Module 6

Post-Curriculum Assessment

Determining what students have learned about plants, their pollinators and what they can do to help maintain a balanced ecosystem.

At this point in the Nature's Partners experience, it is important to have evidence of gains in knowledge and understanding of:

• the fundamentals of plant reproduction;
• the unique nature of the primary pollinators: bees;
• the role pollinators play in maintaining the ecosystem and the productivity of agriculture; and
• what needs to be done to protect and encourage the growth of pollinators in your area.

Besides factual knowledge, we are also interested in the attitudes and behaviors that result from participating in the activities of this curriculum:

• How have participant's perspectives changed about:

  — the nature of bees?
  — the importance of bees to the availability of foods and fibers
  — the use of pesticides?
  — the development of lands?
  — the need to take an active role in protecting pollinators?

• What changes will they make or activities will they participate in to:
  — make their environment more pollinator-friendly?
  — educate others about the importance of protecting pollinators?

Materials Needed:

• "What Do We Know About Plants?" chart developed in Session I
• "What Do We Know About Plants and Pollinators" chart
• Large paper pad
• Felt-tipped markers
• Masking tape
  

Getting Ready:

• Tape both charts to a wall
• Arrange a seating area that is informal and comfortable

Grouping:

Whole group

Action (Communicating, Organizing, Synthesizing, Recording):

1. To determine gains in factual knowledge, revisit the "What Do We Know About Plants?" that was developed during the pre-assessment in the first session. Use a felt tipped marker of a different color to write in additional information suggested by the participants on the pre-assessment chart. Use the new chart to record additional input from the participants.
   
2. Hold an open discussion to see if and how their attitudes may have changed. Use the items mentioned above (attitude about bees, use of pesticides, development of lands, need to protect pollinators) as talking points. Have someone write down ideas on a large paper pad that all the participants can see. These notes can be reviewed by evaluators.

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