2 WEEKS

Hey everyone,

I honestly cannot believe that we are already this close to the end of the school year. It feels like just yesterday we were kicking off new units, building Driving Question Boards, and settling into routines, and now we are down to the final two weeks of school. This year has flown by, and it has been amazing watching students grow academically, socially, and personally throughout all of the experiences we have shared together in Earth Science this year.

Where We Were

Over the past two weeks, we wrapped up many of our discussions connected to the anchoring phenomena for our Earth’s Resources unit. Students explored climate and environmental case studies from across the country and compared multiple climate datasets from six cities alongside Lancaster, PA. Through analyzing patterns and relationships in the data, students worked to better understand how environmental conditions, resources, and human impacts can vary from place to place while remaining interconnected.

Students also completed a quiz focused on putting many of these concepts into words and clearly explaining the relationships we discussed throughout the unit. It was great seeing students take the scientific ideas we explored through activities and discussions and communicate their understanding in a more detailed way.

We also celebrated Mr. Roberto and his final days with us for the school year! Having Mr. Roberto with us this year has been such a positive experience for our classroom, and students enjoyed getting to work alongside him throughout many of our labs, demonstrations, projects, and discussions this year.

Below: Class photos with Mr. Roberto

Where We Are

Currently, students are in the middle of their Community Resilience Plan Project. In this project, students are creating plans focused on addressing environmental issues that impact Lancaster, PA. One major topic students have been researching is air pollution and Lancaster’s ranking as the 19th worst city in the country for air quality.

Students are identifying stakeholders who are affected by these environmental issues and analyzing how different groups within the community can contribute to possible solutions. The goal is for students to think critically about how science, policy, community action, and individual responsibility all connect when addressing environmental challenges.

Students will finish creating the presentation component of the project on Monday, and presentations will take place on Wednesday and Thursday.

Where We Are Going

As we close out our Earth’s Resources unit, students will be watching The Lorax and drawing comparisons between the themes presented in the film and many of the topics we discussed throughout the unit. Students will analyze ideas related to resource use, environmental responsibility, pollution, sustainability, and human impact on Earth’s systems while connecting them back to real-world environmental issues.

Beyond academics, we are also heading into many of the fun end-of-year traditions and celebrations, including Color Wars, yearbook signings, and other activities that help celebrate the close of another successful school year together. Please encourage students to be on their best behavior as we approach the end of the year. Poor decisions or behaviors may impact their ability to participate in events such as Color Wars.

If you have any questions or want to connect further, feel free to reach out at curtis_catwood@conestogavalley.org. You can also follow our classroom adventures on Instagram at @classwithcatwood where I share updates and snapshots of what we are learning.

Stay Gold,

Mr. Catwood