actively working to address the challenge of climate change with the help of visitors too.

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Environmental and Climate Change - Urban Ecology Research Learning Alliance (U.S. National Park Service)

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The National Park Service is dedicated to the mission of preserving the unimpaired natural and cultural resources of the park system for current and future generations. And in sharing their unique stories, we recognize that climate change plays an integral part in the stories of the national parks.

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NASA Astronaut Jeff Williams Celebrates the National Park Service Centennial from Space

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Interactive map to check out with your students!

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The data and maps in this tool illustrate the scale of potential flooding, not the exact location, and do not account for erosion, subsidence, or future construction. Water levels are relative to Mean Higher High Water (MHHW; excludes wind driven tides). The data, maps, and information provided should be used only as a screening-level tool for management decisions.

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Take a Tour of the White House Gardens with Ranger Jenny!

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Get a closer look at the South Lawn's gardens with Ranger Jenny! (Credit: Official White House Video)

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Climate Change Additional Video Resources

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Climate Change Additional Video Resources

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Introduction to the concept of a pollinator.

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Ruddy copper butterfly
NPS Photo

A pollinator is anything that helps carry pollen from the male part of the flower (stamen) to the female part of the same or another flower (stigma). The movement of pollen must occur for the the plant to become fertilized and produce fruits, seeds, and young plants. Some plants are self-pollinating, while others may be fertilized by pollen carried by wind or water. Still, other flowers are pollinated by insects and animals - such as bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, birds, flies and small mammals, including bats.

Insects and other animals such as bats, beetles, and flies visit flowers in search of food, shelter, nest-building materials, and sometimes even mates. Some pollinators, including many bee species, intentionally collect pollen. Others, such as many butterflies, birds and bats move pollen accidentally. Pollen sticks on their bodies while they are drinking or feeding on nectar in the flower blooms and is transported unknowingly from flower to flower resulting in pollination.

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What is a pollinator? - Pollinators (U.S. National Park Service)

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A pollinator is anything that helps carry pollen from the male part of the flower (stamen) to the female part of the same or another flower (stigma). The movement of pollen must occur for the the plant to become fertilized and produce fruits, seeds, and young plants.

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The earth’s climate is changing. Multiple lines of evidence show changes in our weather, oceans, ecosystems, and more. The buildup of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the warming of the planet are responsible for changes.

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White House Historical Association: The White House Experience Mobile app

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Leveraging the content of the Digital Library, the White House Historical Association launched the White House Experience mobile app in 2018. The app is the first mobile experience of the White House and is part of an ongoing agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to assist the Association in promoting its educational mission through the use of cutting-edge digital technology. The app is run on the digital platform Cuseum with support from AWS.

For the first time ever, users can virtually tour the White House and the surrounding President's Neighborhood with their iOS and Android smartphones. Temporary and seasonal content introduces users to traditions and special moments in White House history. The app also includes interactive elements such as the White House 360 Virtual Tour and a Presidential Look-Alike selfie-matching feature.

In 2020, the White House Historical Association updated the White House Experience app with new features including the White House 360 Virtual Tour and audio and multi-language capabilities. These enhancements were made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.

Other projects using AWS technology included Fly Like Ike, launched in 2019. Fly Like Ike celebrated President Eisenhower's legacy by giving users a chance to pilot the presidential helicopter around Washington, D.C. The interactive experience used Amazon Sumerian and was available for all users until early 2023.

The White House Historical Association thanks the White House, the National Park Service, the United States Secret Service, and Amazon Web Services for their continuing support of the White House Experience app.

Download it today on your mobile device and don't miss our latest content.

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The "White House Experience" mobile app brings First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's vision of an accessible White House to the modern age.

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mEXIbXZr6Uhqac8Vix5UjyxAygsjKTYd/view

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Edited Pollinators Lesson Presenter Slides Final.pptx

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White House Historical Association: Virtual White House Tour

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Welcome to the White House 360 Virtual Tour! This immersive experience will bring you inside the halls of the White House and provide access to all the public rooms on the...

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Alyssa Chiascione

Email: achiasci@terpmail.umd.edu

Phone: (443) 480-7374

White House Visitors Center Intern

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Email: kathy_langley@nps.gov
Phone: (202) 438-1243 or (202) 208-1636
White House Visitor Center Manager

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Climate Change Lesson Plan: This is the lesson plan that was discussed during the Teacher Workshop.

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Copy of Climate Lesson Presenter Slides Final.pptx