Introduction

My name is Lisa Shluger. I teach 7th and 8th grade bilingual science and math at Fuller Middle School in Framingham. All of my students are recent immigrants from Latin America. I really enjoy their curiosity, their sense of humor, and the varied perspectives they share. This March I am participating in an Earthwatch Expedition called “Mexican Mangroves and Wildlife” in Manzanilla, Mexico. The opportunity to incorporate more examples from Latin America will help me to expand my students’ knowledge of science concepts and processes by sharing information in a way that is relevant to their experiences and backgrounds.

The purpose of the expedition is to observe the organisms that live in the mangrove and in nearby coral reefs and tropical forests, to learn about the services the mangrove provides to these organisms and to humans, and to collaborate with the community in preserving these ecosystems. While on my expedition, I will document my experiences and share them through this blog. My students will be able to view my daily activities, ask questions, receive my answers, and even do some of their own research to compare the environments of the mangroves with their local surroundings in New England. It will be interesting to compare the species and their adaptations in both places, as well as to those species from my students’ varied native countries. I also look forward to having a satellite phone conversation from the field with my students (Luz and Brisa, you get to speak first since you are the representatives of Mexico in our class!)

This project is sponsored by Earthwatch Institute and the funding for the teacher fellowships is made possible with generous support from Grant and Helene Wilson through the CARLISLE Foundation of Framingham, Massachusetts.

Introduccion en espanol:

Me llamo Lisa Shluger. Soy la maestra bilingue de ciencias y matematicas, para los septimos y octavos a la Escuela Fuller en Framingham. Todos mis estudiantes han inmigrado recentamente desde America Latina. Me encanta su curiosidad, su sentido de humor, y los puntos de vista variados que traen a mi clase. Este marzo me voy a un programma que se llama “Manglares y Fauna Silvestre de Mexico", en Manzanilla, Mexico. Me proveera la oportunidad utilizar mas ejemplos de America Latina en mi ensenanza de ciencias, para conectar a las experiencias de mis estudiantes.

El proposito del viaje es observar e investigar los organismos que viven en las manglares, y en los arrecifes y bosques cercanos. Aprenderemos como las manglares sirven/ayudan a esos organismos y a la comunidad humana, y vamos a trabajar juntos con la comunidad para proteger estos ecosistemas preciosos. Mientras en Mexico, voy a mandar mi diario y fotos a travez este sitio del internet, para compartir con mis estudiantes. Me pueden hacer preguntas, recibir mis respuestas, y aun investigar los ambientes de las manglares para comparar con Nueva Inglaterra y con sus paises de origen. No puedo esperar tener una conversacion por telefono satelite con mis estudiantes. (Luz y Brisa, mis mexicanas, estaran encargadas!)