The NEW Teacher's Guide to Navigating Change- a standards based, grade 4-5 curriculum is now available!
Visit: www.hawaiianatolls.org/teachers/NavChange.php to download the entire curriculum.
The Teacher's Guide to Navigating Change is a five part, Hawaii DOE Standards (HCPS 3) aligned curriculum for grades 4-5. The guide includes five units that are designed to help students explore their relationships to the environment and ways that they can “navigate change” in their own communities.
The instructional activities focus on Hawaii DOE science, social studies, and language arts standards as well as Na Honua Mauli Ola, guidelines for culturally healthy and responsive learning environments in Hawaii that were develoed by the Native Hawaiian Education Council in partnership with the Ka Haka `Ula O Ke`elikolani, College of Hawaiian Language, UH-Hilo.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Environmental Education Events
Check out these upcoming environmentally themed events!
Remember, April is Earth month...
April 10th 2010: Waikiki Aquarium "Mauka to Makai" Earth Day Festival. Visit the Waikiki Aquarium for free on Saturday April 10th.
April 10th 2010: Kailua Earth Day Celebration.
April 18th 2010: Earth Day at the Honolulu Zoo.
April 22nd 2010: University of Hawaii Manoa Sustainability Festival.
April 23rd and 24th 2010: Kokua Festival at the Waikiki Shell.
April 24th 2010: Bishop Museum "Grow Hawaiian" Festival.
Remember, April is Earth month...
April 10th 2010: Waikiki Aquarium "Mauka to Makai" Earth Day Festival. Visit the Waikiki Aquarium for free on Saturday April 10th.
April 10th 2010: Kailua Earth Day Celebration.
April 18th 2010: Earth Day at the Honolulu Zoo.
April 22nd 2010: University of Hawaii Manoa Sustainability Festival.
April 23rd and 24th 2010: Kokua Festival at the Waikiki Shell.
April 24th 2010: Bishop Museum "Grow Hawaiian" Festival.
Do you know of an EE event taking place in the near future? Leave a comment to share the info with others!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Earth Hour 2010
Are you celebrating Earth Hour this year?
"In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative."
At 8:30 PM tonight, people in over 125 countries, and many famous landmarks around the world (including the Eiffel tower, the Golden Gate bridge and the Empire State building) will be turning off their lights.
Visit www.earthhour.org for more information!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Project Aloha ‘Aina Curriculum Workshop
Educators who are looking for creative ways to inspire Hawaii’s youth to excel in science, math, social studies and language arts standards and to care for resources within their ahupua‘a are invited to participate in the Project Aloha ‘Aina Curriculum Workshop.
The hands-on workshop is offered on the following dates:
Kaneohe, Oahu: July 17 - Workshop for teachers of grades 3-8
Hilo, Big Island: August 13-14 - Workshop for teachers of grades 3-6
The workshop will include a teacher’s guide that offers standards-based lesson plans, student activity sheets, rubrics, related media, pre-post tests designed to help measure student achievement of standards, a half-day field excursion and lunch.
The Aloha ‘Aina curriculum allows students to learn about Hawaii’s unique environment while meeting the current Hawai‘i Content and Performance Standards (HCPS III) and the Na Honua Mauli Ola guidelines.
Each grade level’s unit builds upon a foundation of culture and place-based learning while immersing students in scientific inquiry and related social studies explorations. Math and language arts skills are incorporated as a means for students to interpret and express their findings.
Shaping the future while preserving a heritage, Project Aloha ‘Aina is working to provide Hawaii’s youth with culturally relevant curricula to inspire them to embrace aloha ‘aina as a way of life. This educational project fosters foundational learning experiences that reflect Native Hawaiian culture and core values.
The Aloha ‘Aina and Kahea Loko (Hawaiian fishpond) curriculum were created by the Pacific American Foundation whose success was recognized in 2007 when it was awarded the “Partner in Excellence Award” from the Department of Education.
To register, go to http://www.thepaf.org/. For more information, contact Joylynn Paman at joy@mauifishpond.com or call 808-359-1172.
The hands-on workshop is offered on the following dates:
Kaneohe, Oahu: July 17 - Workshop for teachers of grades 3-8
Hilo, Big Island: August 13-14 - Workshop for teachers of grades 3-6
The workshop will include a teacher’s guide that offers standards-based lesson plans, student activity sheets, rubrics, related media, pre-post tests designed to help measure student achievement of standards, a half-day field excursion and lunch.
The Aloha ‘Aina curriculum allows students to learn about Hawaii’s unique environment while meeting the current Hawai‘i Content and Performance Standards (HCPS III) and the Na Honua Mauli Ola guidelines.
Each grade level’s unit builds upon a foundation of culture and place-based learning while immersing students in scientific inquiry and related social studies explorations. Math and language arts skills are incorporated as a means for students to interpret and express their findings.
Shaping the future while preserving a heritage, Project Aloha ‘Aina is working to provide Hawaii’s youth with culturally relevant curricula to inspire them to embrace aloha ‘aina as a way of life. This educational project fosters foundational learning experiences that reflect Native Hawaiian culture and core values.
The Aloha ‘Aina and Kahea Loko (Hawaiian fishpond) curriculum were created by the Pacific American Foundation whose success was recognized in 2007 when it was awarded the “Partner in Excellence Award” from the Department of Education.
To register, go to http://www.thepaf.org/. For more information, contact Joylynn Paman at joy@mauifishpond.com or call 808-359-1172.
A virtual field trip to Kaena Point, Oahu
If you've never been to Kaena Point, this post will be a great way to get to know the area a bit, and maybe inspire you to make the trip out to the Northwestern tip of Oahu someday!
Have you ever wondered what an albatross bolus is, or what a dancing albatross looks like? See below for answers to both of these strange questions!
A bolus (see photo at left) is the regurgitated mass composed of undigestable items. Recently, rather than squid beaks and other natural food items, plastic has made up a large portion of the contents of many albatross boluses, reflecting the growing problem of plastics in the marine environment. Photo (left) by Forest and Kim Starr.
See video below to see a dancing Laysan Albatross!
The hike to Kaena Point is relatively flat, with no noticable elevation gain. The road is bumpy and there are many potholes created by 4 wheel drive vehicles. The hike is 6 miles, roundtrip, and the area is usually hot and dry. Be prepared and bring plenty of water, a hat, sunscreen, and wear good walking shoes. You'll begin your hike in the Kaena Point State Park area. make sure to pay attention to posted signs and warnings.
Sometimes you can see huge waves along the shoreline, especially in the winter months.
Have you ever wondered what an albatross bolus is, or what a dancing albatross looks like? See below for answers to both of these strange questions! A bolus (see photo at left) is the regurgitated mass composed of undigestable items. Recently, rather than squid beaks and other natural food items, plastic has made up a large portion of the contents of many albatross boluses, reflecting the growing problem of plastics in the marine environment. Photo (left) by Forest and Kim Starr.
See video below to see a dancing Laysan Albatross!
The hike to Kaena Point is relatively flat, with no noticable elevation gain. The road is bumpy and there are many potholes created by 4 wheel drive vehicles. The hike is 6 miles, roundtrip, and the area is usually hot and dry. Be prepared and bring plenty of water, a hat, sunscreen, and wear good walking shoes. You'll begin your hike in the Kaena Point State Park area. make sure to pay attention to posted signs and warnings.
You may run into the Kaena Point Ambassedor along the way, in which case you can feel free to ask any questions you may have, and learn a bit more about the area and what makes it so special.
Above: A group of middle-schoolers engaged in a cultural lesson shared by the Kaena Point Ambassedor.
The Natural Area Reserve boundary is marked with a boulder barracade that prevents any vehicle traffic from going any further. Once you make your way through the "gate," depending on the time of year, you may begin to see Laysan albatross flying overhead.
Remember to stay on the path and you'll be rewarded with the sight of many native plants that thrive in the Kaena Point coastal ecosystem.
Naupaka kahakai - "Naupaka by the sea":
'Ohai (Sesbania tomentosa):
Pa'u o Hi'iaka (Jacquemontia ovalifolia):
Once you reach the point, look out toward the tidepools and the edge of the water and you may see monk seals resting on the shore. They can be hard to see at first:
Can you see the seals in the above photo?
A closer photo of two monk seals at the point.
Make sure to give the seals some room and stay at least 100 feet away from them. A great way to see them closer is to remember to bring a pair of binoculars. Or just use the zoom function on your camera.
Depending on the time of year, you may see adult Laysan albatross:
Or maybe even a newly hatched Laysan albatross chick:
For more information about hiking to Kaena Point, or about the plants and animals that call it home, click here.
Monday, March 22, 2010
"Sounds of Hawaii" Online Resource
You may know what a Hawaiian coot looks like...
But have you ever heard what a Hawaiian coot sounds like?
You may have seen a pueo sitting on a fence post or cruising around over head, but have you ever heard it's call?
Are you curious about what kind of noise a Hawaiian monk seal makes?
Stop the website SoundsHawaiian.com where you can listen to dozens of Hawaiian bird, mammal and even insect sounds - for free!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Volunteer Opportunities
This page will be updated as volunteer opportunity info becomes available. Stay tuned!
On Oahu:
What: Makiki Watershed Awareness Initiative needs volunteers to help clean up and care for Makiki stream.
Help keep Ka'ena beautiful!
Location: Ka'ena State Park
Groups: Friends of Ka'ena
Activities: Volunteer activities such as trash cleanups, vegetation restoration, cultural site protection, interpretation, and education.
Contact: Josh Heimowitz, (808) 637-4615, friends@friendsofkaena.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Care for Kawai Nui marsh!
Location: Na Pohaku, Kawai Nui State Park Reserve
Groups: ‘Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi
Activities: Workdays for site maintenance, tours, educational groups, restoration of the cultural landscape.
Contact: Chuck Burrows, (808) 595-3922, chuckb@hawaii.rr.com
If you know of other volunteer opportunities, we'd love to hear about them. Leave a comment below!
On Oahu:
What: Makiki Watershed Awareness Initiative needs volunteers to help clean up and care for Makiki stream.
When: Every last Saturday of the month from 9am to 2pm.
Join the Oahu Na Ala Hele Trails and Access Program and Hawaii Nature Center in removing invasive plants, building trails and bridges, planting native plants and working as a team to improve Makiki Valley. Click here for more info.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join the Oahu Na Ala Hele Trails and Access Program and Hawaii Nature Center in removing invasive plants, building trails and bridges, planting native plants and working as a team to improve Makiki Valley. Click here for more info.
Help keep Ka'ena beautiful!
Location: Ka'ena State Park
Groups: Friends of Ka'ena
Activities: Volunteer activities such as trash cleanups, vegetation restoration, cultural site protection, interpretation, and education.
Contact: Josh Heimowitz, (808) 637-4615, friends@friendsofkaena.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Care for Kawai Nui marsh!
Location: Na Pohaku, Kawai Nui State Park Reserve
Groups: ‘Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi
Activities: Workdays for site maintenance, tours, educational groups, restoration of the cultural landscape.
Contact: Chuck Burrows, (808) 595-3922, chuckb@hawaii.rr.com
If you know of other volunteer opportunities, we'd love to hear about them. Leave a comment below!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
