(818) 285-2111

E-mail: rnassif@earthlink.net

Patterns of geoscience is a broad project that combines the themes of systems, scale, conservation, design, simulation, and modeling. It is based on the adaptations of science math and geography concepts. Students learn about regular geometric shapes in science, geography, and math. The study of human interactions with ecosystems is linked thematically with a project in which students design dwellings, commercial buildings, environments, landscapes and cities; write journals; and create graphs reflecting data collected about the settlement patterns of their city. The unit begins in science and continues to the math and geography classrooms.

Science has diversity within the natural environment and ecosystems of urban communities; pollution, transportation and city growth patterns which affect architectural designs. Geography and math reflect population growth, settlement patterns, trends and distributions, areas and intensities of habitation in the Los Angeles area (urban and suburban).Cooperative Learning Groups (CLG) are introduced to the nature of urban/suburban settlements. Teams select and inquire into the nature of various patterns within those environments. Using teacher developed "researched guides" and technology as a tool, teams discern and investigate problems to present and explain the geography and science influences within those environments.

Students engage in a study of habitats. They explore climatic conditions in different environments, what causes these conditions, and how organisms respond to them. Students examine shelters of animals and explores how people have incorporated many of the same features in their buildings.

Students also learn about the various geometric patterns that occur in nature. Student observe naturally occurring patterns and explore how people have incorporated those shapes into man-made creations. In the course of these lessons, students also learn about area, perimeter, symmetry, and other geometric concepts. They also problem solve, collaborate, and develop a new city based on current issues.

PineSurf is a simulation that develops a fundamental understanding of man’s interactions with ecosystems. Students decide on the best course of action for dealing with environmental and geography problems facing the town of PineSurf. They will base their decisions on the evaluation of scientific, economic, and personal information presented at a town meeting called to discuss these issues. They’ll need this information in order to build dwellings that meet specific environmental and zoning requirements.

Over the course of the simulation students address the following topics:

Over a two week period students combine the information that they have gathered in their science class with their basic math skills to design their own dwelling Redwood. They build scale models and produce scale floor plans. The following topic will covered:

Material Required:

Directions for teachers: Students will be involved in a simulation of a city council. Each group will represent an interest group. The groups of students will research and produce a presentation for the city council. Each interest group will have one person in their group serving on the town council. The town council will hear all groups and make recommendations for building that will improve the environmental quality of PineSurf.

Each group will produce an outline of their arguments to be reviewed by the teacher. The group will proceed to find information from sources to support their argument. This is an excellent opportunity for students to contact local resources and gain expert advise. (e.g., Air Quality Control, local Chamber’s of Commerce, Recycling Association. etc.) Students will need to finalize their product by organizing it into a form that will be presented to city council in the form of a public debate.

The criteria for evaluating student learning (rubric) should be developed by students and teachers based on the resources available to them in there local areas. The use of written, electronic, and 3-D models can be used to complete portfolios.

In this simulation, your task is to decide on the best course of action for dealing with the environmental problems facing the town of PineSurf. You will base this decision on your evaluation of the scientific, economic, and personal information being presented at a town meeting called to discuss environmental and life quality issues.

PineSurf is a small mountain/beach community with 50,000 year-round residents, Located in a mountain valley that transcends into the coastal waters, much of the appeal of the town depends on the quality of the environment.... clean air, clear-running streams, good fishing, trails for hiking, cross-country skiing, water sports, and a clean marina. During the winter skiers flock to the mountains and during the summer families camp, boat and fish at the nearby Clover State Beach and Recreation Park.

PineSurf is prosperous, but has been through hard times. During the 1950’s processing timber and a cannery were the major industries. When most of the surrounding mountains had been logged over, the sawmills closed and caused high unemployment. The fishing areas disappeared causing the fishing industry to decline and the cannery to closed. The city council worked hard over the next thirty years to develop a prospering tourist industry rebuilding the cannery district into restaurants and shops along with a marina. The sawmill was converted into a flourishing paper processing industry along with two newly developed paper processing mills. Most of the people of the town make their living from tourism.

PineSurf is facing increasing amounts of pollution. Smoke frequently hangs in the valley and makes it impossible to see the tops of mountains. The air smells like sulfur and the trees are beginning to die on the high mountain ridges. Fishing in nearby streams and lakes is poor. The water quality along the Cannery Row Marina is becoming increasing clouded with unknown substances. The Copperman Bridge that carries automobiles and trucks across the Kalea river has unexpectedly weakened along with the Marina Foot Bridge. The City Council has requested an environmental survey from the State.

PineSurf suffers from episodes of severe air pollution. On 42 percent of the days during the cold seasonal months air quality ranked "unacceptable". Air quality ranked "Poor" 16 percent of the time, and "Fair" or "Acceptable" during the rest of the heating season. During "unacceptable" conditions, measured amounts of pollutants including carbon monoxide and particulate matter were found in concentrations known to cause health problems in people with breathing disorders. These episodes produced pollution almost equal to the pollution levels encountered at street level during a rush-hour traffic jam in a major city.

Data indicates that most of the air pollution is caused by smoke from wood stoves and fireplaces used for heating along with auto emissions from tourist and industry. The air quality is also affected by emissions from the paper mill located 15 miles northwest of PineSurf. Emissions from this mill include sulfur-containing compounds. Surveys of the local lakes and steams indicate that they have a pH factor of 4.2. All these mills produce paper products using chlorine-based compounds to whiten or bleach their products. The average paper mill releases approximately 35 tons of organochlorines, including highly toxic dioxins into the Kalea River each day. This buildup of acid may also reflect damage caused by coal-fired electric power plants used to generate power for local communities located 35 miles Northwest of PineSurf.

The Cannery Row Marina has an unusual amount of bacteria and stench build-up along its shore and boating docks with residues of trash floating in the water.

Based on scientific evidence and public debate conducted at the City Council meetings, what should you do about the problems plaguing your beloved PineSurf? Would you choose environmental protection at the risk of losing jobs, or live with a pollution problem? Is there a way to balance both environmental and economic concerns? Write a brief summary report of your recommendations and the evidence that led you to your conclusions.

Civil engineers have to create bridges to fit a specific function. Function and design are crucial in determining the stress and weight bearing structures of the bridge. This is a step by step process, students must show mastery of each step (project) before they move on to the next step. All projects are dependent upon each other to accurately determine the outcomes.

The Student Engineer!

After examining some structures that have failed and others that did not; can you design a strong, safe structure and build a model of it? Suppose you decide to include a bridge in your plan for PineSurf. Perhaps you want the bridge to carry automobile traffic across the Kalea River. Or maybe you want a footbridge to cross the inlet of Chelsea Bay. In either case, your bridge must be strong enough and safe enough for those who will use it.

You will Need:

What to Do:

You will need 12 teacher prescribed items!

You will need a large supply (144 each) of popcycle sticks (craft sticks).

TEST ALL BRIDGES WITH MEASURED AMOUNT OF MASSES TO TEST WEIGHT BEARING SUPPORTS. How much weight/mass can your bridge hold??

Architects have to create buildings to fit the specific lot they received and the needs of the PineSurf community. Again this is a step by step project just like the bridge building and you must show mastery of each step before continuing.

Hand out plots of land, grid, and drawing paper. Then, discuss some of the ideas, concerns, and restrictions that the class came up with in their science class regarding PineSurf. Discuss the different architectures in other cultures by reviewing the following architecture periods: Byzantine Empire, Islam, India, Chinese, Japan, Aztecs, North American Tribes, Africa, Greek and Roman. After review answer the following questions. How might geography and climate affect the architectural styles of a region? In what ways do religion and culture affect architecture? Why might different cultures solve design problems in different ways?

Now build your house in PineSurf. Use the same rational outlined in step 1 to build your house in PineSurf.

Students draw a rough draft of the outside floor plan of their house. After their group confers and decides on their plan, their rough draft is drawn on drawing and grid paper. Perspective drawings of the front, top and side views of their house should be completed by the group members using four pieces of centimeter grid paper taped together. The perimeter of the house, area, land and the dimensions of the house, length, width, and height should be figured out with consistent form.

When their house is completed, the students submit their information to the PineSurf City council

for approval. Upon approval students can start building their straw houses.

Use SimCity software by Maxis to design a "blue print" of your new city. Built a model of your city using the guide lines on the following pages for this project.

Students should use drawing and grid paper with 1 cm. squares to make contour maps with 10 feet interval lines of the surrounding area of PineSurf. Contour maps should display rivers, canyons, mountains,oceans and vegetation. Elevations and landscape forms of soil content should be indicated.

Students will conduct public surveys concerning public transportation and housing (settlements).

Student groups will be divided up to cover the community concerns about transportation issues and public housing trends. This information will be recorded and reported to the City Council to help determine future impacts and trends concerning PineSurf.

Some Resources used in part were derived from the following sources:

Science Plus; Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Publishers

A.P. Giannini Middle School, San Francisco, CA 94122

John Lopez, Peer Coaching, Oak Avenue School, Temple City, CA 91780