Designing Nature, Balboa Park History

Designing Nature, Balboa Park Grade 3-4 Lesson Plan

Written and Designed By: Stephanie Williams Cal State University San Marcos History MA Program

Designing Nature, Balboa Park Grade 3-4 Lesson Plan Title of Lesson: Designing Nature Subject: Social Studies/Environmental History Learning Objective: Students will reconnect with nature in the twenty-first century by understanding the importance of connecting with nature in parks away from electronic devices. Students will gain a greater understanding of Balboa Park History.

Grade Level(s): 3-4 Time Frame: 2-5 days Resources and Materials ● Computer/Internet ● Student Journals ● The Following Children’s Books: The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hawkins (2013), We Planted a Tree by Diane E. Muldrow (2010), and Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story From Africa by Jeanette Winter (2008) ● A collection of art materials and supplies for, depending on the medium students choose: Construction Paper, pencils, markers, colored pencils, sharpies, paint, clay, recycled nature materials, found objects, magazine clippings. (Teachers can decide on certain whole group materials to provide ahead of time if they choose)

Content Standard(s) This lesson plan will follow the Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs) within the six California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP). Most specifically TPEs 1, 3, 4:4, 4:5, and 4:8. Students will be involved during the lesson to support their achievement of the learning goals by reading, writing, discussing, brainstorming, and creating a project.

Common Core Standards Key Ideas and Details: - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.R1.3.1 Students ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for answers.

- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.R1.3.3 Students describe the relationship between a series of historical events in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.R1.3.7 Students use information gathered from illustrations, photographs, maps to demonstrate understanding of the text.

(Where, when why, and how) Craft and Structure: - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.R1.4.5 Students will describe the overall structure (chronology, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in text.

Common Core Standards Text Types and Purposes: - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3.D Students use concrete words and sensory details to convey events precisely.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge: - CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.7 Students will conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.9 Students will draw evidence from literary or informational text to support analysis, reflection, and research.

California Frameworks - Continuity and Change. 3.1.2 Students will describe physical and human geography and use maps, tables, graphs, or photographs to organize information about environments in a spatial context. Students will trace the way in which people have used the resources of a local region and modified the physical environment.

- Continuity and Change. 3.3.3 Students will see how individuals contributed to the founding and development of their community and how students’ communities have changed over time drawing from maps, photographs, oral histories, and other primary sources.

California Frameworks - California: A Changing State. 4.1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the physical and human geographic features that define places and regions in California.

- California: A Changing State. 4.1 Students will use maps, charts, and pictures, to describe how communities in California vary in land use, vegetation, wildlife, architecture, and climate.

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ELD Standard(s) Part 1: Interacting In Meaningful Ways.

Students will demonstrate active listening to read alouds, and oral presentations by asking and answering questions with prompting and support.

Students will contribute to class, group, and partner discussions by asking relevant questions and adding relevant information.

Students will recount experiences using complete sentences Students will plan and deliver a brief presentation by explaining a project.

Lesson Overview: Students will learn about events such as Arbor Day and Earth Day celebrations in Balboa Park that allow people to participate in nature by planting trees and recycling to preserve the environment. Students will gain a greater understanding of landscape/park design history in Balboa Park, and then create their own version of a park.

Before The Lesson - Activating Students Prior Knowledge Teacher will read aloud the Children’s Story: The Tree Lady. This a short story about Kate Sessions who was known to be the Mother of Balboa Park in San Diego California.

Ask students to get in groups of 3-4 people and discuss with each other what parks they have visited and/or what parks they may read about or have learned about. Ask students to think about what types of trees, flowers, grass, rocks, bushes, leaves, pine cones, twigs, and other forms of landscape and nature they may have seen at these parks. One student in the group will record the other students’ responses. After 15-20 minutes or so, bring students back together as a whole group and ask a different person from each group to read the list of parks, types of parks their group discussed, and any forms of landscape and nature they discussed.

Ask students if they have ever heard of Arbor Day, and then create a class list with their responses.Play the following video from PBS about Arbor Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2vf4-xWcFg. Ask students if they have ever heard of Earth Day, and then create a class list with their responses. Play the following video from PBS about Earth Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuhpygdNmcQ. During the Lesson - Park and Designer History Teacher will read aloud the Children’s Story We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrow.

Teacher will show pictures of Balboa Park, and celebrations of Arbor Day and Earth Day in the Balboa Park. Teacher will use the following links to help guide a class discussion: https://www.balboapark.org/itinerary/nature-lover https://friendsofbalboapark.org/arbor-day/ https://www.balboapark.org/attractions/sefton-plaza

Teacher will lead a discussion about the following three different park designers in Balboa Park History, demonstrating the changing ideas about nature in the Balboa Park over time: Samuel Parsons Jr. - Picturesque in the park.

Kate O. Sessions - Botanical garden in the park.

John Nolen - Form of the City Beautiful in the park.

Teacher will create a class copy of notes or bullet points with feedback students, based on each of the three designers discussed above.

In their journal, students will then pick one of the three designers and write 1-3 paragraphs explaining what the most important thing learned about the designer they chose, what they liked about the designers history, and/or what they liked about their designs and projects. *Some students may not understand the concept of separating from digital devices to participate in and enjoy nature in the park. Students also may not understand why people plant trees on Arbor Day, and why people talk about recycling on Earth Day.

Teacher will guide this understanding by asking students to break down the following scholarly review about technological advancements and electronic waste: https://issuu.com/stephaniewilliams27/docs/technologica_avancem ents_and_e-wast Students will highlight key points and then annotate important ideas relevant to Electronic Waste and other World environmental issues.

Students will write 1-3 paragraphs in their journals explaining the electronics they use and see being used within their own family.

Ask students to explain what they use electronics for and how many hours per day they are logged on to electronic devices.

After the Lesson - Assessment/Checking for Understanding/Designing a Park Provide the following essential questions to determine if students are not meeting, meeting, or exceeding the learning goal(s) of the lesson: ● ● ● ●

Why do people plant trees on Arbor Day? What do people do on Earth Day? Why should we reconnect with nature?

What can you do to help protect the environment?

Students will answer each question in paragraph form in their journals.

To demonstrate achievement of content during the lesson, students will create their own version of a park that reconnects them with nature? This can be done by drawing, painting, collaging with recycled nature materials (such as leaves, twigs, rocks,), collaging by cutting out magazine images. ● Talk to the class about designing a park that could reconnect people to nature. Pose the question: What would you include in a park if you could design your own? ● Think Pair Share: Students will brainstorm their ideas about designing a park by talking to a partner in class about their plans. Sharing ideas will help students tap into ideas and spark creativity before they design their park. ● Present different ways for students to design their park.

Such as drawing, painting, using clay, collaging (either with recycled nature, found objects, or magazine clips) ● Students will then design their own park. ● Teacher will set up 1-2 days for students to showcase their own version of a park.

Teacher will conclude the lesson by reading Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story From Africa which is based on the true story of Wangari Maathai, an environmental and political activist in Kenya and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 who sets out to replenish her country's forests.

Adaptations/Accommodations ● The learning objectives of this lesson can be adapted to each individual student's needs based on their learning level. ● Students will be able to choose what medium (other than electronics) they would like to use to create their own version of a park. Allowing students to have a choice helps motivate self-confidence. ● Special Needs students can dictate their thoughts via talk-to-text on their computer in place of writing in their journals. ● Special Needs students will benefit from using tactile components to create their park. ● This lesson can be adjusted to the K-2 level and 5-12.

- Other Children's Books to Consider: A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry (1956) K-3 I Love The Earth by Todd Parr (2018) TK-K How Tiny Fish Are Saving the World's Largest Rainforest Sy Montgomery 4-5 (2017) Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert (1991) K-1 Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel (2007) 2-4 Arbor Day Square by Kathryn Galbraith (2010) K-3