Introduction to the Pinelands On-Line Curriculum Project
The Pinelands Commission wishes to acknowledge the many people and organizations that contributed to the development of this curriculum in its original paper form, and in its new on-line implementation. Both the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the Victoria Foundation provided encouragement and substanrial financial assistance, and their support was an intergral part of the creation of this curriculum.

Special thanks go to Diane Downer Anderson, project coordinator, as well as curriculum development team members Elizabeth Anderson, Miriam Camitta, Ph.D., Clifford Daniels, Ronald B. DeMuro, Lawrence E. Friant, Richard C. Fusick, Patrica Gordon, Joseph F. Houdart, Per Owens, and George Young.

Appreciation is extended to William E. Dunscombe, Jr., Claude M Epstein, Ph.D., Joseph R. Hughes, Leonard J. Little, Frederick A. Mahn, Rita Moonsammy, Raymond G. Mueller, Ph.D., Malachi S. O'Connor, George H. Pierson, John W. Sinton, Ph.D., Christopher Smith, and Robert A. Zampella for their review of and recommendations on the text of the guides.

Thanks are extended to Glenn Malsbury, who provided artwork for the guides.

Finally, the Comission wishes to thank all teachers who piloted the initial version of the guides as well as all who will be piloting the on-line version of the guides and the Pinelands Education Advisory Council, who's nine members have set the tone for this exciting undertaking.

The graphics and layout of the on-line version of the Curriculum Guides have been produced by Bill Jacoby.

The Pinelnds On-Line Curriculum Project has been developed with the goal of using the power of the Internet to allow teachers to easily acquire the materials needed to help nuture their students' understanding and appreciation of the New Jersey Pinelands. The overall goals of this curriculum are:

* to develop an appreciation of the uniqueness, complexity, and ecological sensitivity of New Jersey's Pinelands

* to encourage further investigation of the New Jersey Pinelands

* to nurture an environmental ethic as it relates to the New Jersey Pinelands

* to promote recognition of the need for careful land use management that will preserve, conserve, and maintain this unique habitat

The Curriculum consists of the following items:

The audio-visual program "The New Jersey Pinelands, Our Country's First National Reserve"

Links are provided throughout the on-line version of the curriculum to allow you to order this program. It may also be available in your county's AVA library. The video is a 17 minute program that features images, local music, natural sounds, and narration. The program presents an overview of the ecology and cultural history of the unique Pinelands area. Viewers are introduced to the region's natural resources, blueberry and cranberry agriculture, rare plants and animals, and man's historic use of the resources for early industries. Scenic views, pertinent graphic slides, and maps are included. Finally, features of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan are introduced.

The Pinelands Curriculum Guides

The Curriculum Guides have been created to accompany and to serve as an extension of the audio-visual program. Although the Curriculum Guides were created to enhance the effectiveness of the audio-visual program, any part of the Curriculum Guide may be adapted for classroom use without the use of the video.

The Curriculum Guides have been developed for Grades 4 to 6 and Grades 7 to 8. The 4-6 Guide contains a General Information Unit, and units on Pinelands Soil, Pinelands Water, Pinelands Fire, Pinelands People, Pinelands Plants, and Pinelands Animals. The 7-8 guide covers the same topics, but omits the General Information Unit.

Using the Pinelands Curriculum Guides

The on-line version of the Curriculum Guides offers the following advantages to teachers:

FLEXIBILITY-teachers can use one activity, one lesson, an entire unit or units, or the whole curriculum. In on-line format you need only navigate to the units or activities that interest you, print out the delivery guide and associated materials, and use them in your classroom. Activities can be easily modified to enhance an already existing program.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION-teachers need not be Pinelands experts, environmentalists, or historians to teach these lessons. Background information, in the form of articles, glossaries, fact sheets, and time lines, among others, is provided for each unit and can be used as the teacher desires.

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APROACH-These unit have been constructed so that a content area teacher will find a number of activities suitable for use, as well as the teacher in a self-contained classroom.

STUDENT CENTEREDNESS-unit lessons ask students to hypothesize, observer, read, experiment, write, survey, research, and illustrate

HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS-activites in the units move beyond knowledge and comprehension by developing student skills in application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

A VARIETY OF CLASSROOM CONFIGURATIONS-teachers can use the lessons in the Curriculum Guides with students individually, in pairs, in small groups, or as a whole class

The format of the units enhances the features discussed above. Each unit contains:

BACKGROUND INFORMATION-links to articles or other information that can be used by teachers to enhance their understanding of the topics covered

GLOSSARIES-each unit will provide a list of terms used in the lessons with working definitions specific to the Pinelands, and a sentence using the word in the context of a Pinelands example

VOCABULARY-a list of words that may be new to the student and necessary to their understanding of the lesson. Vocabulary word definitiond can be found in the glossary provided with the lesson

MATERIALS-all materials needed to teach the lesson are provided. Teachers need only go to the linked material page and print out the item. Links are also provided for ordering the audio-visual program "The New Jersey Pinelands"

CONCEPTS-the knowledge or understanding that each student is expected to gain from participating in the lesson

OBJECTIVES-a listing of the tasks to be acomplished by the students

PROCEDURES-a recommended sequence for delivering the lesson. Procedures may include discussion starters, teacher questions, and directions for conducting activities

EVALUATIONS-suggested ways to assess student development

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES-optional exploratory and enrichment activities.

NEW JERSEY CORE CURRICULUM STANDARDS-each leeson identifies the Core Curriculum Standards that will be covered by the lesson and provides a link to the complete content of each standard