We are developing units of study around STEAM and forming partnerships to develop a STEAM identity in students and a STEAM school culture. In trying to make learning relevant and context-based for our students, we want to have learning come alive and be experiential!

In their Life Science unit, 5th graders students will experience creating a small world ecology system by designing and building their own terrariums. Trying to understand how ecological systems work together and how to describe and model the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers and the environment is very complex for 5th graders. Terrariums are the perfect way for students to see this in action and make sense of this amazing phenomenon! Our units are also designed to have students apply/connect engineering, art, technology, and math to science.

In partnership with Roosevelt’s Terrarium, 104 Sato 5th Graders would learn about how the terrarium was discovered, and then invented, how the terrarium actually works, how they can actually design, plant and build their own ecological system adding artistic design! Roosevelt is offering their services at no charge except for the cost of materials and will meet with teachers prior to the unit instruction. This will help us give students the learning experiences around understanding the phenomenon of terrariums and assist during the 90 minute instructional class for the students. After the class, students would monitor the quality of the ecosystem and transfer that knowledge to the ecosystem right alongside our school; a tributary of Abbey Creek, collecting data and modeling their systems throughout the year.

The following questions and concepts will be addressed through this terrarium unit?

How did the terrarium change the course of history--from an economical, political and ecological points of view?

How does matter cycle through ecosystems?

Where does the energy in food come from and how is it used?

Crosscutting concepts of: Scale and Proportion, Systems, Energy and Matter, Patterns, Cause and Effect

Artistic Design.

Budget:

The money would cover the materials and labor cost of $18 per student for the 104 Sato 5th graders for a total of $1,872.  (Note: Discounted price of items by Roosevelt's Terrariums from $25 per student to $18 per student. Difference donated by Roosevelt's Terrariums in addition to donated workshop time.)

The $18 is a per student breaks down as follows:

Quart size terrarium Jar= $2.50

Terrarium plants= $8.00

Terrarium drainage and purification material= $1.00

Terrarium special soil=$1.00

Terrarium art sand=$1.00

Terrarium decorative rocks and gravel=$1.00

Terrarium deep forest ground cover= $1.00

Terrarium glass lid disk= $2.50

(Three classes with a total of students=104 X $18)=$1872