Students will create an informational poster, collage, slide show, cartoon, or video clip of a specific ecosystem in our watershed. Requirements are as follows:pick a specific tributary, estuary, or wetland. show at least 4 abiotic and 4 biotic factors plus the location that you choseinclude 4 or more pictures to help show the parts of the ecosystem.  cite the sources with the website, title of the site, author, and publishing dateA rubric is included

Students will analyze data from the "State of the Bay" reports from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation while reviewing and completing the scientific method. The final assessment is a mission for students to create a persuasive speech or advertisement that will call for action to make changes that will positively impact the watershed with reasons why change is important. 

Video Description:  In this close-up video, Dr. Lola Fatoyinbo Agueh, a Research Physical Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, shares her love for exploring new places and passion for studying Earth, from the ground to satellite imagery.  Video Length:  1:51NASA eClipsTM is a suite of online student-centered, standards-based resources that support instruction by increasing STEM literacy in formal and nonformal settings.  These free digital and downloadable resources inform and engage students through NASA-inspired, real-world connections.NASA eClips Ask SME: Close-up with a NASA Subject Matter Expert videos are professionally developed to capture a glimpse of NASA SME's personal interests and career journeys. Each can be used to spark student interest and broaden their ideas of the STEM workforce. Additional videos in this series can be found by searching GoOpenVA using "NASA eClips Ask SME".

Video description:  In this close-up video, Jacob Torres, Technical and Horticultural Scientist at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, shares how space biology brings together his love of engineering and growing plants. For his work, he builds technology that supports growing crops in ways that have never been done before.  Video length:  2:35.NASA eClipsTM is a suite of online student-centered, standards-based resources that support instruction by increasing STEM literacy in formal and nonformal settings.  These free digital and downloadable resources inform and engage students through NASA-inspired, real-world connections.NASA eClips Ask SME: Close-up with a NASA Subject Matter Expert videos are professionally developed to capture a glimpse of NASA SME's personal interests and career journeys. Each can be used to spark student interest and broaden their ideas of the STEM workforce. Additional videos in this series can be found by searching GoOpenVA using "NASA eClips Ask SME".

Video Description:  No matter where plants grow, they have the same basic needs: water, nutrients, light, temperature, and atmosphere. No matter where humans may live, they need plants. Dr. Gioia Massa explains how NASA grows plants on the International Space Station in preparation for growing plants beyond Earth and, someday, on the Moon and Mars. Jacob Torres describes the hardware needed to provide open and closed systems for plant growth in space. This video shows how NASA scientists and engineers work together to learn more about ways plants live, grow, and adapt to live in varying environments.  Video Length:  5:44.NASA eClips Our World videos (grades 3-5) help students understand the differences between science (the natural world) and engineering (the designed world).  These video segments supplement elementary learning objectives not only in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but also in reading, writing, visual and performing arts.

NASA eClips Our World:  Where Do We Find Extremophiles?Video Description:  Where do we find extremophiles? We look for environments that push the limits for ordinary living organisms. NASA conducts analog testing in these extreme environments to better understand life on Earth and identify the potential for life in the universe.  Video Length:  3:25. NASA eClipsTM is a suite of online student-centered, standards-based resources that support instruction by increasing STEM literacy in formal and nonformal settings.  These free digital and downloadable resources inform and engage students through NASA-inspired, real-world connections.NASA eClips Our World videos (grades 3-5) help students understand the differences between science (the natural world) and engineering (the designed world).  These video segments supplement elementary learning objectives not only in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, but also in reading, writing, visual and performing arts.

Video Description:  Our Earth is a dynamic system with diverse subsystems that interact in complex ways.What are those subsystems and how do they interact?How are these subsystems and the global Earth system changing?What causes these changes?How does NASA monitor these changes?How can Earth system science provide societal benefit?Jessica Taylor, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Langley Research Center, and Dr. Steven Pawson, an Earth scientist from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, help answer these questions and demonstrate how mathematical modeling helps scientists in their predictions of climate, weather, and natural hazards.  Video Length:  5:02.NASA eClips Real World segments (grades 6-8) connect classroom mathematics to 21st Century careers and innovations.  They are designed for students to develop an appreciation for mathematics through real-world problem solving.

NASA eClips Real World:  Food Security -- Monitoring Crops from SpaceVideo Description:  Discover how NASA's Earth-observing satellites gather data to monitor food growth. Dr. Inbal Becker-Reshef describes how mathematics is used to interpret satellite data and describe vegetation and crop yield. Dr. Hannah Kerner shares how algorithms and models use NASA data to describe and predict food supply and food shortages. This work through NASA Harvest provides tools for farmers and governments to describe and predict food security worldwide. Video Length:  5:25.NASA eClipsTM is a suite of online student-centered, standards-based resources that support instruction by increasing STEM literacy in formal and nonformal settings.  These free digital and downloadable resources inform and engage students through NASA-inspired, real-world connections.NASA eClips Real World segments (grades 6-8) connect classroom mathematics to 21st Century careers and innovations.  They are designed for students to develop an appreciation for mathematics through real-world problem solving.

 As humans continue to move across and dominate the open landscapes of North America, transforming diverse native ecosystems into managed areas for crops, livestock, or even simply for aesthetics, our native residents and transient wildlife lose habitat. That is why it is up to all of us – landowners and managers, farmers, and homeowners — to make decisions to oversee a multi-use landscape, one which both wildlife and humans can utilize for the benefit of all. For more information and classroom activities, please visit The Wildlife Center of Virginia and VPM UNTAMED websites.