Sierra Nevada Classroom (SNC)

Project Summary

The Sierra Nevada Classroom is a middle school science curriculum on biodiversity and climate change.  SNC addresses the State of California Science Standards through teacher-supported learning that is initiated and directed by the students emphasizing field studies and scientific research projects.  The design will facilitate data sharing between schools and other interested partners.

Keywords: biodiversity, climate change, field studies

Partners

California Institute for Biodiversity (CIB) is committed to using technology to promote understanding of the biological heritage of California. Recognized throughout the state for its scientific accuracy and innovative use of technology, CIB is the creator of Cal Alive!: Exploring Biodiversity. The institute provides both science-based multimedia for students and one and two-day professional development for teachers.

California Academy of Sciences was founded in 1853 and is the oldest scientific institution in the West.  Today it is one of the ten largest natural history museums in the world and an international research center. Scientists from around the world consult its scientists and its collections of plants, animals, fossils, and artifacts. It loans thousands of specimens annually to research institutions and scholars worldwide. Its education, special exhibits, and public programs in the Academy’s natural history museum, the Steinhart Aquarium, and the Morrison Planetarium provide unique opportunities for the public to discover the world in which we live. The Academy is a co-publisher of The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada.

Yosemite Institute has provided award-winning, residential outdoor education programs in Yosemite National Park for K-12 school groups since 1971. Features experiential and inquiry-based programs that create memorable and rewarding life experiences for students and adults. Programs are aligned with state education standards.

The Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project (SNEP) is an assessment of the Sierra Nevada ecoregion which was requested by Congress in 1992. Along with a scientific review of late-successional forests, key watersheds, and significant natural areas on federal lands of the Sierra Nevada ecoregion, SNEP also broadly evaluates an entire set of Sierra Nevada ecosystems, including their social, economic, and ecological components. The overall goal of the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project was to provide an accurate, multidimensional ecosystem assessment such that key structural components and functional processes could be identified and adequately described to enable the management of these systems at sustainable levels into the future.

Geographic Target

Schools in or near the Sierra Nevada and schools outside the target area with resources for field projects in the Sierra Nevada.  With the exception of the field studies component, schools outside of the Sierra Region can also use the curriculum by accessing the shared database.

The Sierra Nevada includes the following CA counties: Alpine County, Amador County, Butte County, Calaveras County, El Dorado County, Fresno County, Inyo County, Kern County, Madera County, Mariposa County, Mono County, Nevada County, Placer County, Plumas County, Sierra County, Tulare County, Tuolumne County, Yuba County. Though the curriculum specifically addresses Middle School, many portions are adaptable and appropriate for both elementary and high school.