On Campus, Certified Schoolyard Habitat and hands on outdoor classroom for experiential learning.
Rain Garden, Outdoor Play Space and
Student Sustainability Lab, including vegetable garden and Aquaponics.
Baltimore Lab School Students love to go outside. Our BLS school yard habitat has developed over the past 4 years, thanks to the students desire to spend more time outside learning. Here is a listing of important additions and the year they began.
Grade Levels: All. 140 students.
August 31, 2013 to present
Rain Garden Lower school students maintain this garden.
2013-14:
Our outdoor space for learning began in August of 2013 when Roland Harvey a local businessman, Natural Concerns donated and built a rain garden and schoolyard habitat for our students to engage with and learn about native plants and rain gardens. Lower School Students love going outside on our urban campus into the garden to take care of the plants. In the spring of 2014 students added native plants and bird houses. On Wednesday afternoons students in after care watered and maintained the garden with teachers. In February of 2014, first graders used the snow and puddles in our school rain garden to make daily measurements and observe changes over time. They learned about the sun's effect on Earth's water, and that water can be a liquid and a solid.
2015-16:
Mrs. Early's High school art students researched native plants, created plant identification signs and installed them in 2015.
2016-17:
Jackie Lesh's 5th grade students ask for and get daily outdoor lessons! Daily outdoor lessons began in September 2016, with students using "sit spots" and observing the birds and other wildlife in our rain garden. She is teaching students how to use their "Naturalist" routines and enjoy learning outside. An "Albino Wren" was observed by Kent Croft, one of our parent's who is a bird watcher!
2017-18:
Carrie Brazell's Lower School students applied for our garden to be certified through the National Aquarium/National Wildlife Foundation as a schoolyard habitat for wildlife. Our rain garden is officially certified as an urban wildlife habitat.
1st-5th grade
Lower School Green Team
THE DIFFERENCE IS EXTRAORDINARY! This difference is evident the moment you walk through our doors. One of the things that makes our school so extraordinary is the dedication and passion our students and staff have to creating an eco-friendly school, city, and world. At Baltimore Lab School we strive to promote appreciation for our environment, conserve our resources, cultivate and implement ideas that reduce waste, inspire each other to shift their strategies to a more sustainable path, and empower others to do the same.
Vegetable garden and Aqua-ponics Tilapia fish system. Middle school students maintain this system.
2013-14: . Over the summer of 2014 Summer program students in grades 1-12 added a portable edible garden to our parking lot adjacent to the rain garden.
The Student Sustainability Center was built in stages beginning in May of 2015. The Student Sustainability Center sustainability is used as hands on educational tool for the school. This gardening area is used to help our students better learn and engage with sustainability issues that are relevant to their lives and community. The center takes up an area in the Baltimore Lab parking lot and includes a raised gardening bed, and an Aquaponics Tilapia fish system.
2016-17:
Daily outdoor lessons began in September 2016. Student Sustainability Center is opened for all grade level students. The BLS aquaponics garden is up and running. In this closed system, fish in the tank provide nutrients to plants growing above and ultimately both plants and fish can be harvested. This garden is water and space efficient. Its management gives students learning opportunities in ecology, biology, chemistry, problem-solving and collaboration. In conjunction with our unit on adaptation and habitats, science students planted a variety of herbs and flowers. One hundred starter goldfish were released into the bottom "pond." We are now successfully raising Tilapia.
Outdoor Classroom Space. Requested by high school students.
May 2014:
An outdoor picnic table was added under the portico so classes could be held outdoors.
Fall 2015-16:
An additional picnic table was added to the portico.
Playground. Designed by middle school students.
Middle School Students designed a playground area and it was painted onto the parking lot in October of 2016. Chess Club received giant chess pieces and designed an outdoor chess board as it continues to meet outside under the portico.
Mini Golf. Designed by middle and high school students.
Mini golf was added to our schoolyard in the fall of 2017. Middle and High School Students designed the hole which was a part of a city wide mini golf course during the 2016-17 school year. The hole they designed was in a vacant lot off of North Ave during the summer and came to live in our school yard on Sept. 3, 2017.
Grade Levels: All. 140 students.
August 31, 2013 to present
Rain Garden Lower school students maintain this garden.
2013-14:
Our outdoor space for learning began in August of 2013 when Roland Harvey a local businessman, Natural Concerns donated and built a rain garden and schoolyard habitat for our students to engage with and learn about native plants and rain gardens. Lower School Students love going outside on our urban campus into the garden to take care of the plants. In the spring of 2014 students added native plants and bird houses. On Wednesday afternoons students in after care watered and maintained the garden with teachers. In February of 2014, first graders used the snow and puddles in our school rain garden to make daily measurements and observe changes over time. They learned about the sun's effect on Earth's water, and that water can be a liquid and a solid.
2015-16:
Mrs. Early's High school art students researched native plants, created plant identification signs and installed them in 2015.
2016-17:
Jackie Lesh's 5th grade students ask for and get daily outdoor lessons! Daily outdoor lessons began in September 2016, with students using "sit spots" and observing the birds and other wildlife in our rain garden. She is teaching students how to use their "Naturalist" routines and enjoy learning outside. An "Albino Wren" was observed by Kent Croft, one of our parent's who is a bird watcher!
2017-18:
Carrie Brazell's Lower School students applied for our garden to be certified through the National Aquarium/National Wildlife Foundation as a schoolyard habitat for wildlife. Our rain garden is officially certified as an urban wildlife habitat.
1st-5th grade
Lower School Green Team
THE DIFFERENCE IS EXTRAORDINARY! This difference is evident the moment you walk through our doors. One of the things that makes our school so extraordinary is the dedication and passion our students and staff have to creating an eco-friendly school, city, and world. At Baltimore Lab School we strive to promote appreciation for our environment, conserve our resources, cultivate and implement ideas that reduce waste, inspire each other to shift their strategies to a more sustainable path, and empower others to do the same.
Vegetable garden and Aqua-ponics Tilapia fish system. Middle school students maintain this system.
2013-14: . Over the summer of 2014 Summer program students in grades 1-12 added a portable edible garden to our parking lot adjacent to the rain garden.
The Student Sustainability Center was built in stages beginning in May of 2015. The Student Sustainability Center sustainability is used as hands on educational tool for the school. This gardening area is used to help our students better learn and engage with sustainability issues that are relevant to their lives and community. The center takes up an area in the Baltimore Lab parking lot and includes a raised gardening bed, and an Aquaponics Tilapia fish system.
2016-17:
Daily outdoor lessons began in September 2016. Student Sustainability Center is opened for all grade level students. The BLS aquaponics garden is up and running. In this closed system, fish in the tank provide nutrients to plants growing above and ultimately both plants and fish can be harvested. This garden is water and space efficient. Its management gives students learning opportunities in ecology, biology, chemistry, problem-solving and collaboration. In conjunction with our unit on adaptation and habitats, science students planted a variety of herbs and flowers. One hundred starter goldfish were released into the bottom "pond." We are now successfully raising Tilapia.
Outdoor Classroom Space. Requested by high school students.
May 2014:
An outdoor picnic table was added under the portico so classes could be held outdoors.
Fall 2015-16:
An additional picnic table was added to the portico.
Playground. Designed by middle school students.
Middle School Students designed a playground area and it was painted onto the parking lot in October of 2016. Chess Club received giant chess pieces and designed an outdoor chess board as it continues to meet outside under the portico.
Mini Golf. Designed by middle and high school students.
Mini golf was added to our schoolyard in the fall of 2017. Middle and High School Students designed the hole which was a part of a city wide mini golf course during the 2016-17 school year. The hole they designed was in a vacant lot off of North Ave during the summer and came to live in our school yard on Sept. 3, 2017.
Date: June 2, 2017
Happy Birthday Schoolyard Habitats!
Classes were held outside this week in thanksgiving for our new Sustainability Learning Center, our rain garden and outdoor picnic tables.
Thank you Steve Buettner, John Mulherin, Kara Huggins, Amy Kisler, Lauren Moore, Jackie Lesh, Audrey Hildebrand, Laura Griffiths, Annette Fallon, Yuri Gordiychuk and Joel Banotai for making our Sustainability Learning Center "come alive" for all of our students and faculty!
Happy Birthday Schoolyard Habitats!
Classes were held outside this week in thanksgiving for our new Sustainability Learning Center, our rain garden and outdoor picnic tables.
Thank you Steve Buettner, John Mulherin, Kara Huggins, Amy Kisler, Lauren Moore, Jackie Lesh, Audrey Hildebrand, Laura Griffiths, Annette Fallon, Yuri Gordiychuk and Joel Banotai for making our Sustainability Learning Center "come alive" for all of our students and faculty!
Documentation for Schoolyard Habitat and Outdoor Classroom: Student work, a written reflection, correspondence…
| lower_school_students_garden_ideas.pdf |
| wildlife_habitat_certification.pdf |
| aquaponicsplanningdocument.pdf |
Station North Mini Golf Project.
Baltimore Lab School students build a mini golf course for the community.
Baltimore City students play for free!
Dates:
5/26/16: Mini Golf Planning Meeting #1
7/26/16: Mini Golf Planning Meeting #2
9/6/16: Mini Golf Planning Meeting #3
10/22/16 Mini Golf Planning Meeting #4
11/28/16: Mini Golf Planning Meeting #5
12/2/16: Assigned Artist and Future Makers Coach meet/plan with BLS Teachers
12/14/16: Assigned Artist and Future Makers Coach meet/plan with BLS Teachers
January to March 2017: Weekly workshops for participating high and middle school students with BLS teachers, artist, and coach
March 2017: Students finalize design of (4) mini golf holes.
March to June 2017: Professional fabrication of mini golf holes at Open Works Baltimore.
May 2017: Celebration with All Participants.
July 2017: Mini Golf Kick-Off at Artscape 2017.
# of students: 24
Names of students: Frankie F., Taylor K, Avi M., Torben S., Sheva G., Jordan P., Lyla S., Judy G.,Philip, Gracie, James, Morgan, Natalie, Ricky, Will G, Jaelen, Max, Julian, Zane, Stefan, Matt, Iman, Faajah, Ariel.
# of play grounds installed: 2 mini golf holes designed and installed.
Activity: The creation of the Station North Mini Golf Project,funded from a grant through the National Endowment for the Arts, was coordinated by Station North Arts Benefits District home office, involving three local schools: Margaret Brent Elementary and Middle School, Baltimore Design School, and Baltimore Lab School.
Teachers: Zac Lawhon and Robin Brooks, Kara Huggins and Ruth Goodlaxson.
LINK:
Station North: http://www.stationnorth.org/projects/station-north-mini-golf/
5/26/16: Mini Golf Planning Meeting #1
7/26/16: Mini Golf Planning Meeting #2
9/6/16: Mini Golf Planning Meeting #3
10/22/16 Mini Golf Planning Meeting #4
11/28/16: Mini Golf Planning Meeting #5
12/2/16: Assigned Artist and Future Makers Coach meet/plan with BLS Teachers
12/14/16: Assigned Artist and Future Makers Coach meet/plan with BLS Teachers
January to March 2017: Weekly workshops for participating high and middle school students with BLS teachers, artist, and coach
March 2017: Students finalize design of (4) mini golf holes.
March to June 2017: Professional fabrication of mini golf holes at Open Works Baltimore.
May 2017: Celebration with All Participants.
July 2017: Mini Golf Kick-Off at Artscape 2017.
# of students: 24
Names of students: Frankie F., Taylor K, Avi M., Torben S., Sheva G., Jordan P., Lyla S., Judy G.,Philip, Gracie, James, Morgan, Natalie, Ricky, Will G, Jaelen, Max, Julian, Zane, Stefan, Matt, Iman, Faajah, Ariel.
# of play grounds installed: 2 mini golf holes designed and installed.
Activity: The creation of the Station North Mini Golf Project,funded from a grant through the National Endowment for the Arts, was coordinated by Station North Arts Benefits District home office, involving three local schools: Margaret Brent Elementary and Middle School, Baltimore Design School, and Baltimore Lab School.
Teachers: Zac Lawhon and Robin Brooks, Kara Huggins and Ruth Goodlaxson.
LINK:
Station North: http://www.stationnorth.org/projects/station-north-mini-golf/
Documentation for Mini Golf Project: Student work, a written reflection, correspondence…
Annual Egg Drop.
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Every year, all High School students enjoy the weather outside and view the Intro to Tech's egg drop. Tech students drop their egg carrying containers from the portico during 6th period. Viewers watch safely from the grassy knoll in front of the school or parking lot.
Student's are impressed by the understanding of the relationship between terminal velocity, surface area and mass. Seeing it in action when Tech students heroically save the eggs! High School Technology 2013: 6 students 2014: 12 students 2015: 15 students April 22, 2016: 16 students. 2017: 20 students. Teacher: Robin Brooks,High School Technology and Special Educator. |
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Grade Level: 6th and 8th grade Creative Movement
Location: Baltimore Penn Station Date: September 9, 2015 Activity: Parkour 6th and 8th grade Creative Movement students were treated to a parkour demonstration and workshop at Baltimore's Penn Station. Our amazing parkour guides, UK's Urban Playground Team, taught students how to use controlled movements and motor-planning to creatively trace a path onto and through equipment (which is how the French term parkour originated). After watching the professionals demonstrate, students learned three simple moves and then were able to choreograph their own routines in groups. What a way to simultaneously explore our Station North community and learn through movement! Teacher: Ms. Lesh, Creative Movement Other Staff: Patti Child, and UK's Urban Playground Team. |
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Outdoor Music Videos
Thanks to a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust (funded by sales of Maryland's Treasure of the Chesapeake license plate) we leave our urban campus to get outside and learn through hands-on experiences. Most of our outdoor classrooms are off-site.
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Students Care for Outdoor Spaces
Students care for and pick up trash from our community outdoor classrooms. |
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Outdoor Photography Walks
These photos were on display at the Susquehanna Bank in Fells Point. "In their photography and digital design courses, students are encouraged to explore and deepen their connections to nature by putting themselves in the shoes of other animals, by illustrating or constructing creatures that they have a connection with, and through using digital or recycled materials to lessen the impact of their artwork on the environment." Teacher: Zac Lawhon |
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Druid Hill Park with the Urban Forest Explorers. Grades 1-5. The objectives of the program are simply stated: we provide safe and interesting opportunities for students to play, explore, and have fun outdoors. A growing body of research confirms that after walking in a park, kids show improved cognitive function and reduced inattention. We bring our students to the urban forest environments close to our school in order to foster curiosity and exploration of the environment. Outdoor Education Coordinator: Patti Child Nurse: Molly Watt |
Friday, September 19, 2014
Baltimore Lab School students joined in the city's excitement of the Star Spangled Spectacular by studying and celebrating the 200th anniversary of Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner." On Monday and Tuesday, 7th and 8th grade students traveled to Fort McHenry where they expanded their studies and applied hands-on projects to further their learning.
Students flying kites they constructed while at Fort McHenry. Students designed their kites with historic symbols.
Baltimore Lab School students joined in the city's excitement of the Star Spangled Spectacular by studying and celebrating the 200th anniversary of Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner." On Monday and Tuesday, 7th and 8th grade students traveled to Fort McHenry where they expanded their studies and applied hands-on projects to further their learning.
Students flying kites they constructed while at Fort McHenry. Students designed their kites with historic symbols.