Sense of Place Learning, LLC
SPL’s mission is to create unique educational experiences that explore and celebrate the places we live through local history, ecology, and the arts.
Bug Camp 2020
The New and Improved 2020 BUG CAMP Integrated Curriculum is Ready to Roll!
We’re delighted that 20+ early learning centers in the Pittsburgh area chose Bug Camp for their mixed-ages summer programs. With over 300 pages of STREAM-based content, lessons and activities for campers ages pre-K through 6th grade, colorful handouts and recordings of seven Bug Songs, there’s plenty to engage everyone in exploring the wonderful world of bugs!
Contact Paula for prices and delivery options.
Westmoreland Land Trust
www.westmoreland-landtrust.org
SPL is very happy to be the Westmoreland Land Trust’s new Education Partner!
In the spring of 2020, we debuted two new in-class environmental awareness workshops, Earthworm Wonders and Microgreen Gardeners. We were able offer these hands-on, standards-based programs to local schools, free of charge, through funding from The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
We were having a great time visiting classrooms, and had completed our pilot programs in February — when the schools were suddenly closed due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
So – we contacted EITC and were granted permission to provide our free workshops online! In April, we launched our first online workshop, Earthworm Wonders. The resources include two videos, an interactive PowerPoint, and supplemental materials. The workshop was implemented by teachers, Grades k-6 throughout Westmoreland County – to rave reviews:
Thank you very much for sharing the earthworm resources with my first graders and myself. It was such a great resource to help me continue teaching science in a fun, engaging way during our virtual teaching time the past few months.
This was a great online substitute for our compositing experiment in our regular science curriculum. Thank you so much for sharing! -5th grade teacher
Introducing Microgreen Gardeners Online Workshop
If you’re interested in the WLT environmental workshops, free of charge, for your classroom, please contact Paula at pgpunrell@gmail.com or 724-838-7151
Prime Time Students Try-on their Beautiful Wings!
Woodland Hills after-school students studied Birds with Dr. Purnell this year. They built bird houses, conducted crazy egg experiments, dissected owl pellets, and observed birds in their natural habitats. Twenty students participated in Creek Connection’s Pittsburgh Area Research Symposium and got to show off their collaborative art project – a colorful set of bigger-than-life bird wings!
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Bug Camp Goes to China!
Sense of Place Learning was invited to create a two-week summer Bug Camp for 5-12 year olds at the Cangnan Shuxiang Tonghua International Kindergarten in Cangnan,Wenzhou,China. We had a great time discovering bugs, exploring the natural world, and sharing our cultures and languages. Here’s a link to a Tribune Review article about SPL’s China adventures!
Pennsylvania Rocks!
Your warmth, your patience, and your kindness shine through in your performance as well as your great musical talents. You work with children so well! I love how you’ve combined your wonderful abilities to create this fantastic show!
Karen Herc, Adams Memorial Library
I had a terrific time celebrating Pennsylvania through stories and songs at several of our regional libraries this summer. Many thanks to the Greensburg-Hempfield Area, Penn Area, Murrysville Community, Adams Memorial, Manor, and Norwin libraries for inviting me to be part of your summer program festivities!
Thanks also, to the wonderful Rangers and campers at Prince Gallitzin State Park. We had a blast making some Pennsylvania music together on a perfect late-summer evening.
SPL & GASP (Group Against Smog and Pollution)
The students and I were delighted that Chelsea Arnold, GASP’s Education and Events Coordinator, was able to visit mSPL’s Woodland Hill’s after school program on 1/10/18. We discussed Pittsburgh’s air quality, past and present, and how each of us contributes to air pollution, just by going about our every-day activities. After discussing some solutions, as well as the environmental and health effects of air pollution, the kids got to see how a real pair of pig lungs work! Okay, it was kind of gross, but very interesting, too!
GASP does a lot of amazing environmental work in our southwestern PA communities. To learn more, volunteer, or donate, please visit http://gasp-pgh.org/
CMU Graduate Students “Rock” SPL’s Prime Time!
On December 18, 2017, four wonderful graduate students from the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies at Carnegie Mellon University visited our after school program. Following a slideshow explaining how volcanoes work and how eruptions can effect the environment, Prime Time students got to examine real volcanic ash under the microscope. We built erupting volcano models too, just for fun!
SPL Loves Creek Connections!
2017 Pittsburgh Area Research Symposium
Nineteen students from Woodland Hills’ after school program, Prime Time, attended Creek Connections’ 2017 research symposium at Camp Kon-O-Kwee. The students proudly displayed their projects, which included environmentally-themed pizza box board games, nature photography, native Pennsylvania predators, homemade water filters, and Fox Facts accompanied by a student-made video to “What Does the Fox Say?” Thanks, Creek Connections! We had a great time!
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SPL Highlighted! SPL is thrilled to be featured on APOST’s February postcard. APOST (Allegheny Partners for Out of School Time) is a terrific organization that advocates for high-quality out of school programs. Check them out here: APOST Spotlight on Quality
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SPL’s Original Environmental Curriculum Package
Water, Air & Land
SPL developed place-based environmental lessons and activities as an after school partner with the Consortium for Public Education. Through the years, we’ve invited students in Clairton, Woodland Hills, and Wilkinsburg to become citizen scientists and explore their neighborhoods through science, art, music, gardening, field trips and more!
If an education is to be used well, it is obvious that it must be used some where; it must be used where one lives, where one intends to continue to live; it must be brought home. – Wendell Berry
PENNSYLVANIA MUSIC PROGRAMS!
Are You Looking for an Engaging Arts Presentation ?
Paula presents regional music programs for audiences of all ages. Check the Music tab above to learn more.
NEW! Paula is happy to be included in the Pennsylvania Humanities Council’s new Commonwealth Speakers Tribute page. Here, you’ll find expert speakers on music, dance, folk arts and more. Check it out! Commonwealth Speakers Tribute
Survival Camp with SPL!
Here’s terrific article about SPL’s Survival Camp from Pittsburgh Youth Media:
The goal of SPL’s Survival Camp is to introduce Pittsburgh area kids to skills, knowledge, and dispositions needed to survive in the wilds of Western PA. The students have gone above and beyond – learning about edible and medicinal native plants; how to find and identify animal tracks; navigating with maps and GPS, and cooking using solar energy. Many thanks to the Consortium for Public Education for making these outdoor encounters possible, and kudos to the terrific kids and teachers!
Champions of Learning Award! SPL was thrilled and honored to be included in the amazing array of nominated educators and businesses from twenty regional school districts. Here’s the award description from the Consortium:
Champions of Learning Awards Finalists have been selected, honoring individuals, organizations and businesses that create, support or expand learning opportunities in our region. Categories include Business Partnerships, Classroom Teaching, Community Outreach, Leadership, Technology Integration and Nominator’s Choice.
Sense of Place Learning was one of three finalists in the Business Partnerships category, and was nominated by Greg Spotti, Director of the Clairton CASTLE after school program. We didn’t win, but I got to meet my favorite Steeler and fellow nominee Charlie Batch – how great is that?
COMMUNITY GARDENS
Gardens are a great way to connect to our communities! Working with the good folks at Grow Pittsburgh, Clairton students designed, built, and planted their own school year garden. The first year, we harvested enough lettuce, spinach, radishes and greens to make a healthy salad for our community celebration.
Clairton Cooks! Cookbook
The second year, the kids wrote, illustrated and produced their own cookbook, titled Clairton Cooks! We also wrote letters to First Lady, Michelle Obama, and received a packet from the White House in return, including a letter, photos, and two recipes to share in our cookbook
You can download your very own copy of our cookbook here – clairton-cooks-final
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TREES ARE LIKE LUNGS: AIR QUALITY INDEX MURAL
SPL and The Consortium for Public Education received a New Voices of Youth Grant from The Pittsburgh Foundation to work with local artist, Ian Green, and Clairton C.A.S.T.L.E. students to create a visually exciting interpretation of the EPA’s Air Quality Index. With support from The Breathe Project, Ian also created a coloring book, which allows people to make their own small-scale version of the full mural. For more photos and to read about the project, visit The Breathe Project’s blog http://breatheproject.org/news/trees-are-like-lungs-air-mural-unveiled-in-clairton/
Have You Been Fishing on the Mon Lately?
What could be better than a day of fishing on the Mon? There was no shortage of action as our Clairton anglers caught sheephead, bass, and a variety of other fish, and had a great time learning to hook worms and just watching barges go by. Thanks to Mr. Manko!
