Green Landscape and Environmental Policy

Stephanie Freeman

Alabama A&M University Plant and Soil Science

This activity has been reviewed by 2 review processes

This activity has benefited from input from faculty educators beyond the author through a review and suggestion process.

This review took place as a part of a faculty professional development workshop where groups of faculty reviewed each others' activities and offered feedback and ideas for improvements. To learn more about the process On the Cutting Edge uses for activity review, see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.

This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection

This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are

Scientific Accuracy
Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
Pedagogic Effectiveness
Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page

For more information about the peer review process itself, please see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.

This page first made public: Feb 16, 2010

Summary

Develop lectures that discuss environmental policy and horticulture practices in communities.
Create classroom activities that incorporate green landscape design practices in residential areas.
These classroom activities will be implemented in the field.

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Context

Audience

Undergraduate and graduate level horticulture landscape course.

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

To become more thoughtful observers and critics of the horticulture landscape. To develop the ability to embody an idea within residential, commercial, and governmental landscape.
To develop the ability to think and conceptualize rain gardens, bioretention, and environmental impact.
To develop the graphic communication skills required to convey formal intentions of design to customers.

How the activity is situated in the course

A sequence of activities

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Water quality determination and preservation

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

Critical evaluation of incorporating rain gardens and water cisterns to residential areas

Other skills goals for this activity

Develop an interactive website and videos for training

Description of the activity/assignment

This course introduces students to basic rain garden design, water cistern development, and bioretention principles. Students will also explore the uses of landform, plants, and structure to shape space. Classes will include slide-illustrated lectures, class discussions, and project critiques. Through a combination of short practicum that includes rain garden design for residential, commercial, and government locations, students will be able to analyze and create a design that applies modern theories to questions of spatial organization, order, and selection of building materials. Students will translate research and case studies by applying building, drawing, and design critiques specific for the site design and present their findings to the community.

Determining whether students have met the goals

8-block model word document (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 16kB Feb9 10)

More information about assessment tools and techniques.

Download teaching materials and tips

Activity Description/Assignment (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 13kB Feb9 10)
Instructors Notes:

There are several websites that will help you in understanding rain gardens:
- USGS Water Resources of the United States
Rain gardens are incorporated into the permaculture system
- North Carolina A&T Introduction to Permaculture: Concepts and Resources
Solution Set:

Other Materials

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