Bethpage State Park Hosts a First Green!

With the start of a brand new school year, Bethpage State Park decided to do something extra special for Central Boulevard Elementary... that is, host a STEM day field trip! For those that might not know the abbreviation, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This refers to a curriculum that focuses on these four disciplines collectively, instead of separately-- and what better way to explore real world examples of STEM than by visiting a living, breathing golf course habitat?  

Luckily for us, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) provides multiple STEM lesson plans and resources as part of their First Green program (http://www.thefirstgreen.org/). GCSAA's site makes it super easy for golf course superintendents and staff to pick and chose the kind of activities that work best for their course. Through this First Green program, we were able to turn our Green Course into a creative outdoor STEM lab! 

The second students got off the bus, they were eager to listen and enthusiastic about being in a new outdoor environment. 

To kick off our First Green day, we began with a lesson on soils and water movement. Andrew Wilson, Director of Agronomy, discussed how soil composition and compaction affects drainage. To demonstrate this, he poured water through different types of samples (of clay, sand etc.) The goal was to get students to think about soil quality and how it affects plant growth, while also emphasizing the decisions that need to be considered when maintaining a golf course. Thanks to our talented carpenter John Bruzzo, we had a beautifully designed structure to make our soil demonstration even more effective!

Students wanted to feel the different soil samples while they drained! 

Next up, was a math lab! Using measuring tapes, students learned that different shapes can have the same area! This was a nice introduction to length and width while practicing big multiplication!

    

Students got so excited with measuring, they wanted to measure each other! 

Students then walked over to the course's Green Pond, for a small eco-tour given by our park ecologist, Yael Weiss. She discussed the ecology of this habitat and the importance of keeping a protective buffer of vegetation around the pond. Yael also created species identification hand-outs to inspire students to be observant of native wildlife and creatively, note what they see ! 

To incorporate technology into the event, staff also showed students some of the tools they use everyday to care for a course. This included moisture meters and an aerator! 

          

This equipment was definitely a hit with the students!

All in all, this was a wonderful learning experience for all parties involved. Thank you to Central Boulevard staff, especially Mrs. Kate Wright; she diligently worked with us to make this a successful, fun field trip! For the staff at Bethpage State Park, it felt truly rewarding to provide students an outlet to connect with their local environment, while also expanding on the STEM lessons they typically learn within a classroom. We look forward to having the students back again soon!