Prepare, Package, and Profit (6th-12th grade)

* This class had 3 one-hour sections, that can be broken up over several different class periods. The material is not dependent upon completing all three sections. The teacher may choose to do one, two, or all three sections.

Topic: Business, Geometry, Creativity
Presenter: Daniel Heath, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Pacific Lutheran University
Hands-on: Every business that sells a product is faced with similar challenges. Most companies that sell a product will buy a particular item for a reduced price, called the wholesale price, and then repackage the item at a higher price called the retail price.

In class 1, the goal will be to choose a product to buy in bulk to re-package and sell. To determine which product would be a good candidate, there will be a survey given in order to find our how much the students would spend on various products. Once the questionnaires are gathered, we will use the information as a class, to choose which of our possible products gives us the best chance of profiting.

In class 2, our goal will be to design a box for the product we chose in class 1. (or students will be given a pre-selected product) The students will work in teams to design a box large enough to fit the product and with a relative large face for advertising. The students will have some information that the laws require to be printed on the box and it's sides. Students will also be asked to design the box so that they are wasting as little paper as possible.

In class 3, students will estimate the cost for both the box and the product. Once they know the cost, the group will determine a price for each package, and vote for one another's products with play money provided by the facilitator. Lastly, students will have the chance to determine who was the most profitable!

The Law and The Bicyclists (4th-8th grade)
Topic: Law, Government, Social Studies
Presenter: Anna Buzzard, Lawyer, J.D. – University of Washington
Hands-on: A ten minute class discussion will cover the three branches of government-- legislative, judicial, and executive-- in addition to the life cycle of a law and different types of law. Students begin by working in groups on a worksheet that presents an ordinance (no vehicles in park) and a series of situations where the students decide whether the law has been broken.
The Problem of Bicycling: Students are instructed that they are now members of the city counsel and that there have been a number of complaints and near-accidents involving bicyclists and motorists, counsel members receive a hand-out with some of the complaints and some questions to get them started. They work in teams of 3-5 (depending on class size) to draft rules for how, when, where and whom can ride a bicycle. The session ends with a mock legislative session where students present their ideas and as a class discuss the proposed ordinances, edit and revise them, and vote to pass the ordinance.

Printmaking (4-8th grade)
Topic: English, Art, History
Presenter: Patrick Edelbacher, printmaker since 2005, including CD cover art.
Hands-on: Students will learn to recognize types of printmaking including woodcuts, linocuts, and screen-printing as well as experience the hands on creation of such prints. Materials included for empirical education include an antique classroom printing press from 1933, an antique typewriter from 1926, blocks of wood, and cuts of linoleum.

Haiku Workshop (K-8th grade)
Topic: Language Arts, Poetry
Presenter: Mary Helen Granger, M.F.A. Creative Writing, seasoned writing consultant to children.
Hands-on: Students will learn about the history of haiku from bright, easy-to-read posters and warm-up with an exercise that gives them the first feel for the form. Young poets then create their own haiku, choosing from hundreds of laminated words provided in baskets for inspiration. Tables covered end to end in white paper provide instant space for writing and revising. Students write and illustrate each haiku for a collective “Line of Poetry”
“The thoughtful child
slipped past his brothers
preaching doom.”
Noah, age 7

Plant Identification and Wild Foods Walk (1st-12th grade)
Topic: Biology, Nature Appreciation
Presenter: Kelda Miller, consultant for sustainable living with the Divine Earth Gardening Project
Hands-on: This class can be tailored to the age of the students and the plant resources on site. Younger children can learn the names of their favorite plants on the property and any fun uses they have. Older students can be challenged to know monocots/dicots, plant families, wildcrafting ethics, etc, and be given specific food and medicinal uses. Even many ornamental plants can be eaten/used. Pesticide free landscapes are required.

Sustainable Land Use Planning (8th-12th grade)
Topic: Teamwork, Environmental Studdies
Presenter: Kelda Miller, consultant for sustainable living with the Divine Earth Gardening Project
Hands-on: A ten-minute class discussion about what makes our cities and towns sustainable or destructive to the Earth,followed by a slideshow about different projects in the United States, many of them very inspiring. The second part of class, the students break into teams: rural, cul-de-sac 'development', single family home urban, and high-density urban. Each group is given a tray of objects that represent their starting point (roads, fences, houses, buildings specific to their group). They are then asked to work as if they were neighbors trying to recreate their space into a vibrant, functional village. They can use found objects to add to their design (more trees, bridges, bike paths, etc.) and are allowed to move objects. The final part, will involve the students in discussion about what they have just created.

Seeds of Change (7th-12th grade)
Topic: Gardening, Plant Studdies
Presenter: Kelda Miller, consultant for sustainable living with the Divine Earth Gardening Project
Hands-on:First part of class is discussion/drawing about how seeds work. This will vary according to age group. Second part of class is description of different types of seedballs and why they are useful, and why we would want to encourage/discourage plants in certain places. Third part of class, we dive in and construct different types of seedballs out of seed, compost, and clay. All hands will get muddy. A place to clean up, and a warm place for the seedballs to dry, are required.

We are also partnering with the Tacoma Nature Center to bring their programs to you! Presenters will cover Science, Environmental Studies, Ecological Systems, Biology, Ornathology and Zooology.

City Critters (K-3rd grade)
Not all wildlife lives in the wild. Many species have successfully adapted to human and urban conditions. Students examine a number of our 'city dwellers' through interactive stations and learn why they are thriving.

WA Wildlife (3-6th grade)
There is a great diversity of life in Washington. Join us in a brief survey of common wildlife species found here. Explore some of the adaptations they have for survival and investigate some of the problems facing wildlife today.

Birds of a Feather (K-6th grade)
What makes a bird a bird? Learn more about the adaptations of birds living in the habitats they call home. Discover what sets birds apart from other animals.

Seabirds and Shorebirds (K-6th grade)
Puget Sound waters teem with diving, dipping and dabbling birds during the winter months. Learn about the strategies these birds have to live in their watery world.

Awesome Owls (K-6th grade)
Through hands-on exploration, learn about how the Owl is built to hunt. Learn about the owls that inhabit the NW.

Habitat is Where It’s At (K-6th grade)
Students learn about the components of habitat and what wildlife needs to survive in this highly interactive program. Also includes a survey of three Washington habitat types.

Please call Jenny Curtiss at 253-269-2212 to book a class today!