The Trouble with Trash
This eight-week curriculum will break into four two-week modules that engage students in investigating the seen and unseen effects of plastic pollution on the coast. Together with their classmates, they will work to develop solutions that reduce its impact. Students will gain familiarity with Crystal Cove State Park, explore natural spaces through video and virtual field trips, then work alongside scientists and researchers to collect data from the sandy beaches within the Park. Back in the classroom, they'll examine the data and begin to analyze it and make sense of what they've learned, seen, and the work they've done.
Program Overview
The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation has partnered with the Crystal Cove Conservancy to develop and pilot a new community science STEM education program for K-2 students.
The new "Early Learners" community science program will help extend the STEM education model, which uses community-based research at Crystal Cove State Park to reinforce science learning in the classroom, to lower elementary grades. Participating K-2 students will acquire a comfort with science and engineering topics from the beginning of their educational careers, giving them a stronger start on their STEM learning journey.
