Baldwin 2024 Saves 2035
Brookside Fifth Graders Help Preserve Long Island
This school year, fifth grade teachers, Jennifer Sullivan and Maryann Troy, at Brookside Elementary School introduced the Baldwin 2035 Genius Hour. The students delved into such topics as Long Island's formation, plate tectonics, and erosion. Focused on addressing erosion and land subsidence on Long Island, the young learners initiated a project named “Baldwin 2024 Saves 2035,” aligning with the district's vision of “Baldwin 2035.” The students ultimately developed an action plan to help conserve the land.
“I am incredibly proud of our teachers, Ms. Sullivan and Ms. Troy, for developing this enriching experience for our fifth graders,” said Brookside principal, Ms. Anne Marie Squicciarini. “Seeing the exceptional work produced by our students as a result of Baldwin 2035 Genuis Hour has been so exciting. Their impactful contributions to our community and their unwavering effort to fight erosion on Long Island is not only inspiring but has led to a much deeper learning experience for all involved.”
To share their discoveries and engage others, they organized a “Celebration of Learning” event. Families were invited to explore a museum-like exhibition featuring stations that showcased concepts like “Continental Drift”, “Land Subsidence,” and “Agents of Change.”
The students’ presentations encompassed informative posters with QR codes on land formation, erosion, ice age, and tectonic plates. They also demonstrated the Continental Drift using Sphero balls, or coding robot balls, to depict the separation of landmasses over millions of years due to tectonic plate movement. The students showcased a Land Subsidence simulation, where they illustrated land sinking when water is extracted, causing a Lego building to collapse. In addition, they presented on Aquifer models to explain how underground rocks store water, showing the different ways to prevent future erosion and land sinking.
This project enhanced the fifth graders’ learning experience, fostering the skills aligned with the district's six C's for education (communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, character, and civics) as they prepare them for their next educational journey: Baldwin Middle School