Elementary Ecology
In Ecology, the focus has been on soil and water, and the classroom has been our vegetable garden, along with the school woods.
Recently the 5th grade students observed and documented their adopted trees in the woods. Working in pairs, each student from grades 1-5 picked a tree in the woods. They named the tree and then, over a period of months, will make observations, identify the species, get to know their tree and its immediate surroundings, better understand how important their trees (and trees in general), are to our well-being and how they support many other life-forms and biodiversity in general. Their trees have tags with their names on them so they are easy to relocate. 
At the end of Ecology class the students also enjoy a 10 minutes exploration time.
