Lesson Plan #1: Drawing in the Woods.
This activity is to be used as part of the first section on developing sensitivity to the natural environment. It will follow classroom work on the ecosystem and hydrologic and nutrient cycles.
The three objectives of this lesson are (1) to spend time in the woods, (2) to help students become better observers and (3) to produce some interesting drawings.
Teacher preparation. Read, pages 5—20 in Nicolaides’
The Natural Way to Draw
and try the contour and gesture drawing exercises described. Materials needed are pencils, papers and either cardboard or books for students to use as support for papers. A site also must be selected.
Students should be told ahead of time to dress appropriately—no heels and preferably clothes in which they would feel comfortable sitting on the ground. Before going, point out the following. (1) It is very important to look and
see
. Trees usually do not meet the ground at right angles—look and see how ground. Do not draw from imagination. (2) Each student is expected to make two drawings. The first one is to be a gesture drawing of a tree and done on large white paper. Here they are to look at the lines, the flow, the gesture of the tree. The second drawing is to be a contour drawing of a flower, leaf or small cluster of leaves done on small colored paper. (3) Walk respectfully in the woods. Do not pick plants or break branches. (4) Stay with the class. Do not go far ahead or lag behind,
Give students paper and support boards, Walk together to site. Help students select the trees they want and point out some interesting lines and how certain trees have a particular gesture or flow. Possibly do one for an example. If a student draws from imagination rather than observation, it will usually look “flat”. After this do the contour drawings. Return to school. Students put boards and drawings, with names and dates on them where each belongs. Put up any or all drawings. Possibly submit some to the school newspaper,
Lesson Plan #2: The Production of Electricity
Lesson Plan #2 is to be used as part of the second section of this unit. The objectives are (1) to stress that electricity is a form of energy, a convenient form of energy made from other less convenient forms of energy, and (2) to discuss some ways of producing electrify.
Materials used include the discussion cards 16—18, a map of the world.
Class. Go through cards 16—18. On card 17 ask the questions, “What fuel does the New Haven Harbor Station use? Where does it come from?” It uses oil and the oil comes mostly from OPEC countries. Here use the world map and show where the OPEC countries are located. Discuss a path the liners might take to get the oil to the Harbor Station. Turning on a light in the classroom, thus, uses electricity produced from oil which came to New Haven from the referred OPEC countries.
On card 18 show that uranium comes mainly from Wyoming and Colorado. Almost all the power we use in this area comes from either oil or uranium.
Discuss the positive and negative aspects of oil, coal, nuclear, wind and solar production of electricity. Each is a form of energy being changed into another form of energy. Relate to the first and second energy laws of thermodynamics.
Project. Have some students and others write paragraphs describing the positive and negative aspects of one of the above methods. Form into a large school display.
Lesson Plan #3. Special Student Project,
This plan is part of the third section and teacher preparation here is for the entire section, not just this lesson.
Teacher preparation. Read
The Futurist
article “Energy Obesity”,
Pathways to
Energy Sufficiency,
World Energy
and
No Limit to Learning
. Prepare worksheet for project. (see end of third section.)
Student preparation would depend on the class. Assign part of one or parts of all three of the first three readings listed under teacher preparation.
Materials needed are discussion cards 28 through 33, worksheets for project and adequate number of copies of whatever reading students are to do.
Class. (1) Discuss why it is important to study future possibilities? The first idea is that if we drift, a lot is left to chance. The second point would be to develop skill in projecting consequences of various actions. (2) Discuss the assigned reading. Depending on group, this might take a couple periods or only part of one. (3) Go over discussion cards 28 through 33. (4) As a class, create a future way of life that would seem fun. Set a date, possibly 2032. Decide a setting, possibly New Haven with a family that has three children. They share a duplex. Decide what the people do for work and play. Determine the energy needs for each person or activity. Discuss transportation and the source of energy. (4) Give out and discuss project worksheet and time allowed.