Lessons
Our planners love to share their excitement and knowledge with our local children. Lessons are modified for different age groups.
At the high school level, the Intro to Agriculture class has been taught lessons on soils that even involve auguring into the soil, and texturing different types of soil. Conservation Planners have participated in mock interviews with the agricultural students to help them practice for job interviews. They have judged the ag students' senior project posters, providing valuable feedback.
Our Conservation Planners have taught middle schoolers about human environment interactions. Taking field trips to learn about living shore lines to focus on native vs. non-native vs. invasive species of plants and animals, rain gardens, and the trade offs between uses of our parks. They have taken classes on trash walks around Chestertown. Guest speakers, like former Congressman Wayne Gilchrest have spoke about how we influence government for environmental legislation. Students have worked with our planners in lessons on watersheds that teaches about the sources of pollution, how they impact our water, and how to use best management practices to mitigate them. Middle school students from Minary's Dream Alliance have also had a hands-on soils lesson.
Each year, elementary students attend the KCHS Ag Day, which is run by the high school students. First and Second graders from all of the public schools in Kent County attend and move to different stations to learn about agriculture. The Kent Soil and Water Conservation District hosts a table at AG Day. Previously, our table has been about all the life in the soil, showing the young students worms, ants, fungi, and other soil organisms. Cards with fun facts about many of these organisms were displayed for the students to read.
The Judy Center toddlers have been able to participate in watershed lessons. With the help of a hands-on watershed model, they were able to see how pollution on land can impact the water.