Morning Glories on My Garden Fence

PLT Works in Mississippi -- Proof Positive. Results of a Pilot Project

PLT Works in Mississippi – Proof Positive

By

Harold Anderson,

MS PLT Coordinator

For the twenty-two years I’ve been involved with PLT, the National Office has claimed that PLT can help raise test scores. I took their word for it. Now I know for sure.

It all started the day Jeannine May set herself on fire. Yep, she sure did – right there in an advisory board meeting in June of 2004. I was giving my semi-annual report to the board when I got to the part about the International PLT Conference that I had attended just a month before in North Dakota. I explained that the most meaningful session, to me, was the one by Oil City Elementary School Principal Mike Irwin and Environmental Education Director Cindy Kilpatrick wherein they explained how they had used PLT to turn around a failing school. I saw something was happening to Jeannine. I didn’t know if it was a stroke or an epiphany. She slumped back in her chair, her eyes glazed over, and I swear, I could faintly see a light bulb floating over her head and heard what sounded like gears clashing.

It was an epiphany.

“I was just sitting here, trying to be quite,” Jeannine said. “I’m reluctant to say anything because I’m inclined to get myself overextended, but I’m excited about what you just said. My boss, Dr Homer Wilkes, (Jeannine is the PAO for the NRCS in Mississippi) is very interested in environmental education, and I’m sure he would support me getting involved in bringing such a project here to Mississippi.” She jumped into the chair, pumped her fist into the air and screamed “Let’s go for it!” (Not really, but hey, I’m entitled to a little poetic license).

I contacted Principal Mike Irwin at Oil City and arranged a show-me trip. Jeannine, Lynn Porter (an environmental educator with the Hinds County Soil and Water Conservation District and long-time supporter of PLT) and I drove to Oil City on a scorching hot August day during the first week of school. The first thing we saw when we drive up, was a teacher and students weeding a flower bed – and it was 103 degrees! Now, my dear not-from the-South friends, 103 degrees in Mississippi and Louisiana is not the same as 103 degrees elsewhere. Stepping into it from an air-conditioned car is like getting hit with a steaming blanket. Your hair instantly goes limp and is plastered to your forehead (if you are lucky enough to have that much hair – I don’t). Your clothes are instantly sodden and cling to your body. If you raise your hand to wipe the sweat out of your eyes, sweat drips from your elbow and forms pools on the ground. Do you get the idea it was hot? And they were weeding a flower bed! Now THAT’S impressive!

Awe-stricken, we introduced ourselves to our new heroes and explained our business. The teacher led us to Mike and Cindy. They took us on a tour of this beautifully maintained 1920’s building and grounds filled with interesting environmental education nooks. PLT was everywhere; the staff (from custodians to teachers) and students were proud of their school and students were excited and eagerly learning.

We explained that we would like to do something similar in Mississippi. Cindy and Mike offered their help, and this one very important piece of advice: It won’t work unless you have someone in charge – his or her job must be to direct the program.

Full of hope, we returned to Mississippi and put together a committee. With our enthusiasm high, we decided to go for it. We secured a grant from the MS Department of Environmental Quality, in cooperation with the Central Mississippi R, C and D Council. We identified five counties scattered throughout that state where we wanted to conduct the program and hired Olivia Brunson, a retired board-certified teacher, to administer the program. The schools ranged from inner-city, to small town to rural. Four were public schools and one was a private academy. One school dropped out of the program due to the illness of two key teachers. Olivia suggested that we focus on fourth grade, since fifth graders are tested on science on standardized tests.

Olivia presented each school with an environmental teaching kit and taught the involved teachers selected activities from PLT and other environmental “Project” programs. Each participating teacher earned a $100 stipend.. Olivia developed a post-test, with the questions drawn from the state curriculum, then helped the teachers teach the afore-mentioned activities. At the conclusion of the school year, the teachers administered a post-test – with dramatic results. The average increase in test scores was 41 points! In the inner-city school it was 61 points. Now that’s impressive!

Where do we go from here? We’re still working on that. But we have dramatically proven that the National PLT office was right – PLT CAN improve test scores. You’d better believe we will use this information to further environmental education in Mississippi.

For her efforts, Jeannine May was named Mississippi’s PLT Educator of the Year for 2009.

Herb Cookies Recipies

Mariam Wahl brought some of these cookies to a workshop in Lafayette County. They were delicious.

Lemon Basil Snaps

(Use only fresh basil in this recipe)

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon grated lemon rind

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup minced fresh basil or lemon basil

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chopped pistachio nuts

3 Tablespoons sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and next 3 ingredients, beating until blended. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Combine nuts and sugar in a shallow bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in nut mixture and place 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with hands or bottom of a glass. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Lavender Sugar Cookies

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons lavender flowers, crushed or ground in food processer

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and lavender flowers. Sift flour and baking powder together and add to butter mixture. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter on un-greased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes just until edges brown. Remove to racks to cool.

Lavender Ice Cream

(This recipe is for a tabletop ice cream freezer.)

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon lavender flowers

2 egg yolks

½ cups sugar

Place lavender flowers in a diffuser ball or in triple thickness cheesecloth bag. Combine cream and milk in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Place lavender into milk and heat until mixture almost boils, 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and remove and discard lavender. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl until light yellow and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add 4-5 tablespoons of the hot mixture into the eggs and stir until combined. Add egg mixture back to hot milk, stirring continuously to keep eggs from curdling. Cook over low heat 3-4 minutes until thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Cool mixture in an ice water bath, stirring constantly. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before placing in ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Lavender Lemonade

In a 2 quart pyrex measuring bowl, place 8 cups of water and 7 heaping tablespoons of lavender flowers. Boil 24 minutes in microwave; let steep for 2-3 hours. Strain lavender water and use to make your favorite lemonade recipe. For, convenience this also works well with Country Time Lemonade mix.

Lavender Lemon Bars

and all this time I thought lavender was just a scent! These are great!

Accomplishments Since 1987 Chart

gkzmgMISSISSIPPI PROJECT LEARNING TREE

20 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN MISSISSIPPI

An Historic Event!

Calendar Year	Number of Workshop Sites	Number of Workshop Groups	Total Workshop Participants (Facilitators + educators trained since the beginning of program. No retirements, etc. deleted)	Number of Trained Educators Still Working (Running total: excludes facilitators. Educators trained 10 years or more ago are deleted, as they are considered to retire or resign after 10 years	Potential Number of Youth Being Reached 2
1987-19931	180	214	4,252	3,195	222,096
1994	27	41	730	4,769	133,532
1995	30	45	725	5,469	153,132
1996	33	48	1,047	6,491	181,860
1997	36	53	886	7,377	206,556
1998	23	35	684	8,048	225,344
1999	29	31	637	8,527	238,755
2000	33	43	767	8,726	244,328
2001	24	37	744	8624	241,472
2002	28	38	697	8,813	246,764
2003	30	41	715	8,684	243,152
2004	29	37	708	8,662	242,536
2005	25	36	619	8,551	239,428
2006	24	37	788	8,614	241,192
2007	33	42	725	8,426	235,928
Totals	584	772	14,724		3,170,363

¹Project Learning Tree started in Mississippi in 1987

²Assumes average service life of educators is 10 years and average classroom size is 28. Previously published charts did not reflect the impact of educators retiring after the assumed 10-year career. The chart was corrected in 2004 to show retirements beginning in 1997.

NOTE: This report does not agree with previously published reports due to an error discovered in 1998 and 1999 figures (now corrected).

MISSISSIPPI’S PLT HIGHLIGHTS

· 20 leadership (facilitator) workshops in 21 years (through 2007)

· 403 facilitators trained

· Averaging 28 workshop sites/year through 2007

· Averaging 37 workshop groups/year through 2007

· 14,724 educators and facilitators trained through 2007

· Best year was 1992, with 1,093 trained.

· Average size workshop group is 19

"Hike Through the Guide" Q's and A's

1. Q. Who holds the copyright for this book?
A. American Forest Foundation

2. Q. Where would you find the essay "Teaching Controversial Issues?"
A. Appendix 3, page 378

3. Q. What is the first "Energy" activity listed in the book?
A. "Renewable or Not?"

4. Q. Define "samara."
A. Page 374

5. Q. What is the e-mail address for PLT
A. information@plt.org

6. Q. Where will you find a discussion of the mission of PLT
A. Page iv

7. Q. Where will you find a discussion of the teaching strategies used in the PLT Activity
Guide?
A. Page 377

8. Q. What skills do the activity "Loving it too Much" teach?
A. Comprehending, analyzing, representing, interlpreting, predicting (page 108)

9. Q. List the themes covered in the PLT Activity Guide.
A. Diversity, Interrelationships, Structure and Scale, Patterns of Change (page iii)

10. Q. What subjects does the activity "Every Tree for Itself" cover?
A. Science and math (page 83)

11. Q. What is the significance of an activity title being printed on orange background?
A. It is in the "Interrlationships" theme section (Page 63).

12. Q. Name one of the national ASSOCIATE sponsors of PLT
A. Page iii

13. Q. Where will you find information on building a weather station?
A. Appendix 7, page 380

14. Q. Name the first listed activity that teaches the topic "Careers."
A. 400-Acre Wood (page 388)

15. Q. The activity "Tree Cookies" is part of which theme?
A. Patterns of Change (page 394)

16. Q. Does the activity "Water Wondors" teach the skill of principle forming?

17. Q. What is the activity and page number of "Poet Tree"
A. Activity number 5, page 13 (page 402)

18. Q. What information is given in the "End Notes" of each activity?
A. Assessment Opportunity, Related Activities and References

Hike Through the Guide Items to Cover

Take time to thoroughly cover the guide. Ensure that participants understand the mission, goals and teaching strategies that undergird PLT, and be sure they are familiar with the guide and know how to find information in it quickly.

Following is a list of items to cover. Those in bold will be asked on the "Hike Through the Guide" quiz, so make a special effort to cover them:

1. Point out the information on the inside of the front cover. Be sure to point out that The American Forest Foundation holds the copyright and the e-mail address for PLT.

2. Cover the themes used in the book on pages ii and iii. Illustrate that all activities in the same theme have the same background color, and each themes is separated by a divider of the same color as the background used throughout the theme. (Look at the edge of the book and you can see the edges of the different colored divider pages.)

3. Cover the introduction. Point out the Mission and goals (page iv and Methods (page vi).

4. (Skip "Activity Components" for now.) Cover "Storylines." Don't try to read all the storylines, just point out that each theme has a definition sentence just under it, then several storylines. Each storyline groups similar activities that address the statement of that storyline.

5. Page xii and xiii -- The national associate sponsors are listed on page xii. Page xiii lists the people involved in writing and testing this book (emphasize that "real" teachers and natural resource professionals -- not just academics -- are involved in constructing this material. That's why it is so realistic and teacher friendly.

6. Activity construction -- pick an activity you modeled during the workshop and point out the following components:
Title -- The title is "catchy" and is designed to pique the reader's interest
Overview -- The overview is a brief synopsis of the activity.
Background Information -- This is one thing that makes the activities "teacher friendly." Using just this information, busy teachers can conduct the activity. It saves time. Of course, some teachers might want to do additional research to prepare to present the activity.
Getting Ready -- Tells you exactly how to prepare to present the activity.
Doing the Activity -- Step-by-step instruction for conducting the activity. Point out that some activities have multiple parts and/or variations.
Enrichment -- An addition to the activity for more advanced students.
Sidebars -- All activities have sidebars that enable users to determine the following at a glance:
1. Grade Levels
2. Subjects
3. Concepts
4. Skills
5. Objectives
6. Materials Needed
7. Time considerations to prepare and present
(End Notes, sidebar on last page of each activity)
8. Assessment Opportunities
9. Related Activities
10. References

7. Glossary on page 371. Explain that each profession has its own "language" and jargon. The education profession does, and so do the biological sciences. If teachers come across an unfamiliar word, it is probably defined here.

8. Appendixes. Point out that Appendix 1 has teaching suggestions, including teaching strategies. Explain that we recognize teachers are experts in their field, and we would not dare try to tell them how to do their jobs, but this appendix gives some suggestions for teaching PLT ACTIVITIES. Just read over the titles of the other appendixes, but spend a bit of time on Appendix 7. It has suggestions for starting an environmental club and constructing an outdoor classroom -- even how to make your own weather station. Outdoor classrooms are becoming very popular, and they are great places to conduct PLT activities. PLT has a grant program called GreenWorks! Teachers might be able to get funds to construct an outdoor classroom. For more information, check the PLT website -- www.plt.org. Point out that environmental issues can be controversial, so this guide includes suggestions for teaching controversial issues (Appendix 3, page 378.)

9. Appendix 10 -- point out that this is a list of organizations glad to supply teachers with free or low-cost educational material. Don't be shy -- just ask!

10. Bibliography (page 388)

11. Topic Index (page 388) -- Explain that nearly every topic covered in today's classroom is listed here, along with PLT activities that teach that topic.

12. Subject Index (page 392) -- The subjects are listed across the top; the PLT activities are listed on the left. If a boy and girl icon is printed at the intersection of the two, that activity covers that subject.

13. Grade Index (page 395) -- same construction

14. Time Consideration Index (page 398) -- This is a combined time (left half) and site (right half) index. A teacher can determine the length of time necessary to conduct an activity, and if it is an indoor or outdoor (or both) activity. Construction is the same as those listed above.

15. Skills Index (page 401)

16. Alphabetical Index -- Point out that the activity number is given in blue to the left of the activity title, and the page number is given in b lack to the right.

17. This is not in the Activity Guide, but it is information teachers need, so cover it here: Project Learning Tree Activities are correlated to the State Curriculum Framework. The correlation document is available on the Mississippi PLT website -- www.mst.org.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI PLT

WHAT IS PROJECT LEARNING TREE?

It is the world's premier Environmental Education program. It is sponsored, internationally, by the American Forest Foundation. Project Learning Tree is in all fifty states, Canada, Mexico and numerous other foreign countries. The heart of Project Learning Tree (PLT) is a 400 page activity guide for pre-K through 8th grade and a series of six "modules" for high school. This material is not sold or given away. Educators earn it by attending a six-hour workshop.

Mississippi PLT is correlated to the State Curriculum Framework. The correlation is posted on www.msplt.org.

WHO SPONSORS MISSISSIPPI PROJECT LEARNING TREE?

1.The Mississippi Forestry Commission (The state's official forestry agency)

2.The Mississippi Forestry Association (an association of forest industry, landowners and others interested in the practice of sound forestry)

3. The U.S. Forest Service National Forest in Mississippi (The federal agency responsible for managing the national forests in Mississippi)

CAN TEACHERS EARN CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS FOR ATTENDING A PLT WORKSHOP?

Yes. A PLT workshop carries 0.6 credits. MSPLT is a provider for Mississippi College. MC charges $10 to grant credits. When a workshop is conducted on college campus, that college usually also will grant credit.

WHAT DOES IT COST TO ATTEND A WORKSHOP?

The usual fee is $15 per person. We often have sponsors and are able to present workshops free of charge.

WHAT DO I GET BY ATTENDING A WORKSHOP?

All attendees get the 400 page Pre-K-8th Grade Activity Guide. High School teachers also get three of the six high school modules. (Additional Modules are available for purchase at $3 each.) The Activity Guide contains 96 activities and the High School Modules each contain seven or eight activities. Each activity is written as a lesson plan. We give away nice door prizes, and have a "resource table" set up at the end of the workshop. It contains a selection of nice booklets, pamphlets, posters, and other "goodies" for educators to take and use in the classroom.

ISN'T A SIX-HOUR WORKSHOP LONG AND BORING?

Not a PLT workshop! It is active and fun. It's more of a party than a workshop -- but you learn and get a lot of neat FREE stuff! We even furnish refreshments for a morning break!

A Sample PLT Agenda:

8:00 A.M. - 8:30 A.M. -- Sign in, make name tags, etc.
8:30 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. -- Introductions, icebreaker
9:00 A.M. - 9:30 A.M. -- PLT Video
9:30 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. -- Facilitators lead participants in activity #1
10:00 A.M. - 10:30 A.M. -- Facilitators lead participants in activity #2
10:30 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. -- Facilitators lead participants in activity #3
11:00 A.M. - 11:45 A.M. -- Hike Through the Guide. Facilitators and participants together "explore" the guide. Facilitators explain PLT's mission, objectives and education philosophy and strategies, "take apart" an activity, and explain the use of the cross-reference indexes. Participants then earn "fabulous prizes" by demonstrating their skills in using the guide.
11:45 A.M. Noon -- Divide into teams, select activity and prepare to present
(A break is not listed, but we always work one in)
Noon - 12:30 P.M. -- Lunch
12:30 P.M - 1:00 P.M.-- Teams continue preparing activities
1:00 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.-- Participant teams present their activities
2:30 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. -- Admin time, resource sharing, "graduation"

HOW CAN I SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP FOR MY SCHOOL OR GROUP?

Call Harold Anderson at 601 613-5567 , send an e-mail to handerson212, or write MSPLT c/o Mississippi Forestry Comm., P.O. Drawer 429, Philadelphia, MS 39350

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR HOSTING A WORKSHOP?

At least 12 people registered, and a room large enough to arrange the chairs in a semi-circle and two library-type tables along one side, with access to the outdoors. We cannot have more than 30 people per room. We handle large groups by using one break-out room for each group of 30 people. We like to begin with an opening assembly, then proceed to break-out rooms, with two facilitators assigned to each room. If an assembly room is not available, we can begin in the break-out rooms.

DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKSHOPS ALREADY SCHEDULED THAT I CAN ATTEND?

Yes

See separate entry in this blog for an updated schedule of workshops

PLT is taught at each of the Mississippi Forestry Association's two one-week-long Teachers Conservation Workshops. The dates are: First week of June at Jones County Jr. College, Ellisville, and third week of June at Northeast Mississippi Community College, Booneville. Each of these workshops carry 4.0 CEU or 3 hours college credit (graduate or undergraduate level) the cost is only $50 for the entire week. Call Tom Monaghan at the Mississippi Forestry Association, 662-325-7687, for information or to register. Space is limited, and these workshops typically fill up early.