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4/28/2020

Student Science Opportunity-Green ninja Film Festival

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As schools transition to remote learning for the rest of the school year, Green Ninja has a great end-of-the-year project to help students apply the science they've learned in a fun and rewarding way. Students can create science-themed films about environmental solutions and submit their work to the Green Ninja Film Festival. Teachers can use our story and filmmaking lessons to prepare students to make their films and to improve students' communication skills. The Film Festival will be judged by scientists and artists and the winning films will be screened at our virtual event.
  What is it? The Green Ninja Film Festival (GNFF) encourages young adults to create films about environmental solutions. The program started as a research study in 2013 supported by NSF to increase student agency in science through filmmaking and storytelling. After seeing positive results in the community, teachers requested a film festival every year since then. This year, we are opening the festival up to anyone affected by COVID-19 as this would provide a great end-of-the school year experience!

Entry into the film festival requires a short film accompanied by a digital portfolio that includes justification of the underlying science in the film as well as audience analysis. Judges will select the winners based on the film and digital portfolio. These elements help provide focus on school-based science while also giving students the full freedom to use their imagination to design the types of films they think will be impactful to their audience.
  Who can participate? Everyone! All teachers and parents are welcome to have their students submit their own films to the festival. Having students create their own environmentally themed films is a great project that can be completed at home. We have mainly focused in middle and high schools, but we welcome elementary student films as well!
  What resources do you provide? For teachers and parents who want to use our lessons, you may access them here. We've curated 5 lessons from our Grade 6 unit on Scientific Storytelling that include the following:
  • Lesson 6.13 Story Development Part I
    • Be introduced to the "Story Spine", a basic framework on how to develop a story.
  • Lesson 6:15 Brainstorming Day
    • Learn about brainstorming techniques to keep your story original.
  • Lesson 6.17 Introduction to Film Techniques
    • Learn about some basic filming techniques to enhance the look of your film through compositions.
  • Lesson 6.23 Scientific Storytelling Portfolio Part I
    • A digital portfolio is the second required piece of submission. We provide a template for students to fill out that will provide the supporting scientific evidence of your film.
  • Lesson 6.27 Classroom Film Festival
    • If you would like to host your film festival as well, a certificate template is provided to celebrate your students' work!
How do students create films at home? Students can use tablets or smartphones to film their live-action videos, draw scenes, or use toys at home like Legos. We realize that not all students may have a filming device, so alternatively students can use online animation tools to create a story. Some examples are listed below.
  • Speed drawings - https://youtu.be/U01jDsg2mLY
  • Drawings - https://youtu.be/70u1w5kGbYg
  • Animation using an online tool - https://youtu.be/5e4uKbXUGkM
  • Stop motion with Legos - https://youtu.be/K0RvbAWU8PM
To see the selected winning student films from previous years, visit our YouTube page for the Film Festival here.
  Submission Requirements To submit to the Green Ninja Film Festival, please submit your materials to [email protected].
  1. Subject line: (your school's name - teacher's name)
  2. Attach the digital portfolio as a PDF file (digital portfolio template)
  3. A YouTube link to the video hosted online
  4. Videos must be under 3 minutes
  5. Submissions are due on May 22, 2020 at 5:00 PM
  Film Festival Event Details When: June 5, 2020
Where: Comfort of your own home 
Attire: Formal pajamas

Links to the live online event will be sent to finalists and provided on the blog post here.

Thank you so much for participating in this year's Green Ninja Film Festival! We're excited to see what students create!

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4/16/2020

More Ohio Symbols!

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While we have shared some native plants that serve as Ohio Symbols, there are still more!  You probably already know some of them, even if you don’t realize it. Has anyone ever called you a “Buckeye”? That term is a reference to the State Tree of Ohio, the buckeye tree featured in our last blog. Let’s take a look at a few more of our state’s symbols!
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The Ohio State Bird: Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) adopted in 1933. In 1803 when the state of Ohio was formed, there weren’t as many Cardinals as there are today. The heavily wooded young state wasn’t the best habitat for cardinals! By 1903 much of the state had been cleared of deep forests thus opening up more desirable habits for the cardinals. Cardinals do not migrate so we can find them year-round. They prefer woodland edges and prairie with shrubbery to hide and nest in. By 1933 when the state bird was chosen the Cardinal was found in all 88 counties in the state. Six other states have the Cardinal as their state bird!

The Ohio State Gemstone: Ohio Flint was adopted in 1965. Flint is plentiful in Ohio, especially in central and eastern Ohio. Flint comes in many colors including red, pink, green, blue, yellow, grey, white and black. Flint is a type of quartz which means it’s very hard, can be highly polished and honed to a sharp point.  Prehistoric and historic Native Americans used flint for many different types of tools, weapons and ceremonial items. Flint from Flint Ridge in Licking and Muskingum counties were often traded by the Hopewell Indians. Points made of Ohio Flint have been found from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. Flint can be made into beautiful jewelry.
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The Ohio State Fruit: Tomato adopted in 2009. The tomato as the state fruit was selected for the same reasons Tomato Juice was named the state beverage. Ohio farmers played a huge role in the popularity of the tomato. Ohio is the third largest producer of tomatoes!


The Ohio State Beverage: Tomato Juice was adopted in 1965. That year Ohio was second largest producer of tomato juice in the US. The adoption of Tomato juice as the state beverage was in coordination with the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival in Reynoldsburg, OH. This festival celebrates Alexander Livingston who in 1870 began to grow tomatoes commercially. It wasn’t until the 1840s that tomatoes began to be grown for consumption. Before that it was commonly thought that tomatoes were poisonous. North West Ohio is known for its production of tomatoes.

The Ohio State Frog: the American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) Adopted in 2010. In 2002 students in Mr. Kaeser’s classes at Grizzell Middle School in Dublin, Ohio started to petition for the American Bullfrog to be the state frog. Eight years later their dream was realized! The American Bullfrog is a long-lived animal. As a tadpole it can take 1 – 3 years to become an adult. As an adult a bullfrog can live 7-9 years! They can also get very big. An adult can weigh over one pound! Bullfrogs are carnivores and eat a wide variety of insects, mice, crayfish, other frogs and even mice and small birds! Bullfrogs live in large permanent bodies of water. Bullfrogs can be found in swamps, lakes, and ponds. Bullfrogs are found in all of Ohio’s state parks and in all 88 counties. Two other states have identified bullfrogs as their state frog!
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The Ohio State Fossil: The Isotelus (a type of trilobite) adopted in 1985. A trilobite is an invertebrate marine animal with a hard outer shell. It lived 430-480 million years ago in an ocean that covered Ohio. The Isotelus is the largest trilobite which could grow up to 2 feet across! Two other states have identified trilobites and their state fossil!

The Ohio State Mammal: The White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) adopted in 1988. The white-tailed deer has been in the State of Ohio since the end of the last ice age. The deer have been important to all prehistoric and historic populations. Native Americans used all parts of the deer for food, shelter, clothing and tools. The deer products were important to trade. The term “buck” for a dollar was used during the time Ohioans used buck skins for trade. With the depletion of the forest habitats due to increased population in the state, the population of deer shrunk. By 1904 there no longer any white-tailed deer in Ohio. During the 1920s and 1930s a restocking program began. By 1956 white tailed deer were once again found in all 88 counties in Ohio. The white-tailed deer population in Ohio today is estimated at 600,000. A white-tailed deer can run up to 40 MPH, jump up to 9 feet and swim up to 12 MPH! Eleven other states have selected white tailed deer to be their state’s mammal too!
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The Ohio State Reptile: Black Racer Snake (coluber constrictor) adopted in 1995. The black racer is found in a variety of habitats including rocky ledges, pastures, overgrown fields, dry or moist woodlands and backyards. They are non-venomous. They feed on any smaller animal they can catch! Prey includes lizards, insects, moles, birds, eggs, rodents, smaller snakes, tads and frogs. The average 20-56 inches long.


Ohio State Amphibian: The Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) adopted in 2010. The Spotted Salamander can be found throughout Ohio in low lying moist woodlands near vernal ponds. Spotted Salamanders are nocturnal and considered Fossorial meaning it spends most of its life underground. Spotted Salamanders come up from underground in the early spring to travel to vernal ponds to reproduce. The salamanders use vernal ponds because they lack fish which will eat the eggs and larva of the salamanders. Spotted salamander adults eat insects, worms, slugs, spiders, and millipedes. Adults can range from 6 – 10 inches long. One other state has a spotted salamander as their state amphibian!
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  • Home
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Board Supervisors
    • Staff
    • NRCS
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Upcoming Programs/Events
    • Future Conservationist Day Camp
    • Introduction to Kayaking
    • Lebanon Oktoberfest
    • Project WILD Workshop
    • Rain Barrel Workshop
    • Stream Clean Ups
    • Stream Encounters
    • Urban Chat Series
    • Warren Water Striders
    • Women for the Land
    • Partner Events
  • Services
    • EQUIPMENT RENTAL
    • For Residents >
      • Drainage, Erosion & Pond Assistance
      • Soil Testing
      • Water Testing
      • Stormwater Basin Inspections
      • Maps & Historic Aerial Images
      • Backyard Conservation >
        • Ohio Native Plants
        • Pollinator Pathways
        • Rain Gardens
        • Rain Barrels
        • Composting
    • For Agriculture Producers >
      • Nutrient Management
      • Land Preservation
      • Cover Crops
      • Cover Crop Incentive Program
      • GIS/Mapping
      • Caesar Creek Collaborative >
        • Meet the Collaborative
        • Our Work
    • 2024 H2Ohio Program
    • For Businesses >
      • Stormwater Basin Inspections
    • For Municipalities >
      • Illicit Discharge Detection Program
      • Operation Rain Garden Grants
  • PERMITS
    • Earth Disturbing in Warren County >
      • Earth Disturbing Permit Application
    • Floodplain Management >
      • Floodplain Determination Request Form
      • Flood Applications, Forms & Documents
  • Education
    • Programs >
      • Classroom Programs
      • Youth Programs
      • Community Outreach
    • Virtual Classroom
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  • Blogs
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