BSF Third Grade Lesson Outline - Stevens Point Area Public ...



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Boston School Forest

Fourth Grade

Curriculum

Introduction

The mission of the Boston School Forest is to provide the youth of Stevens Point area schools educational opportunities that foster personal growth as well as awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of the natural world leading to sound stewardship of the earth.

Environmental education programs that are the most effective emphasize students’ involvement and interaction with the natural environment. The Boston School Forest is the living laboratory for our youth to study, learn from, and explore. The Boston School Forest curriculum is intended to provide classroom teachers, school forest staff, and volunteers with lessons, activities, and background information on the environmental education topics studied in our living laboratory, the school forest.

The Boston School Forest’s curriculum is designed to correlate directly with the Stevens Point Area Public School District curriculum. Our goal is to have students benefit the most from their school forest experiences. They will develop a deeper understanding of the concepts learned at the school forest if they are prepared and have time to reflect and review concepts learned.

The curriculum contains optional pre and post fieldtrip lessons that are flexible and brief. Teachers can apply their professional knowledge and insight as to how extensively these activities will fit into their teaching plans. These activities aren’t intended to add an additional burden to our very busy classroom schedules. It is hoped that they can be of help to teachers and enhance the learning experiences of our students.

When teachers have a multi-aged or split grade class, they can choose which school forest lessons they would like to have the school forest staff teach. Contact the Environmental Education Coordinator to make arrangements.

The first curriculum written for the school forest in the 1967-1968 school year has been lost in time. It is intended that this renewed effort will be continued into the future with regular updates and additions. The curriculum writers invite teachers to share their ideas and suggestions for additional activities that will enhance this document. All contributors’ activities included will be acknowledged in updated copies of the curriculum.

The following people deserve acknowledgement for their time, dedication, and thoughtful insight into the planning and development of this document: Allison Bancker, Jerry Corgiat, Karen Dostal, Pat Hoffman, Kathy Kruthoff, Lori Lampert, Judy Mansavage, Cris Miller, Casey Nye, and Susan Zook.

Curriculum

Scope and Sequence

Students in the Stevens Point School District visit the Boston School Forest each year from Kindergarten through 6th Grade. The visit occurs in a designated season and engages students in activities related to an age-appropriate theme.

|Environmental Education Curriculum Topics |

|Grade |

|Grade |Season |Major Theme(s) |

|K |Winter |Basic Needs |

|1 |Winter |Life Cycles through the Seasons, Animal Groupings |

|2 |Spring |Pond and Forest Ecosystems |

|3 |Winter |Biodiversity, Food Chains, and Webs |

|4 |Winter |Wisconsin Forests, Seasonal Differences |

|5 |Fall |Orienteering, Classification, and Characteristics of Trees |

|6 |Spring |Wilderness Survival, Service Learning |

Stevens Point Area Public Schools

Fourth Grade Boston School Forest Curriculum

|Curriculum Areas: Environmental Science, Social Studies, Language|General Topic: Wisconsin Forests and Seasonal Changes |Subtopics: Forest History and Management, Winter Recreation in |

|Arts, Physical Education | |Wisconsin |

|Standards and Benchmarks |Teaching Strategies & |Teacher Resources |Assessments |

| |Student Activities | | |

|Environmental Education |[pic] Forest Values Bingo game |Owl Moon by Jane Yolen |Comprehension worksheet |

|A.4.1 Make observations, ask questions, and plan environmental investigations. |[pic] Read aloud and discuss Owl | | |

|A.4.4 Communicate their understanding to others in simple terms. |Moon by Jane Yolen |Letter and worksheet to send home | |

|D.4.1 Demonstrate knowledge of a decision-making process that includes selecting and using data, |[pic] Follow-up family activity | | |

|suggesting possible alternatives, predicting consequences, and being aware of available |[pic] Journal entry of day at the | | |

|resources. |school forest | | |

| |[pic] Cross Country Ski Adventure | | |

|Science |[pic] Snowshoe Hike | | |

|F4.4 Using the scientific themes, develop explanations for the connections among living and |[pic] Lumberjack Games | | |

|non-living things in various environments. | | | |

| | | | |

|Language Arts | | | |

|A.4.1 Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purpose in reading. | | | |

|A.4.3 Read and discuss literary and nonliterary texts in order to understand human experience. | | | |

|C.4.3 Participate effectively in discussion. | | | |

| | | | |

|Social Studies | | | |

|A.4.4 Describe and give examples of ways in which people interact with the physical environment, | | | |

|including use of land, location of communities, methods of construction, and design of shelters. | | | |

|A.4.7 Identify connections between local community and other places in Wisconsin, USA, and the | | | |

|world. | | | |

| | | | |

|Physical Education | | | |

|A.4.3 Identify several moderate to vigorous physical activities that provide personal pleasure. | | | |

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Boston School Forest

Fourth Grade Lesson Outline

|Purpose |

| |

|These lessons provide options for classroom teachers to extend students’ experiences at the Boston School Forest. You are encouraged|

|to use the pre- and post-field trip fourth grade lessons in whole or in part to help introduce and reinforce basic concepts and |

|vocabulary, to extend enthusiasm generated at the forest, and to challenge students by assimilating their knowledge beyond the forest|

|visit. |

|Pre-Field Trip Options | 10 |

|Are Forests Important Today? from LEAF | |

|Owl Moon by Jane Yolen – Read aloud and activity sheet | |

|Post-Field Trip Options |18 |

|Wisconsin Forest History | |

|School Forest Visit Journal Entry | |

|Family Extension Activities |26 |

|Nature Watch Activity Sheet | |

|Boston School Forest Activities | 27 |

| | |

|a. Cross County Ski Adventure | |

|b. Snowshoe Hike and Stories in the Snow | |

| | |

|When there is insufficient snow for skiing and snowshoeing: | |

|c. Lumberjack Games | |

|d. Winter Pond Study | |

|Appendix 1. Multiple Intelligences Chart | 31 |

|Appendix 2. EE Subgoals Model | 32 |

|Appendix 3. Boston School Forest History |33 |

|Appendix 4. Location and Directions |37 |

Boston School Forest

Fourth Grade Pre-Field Trip Option

District Curriculum Topic: Environmental Appreciation, Adaptations, Forestry, Outdoor Recreation

School Forest Theme: Wisconsin Forests and Seasonal Changes

Subject: Social Studies

Topics: Forest History and Management, Winter Recreation in Wisconsin

Alignment to State Standards: EE A.4.1, A.4.2, A.4.3, A.4.4

Multiple Intelligence Connections: Linguistic-Verbal, Visual-Spatial

Lesson Length: 50 minutes or more

Supplies/Technology:

• LEAF Field Enhancement 2 “Are Forests Important Today?” (attached)

• Paper, pencils, crayons, colored pencils

• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Process: (Strategies and Activities)

1. Have students recall a special time or place in the outdoors. They may remember seeing deer, an eagle, or other wildlife up close. Maybe they recall a time when they were hunting or fishing with a parent or walking with a grandparent. Invite them to share some of these experiences. Discuss with them why they value this special place or experience. Discuss the value of forests in our state for resources for wildlife and people as well as for our recreational uses. (See the background information and procedure from LEAF Field Enhancement 2 “Are Forests Important Today?”)

The LEAF Lesson Guide contains grade-level specific forestry units. The guide is obtained by taking a LEAF course. For more information and upcoming dates visit the LEAF website at: uwsp.edu/cnr/leaf or call (715) 346-4956.

2. Ask students what they feel makes our community and our state a special place to live. Discuss the seasonal changes as well as the variety of fun recreational activities available. Discuss the importance of protecting the things we value. Help them realize that protecting the environment and places for wildlife will allow them and future generations to have the same exciting outdoor fun and experiences.

3. Explain and play the Forest Values Bingo game on the school grounds. If this isn’t practical, try The Great Outdoors word activity.

4. As a conclusion, read the book Owl Moon. Have students compare this child’s experience on a special winter night with their own exciting experiences outdoors. Discuss why the author, Jane Yolen, may have chosen this experience to write about. Have them recall the sights, sounds, and feelings of their own special outdoor experiences. Have students think about how and why the characters in this book may value the forest near their home. See attached worksheet pages.

Optional activity assessment: Have students write and illustrate a personal experience they have had outdoors (as discussed earlier). Have them explain why they value the place and the experience they had there.

FIELD ENHANCEMENT 2

Are Forests Important Today?

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

▪ List recreational uses of forests.

▪ Describe how the forest provides products and jobs for people.

▪ Describe the importance of forests for wildlife.

SUBJECT AREAS

Arts, Language Arts, Science

LESSON/ACTIVITY TIME

▪ Total Lesson Time: 70 Minutes

▪ Time Breakdown: Introduction 5 minutes

Activity 40 minutes

Conclusion 25 minutes

TEACHING SITE

Any wooded area

CLASSROOM LESSON CONNECTIONS

This lesson ties closely with Classroom Lesson 6, Forests Are Important to You and Me.

NUTSHELL

In this lesson, students go on a scavenger hunt to play Forest Values Bingo and discover why forests are ecologically, economically, and socially valuable.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Whether we realize it or not, we depend on forests in our daily lives. Forests play an important role in our environment, our economy, and our social well-being.

Forests provide habitat for wildlife. Many animals depend on the forest for survival. The forest provides animals with all of their needs: water, food, shelter, air, and space. Some animals, like squirrels, have adapted to living in urban forests. Others, like fishers, need to have larger expanses of forest in order to survive.

Besides providing for wildlife, forests have other ecological values. Trees help keep our air clean by filtering particulates and storing carbon. During photosynthesis, trees use carbon dioxide and give off oxygen used by humans and animals. Shade is another benefit of forests. Shade from trees keeps the forest cool for inhabitants. Urban forests help keep the neighborhood cool. In addition, forests help prevent soil erosion. Plants and leaves that cover the ground as well as the roots growing in the ground keep soil from eroding away. This in turn keeps our rivers and streams cleaner.

Forests play a critical role in the economy of Wisconsin. Wood and paper products plus many cosmetic and grocery items are made from raw materials harvested from our forests. Americans depend on products like paper, lumber, and cardboard every day. What some people may not realize is that products like liquid smoke, candy wrappers, milk cartons, and thousands of others are made from parts of trees harvested in Wisconsin.

VOCABULARY Ecological Value: The worth of a forest in terms of what it contributes to an

ecosystem as a whole.

Economic Value: The worth of a forest in financial terms (dollars and cents).

Economy: The prosperity of an area based on the trading of money for products and

services.

Environment: The air, water, soil, and organisms that surround and affect us.

Scat: A scientific term for animal feces.

Social Value: The worth of a forest to people (e.g., aesthetics, culture, education,

and recreation).

It’s not only Americans who benefit from Wisconsin’s forests. Our state exports forest products all over the world. In order for these products to end up in the stores, people have to make them. That means lots of jobs! Forest products and forest-based recreation employ 18 percent of Wisconsin’s workforce. Foresters, loggers, paper mill workers, carpenters, factory workers, builders, and many others depend on materials from the forest.

Forest recreational activities not only bring tourism dollars to our state, but also help many Wisconsin residents relax and refresh themselves. From hiking and bird watching to riding snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles, recreational opportunities abound in our beautiful forests. Simply, the aesthetics of our splendid forests add to our social well-being.

PROCEDURE INTRODUCTION: Ask your students what a forest provides that is valuable to them.

(Possible answers include wood, wildlife, a place to hike, clean air, etc.)

MATERIALS LIST – FOR EACH STUDENT

▪ One copy of Student Page 1A, B or C, Forest Values Bingo Cards

▪ Pencil

▪ Drawing paper

▪ Crayons/markers

▪ Clipboard or other writing surface

TEACHER PREPARATION

▪ Visit the teaching site in advance to decide on the boundaries within which your students will work.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Set up boundaries for your students to work within. Make sure you will be able to see all the students at all times. Children should walk, not run, at all times and be aware of rough terrain.

Explain to your students that forests are valuable to us in several ways. Forests are valuable to our social well-being. That means they provide beauty and a place to participate in fun activities like camping and hiking. Explain that forests are valuable to wildlife. They provide animals with food and shelter. Ask if any of their parents work as carpenters, foresters, loggers, or in a paper mill. (Some may answer yes.) People in these jobs use materials from the forest to make products we use every day like paper, furniture, and houses. In this way the forest is valuable to our economy. Have students brainstorm other jobs associated with the forest. (Wildland firefighter, park ranger, ecologist/scientist, sawmill positions.) The forest is also valuable to our environment. Leaves help keep our air clean, trees provide shade to keep you cool, and roots keep the soil from eroding.

ACTIVITY

1. Explain to your students that they will be playing a game of bingo to learn more about the value of forests. Begin by showing your students the boundaries they will work within while playing this game.

2. Hand each student one of Student Page 1A, B or C, Forest Values Bingo Cards, a pencil, and a clipboard.

3. Explain to your students that each column on their card represents a different type of value. Tell your students that their job is to walk around inside the boundaries and look for the values listed on their bingo card. When they find one, they should draw an “X” through that square. In order to win at this bingo game, your students need to get five in a row, either across or diagonally. Since all the values are important, getting five in one column does not count.

4. Explain that the first column contains recreational uses for forests. Ask one of your students to raise his or her hand and tell you what is happening in one of the pictures in the first column on their card. (The pictures show people skiing, hunting, bird watching, hiking, camping, fishing, biking, riding snowmobiles, and showshoeing.) Explain that in order to mark a square in the first column, they need to see a place where that particular recreational activity can be done.

5. Next, ask your students what they see in the second column on their cards. (Animals like a rabbit, a squirrel, a deer, an ant, a bird, a spider, a raccoon, and a fly.) Explain that to mark a

square in the second column, they need to actually see that animal.

6. Ask what they see in the third column. (Pictures of tracks, scat, deer rubbings, a nest, a feather, chewed-up leaves, a hole dug in the ground, and a pile of seed hulls under a tree.) Explain that these are all signs of wildlife. For the third column, they need to see that particular sign of wildlife.

7. Ask what pictures they see in the fourth column. (Forest products like a Christmas tree, maple syrup, a book, a strawberry plant, a chair, a table, a raspberry plant, toilet paper, and a fruit tree.) Explain that for the fourth column, they need to see a tree or plant that can produce the product shown in the picture.

8. The fifth column contains ways that forests are valuable to the environment. Ask your students which picture shows how the forest affects our air. (The picture of the leaf taking in CO2 and giving off O2.) Have students point to at least one picture that shows how the forest keeps us and our homes cool. (They should point to the picture of someone sitting in the shade or the picture of the tree shading the house.) Ask which pictures show how the forest helps prevent soil erosion. (The picture of the roots holding the soil and the picture of plants growing in the soil.) Point out the last picture to your students. It shows trees serving as a windbreak. Explain that windbreaks help prevent soil erosion as well as insulate our homes against cold winds. Tell your students that in order to mark a square in the fifth column, they need to see those particular examples of how the forest helps our environment.

9. Send your students out to search the woods for values. Give them about fifteen minutes to work. If a student completes his or her bingo card before the time is up, have him or her help another student.

10. When everyone has gotten bingo at least once, call the group back together to discuss what they found. Ask your students to share which recreational activities they thought could be done in this forest. Ask them if they saw any wildlife or signs of wildlife. Ask which forest products come from materials in this forest. Ask for examples of the ecological values of this forest. (Answers will vary depending on the site.)

CONCLUSION

This portion of the lesson could be done back in the classroom.

1. Lead your students in a discussion about why all the values are important. Ask what might happen if the forest didn’t have values for the environment (animals, air, soil, water quality, etc.). (Answers may include: our air would be polluted, our climate would be warmer, and/or our soil would be eroded.) Ask what life would be like if the forest did not have recreational value. (We would not have a place to hike, bike, hunt, etc.) Ask what might happen if the forest did not provide benefits for wildlife. (Many of the wildlife we have in Wisconsin might not exist at all because many of them depend on the forest for survival.) Ask what might happen if the forest did not have economic value. (We would not have many of the products that we use every day and many of our parents would not have jobs that depend on the forest.) Explain that the reason they had to get bingo across or diagonally on the card was because we need all types of values from the forest. Getting bingo in a downward column on their bingo card would mean the forest was only valuable for one thing.

2. Give each student a piece of drawing paper. Ask them to fold it in half in both directions so that the paper is divided into four squares. Tell your students to draw four different pictures. One picture should show an ecological value of forests, one picture should show an economic value, one picture should show a social value, and the last picture should show why forests are valuable to them.

3. Once everyone has completed their draw-ings, gather your students together. Ask several or all of your students to share about their drawings.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Have each of your students write a story about what life would be like if there weren’t any forests. At least one paragraph should describe what the environment might be like if there weren’t any forests. They should include at least one paragraph about how they would get by without forest products. In addition, at least one paragraph should describe how they would fill their free time if they couldn’t use the forest or forest products for recreation.

REFERENCES

Finan, A. S. (200). Wisconsin Forests at the Millennium: An Assessment. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. PUB-FR-161 2000.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

…BOOK…

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (HarperCollins, 1964.) Discover the many values of a tree to a boy throughout his life.

Name ____________________________________________________________________________

Owl Moon

Comprehension Check

1. What does it mean to go owling?

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2. What time of day do people go owling? Why?

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3. As you read the story, how do you know it is cold out?

__________________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________________

4. What words would you use to tell how the child feels at the end of the story? Why?

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

Boston School Forest

Fourth Grade Post-Field Trip Option

District Curriculum Topic: Environmental Appreciation, Adaptations, Forestry, Outdoor Recreation

School Forest Theme: Wisconsin Forests and Seasonal Changes

Topics: Forest History and Management, Winter Recreation in Wisconsin

Alignment to State Standards: EE A.4.1, A.4.2, A.4.3, A.4.4

Multiple Intelligence Connections: Linguistic-Verbal, Visual-Spatial

Lesson Length: 45 minutes

Supplies/Technology:

• “Wisconsin Forest History.” Lesson 4 in Wisconsin Forestry: Bridging the Gap Between Environment and the Economy or the CD with story and activities from the guide.

• Paper, markers, crayons

Process: (Strategies and Activities)

1. Read aloud the “Wisconsin Forest History” article in Wisconsin Forestry: Bridging the Gap Between Environment and the Economy or have students use the CD with the story and activities from the front of the Wisconsin Forestry guide.

2. See the “Events for the Wisconsin History Timeline” at the end of the “Wisconsin Forest History” article. Have students select an event and create a picture depicting that event.

3. When their pictures are complete, have the students assemble the pictures in chronological order.

WISCONSIN FOREST HISTORY

One of the strongest memories of my childhood is the summer my younger brother and I spent with our grandfather in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I was about 11 years old that summer and my brother was 4. We lived down in Milwaukee at the time and Grandpa’s house – really old, wooden, two stories, set back in the woods – always scared me a little bit. One thing about the house I really remember is all the long hallways filled with doors leading to different rooms. I remember thinking that some of those rooms probably hadn’t been used in years.

Grandpa would always doze off in the afternoons in his big leather chair, and as soon as I noticed this, I would make my brother sneak upstairs with me. I always felt safer when he was with me even though he was only 4 years old. I remember staring down the long hallway at the top of the stairs and wondering what was behind some of the closed doors of the rooms. More furniture? Who once slept there? Why were the doors shut?

We could never gather the courage to open one of the doors. Inevitably, we would end up back in the living room whispering, “Grandpa wake up.” Finally, one day towards the end of the summer, I nervously sputtered a request to my Grandfather.

“Grandpa, I was wondering if you would tell me what is in some of the rooms upstairs?”

He stared at his morning paper for a long time, taking his glasses off and then putting them on again. I wondered if he hadn’t heard me.

“Grandpa, I was…”

“Yes,” he said slowly. “I think I would like to show you some of the things in the rooms upstairs.”

I sat on the living room couch, half frozen and half ready to make a mad dash up the stairs. I helped Grandpa out of his chair and ascended the stairwell slowly with him. The upstairs was dark except for a little light coming through the window at the end of the hallway. Grandpa led me to one of the first doors and slowly opened it. We entered a room that was darker than the hallway. I immediately sneezed as I breathed in the musty smell.

“Just a minute, kiddo, I have a lamp over here.”

I heard Grandpa fumbling around for the lamp and then a dim light appeared, showing me a room crammed full of boxes, pictures, and furniture. It seemed that every square inch of space was taken up. Elaborately framed pictures were leaning on many of the boxes. I carefully followed Grandpa to a dusty desk that was beside the bed. He sat in the chair by the desk and I found a stable seat atop one of the boxes next to him.

I vividly remember the time we spent in the room that day. Grandpa spent hours telling me stories about my family – about my ancestors. I didn’t understand everything he told me, but I was interested in what he was sharing because he was very emotional about it all. Sometimes he would laugh out loud when he showed me old photographs; other times he was very serious about the connections our family has to the land and to the trees of Wisconsin.

One of the first stories Grandpa told me was how my distant relatives came to be some of the first settlers of Wisconsin. My great- great- great-grandparents, Sven and Lena Anderson, came to Wisconsin from Sweden in 1832. They were hoping to find a new way of life that included land, wealth, and of course, adventure. There were a lot of other immigrants coming into southeast Wisconsin as part of that first wave of people, which lasted from 1830 to 1850. Sven and Lena found some success here and apparently sent letters to their brothers and sisters back in Sweden. These letters spoke of the good farming, the endless white pines, and the money that could be made by logging and clearing the land up North. Their nephew, Erik Olsen, found his way to Wisconsin from the east coast in 1856. He had heard about the lumber mills and logging companies that paid good wages for hard workers from his aunt and uncle. He was part of the second major wave of people who came to Wisconsin between 1850 and 1860.

Erik left Wisconsin in 1861 to fight in the Civil War. He managed to survive through four years of fighting and brought his brother Nels back to Wisconsin with him in 1866. Many others were traveling to Wisconsin looking for work in the logging industry, which was really booming by this time. This third wave of people lasted from 1865 at the end of the Civil War to about 1880.

One last major group of settlers came into Wisconsin between 1880 and 1920. Grandpa showed me a picture of his mother and my great-grandmother, Ingrid Peterson. She had come to Wisconsin with her parents from Sweden in 1890. The trees had all been logged out by this time and the government was pushing for more people to come and farm this cleared land. Many of the loggers had moved out west, looking for more trees, but my relatives decided to stay and try to farm the land they had previously logged. Grandpa told me that my great-grandfather, Carl Anderson, met Ingrid at a dance one night and they eventually got married and had children, including my Grandpa. (Q1)

Grandpa told me lots of stories throughout the last few weeks of the summer. I just couldn’t get enough information abut my relatives. Another story was about how when Sven and Lena moved to Wisconsin. (P1) Their first impression of the trees was they were inexhaustible and that once logging started, it would never end. My relatives realized how valuable the trees were and how they could profit from them. (P2) Grandpa told me, “There were so many trees in Wisconsin. Imagine a land with no roads or homes. Just trees after trees after trees. Some trees were wider that you are tall. It was said that a squirrel could travel across the state without ever coming down from those trees.”

Sven and Lena realized they were sitting on a gold mine of opportunity. Almost all of the money made by them and the other early settlers came from logging. There were many jobs related to the lumber industry: cutting the trees down, hauling them out of the forest, and sawing them into lumber which could be sold.

These settlers, however, disrupted the lives of the Native Americans who had been living in Wisconsin for thousands of years. These tribes believed in using the land, not owning it. They did not believe that humans could own the land. This view was very much at odds with how settlers viewed the land. The settlers were removing the trees from their own land as fast as they could to make money. Once all the trees were gone, they would sell or abandon their land and move on to repeat the process in a new place. They didn’t seem to think about the effect their rapid removal of trees would have.

I asked Grandpa how Native Americans used the land differently than the settlers. He asked me how much I thought a tree was worth. I thought it was a strange question, but I told him, maybe 100

dollars. He told me that Native Americans didn’t view a tree’s worth in dollars and cents. They valued trees for the resources they provided, like shelter, food, and habitat for game animals. He gave me an example of how the Native Americans used fire to clear only small parts of the forest. These clearings attracted game animals that were looking for food. Young plants would also become established in this newly cleared area. The Native Americans used these plants and animals for food and clothing. (Q2)

(P3) One of the framed pictures in that old musty room was a black and white photo of Erik Olssen. When grandpa and I looked at it under the dim light, it wasn’t Erik that amazed me, but the tree he was standing under. “That tree is huge,” I remember telling Grandpa. “Yes it is. That’s a white pine – they reached 150 feet in height, half the length of a football field. They were all over Wisconsin when your relatives first came here,” Grandpa said.

(P4) Grandpa continued to tell me that the white pines’ popularity started in the New England states in the mid-1700’s, before the Revolutionary War. The white pine is very special because the wood is very light and soft compared to other wood. The best part though was that the trees were so tall and straight. (Q3)

Because of this, the wood was in demand all over the world, especially to the Queen of England and her subjects. They were interested in reserving the very largest and mightiest trees for the Royal Navy of England. Since the white pines were straight, light, and sturdy, they were perfect for ship masts. Loggers in New England didn’t want to have to save the best trees from some distant Queen thousands of miles away.

Because of this and similar disagreements, England began announcing trade regulations and rules that affected all kinds of products important to the colonies, such as tea and lumber. No one was pleased with England’s demands. This unhappiness led to our country wanting independence from England. As it became obvious that a war was going to break out soon, the loggers realized that Americans could end up fighting English ships fitted with white pine masts that they had logged.

In 1774, Congress stopped the export of everything to England, including the white pine. The American Revolution began one year later. Other nations, like Spain and Portugal, kept up the demand for American white pines. They wanted them for shipbuilding and construction and were willing to pay top dollar. “As your relatives came to Wisconsin, the logging companies they worked for were making quite a profit selling these huge trees at a top price on the market,” Grandpa said. (Q4)

In 1836, after Swen and Lena had been here for four years, the Wisconsin Territory was created. Twelve years later, in 1848, Wisconsin was established as a state. (P5) When Erik arrived in 1856, lumber mills had popped up all over Wisconsin and the state’s rivers made up the major transportation system. Once the logs were cut, men would float them down river to the sawmill. The logging industry created many mill towns along Wisconsin rivers. Towns such as Appleton, Green Bay, and Stevens Point were known for transforming logs into lumber for our growing nation.

At first, the pineries farther north were not popular lumbering areas because of the steep and winding waterways. These waterways made it difficult to transport logs down the river. (P6) That all changed when railroads arrived in the mid-1800s and there was access to the north country for transporting timber. Many of these railroad lines are still transporting logs for lumber and paper companies today.

The railroads were usually built on the flat stretches of land. (P7) This terrain also happened to be perfect for highways. Many highways were built over old railroad lines. Sometimes you can see old railroad tracks running along side the highway. (Q5)

Another effect the lumber mills had on Wisconsin can be seen in the buildings and homes that surround the state. The white pine proved to be the most generally useful wood in Wisconsin’s and America’s history. Thousands of homes all across Wisconsin had been built with white pine by 1905. In fact, I learned that Grandpa’s house had been built from white pine trees that his father, Carl Anderson, had logged.

(P8) At the turn of the century, over ninety percent of Wisconsin’s forest trees had been logged. They were either utilized for development, exported to other states or countries, lost at the bottom of lakes and rivers, or left on the forest floor to fuel enormous wildfires. The mass logging of the forests produced many ecological changes in Wisconsin’s forests. The mass removal of trees allowed much of our soil to be lost into rivers and streams and washed away. Not only the soil, but logs and tremendous amounts of sawdust and wood chips clogged our waterways. Just looking at the pictures of the old forests with Grandpa, I could tell that the forests then were totally different than our forests today.

(P9) By the time Grandpa was born, in 1898, his parents had been trying to farm the land that had been logged off for about 4 years. This was the only work left. There just weren’t any trees left to be harvested. “Farmers used fire to do a lot of their work,” Grandpa told me. They used it to burn cut land so that it would be ready for planting. Fire was used to clear away the leftover tree stumps and slash. Deposits of valuable soil nutrients were left by the fires. The farmers hoped their crops would be successful after being planted in this rich soil.

All the dead wood, or slash as the lumbermen called it, was left on the ground by the loggers and became a big problem. (P10) This dry slash fueled the most severe fires in Wisconsin’s history. Fires started by the farmers could get out of control very easily with all of that fuel ready to burn. One such fire, the Peshtigo Fire in 1871, has been called one of the country’s greatest catastrophes. It killed 1,400 people and burned 1,250,000 acres of land – an area larger than one million football fields! (Q6)

As the occurrences of fires increased throughout Wisconsin’s forests, the environmental conditions throughout many areas began to change. Grandpa told me that some trees need fire to reproduce while others are destroyed by fire. The seeds of the white and red pine trees could not survive the heat of the fires. They could not reproduce. On the other hand, most jack pine cones would release seeds if exposed to fire. These seeds spread across the burned land and grew in abundance. Grandpa said that today the jack pine is found in areas where it wasn’t found before the logging companies came through Wisconsin.

(P11) Making the transition to farming in these burned and cut-over areas wasn’t easy for my great-grandfather or for the other farmers in Wisconsin. Over time, the soil began to lose nutrients and harvests became smaller and smaller. The colder weather up north meant a shorter growing season. The farmers had a lot of large rocks to work around when plowing their soil, some were too large to move. (P12) By the 1920s most farmers had abandoned their land and started to look for work elsewhere. In their abandoned fields, aspen and white birch trees started to grow where the oaks, maples, and other trees had originally thrived. (Q7)

With the original forests cleared and farms abandoned, many people wondered what to do with all this land. (P13) A man by the name of Edward M. Griffith became the Wisconsin Forestry Commissioner in the early 1900s. He was one of the first to realize the benefits of replanting trees. Mr. Griffith had a hard time convincing people how replanting the trees would be helpful to the state. Grandpa said it was a hard sell. As far as he was concerned, his ancestors had worked very hard to cut the trees down. After all that hard work, what was to be gained by replanting?

Griffith found plenty of opposition to his tree-planting scheme and was kicked out of office shortly after his work began. Eventually though, his idea caught on and replanting became very popular. (P14) By the late 1920s, tree farms, including the one Grandpa planted on my family’s land, began to spring up in the state and seedlings planted on these farms were reforesting the clear-cut land of Wisconsin. New laws protected the trees from being cut down too soon.

Prosperity didn’t last for long after the stock market crashed in 1929. Wisconsin farmers were in the midst of the Great Depression for the next six years. During this time, many of the farmers couldn’t pay the taxes on their tree farms. Grandpa said that he and my Grandma had to sell some of their land off but were able to keep the farmhouse. He said that many of the farmers around him had to let all their property go to the government. Many of the county and national forests in Wisconsin started from this land that was taken by the government.

One way that people were able to find work in these hard times was through the Civilian Conservation Corps, otherwise know as the CCC. The CCC was put in charge of replanting a lot of the national and county forests. Friends of Grandpa worked for the CCC replanting land up north with trees after they had lost their farms in the Depression. Grandpa told me that due to workers like his friends, the Northwoods was replanted with the trees that make it so beautiful today. In fact, by the 1960’s over two-thirds of Northern Wisconsin was forested again, largely due to these replanting efforts and the natural regeneration now encouraged by the northern counties. (Q8)

Before that summer, I hadn’t really understood the connections that my family had to the Northwoods. I eventually became a high school science teacher, partly because of the interest in the forest that my Grandpa sparked in me. Now I try to help my students understand the connections they have to the Northwoods, whether their family has lived in Wisconsin for 2 years or 150 years. I tell my classes the stories that my grandfather told me, and we often wonder what it was like back then. I try to help them understand the value of looking back at what our ancestors have done and learning from their mistakes and from their successes. I hope that you will take a moment to think about what your connections with the Northwoods of Wisconsin may be. Think about what you have learned that will help your generation live in balance with the forests. (Q9)

EVENTS FOR THE WISCONSIN HISTORY TIMELINE

1809 First saw mill in Wisconsin at De Pere on the Fox River.

1832 Black Hawk War ends. First surge of European settlement.

1836 Creation of Wisconsin Territory. Timber harvest began as native people lost their land.

1848 Wisconsin statehood. First Wisconsin paper mill built in Milwaukee.

1850 First railroad in Wisconsin built from Milwaukee to Waukesha.

1861-65 Civil War

1871 Peshtigo Fire

1880 Logging becomes number 1 industry in Wisconsin.

1899 Wisconsin becomes highest timber producer in the nation. Produced 9.7% of all lumber.

1903 State forestry Commission established and within two years acquired ¼ million acres of tax

delinquent land.

1904 Edward Griffith appointed State Forester.

1906 State Reforestation Fund created.

1911 First Wisconsin tree nursery established at Trout Lake.

1913 Representatives of five northern Wisconsin counties formed an opposition to state forestry

work.

1914-18 WWI

1915 Wisconsin Supreme Court decides no further state funds to be spent on forestry.

1924 Referendum passed allowing state to spend money on forestry.

1925 Federal government purchases land for two national forests in Wisconsin, to be later name

Chequamegon and Nicolet.

1928 First school forests in the nation are dedicated at Crandon and Leona. First county forest

established in Langlade County.

1929-35 Great Depression

1933 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) created to fight forest fires and plant trees.

1941-45 WWII

1953 – present Wisconsin becomes number one paper making state.

1960 – present Fire used as a forest management tool.

1960 Over 2/3 of northern Wisconsin was reforested.

Boston School Forest

Fourth Grade Post-Field Trip Option

District Curriculum Topic: Environmental Appreciation, Forestry, Outdoor Recreation

School Forest Theme: Wisconsin Forests and Seasonal Changes

Topics: Forest History and Management, Winter Recreation in Wisconsin

Alignment to State Standards: EE A.4.3, A.4.4, C.4.2, C.4.3, C.4.5, D.4.1, D.4.2

Multiple Intelligence Connections: Naturalist, Visual-Spatial, Linguistic-Verbal

Lesson Length: 30 minutes

Supplies/Technology:

• Paper and pencils

Process: (Strategies and Activities)

1. Have students write a journal entry from their day at the school forest. Suggest they write and illustrate what they know about the management of forests and what forests provide for people as well as for wildlife.

Boston School Forest

Fourth Grade Family Activity

Dear Parents,

Today your child had a field trip to the Boston School Forest. Our topics of study were Wisconsin Forests and Seasonal Changes. Here is an activity your family may enjoy doing together. This will allow your child to share some of what she or he experienced today at the forest and build on that learning.

Boston School Forest

Fourth Grade Field Trip Program

Environmental Education Curriculum Topics: Environmental Appreciation, Adaptations, Forestry, Outdoor Recreation

School Forest Theme: Wisconsin Forests and Seasonal Differences

Alignment to State Standards: EE A.4.1, A.4.2, A4.3, A4.4

I. Introduction to the Day

• Have students reflect on their last visit to the forest in early autumn, and compare that to the winter. Invite them to share some of the outdoor activities they enjoy doing during the winter months. Introduce them to the fun of snowshoeing and cross county skiing.

II. Cross-Country Ski Adventure

• Explain the use of cross country ski equipment and procedures for the ski trail. Demonstrate how to go up and down the hill and how to get up if they fall. Fit students with equipment and head for the trail. After students have returned to the lodge, spend some time processing the experience. Discuss the value of silent sports such as cross country skiing.

III. Stories in the Snow and Snowshoe Hike

Materials: Story cloth (bed sheet) with animal tracks in patterns drawn on it to explain how to track animals in winter and draw conclusions about their behaviors and adaptations; snowshoes for each student.

• Explain how animals can be tracked and identified in the snow by looking at the patterns of their tracks. We can find out what the animals have been doing by looking at where they go, what they are feeding on, and what they leave behind. Have students walk on the cloth one at a time and pretend to be the animal whose tracks they are following. Have the student identify the animal using clues they see on the cloth. As the student follows the tracks, have him/her unravel the story drawn on the cloth and come to a conclusion about what the animal was doing, eating, hunting, etc.

• When you have discussed all the tracks, explain how to use the snowshoes. Have students fit themselves with snowshoes and head to the trail for the hike.

• During the hike, have the students explore the snow for tracks and work to unravel more snow stories. Keep track of how many species of animals your group was able to track. Compare this with other groups at the conclusion of the hike.

• If conditions are right, surprise your group with the chance to sled.

IV. Lumberjack Games

Materials: Authentic hand tools and artifacts from the lumbering era. Pictures from the logging camps.

| |

|Background Information on the Lumber Industry |

| |

|Northern Wisconsin became known as the pinery because when settlers first came here the northern half of our state was covered with thick forest.|

|Most of the trees were pine. It was said that a squirrel could go from tree to tree without ever touching the ground between Lake Michigan and |

|the Mississippi. Stevens Point is still known as the Gateway to the Pinery. |

| |

|Lumber companies saw the pinery as a valuable resource of lumber to build a new nation. The men sent to cut the trees were known as lumberjacks.|

|Lumberjacks lived in shanties at the lumber camps. The shanty was a large one-room log cabin. |

| |

|Lumberjacks had different jobs on the crew. The choppers cut the trees down with axes. Later they used the large crosscut saws. Other |

|lumberjacks were called barkers. After the tree was cut down, the barkers chopped off the branches. River rats helped float logs downstream to |

|the sawmill. Stevens Point had one of the first sawmills in the state. Logs from the far north were floated down the Wisconsin River to the |

|mills here. The river rats used peaveys to push the logs as they hopped from log to log keeping the whole raft of logs moving. The river rats |

|had one of the most dangerous jobs. The camp cook was called the cookie. He got up in the middle of the night to start a big breakfast of pork |

|and flapjacks. |

| |

|Between 1830 and 1900, the lumber industry clear cut 90% of all the trees in Wisconsin. At one time people believed that the trees would never |

|run out, but in only 70 years nearly all were gone. Even so, we still find the lumberjacks heroic. They were tough, hard-working men who did |

|the work to build the homes, barns, and cities of a new state and nation. |

• Welcome the new lumberjacks to camp. Explain that the year is 1842 and Wisconsin has recently become a state. Fill in other details about transportation, clothing, technology, immigration, etc. from that era. Make believe you are assigning them jobs at camp. As each new crew member is called up, hand them a logging tool and explain how it is used. Include the camp cook and the cook’s helpers. Conclude by explaining that they have fortunately arrived at camp on Sunday and they won’t have to work. Today, we’ll have fun and play lumberjack games.

Log Roll

Materials: Cones, two 8’ pulp logs

• Set up cones to mark the goal line 50’ from the start. Have students in teams of 4 roll an 8’ log with their feet by pushing it forward. Demonstrate how they can steer the log left and right by putting more force on one end or the other. When the team reaches the goal, they move to the opposite side of the log and roll it back to the starting point.

• The team that reaches the start line first wins the contest.

Sawing Contest

Materials: Bow saws, 8’ pulp log, gloves

• Instruct students in the safe use of the bow saw. Be sure they wear gloves. Time students as they cut a tree cookie from the pulp log. As one team member tires from sawing, have another relieve them and continue to cut.

• The team that cuts through the log in the shortest amount of time wins the contest.

Log toss

Materials: Sticks of firewood of equal weight, tape measure, hula hoops

• Demonstrate various ways to throw the logs. They can be thrown over- or underhand or lobbed from the side. Have students throw from inside the hula hoop. Measure each toss.

• The team who has a member that throws the log the farthest wins the contest.

Sled Race

Materials: Sleds with ropes attached, firewood, cones to mark the goals

• In this contest the students work in teams to pull a sled of firewood. The first team member pulls one stick of wood to the far goal line. When the line is reached, another team member adds a stick of wood and pulls it back to start. Continue adding sticks of wood at each goal until each team member has had a turn.

• The team that reaches the final goal with all the logs on the sled wins the contest.

Conclusion

• When the contests have been completed, take a break. Process with students their impressions of the lumberjack era. Ask how many would like to have been a lumberjack. Be sure they understand how dangerous and difficult the job of a lumberjack was. Compare the lives of the lumberjacks with ours. Discuss the environmental impact of the logging era on the land. Compare this with sustainable forestry practices.

V. Winter Pond Study

Materials: Ice auger, ice strainers, thermometers with attached rope marked at 1 foot intervals, Secchi disc, carpet squares, wax worms

• Have students observe the holes in the ice and predict the water temperature at the surface and the bottom of the pond. Discuss how the fish, plants, and other living things are surviving the winter weather. Name some of the physical and behavioral adaptations of these living things.

• Measure the temperature of the water at the surface, 4 feet down, and at the bottom of the pond. Record data.

• Have students look down the holes in the pond and predict the depth.

• Drop the Secchi disc to the bottom. Have students measure at what point it becomes difficult to see. Discuss light penetration through the ice.

• Give the students time to just observe the pond life through the holes. Give them wax worms to drop into the holes to feed the fish.

VI. Closing the Day

• Review with the students the activities of the day. Ask them what they learned and enjoyed. Encourage them to share these activities and what they learned today with their family in the backyard or neighborhood park. Refer to the take-home activity their teacher may have for them.

Appendix 1. Multiple Intelligences – “The Eight Smarts”

|Disposition/Intelligence |Sensitivity to: |Inclination for: |Ability to: |

|Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence |the scores, meanings, |speaking, writing, listening, reading |speak effectively (leader, religious |

|Word Smart |structures, and styles of | |leader, politician) or write |

|Rudyard Kipling |language | |effectively (poet, editor, journalist, |

| | | |novelist, copywriter) |

|Logical – Mathematical Intelligence|patterns, numbers, and numerical|linking pieces, making calculations, |work effectively with numbers |

|Number Smart |data, causes and effects, |forming and testing hypotheses using the |(accountant, statistician, economist) |

|Thomas Edison |objective and quantitative |scientific method, deductive and |and reason effectively (engineer, |

| |reasoning |inductive reasoning |scientist, computer programmer) |

|Spatial Intelligence |colors, shapes, visual puzzles, |representing ideas visually, creating |create visually (artists, photographer,|

|Picture Smart |symmetry, lines, images |mental images, noticing visual details, |engineer, decorator) and visualize |

|Leonardo da Vinci | |drawing and sketching |accurately (tour guide, scout, ranger) |

|Bodily – Kinesthetic Intelligence |launch, movement, physical self,|activities requiring strength, speed, |use the hands to fix or create |

|Body Smart |athleticism |flexibility, hand-eye coordination, and |(mechanic, surgeon, carpenter, |

|Brett Favre | |balance |sculptor, mason) and use the body |

| | | |expressively (dancer, athlete, actor) |

|Musical Intelligence |tone, tempo, melody, pitch, |listening, singing, playing an instrument|create music (songwriter, composer, |

|Music Smart |sound | |musician, conductor) and analyze music |

|Ludvig van Beethoven | | |(music critic) |

|Interpersonal Intelligence |body language, moods, voice, |noticing and responding to other people’s|work with people (administrators, |

|People Smart |feelings |feelings and personalities |managers, consultants, teachers) and |

|Ronald Reagan | | |help people identify and overcome |

| | | |problems (therapists, psychologists) |

|Intrapersonal Intelligence |one’s own strengths, weaknesses,|setting goals, assessing personal |mediate, reflect, exhibit |

|Self Smart |goals, and desires |abilities and liabilities, monitoring |self-discipline, maintain composure, |

|Helen Keller | |one’s own thinking |and get the most out of oneself |

|Naturalist Intelligence |natural objects, plants, |identifying and classifying living things|analyze ecological and natural |

|Nature Smart |animals, naturally occurring |and natural objects |situations and data (ecologists and |

| |patterns, ecological issues | |rangers), learn from living things |

| | | |(biologist, botanist, vetenarian), and|

| | | |work in natural settings (hunter, |

| | | |scout) |

Appendix 2. EE Subgoals Model

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Appendix 3. Boston School Forest History in Brief

In the 1930’s H.R. Nobel, local agricultural agent, asked for donations of land to establish school forests in Portage County. In 1937, Mr. Harry D. Boston donated 80 acres. The land is shared by; UWSP (20 acres), catholic schools (15 acres) and the public schools (45 acres).

On May 11th, 1937 Governor Phillip La Follett planted the first tree on the property during a dedication ceremony. Between 1937 and 1958 school children helped to plant over 111,000 trees.

The forest was used by P.J. Jacobs high school classes (instructor Ray Gilbertson. County agent Pinkerton help annual meetings there with county teachers.

In 1938 a fire tower was erected and connected by phone to the state nursery in Nekoosa. It was moved to the State Fair Grounds in West Allis in 1950.

In 1964 the first pulp cut took place under the management of county forester, Gerald Ernst. The conservation classes at P.J. Jacobs did the cutting and piling during the winter. This was the first income from the school forest and was instrumental in funding the first building construction at the forest.

During the 1967-1968 school year, curriculum director Roger Bauer started curriculum committees. Dennis DeDeker and Steve Bogaczyk were co-chairs of the Outdoor Education Curriculum Committee. (Steve is a current member of the BSF Committee). The Boston School Forest was recognized as a valuable educational site. Curriculum materials were written and activities planned. In April 1968 Steve Bogaczyk and Uldine James spent the day at the forest with sixth graders. In 1969 an open shelter and outhouse was built to accommodate these groups.

Between 1970 and 1979 the school forest was used by high school classes and occasionally by sixth grades classes. Vandalism was a problem and the shelter was badly damaged.

Many changes and improvements continued through the 80’s and 90’s! High school students built the first two cabins in 1979-1980.

The discovery center classroom trailer was moved in from Washington School, and the open shelter was closed in and improved, this is now Nobel Lodge.

The 1980-1981 school year saw the first of the annual donations from school PTO’s.

Sally Ellingboe was hired in 1983 as the Environmental Education Coordinator, working with K-6 students and Dennis DeDeker’s high school students.

A total of 5 cabins were built along with the caretaker’s residence with labor provided by high school students and teachers between 1980 and 1983.

1993-1995 plans were made and fund-raising took place for the building of Oelke Lodge. During this campaign a total of $281,777 was donated by the community!

Ground breaking for the new lodge was held on Arbor Day, April 28, 1995. Students first moved into Oelke Lodge in Feb. 1997.

In 1995 the bridge over the pond was built by the Wisconsin Army National Guard.

In 1999 and 2000 the low and high ropes elements were added.

In 2001 the state of Wisconsin required the BSF to become licensed as a camp. Improvements to meet this requirement were made to the cabins, and Nobel Lodge. The BSF received a camp license in June of 2001. The facility inspected yearly in order to maintain the camp license.

Sally Ellingboe retired September 6th of 2002. A dedication ceremony was held and the pond, dug back in 1985, was named Ellingboe pond in her honor. Karen Dostal was hired as the new E.E. coordinator.

In 2003 the school forest received an $18,000 grant form the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board. The project entitled A Forest for the Future: Biodiversity and Sustainable Forestry at the Boston School Forest funded the development of a sustainable forestry management plan to promote biodiversity at the school forest. Nick Snavely was hired during the summer of 2003 to do research and develop the new management plan.

A new environmental education curriculum was written during the 2003-2004 school year by teachers Casey Nye, Judy Mansavage, Allison Banker, Lori Lampert, Kathy Kruthoff, Susan Zook, Cris Miller and school forest staff Pat Hoffman and Karen Dostal. The curriculum was implemented in the 2004-2005 school year.

McIntee Forest Products was hired in May of 2004 to do the most extensive tree harvest at the school forest. 400 cords of red pine and 40 cords of white pine were harvested. Some of the logs went to Stora Enso in Wisconsin Rapids for paper pulp. The rest was sold to Biewer Lumber in Prentice WI for lumber. The harvest was started in November of 2004 and finished in February of 2005.

During the summer of 2004 Logan Rostad and Jordan Hoerter earned their Eagle Scout status by completing cabin projects. Logan worked on Pine cabin and Jordan completed the interior of Elm cabin. The batton on board paneling that was installled was milled on site from logs harvested where the prairie now exists. The milling of the logs was done by Tim Osborne, Tech. Ed.teacher at P.J. Jacobs Jr. High. He was assited by Mark, Karen and Robin Dostal, Gary Glennon and Chris Piche.

In November of 2004 fifth grade students helped to clear and plant the prairie in front of the Discovery Center.

In the spring of 2005 6th grade students from the district worked to restore the trails, stack brush to be chipped and plant trees as a restoration of the forest. Over 1800 seedlings were planted. Tree species include: Red, White and Burr Oak, Sugar Maple, Green Ash, Black Cherry, and Prairie Crab , Wild Plum and White Spruce. Shrubs include: Ninebark, Red Osier, and Silky Dogwood.

In November of 2005 the BSF worked with the USWP fine arts department’s with the Grain Project. Five environmental sculptors from around the world created and installed art in the Stevens Point Community. Urs P. Twellmann of Bern, Switzerland created 3 spheres from branches found on the school forest site. Children were able to observe his work daily. The spheres were located at the turn of the driveways and visible from the entrance to the school forest.

In May of 2006 an new totem pole was erected on the south east side of the pond. The pole was carved from a white spruce and a white pine that blew down in a windstorm in early December of 2005. The main pole is white spruce. The elephant ears and sun’s rays are carved from the white pine. Bill McKee’s Wood Design class in the art dept. of UWSP created the design work and carved the pole. Mrs. Kate Hardina’s 6th grade class from McDill helped to put up the pole. The art students and the 6th graders carried the pole to the site and all helped to hoist it into place.

Matthew Roland earned his Eagle Scout rank during the summer of 2006. His project was to make new cedar signs for the school forest. The signs were made from recycled cedar utility poles.

2007 marked the 70th anniversary of the Boston School Forest. On Friday May 11th a celebration ceremony was held. State Senator Julie Lassa attended and presented a citation to commemorate the occasion. Secretary of State Doug LaFollett addressed the gathering and helped students plant a memorial tree ( Service Berry, Amelanchier grandiflora). The Jefferson School of the Arts drumming club lead by teachers Joan Curti, Doris Blanche provided entertainment. Third Grade student, Rachel Trzebiatowski sang an original song. Several of the original tree planters from the 1930’s , 1940’s and 1950’s attended and were recognized during the ceremony. Tree planters who were able to attend included; John Worzella, Jane Brooks-Wheritt, Louis Rozner, Betty Polebilski, and and Noel McCormac. Five generations of the Boston Family were in attendance. Great-Grandmother Bea Boston, Harry Boston’s niece and her grandson Bill Boston hung a portrait of Mr. Harry Boston in Oelke lodge.

On July 27th and 28th , 2007 the BSF staff along with Graduate Student, Emily Hill held the first of 5 Leave No Family Inside events for the year. Families learned camping skills and Leave No trace Ethics during the camp-out in July. In October, families learned Geocaching and Questing skills. In February family participants came to cross-country ski and snowshoe during the first winter of normal snowfall in Wisconsin in many years. On Earth Day 2008 families attended a birding festival celebrated with games, birding hikes and a program on owls featuring Archimedes the great horned owl and his friend Gina Maria Javurek. The LNFI programs were funded through grants from the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board and The Community Foundation of Portage County.

Karen Dostal was given the School Forest Administrator of the Year Award and Pat Hoffman was given the Teacher of the Year Award at the Midwest Environmental Education Convention in October.

Eagle Scout projects completed this year include the following: Andrew Roland completed the interior remodeling of Oak Cabin. Joe Banovetz built an interior room with a pocket door in Elm cabin. Chris Denny completed the interior remodeling of Maple Cabin. Adam Ziehr installed new split-rail fencing around the prairie and pond.

The four-year-old Kindergarten classes attended environmental programs for the first time in May and June. Teachers, volunteers, Patty Schulz, Curtis Meshak and Lydia Davis, and BSF staff lead the young explorers on hikes and ended the program with playtime in the newly developed Nature Play Area.

In 2008, grants from the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board and Community Foundation of Portage County were awarded in May for $4438 and $1060 respectfully. These grants funded the development of a new Discovery Center in the basement of Oelke Lodge. The old trailer that housed the Discovery Center since 1983 was cleaned, remodeled and turned into the ski and snowshoe shack during the summer of 2008. Eagle Scout Michael Desteffan assisted with the Discovery Center move. Michael Storch developed a ski trail on the west side of the property for ski trail access from the new ski shack.

During 2009, Teresa Johnson designed and built five interactive exhibits in the discovery center. Luke Williamson and members of the Environmental Education and Naturalists Association painted the mural in the mammal exhibit. Eagle Scout Bryce Gunderson remodeled the kitchen cabinets in Noble Lodge. Eagle Scout Dylan Sadogierski built nest boxes for the song bird trail and Matthew Gates completed an invasive plant removal project on the east side of the property.

Our family programs, funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin, in 2010-2011 were very well attended by the community. There was an open house with hikes, outdoor games and indoor nature crafts in October. The Cross County Ski day brought in over 200 participants between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The Snowshoe Adventure night had 60 hikers. The theme for the Earth Day Festival in April was Sustainably Lifestyles. 25 families and over 100 participants played games, enjoyed picnic dinners and learned about “living green”.

J.T. Kowalski, Jim Jacobs and Nick Stiltson completed Eagle Scout projects. J.T. built 12 new Leopold benches, Jim rebuild the retaining walls around Oelke Lodge and Nick built a play cabin for the Nature Play area.

Teresa Johnson and Julie Dopp began the year as new BSF program facilitators in 2010.

On May 17, 2011 the BSF held a Solar Celebration. Jill Schafer’s second grade class recited a poem to open the celebration and sang a song in closing. Teresa Johnson, Julie Dopp and Sue Anderson wore giant puppet costumes representing the sun, water and the forest. They greeted all of the participants. Don Keck brought a facsimile check for $78,050 and presented it to Karen Dostal and Dr. Weninger. Tom Brown president of the Midwest Renewable Energy Board, Patti Dreier, Portage County Executive, Jamie Molica form the K12 Energy Education Project and Gretchen Marshall the State Outdoor Education Specialist all had words to share with the gathering. The solar power plant will produce 26,000 kWh’s per year.

Appendix 4. Location and Directions

The Boston School Forest is located on Lincoln Avenue off of Business 51 in Plover, WI.

Take Division St. / Business 51 south to Plover, WI or take US 51/I39 and Exit 153 (Plover- Amherst). Turn west onto Plover Road/ County B. Turn left onto Division St. / Business 51 south.

From Division St. / Business 51, turn onto Lincoln Avenue (the same intersection as the Village of Plover water tower).

After about one mile, look for the sign on the left and the driveway on the right. You will turn right (off Lincoln Ave. into the Boston School Forest's front parking lot).

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-----------------------

We have not inherited the

earth from our fathers,

we are borrowing it

from our children.

May 2005

Updated 2011

Stevens Point Area Public School District

1900 Polk Street

Stevens Point, WI 54481

715-345-7383

Are Forests Important Today?, Owl Moon and Activities

Objectives:

• Students will develop an appreciation for outdoor experiences in winter.

Wisconsin Forest History

Objectives:

• Students become aware of the history of logging in Wisconsin and the effects on land use and resources.

School Forest Visit Journal Entry

Objectives:

• Students will become aware of the value of forests for the ecology of our state, recreation, and resources.

Objectives:

• Students will investigate the forest to compare and draw conclusions about seasonal adaptations of organisms.

• Students will learn the history of forestry in Wisconsin.

• Students will explore and develop winter recreational skills for enjoyment, personal growth, and to develop an appreciation of the outdoors.

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