The Infusion of an Environmental Education Curriculum for 10th, 11th, and 12th Grade Students to Further Their Understanding about Plant Ecology, Insects, and Their Interdependence through the Creation of a Butterfly Garden

Abstract

This research project is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of infusing an environmental education curriculum into the 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students at Greenwood High School. It is the goal of the project to study the changes in their knowledge level and to further their understanding about plant ecology, insects, and their interdependence. The project incorporates the creation of an interconnected unit plan. One aspect of the unit is a lesson plan on plant ecology; the branch of science concerned with the interrelationships of plants and organisms within their environments through the study of the plant communities, species types and numbers, the interaction between different kinds of plants and organisms, geographic distributions, and soil moisture, temperature, and soil type. (Dictionary by Farlex, 2008) The second lesson plan will encompass the benefits and harmful insects found in our area. This will encompass beetles, butterflies, moths, bees, and other insects found in Wisconsin and specifically to our area. The final lesson plan will cover the connection and interdependence of plants and insects. The beneficial insects are those insects that do not feed off of the plants, but act as pollinators. Harmful insects are insects that cause harm, feed on, diminish, or degrade the plants ability to grow and/or survive. The study of the plant and insect interaction was accomplished through the creation of a Butterfly Garden on the school grounds of Greenwood High School. The study was conducted over a period of twelve weeks with daily monitoring taking place. The Butterfly Garden was maintained by the students for optimum flower production during our eight week period.