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<br />Philosophy: <br /> <br />Children must build their own meanings in order to understand. Our <br />environmental center will be used to bridge the gap and help students construct <br />their own meanings. The Environmental Center will include activities about weather, <br />wildlife, archeology, ecosystems, orienteering, biology and measurement. <br />Collaborative construction of the center by the staff, students, parents, and <br />community will develop ownership and involvement in learning. Student ownership <br />will increase retention and transfer of math and science principles. <br /> <br />Monitoring: <br /> <br />In order to meet the changing water demands Oak Creek has planned an <br />environmental center for school and public use. Water resource management was <br />a key element in planning and developing this project. In order to monitor our <br />water usage an in line meter will be installed. This meter will allow the school <br />to compare the cost and ecological benefit of watering our center before and after <br />installation. The in line meter will also allow the school to monitor the continual <br />decline of the water usage as the zones become established. <br /> <br />Results - Evaluation: <br /> <br />The Oak Creek Environmental Center will be used to develop responsible members <br />of the ecosystem. Efforts of the community, district, parents, staff, and students <br />will increase the awareness of general water use and conservation techniques. <br />Areas have been planned to inform the public of various life zones within the <br />community. Each zone has been chosen according to the contour of the land and <br />the availability of water. The curriculum which is being written for the center, <br />will have an evaluative component. Some activities will have a less formal <br />evaluation; ie, teacher observations and student awareness levels. A more formal <br />evaluation will have either performance assessments or the more traditional <br />paper/pencil test. The impact on the community will be evaluated through surveys <br />and observations. The changing landscapes in the neighborhood would indicate the <br />implementation of water conservation measures. A pictorial record will illustrate <br />the developmental stages of the project. Another area to be evaluated is water <br />usage. With the uncertainty of school budgets conservation in all areas of budget <br />matters is important. <br /> <br />Sharing Results: <br /> <br />Sharing of ideas is necessary for our society to grow and prosper. Many people <br />have shared their knowledge and expertise through their involvement in the initial <br />design of this project. The knowledge the committee has acquired has been presented <br />to the Parent Teacher Organization and other community members. Through the <br />enthusiasm of the committee and members of the P.T.O. many other people have become <br />involved in this grand undertaking. Because of the involvement of many individuals <br />not directly connected with the school a pamphlet has been proposed to disseminate <br />information. This document would briefly describe the project and credit all <br />