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WILD Links
March 2000 Project WILD and Project WILD Aquatic
Project Learning Tree
(Links to Maine Tree Foundation and Water Research Institue (TREE & WET) will be coming soon.) Project WET
Teacher ConsultantsJoanne Alex, Directress, Stillwater Montessori School, Old Town, ME
The Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance supports teachers and districts as they pursue more integrated and standards-based models for curriculum, instruction, and assessment for all students, especially in Math and Science. Francis Eberle, MMSA, Director Project LeadersLisa J. Kane, Project WILD State Coordinator WILD Links, WET Links, and TREE Links were made possible throught the following funding sources:
The Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund is a state program awarding grants to conserve Maine's special places, endangered species and important fish and wildlife habitat with proceeds from the sale of Outdoor Heritage instant lottery tickets. Guidebook OverviewWhyOur goal is to introduce quality conservation education while assisting educators in addressing standards-driven education (Maine's Learning Results). We hope, as schools restructure their curricula to meet state standards, that these handbooks will become invaluable tools for wildlife, forestry, water resource and conservation education. WhatActivities in the PLT, WILD, AND WET Activity Guides are aligned with the 1997 legislated Maine Learning Results. With roots in Maine's Common Core of Learning, the Learning Results are comprised of 6 Guiding Principles, 8 subject area Content Standards, and Performance Indicators in 4 grade clusters: Elementary Grades Pre-K-2, Elementary Grades 3-4, Middle Grades 5-8, and Secondary Grades. This guide includes alignment information for the content standards and performance indicators. Content Standards are broad descriptions of the knowledge and skills that students should acquire. Performance indicators describe what all students should know and be able to do to demonstrate mastery of a content standard. They are intended to include both knowledge and skills; be assessable in a variety of ways; and define results. It is essential to emphasize, and for educators to consider, that the Learning Results apply to all students, including those with unique learning needs and/or identified disabilities. A combination of state and local assessments will be used to measure progress. The Maine Education Assessment exams in 4th, 8th, and 11th grades are being modified to measure achievement of the Learning Results. Local school administrative units are encouraged to develop additional assessments such as student portfolios, performances, demonstrations, and other records of achievement. Copies of the Learning Results are available at the following address: Learning Results HowIn creating this document the authors made some assumptions when completing these correlations. Connections between the Learning Results and Projects PLT, WET, and WILD activities are subject to interpretation. In working with the group of consultants to put these guides together, we aimed for consistency. Consultants were asked to look for connections from the activities as written in the Guides, not on the many modifications that could be implemented by an imaginative educator. Please don't feel limited by our decisions and choices. We recognize the value of individual, creative interpretations and encourage educators to make more connections with the standards, especially in the three content areas we could not address for space, cost, and time reasons. (Career Preparation, Health and Physical Education, and Modern & Classical Languages) PLT, WET, and WILD are award-winning, national programs that require little supplemental equipment. However, many activities will be enhanced by the use of computers and other technologies, as well as by local, regional and state resources. WhereThis handbook is available through Maine Project PLT, WET, and WILD workshops. Refresher and advanced workshops are offered for educators who already have one of the current guides. For educators unfamiliar with Project PLT, WET, and WILD, standard six hour workshops are offered to provide firsthand experience with the activity guides. Activity alignment with Maine Learning Results is a standard component of any workshop. WhenProjects WET, Learning Tree and WILD workshops can be scheduled on in-service, early release, or conference days, or at your school's convenience. Look for these workshops at regional and statewide conferences. Rubrics and VignettesSchools in Maine are charged with meeting the Maine Learning Results. We felt it was important to provide sample assessment tools to assist teachers in evaluating their student's learning. A variety of guidelines, including scoring rubrics, are provided to help educators judge the important features of student performance. Following the model used in scoring the Maine Educational Assessment Exams, these rubrics offer a fixed, 4 point scale and a list of the specific characteristics that describe performance for each of the score points on the scale. Since rubrics describe levels of performance or understanding, they provide important information on what students know and are able to do. Well-designed rubrics accomplish the following goals:
Many educators believe in developing assessment tools with, instead of for, their students. Students can then feel more ownership for and fairness about the evaluation process. Sample rubrics or scoring criteria for Wild, Wet and Learning Tree activities are interspersed throughout these guides. Vignettes also found throughout the guides describe how some Maine educators have implemented WILD, WET and PLT activities with their students in meaningful ways. In several instances, ideas for activity modifications and extensions are described, and may give you some great ideas for use with your students. How to Use This Handbook
1. Activity Title Where no recommendations are listed, white space was provided for teachers to make their own notes. The Wild Links Handbooks below may be viewed and printed by section. The handbooks are provided in PDF format. To view PDF documents, you will need the free Adobe Reader. If you need assistance, view our PDF Help page, email us or call us at (207) 287-8000. Project WILD Project WILD Aquatic |
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