COMMUNITY OPERATING PLAN

Complete parts A-D before the presentation/event, and then parts E

implementation. Use this outline as a guide for developing all programs and
presentations. The questions in each section are designed to help you in the
development process. You must answer all of the questions listed, but if you feel
there is other important information please include that as well.
A. PROJECT INFO:
Event:

Teen Presentation

Event Date: 12/13/16

Wesminster VT

Topic: Water, Soil & Our Food

Location: Kurn Hattin School,

Intern Name(s): Ashley Robarge & Jaclyn Schermer

Team Leader: Ashley Robarge
Knipe

Preceptor: Cindy

Person responsible for writing the COP: Ashley Robarge

B. NEEDS ASSESSMENT:
1. Identify site contact: Cindy Knipe & Tom Fontaine: tfontaine@kurnhattin.org
2. Identify population
a) Gender: Mixed
b) Age: mainly 12-14 y/o mixed and placed by ability
c) Education level: A mixed 6th/7th/8th grade level, placed according to ability
d) Number of participants: 16
3. How was topic determined (Did you speak with anyone about the group? Did you
get to observe the setting and participants beforehand? If so, describe the
participants and any other pertinent information (i.e. if in a classroom, observe
classroom management techniques).
This topic was determined by the classroom teacher Mr. Fontaine. Because Jaclyn
and myself were the last group to present our content was derived from the content of the
first four units and was used to wrap up the units as well as tie in the importance of the soil
and water cycles to our food system.
We had a chance to observe this group on November 15, 2016 and in comparison to
the younger Marlborough class the behavior was much more manageable, Mr. Fontaine is
also good about handling classroom behavior issues as they arise and not leaving it all up to
us interns. In speaking with Mr. Fontaine he told us a lot about the students who come into

his class, many are from broken or low socioeconomic homes and that has to be taken into
consideration while teaching them. He also talked about the upcoming holidays and how this
has an effect on students behavior considering their fragile circumstances. It is easy to tell
that he is a great teacher and is very warm towards his students, often placing his hand on
their shoulder and listening intently to them as they speak. You can tell that his disposition
greatly impacts his class and that his students have a great deal of respect for him, his
classroom and all who enter.

a) Other programs recently presented: Water cycle & soil (OctoberNovember).

b) What the audience knows: The audience is composed of students from all ages
and backgrounds. Some students have never been to school and this is their first
experience, others have attended before. Students are placed in classes according
to ability and not by age so this is not your typical class of students.
c) What the audience wants to know - what is relevant: In a time where

global warming is front page news, the audience wants to know how they
can support the earth. More understanding needs to be tied between the
Earths health status and its impacts on its inhabitants: Humans! After
recapping the water cycle and soil, this unit will focus on how these two
factors affect us as consumers this will be done by explaining the food chain
and human nutrition. With a solid understanding of the food chain and our
place as humans in it, we will segway into unit two which goes more in-depth
into our own agricultural food supply (crops and livestock), farming practices
and how current practices are detrimental to the Earth touching on
greenhouse gases, global warming and climate change. In doing this we will
successfully wrap up this Earth science unit have linked the important
symbiotic relationship of all of these factors and the importance of protecting
the Earth.
d) Evaluate health literacy - and other cultural issues: This group likely has an
average health literacy for their ages. Most health literacy information is created at
a 7th grade reading level making it obtainable for all students. Problems regarding
health literacy may include reading and developmental abilities of cognitive
reasoning.
4. Setting - tour of facility
a) Room size and set up (diagram):
See bottom of document for appendix 1
b) Presentation resources

Availability of food prep area N/A

 AV resources - space available for visual teaching aids: Powerboard, projector and
computer available
5. Day of week/ time of day for presentation: Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 9:15
am
6. Duration: 45-50 minutes
a) Attention span: Can pay attention for short periods as long as time is given
for activities, discussion and movement often. Approximately a 12-15 minute
attention span.
b) Conflict with other activities for population: none, typical class meeting
time
7. Marketing potential - whose responsibility: No marketing
8. Budget
a) Will there be a charge: No
b) Funds to cover supplies: $10/presentation
c) Cost of marketing: No marketing
9. Best way/time to reach site contact for future plans: email
10. Write a community group focused PES statement based on your assessment.
Food and nutrition knowledge deficit R/T lack of nutrition education about water, soil
and the food chain AEB group presentation Earth science presentation request.

C. RESEARCH AND PLANNING (how, who, and when the process of your
work):
1. Meeting Dates

Dates scheduled for planning and who will attend.

November 15 @ 11 am Ashley & Jaclyn
November 30@ 11:30 am Ashley & Jaclyn
December 1 @ 12 am Ashley & Jaclyn
December 2 @ 9:30 am Ashley & Jaclyn
December 9 @ 2 pm Ashley & Jaclyn

7 day meeting - Tuesday December 6, 2016 @1pm and again December 9, 2016

Evaluation meeting scheduled for: Directly after presentation December 13

@10:05
Directly following presentation, informal verbal feedback.

2. Based on the results of the needs assessment, what did you do to prepare?
To prepare we talked with Cindy to form an outline of topics which needed to be
covered and/or reviewed with the group. We went through the past four units
presented by other interns to figure out topics covered and started formulating our
content.
3. How did you go about the development process? Who was involved?
After pinpointing what information we needed to have covered in our presentation
both Jaclyn and I organized our content in what we believed to be a logical order.
From the content we chose the important points to be covered and created our
objectives.
We began with researching the producers which includes soil, water and the sun.
We learned that they are part of a larger cycle called the food chain which include
the consumers who get nourishment from the producers. We further researched
how the producer and the consumers are tied together and interdependent on one
another.
After our 7 day with Cindy we found that our interpretation of the needs assessment
was not on point so we reworked our presentation to focus on a wrap up of the soil
and water units and tie them together utilizing a story of the geological history and
formation of the Connecticut River Valley which we live in.
We then chose activities that would be appropriate to reinforce our topic and an
evaluation to test understanding of the information provided. The activity was one
created to support what we have learned about erosion and the importance of
plants in preventing soil erosion over time.
4. What resources did you use? Why did you choose them and how did you find
them? Relate back to your assessment section.
http://broome.soil.ncsu.edu/ssc051/Lec5.htm- Research about minerals which provide plant
nutrition

http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm- Food chain research

http://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html Research on the importance of water
in the body
http://library.med.utah.edu/NetBiochem/nutrition/lect1/2_1.html -Researching
essential versus non essential nutrients

http://www.nutrientsreview.com/glossary/essential-nutrients - Researching
essential versus non essential nutrients
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/nutrients-101essential-and-non-essential-nutrients-explained.html -researching essential versus
non essential nutrients
http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-producers-and-consumers-in-biologydefinition-examples.html -researching producers and consumers
https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/vitamin.html -Researching nutrients important to
the body
http://www.morehead.unc.edu/Sho -researching the sun and its importance to planet Earth
http://connecticuthistory.org/the-connecticut-river/ - Geological history of the CT River Valley
http://earthview.rocks/ctriver.html - History of the CT River Valley

D. DEVELOPMENT (what the outcome of your planning and

development):
Measurable Learning Objectives:

Explain the interconnection between plant life and all other life forms on
Earth
Demonstrate how plants prevent soil erosion

Describe the formation of soil that supports plant life

1. Outline of presentation:
Describe all components of the program or material, and the team member
responsible for them. Include descriptions of the content, learning activities, food
activities, visuals, education materials and evaluation methods/materials. (May
attach as separate document.)

See below appendix 2 at bottom of the document.

2. Describe how your presentation addresses different learning styles:

Auditory: Presentation was given verbally

Visual: Presentation was given using visual powerpoint as well as supplemental

handouts

Kinesthetic: The activity involved a hands on method of learning about erosion

List ways that you included multiple intelligences in your planning.

We made the material straightforward and easy to understand, we created

discussion questions which would challenges higher level thinkers as well as lower
knowledge bases. The kinesthetic portion of our activity was meant to include those
who may have a difficulty with visual/auditory learning by allowing them to actually
touch and visualize erosion.

4. What problems did you encounter in the development process?

Upon initially analyzing our needs assessment Jaclyn and myself really missed the learning
goals for this group, our concepts were not difficult enough and we needed to incorporate more
of a recap to all of the earlier units.
We had a hard time organizing the material in the outline which had been added by Cindy after
our 7 day because the ideas were not our own and for our learning styles that was a difficult
task. We felt as though we were attempting to conceptualize someone elses thoughts which
were not the same as what we would have chosen to talk about at time. Parts of the
presentation just felt a little too much like what they had already learned in past units with other
interns.
Additionally, there was a lot of information so it was difficult to include it all as well as make it
flow in an appropriate manner. When we added the portion about the CT River Valley, its history
and formation this tied everything in the unit together and felt like the missing link between
Cindys ideas and our teaching style.

Complete sections E after the presentation/event is complete.

E. IMPLEMENTATION and EVALUATION:

1. For a program or presentation, describe objectively what happened the day of

the presentation, using examples. Include any last minute changes to the planned
setting, audience, number of participants.
2. Did the presentation go as planned? Reflect on what went well?
Overall the presentation went really well, the kids were a bit wound up but not as
much as what we had experienced in Marlborough so there was a bit more
classroom management than we were initially expecting although we had been
previously warned by Mr. Fontaine that this could be a volatile week due to the sort
of population which Kurn Hattin Students are comprised of.
3. How did the audience react to the presentation? Summarize and comment on
preceptor feedback.
The audience was a bit hard to get focused at first as I think the information was a
bit dry and repetitive for them from what they had been taught the last week. The
activity went well, however, they werent as excited by it as we thought they would
be but they did a good job with it. When we got to the information about the history
of Connecticut River Valley this was really a turning point, the students really
became drawn in by the information and interested in the topic and where we were
taking it. They began asking a lot of questions and interacting with Jaclyn and
myself which turned down the noise in the room and behavior seemed to improve a
bit.

4. How well did the audience grasp your objectives?

The students had a good grasp on the objectives as we really just spent a lot of time
during this presentation reinforcing past learning. We utilized our objectives as a
means to tie together the last four units and help the students interconnect the
water and soil cycles and well as begin to look at the bigger picture of how this
interconnection occurs between water, soil and human activity and how one effects
the other and vice versa.

5. What would you do differently/the same the next time - or what would you
change if you had more time? How effective do you feel your program/material was
for the target audience?
If we had an opportunity to redo the materials for this presentation and concepts to
be taught I think I would focus on creating a stronger learning activities and making
them more of a highlight in the presentation. The activity we had was good but I
feel like it could have been better, perhaps letting the kids built their own erosion

control bins or something of that nature rather than just having them pour water
into previously created projects. They were effective for what we were trying to
teach, however with a little more time and funding I think we could have done
something a bit more targeted.
Also, if we had another opportunity to do this same presentation again I would keep
the information about the formation of the CT River Valley but expand on it more to
talk about its impact on early indigenous life and settlers as compared to life today
as a means to segway into our second presentation.

6. Recommendations for future Interns: Be prepared for classroom management,

pick out one or two ways of bringing the students back if they start to go off course.
Plan for your topic to be more challenging than you initially think it needs to be,
although some of these students look young they are big thinkers and able to
conceptualize big ideas that may surprise you.
7. Financial Report:

Cost of Development: (Includes: labor for preparing the project, food cost for
testing the food activity; please note that labor costs include hours worked by ALL
team members)
Labor ($25/hour):
Ashley 19 hours x $25-= $475
Jaclyn 24 hours x $25= $600
Food: $0
Cost of Presenting: (Includes: labor, food, flip charts ($28), see following link for
cost of copies http://www.keene.edu/mailsvs/printfees.cfm, and other supplies)
Labor ($25/hour): Ashley and Jaclyn: $1075
Copies:
$.05 x 20=$1
$.20 x 20= $4
total $5
Food:$0
Other supplies and costs: $0

Overall costs: $ $1075+$5= $1080

Within one week of the presentation, provide internship preceptor with a completed
COP, Presentation Evaluation form, Handout(s), a Team Leader Report, and PDE if
completed by an outside supervisor. (PDE required for sites with 2 presentations or
>32 hours). Attach a copy of the materials, PowerPoint, and any handouts/resources
used for the presentation.

Appendi
x1
1

3
4
2

2
6

6
6

6
1
6

6
Key:
1-Computer desks
2-Chemistry tables w/ two
3-Powerboard
4-Misc. table
5-Prep area and
6-Student desk (2 per desk)

sinks

blackboard (chalk)

Appendix 2
Outline of presentation:
Describe all components of the program or material, and the team member
responsible for them. Include descriptions of the content, learning activities, food
activities, visuals, education materials and evaluation methods/materials. (May
attach as separate document.)

Intro:
Names, KSC Intern
Reminder to be respectful and participate while we are here.
Ice Breaker:(reviewing of water and soil):
1. Why is water vital for life?

2. The hydrologic cycle is also known as what?

3. Can anybody recall the effect that happens in places like California that allows it
to not get much rain?
4. What are the main minerals in soil?
5. What are the four layers of the soil?
6. Which soil minerals are macronutrients for plant nutrition?
7. Can anyone name two benefits of covercrops?
8. What are phosphorus enhancers in the soil

Content:

Plant Cycle:
Overview: We need these 3 for the plant cycle
Water
Soil
sun

Water:
Rock erosion
Moving glaciers (you can see evidence of that
with the big boulders that are all over our woods in NH and VT
(including the woods at KH)
Also volcanoes and earthquakes
he elements: wind (carries sand particles that
wear down the rock it hits), rain, and humans climbing on rocks

Soil erosion
Trees and Plants help prevent erosion because roots anchor soil
Plants
Plants anchor soil
Run off with minerals brought to soil
Minerals in soil feed the plants
Glaciers, streams, and floods
What percents of the earth is water? 71%
What percent of the water is usable: only 1% of the water on the earth is potable. 96%
is in ocean to produce energy, 96% is in ocean, 3% glaciers
The story of the Connecticut River Valley: Geological history
Glaciers
Erosion
Streams
Floods
Runoff

 Soil:
Minerals
compost green and brown. These come
from plants and animals)
Come from microbes
Come from gases through exchange
Consumers & decomposers breath in Oxygen
when they inhale and exhale carbon dioxide
Producers work in the opposite they breath in
Carbon dioxide and breath out oxygen for the
consumers to breath

Sun:
Keep cycle going
Light and heat
Causes evaporation to happen in order for the water cycle to continue
Photosynthesis
green plants use sunlight and water and make a type of sugar called glucose.
Chlorophyll- green pigments found in plants and algae

Food System:
We talked about plant cycle and plants are producers
Producers get nutrients from the soil, water, etc

Give minerals to consumers

Overview: consumers
Herbivores: animals that eat plants
Omnivores: animals that eat plants and animals
Carnivores: animals that consume animals
Get plant nutrients from the animals they consume. The animals they
consume have nutrients from consuming plants.
We all eat plants
Plants have nutrients
Plants make the world go around
Activity/Evaluation:
Next week you will learn:
How the agriculture impacts the environment.
Tie this together with the environments impacts on the food system.

Call to Action:
For next week think about how waste products and garbage may
impact the food cycle.
Wrap up:
Thank you
questions
Resources:
See above