Hello, my name is Teresa Walters and I am currently teaching 9-12 science at Loup City High School, in Loup City, Nebraska. I am also teaching a dual credit course through Central Community College called Environmental Science. In addition to teaching, I am also the Science Olympiad coach, the Envirothon Team coach, the National Honor Society sponsor and the HAL sponsor. During my 40 years of teaching, I have taught almost every science class in grades 7-12. I am married and we have 2 children and 5 grandchildren. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my kids and grandkids.
My project involved three main activities: Quadrat Sampling lab, the Prairie Protector Game and the Preservation Game. The Prairie Protector Game is an online game that helped my students learn about managing the Eastern Red Cedar. In the simulation, the students use different treatments to control the invasive tree. The Preservation Game has students work together to predict and analyze how decision making may affect agricultural sustainability. In the Quadrat Sampling Lab, the students analyzed the plant composition of four different one meter quadrants (the quadrants were located in an area that had eastern red cedar present). They recorded the number of grasses, forbs/legumes and woody plants in each quadrant. The students collected a soil sample from each quadrant and determined the type of soil in each location. They also completed a soil analysis for pH, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
