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The Water Project

What was your driving question?

How do we ensure all Falcons are hydrated, safe, and stewards of the environment?

Grades Involved

4th

 

What PBE principles were highlighted in this project?

Learner-Centered, Local to Global, Interdisciplinary, Inquiry Based

 

Project Description

At the beginning of this project, students were asked to make posters with interpretive drawings of “water”. While every poster had unique art, the one commonality between them was that they all contained at least one drawing of a plastic bottle. This inspired teachers to guide their students in further exploring connections between water and plastic. By conducting surveys and visiting a local landfill, students learned about the usage of plastic water bottles as well as their environmental impact. Students also wrote letters to Fairview faculty members asking them to donate money towards building a water-refill station. By the end of the project, students had encouraged district members to donate enough money to install two water-refill stations in their school.

 

How did this positively impact community? How was it shared?

This project allowed students to view themselves as active members of their community who are capable of impacting change. Additionally, community members who spend time at Fairview school are now able to use the water-refill stations that were installed as a result of this project.

 

Reflection: What was the biggest challenge? What was the most rewarding aspect of this project?

The biggest challenge of the project was figuring out how to implement a learner-centered approach. While some students felt perfectly comfortable with little guidance from their teachers, there were other students who needed more assistance. Even though this was challenging, it required the teachers to be more aware of each student’s individual needs. This resulted in the growth of close connections between teachers and students, which teachers described as the most rewarding part of the project.

Any advice for a teacher or student that is implementing a PBE project for the first time?

“When implementing a placed-based project for the first time being able to let go of the control is key. You have to be flexible and willing to let the kids guide you while also scaffolding their learning.” – Rachel Kinney
“The ‘concept’ you teach won’t be as important as the process.” – Libbie Adam
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Teton Science Schools is a nonprofit educational organization with headquarters in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Teton Science Schools operates in partnership with Grand Teton National Park
and as a permittee of the Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee National Forests. The mission of Teton Science Schools is to inspire curiosity, engagement and leadership through
transformative place-based education.

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