- View lesson plans by subject
- View lesson plans by grade
- Connections to Montana Science State Science Standards
Developed by:
Levia Shoutis, NSF GK12 Fellow, Big Sky Institute, MSU Bozeman
Doug Blaine, Arrowhead School Science Teacher, Pray, MT Grades 6th-8th
This curriculum is the result of the two school years that I spent working as a National Science Foundation GK12 Fellow through the Big Sky Institute at Montana State University in Bozeman. I was tasked with communicating my graduate research subject matter related to plant-hydrology interactions in mountainous riparian zones, to middle school science students. As a broad subject area, the curriculum evolved over time as my partner teacher, Doug Blaine, and I assessed the science curriculum needs and matched them with my background and expertise.
Arrowhead School is a rural K-12 school located on Pray, MT, in the Upper Yellowstone River watershed south of Livingston, MT. The school’s location near the Yellowstone River and its tributaries provided endless content matter available at our doorstep, allowing students to gain a better understanding of their surrounding environment. We also identified the need for students to gain a better grasp of the scientific process, specifically how to conduct sound scientific research in both an experimental (controlled) and observational (un-controlled) context.
We identified two goals for the curriculum:
1. Increase students’ understanding of the ecology of the Upper Yellowstone River watershed, including the abiotic and biotic factors
2. Increase students’ ability to plan, conduct, and communicate independent scientific research
This web contains curriculum outlines by subject and grade, lesson plans, and the connection of lessons to the Montana Science Standards. The curriculum is meant to evolve and expand over the coming years as Mr. Blaine improves the lessons, and adds supplemental lessons, such as those included in the outline. Please use the web site to edit the lessons to your own needs, as you will find that some of them are specific to the Arrowhead science class, such as references to reading sections in textbooks, or specific field locations within the watershed.
Levia Shoutis, August 2007, Livingston, MT
