Tree Campus K–12
Case Study: Borton Magnet Elementary School
School ProfileType of School: Public magnet school serving grades pre-K through 5 with emphasis on project-based learning, systems thinking, literature, fine arts, and outdoor learning.
Location: Tucson, AZ
Champion: Stephanie Pederson, Outdoor Learning Teacher
Partnerships are at the heart of Borton Magnet Elementary School’s approach to Tree Campus K–12. By bringing arborists from the state Department of Forestry into the classroom and gaining tree identification and planting help from a local Alliance for Community Trees nonprofit, students saw their campus trees through new eyes.
Following is a breakdown of how the school approached each of the four program goals.
Goal: Tree Campus Team
In the fall, Borton Magnet Elementary formed a Tree Team consisting of students and parents. This group met with local nonprofit organization and Alliance for Community Trees member Trees for Tucson, with the original goal of identifying campus trees in need of additional watering from volunteers. Meeting monthly, the team focused on how to best nurture campus trees throughout the year, culminating in the school’s Arbor Day planting celebration in the spring.
Goal: Education Plan
In preparation for a visit from arborists from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, third graders prepared questions about the work arborists do and how they do it. Following this, students participated in a preliminary walk around the campus with the arborists to assess the health of the trees. In addition, 10 students participated in a poster contest with the theme “Tree are Superheroes,” and second graders selected a native tree to observe and drew scientific illustrations of the tree.
Goal: Hands-On Experience
Students, staff, volunteers, and arborists from the Department of Forestry and Fire Management performed a complete campus tree inventory and input the data into i-Tree to calculate the benefits of the campus trees.
Goal: Arbor Day Observance
Students from the Tree Campus Team and their families observed Arbor Day in conjunction with their Earth Day celebration by planting a native ironwood tree in the school’s garden area. “At lunch time and during my Outdoor Learning classes, students learned about the ironwood and how the tree has been used by indigenous people in our area,” described outdoor learning teacher Stephanie Pederson. Each was invited to leave the tree a kind message in the form of a wish. These messages were then displayed on the garden fence.
Tree Campus K–12 goals are important to our school because outdoor learning and ecology are subjects we care about at our very core. Students know and understand that trees are vital to our health, happiness and survival, but they do not innately know why or how to care for trees. Students who are connected to their natural surroundings are healthier, calmer, happier, and more successful humans who become stewards for our environment.”Stephanie Pederson, Outdoor Learning Teacher
Shule ya Borton Magnet Elementary School ni shule ya umma ya magnesi inayohudumia darasa la kabla ya K hadi 5 na msisitizo juu ya kujifunza kwa msingi wa mradi, mawazo ya mifumo, fasihi, sanaa nzuri, na kujifunza nje. "Msomaji wa ""Tucson, AZ"" Stephanie Pederson, Mwalimu wa Mafunzo ya nje, ni mshiriki wa Borton Magnet Elementary School katika ""Tree Campus K-12.""" Kwa kuleta Arborists kutoka Idara ya Jimbo la Misitu katika darasa na kupata utambulisho wa mti na kupanda msaada kutoka kwa Muungano wa Mitaa ya Jamii isiyo ya faida, wanafunzi waliona miti yao ya chuo kupitia macho mapya. Yafuatayo ni maelezo ya jinsi shule hiyo ilivyoshughulikia kila moja ya malengo manne ya programu. Lengo: Timu ya Chuo cha Mti Katika vuli, Borton Magnet Elementary iliunda Timu ya Mti inayojumuisha wanafunzi na wazazi. Mkutano huo ulifanyika na shirika la kijamii la Alliance for Community Trees (ACE) na lengo la awali lilikuwa kutambua miti ya chuo kikuu inayohitaji maji zaidi kutoka kwa wajitoleaji. Mkutano wa kila mwezi, timu ililenga jinsi ya kukuza miti ya chuo kikuu mwaka mzima, ikimalizika katika sherehe ya kupanda Arbor Day ya shule katika spring. Ili kuandaa ziara ya Arborists kutoka Idara ya Arizona ya Misitu na Usimamizi wa Moto, wanafunzi wa darasa la tatu waliandaa maswali kuhusu kazi ya Arborists na jinsi wanavyofanya hivyo. Baada ya hapo, wanafunzi walishiriki katika kutembea kwa awali kuzunguka chuo kikuu na wataalamu wa miti ili kutathmini afya ya miti. "Kwa mfano, wanafunzi wa shule ya sekondari walioshiriki katika mashindano ya ""Miti ni Superheroes"" na wanafunzi wa darasa la pili walichagua mti wa asili na kuchora picha za kisayansi za mti huo." Wanafunzi, wafanyakazi, wajitoleaji, na arborists kutoka Idara ya Misitu na Usimamizi wa Moto walifanya hesabu kamili ya miti ya chuo kikuu na kuingiza data katika i-Tree kuhesabu faida za miti ya chuo kikuu. Siku ya Mti: Wanafunzi kutoka Timu ya Chuo cha Mti na familia zao walisherehekea Siku ya Mti kwa kushirikiana na sherehe yao ya Siku ya Dunia kwa kupanda mti wa asili wa mbao katika bustani ya shule. "Wakati wa chakula cha mchana na wakati wa madarasa yangu ya Mafunzo ya Nje, wanafunzi walijifunza juu ya mbao ya chuma na jinsi mti huo umetumiwa na wenyeji katika eneo letu", alielezea mwalimu wa kujifunza nje Stephanie Pederson. Kila mmoja alialikwa kuacha mti huo ujumbe wenye fadhili katika namna ya tamaa. Kisha ujumbe huo ulionyeshwa kwenye uzio wa bustani. "Kampuni ya ""K-12"" ya Tree Campus ni muhimu kwa shule yetu kwa sababu kujifunza nje na ikolojia ni masomo tunayojali katika kiini chetu." Wanafunzi wanajua na kuelewa kwamba miti ni muhimu kwa afya yetu, furaha na kuishi, lakini hawajui kwa nini au jinsi ya kutunza miti. Wanafunzi ambao wana uhusiano na mazingira yao ya asili ni afya zaidi, utulivu, furaha, na mafanikio zaidi wanadamu ambao kuwa stewards kwa mazingira yetu. <unk> Stephanie Pederson, Outdoor Learning Mwalimu