Connecting to SW Florida nature through digital scoping

School:: Golden Gate High
Subject:: Science
Teacher:: Ryan McQuade
Students Impacted:: 450
Grade:: 11
Date:: August 27, 2020

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Coastal Engineering - $875.94

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 250

This project was able to spur on a couple of other side projects this year. Originally, it was meant for students to have a "new" way to interact with the world around them. The ability to attach a phone camera to the lens and take a picture of what was being seen in the scope I knew would be a quick buy in for my students. I was right. I saw many proud posts of their pictures, which was my goal for the project. I wanted students to find ways to interact with the world around them that excited them and encouraged them to do it more. Once they began to play with the scopes and see what they could do, one student had the idea of building some nesting boxes so we could watch the birds nest. This was encouraged by the other students as well and before Christmas, we had built nesting boxes. Then, we began to observe the boxes. Then, students had the idea of setting up a composter and using the scopes to monitor any activity around the compost bin. For a first year project, these went very well. The students were engaged and excited about observing nature, which is a change to their approach to the class before the scopes arrived. The abiltiy to capture and share images seen in the scope was the game changer here. Students now saw how the world around them was connected to them and how they could interact in a fun way with nature.

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White Ibis picture

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Finch picture

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Student using scope

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Student using scope, looking at nesting box

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building nesting box

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building nesting box

Original Grant Overview

Goal

Students will be able to connect our learning in the classroom to the nature around them and their school and community. This will engage students to be more active in mastering the content and inspire many to continue being good stewards for nature in the future.

What will be done with my students

Students will be able to go outdoors to our school retention pond, a field or forest within walking distance to the school, or eventually take a field trip to a local state park and use the scopes to see the topics of environmental science that we are discussing in class in action. The ability of the scopes to use a smart phone to take a picture of what is seen in the scope serves as a motivator for students to find the coolest shots and share them in their social media.

Benefits to my students

This will allow students to apply the learning that is in the book, which should happen in environmental science anyways. But, instead of looking under rocks or dead trees, students will be able to incorporate this cool technology in their quest and easily keep a memorable keepsake of a wildlife photo that they took themselves!
This will definitely inspire many students to be outside more, to enjoy nature, and to be lifelong stewards of our environment.

Budget Narrative

There is only one item needed for this project, the students will use their own smartphones to take pictures. The project will span over many years as the scopes are reuable.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Gosky Spotting Scope with Tripod	$145.99
2	Gosky Spotting Scope with Tripod	$145.99
3	Gosky Spotting Scope with Tripod	$145.99
4	Gosky Spotting Scope with Tripod	$145.99
5	Gosky Spotting Scope with Tripod	$145.99
6	Gosky Spotting Scope with Tripod	$145.99
	Total:	$875.94

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Connecting to SW Florida nature through digital scoping

Investor

Impact to My Classroom

Original Grant Overview

Goal

What will be done with my students

Benefits to my students

Budget Narrative

Items

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