Real problem-solving science for grades 5-12
What if science classrooms, young and old, were devoted to solving real social and environmental problems? Wild Treasures believes the active engagement of youth in solving real problems should be at the heart of our nation’s science education programs. We just have too many issues that prevail on all sorts of scales to not take advantage of our youth and their ability and readiness to learn science when it really matters.Wild Treasures begins in September with students trying to solve a variety of engaging problems introducing them to big ideas about sustainability: waste, exponential growth, cycling, feedback loops and entropy. It ends in June with a class transforming the way their school operates.
Wild Treasures begins in September with students trying to solve a variety of engaging problems introducing them to big ideas about sustainability: waste, exponential growth, cycling, feedback loops and entropy. It ends in June with a class transforming the way their school operates.
Through real problem-solving science, students investigate their school’s sustainable practices, create and present a persuasive proposal for changing their school’s operation, and then turn their school board approved proposal into action.
By integrating science and civics into a seamless, rewarding curriculum, students can reduce their school’s solid waste, implement school-wide alternative energy and energy conservation programs, initiate large-scale composting, develop organic lunch programs, and create a sustainable purchasing criteria for school equipment and services.
Wild Treasures has been field tested since 1997 with 5th-8th grade classrooms in southeastern Vermont and southwestern New Hampshire who have already made these kinds of impacts.
Wild Treasures is about real problem solving, real decision-making and consequences, real community participation, proposals based on first-hand research, and actions that improve the quality of life.
Curriculum Overview
Wild Treasures consists of two distinct 5th-8th grade curricula: Local and Do It Yourself. Before highlighting their differences, consider their similarities.Both curricula explore the many ways natural and human systems contribute to or compromise the quality of life for future generations. Participating classes try to persuade their school board to fund a sustainable development initiative that will help their school become more environmentally sustainable. Their research, proposal, and actions must be demonstrably rooted in the principles of sustainability they were challenged to learn about during the first phase of the curriculum when they are first introduced to some big sustainability ideas. Both curricula can be readily adapted to larger community-based problems.
In every phase of Wild Treasures (Challenge, Research, Proposal and Action) students deepen their understanding of a set of ideas that comprise the principles of sustainability: waste, exponential growth, cycling, feedback, and entropy. They will research these ideas relative to their school’s operation. They will use these ideas to propose to their school board a plan to improve the sustainability profile of their school. And they will turn their proposal into action by actually improving their school’s sustainability profile. Little do they know that they are about to embark on a deep inquiry into some big ideas that will change the way they think about themselves, their culture, and future generations. There are important differences, however, between the Local and Do It Yourself curricula.The Local Program
The Local Program
Wild Treasures’ Local Program ends in June with a class of middle school students earning a Governor’s Sustainability Award for transforming the way their school operates.
It begins the previous September in a forest along a winding path surrounding an 800,000-ton capped landfill and a symphony of sounds produced by a very active waste recovery and transfer station. Along the trail, small groups of students solve a variety of surprising problems that introduce them to 5 big ideas about sustainability: waste, exponential growth, cycling in nature, feedback loops and entropy. If they solve all the problems, they will earn the free support of a Wild Treasures’ School Associate who will help the class succeed in the Research phase of the program. Solving all of the problems at the Challenge Trail guarantees that the Wild Treasures School Associate will visit the class on at least six occasions before winter break.
During the next nine months students earn additional support from a Wild Treasures’ School Associate, including up to an additional 15 visits by applying the five big sustainability ideas to:
- Conduct original research about their school’s sustainability practices,
- Present a comprehensive proposal to their school board, detailing the necessary action-steps needed in order to improve their schools sustainability practices (based on their research), and
- Transform their school-board proposal into measurable action.
The Wild Treasures’ School Associates work closely with teachers and students, and are available to facilitate Wild Treasures activities in the classroom. Their goal is to help provide logistical and curricular support to participating classes.
Since Wild Treasures’ inception in the fall of 1999, more than 450 students from fifteen middle schools in southern Vermont and New Hampshire have become real agents of change in their communities while learning about and applying the principles of sustainability. Students have reduced their school’s solid waste, implemented school-wide energy conservation programs, initiated large-scale composting systems and started an organic lunch program.
The Do It Yourself Program
Wild Treasures Do It Yourself is a 5th-8th grade curriculum that can be done anywhere in the world. It includes all of the major phases of the local program, however, it is completely self-directed by teachers and their classes; it requires no direction, facilitation, or awards from Antioch University. All the curricula is available at this website and can be adapted in any way students and teachers see fit. The four primary phases of the curriculum: Challenge, Research, Proposal, and Action can be readily integrated into an existing science and social studies curriculum.Wild Treasures’ Do it Yourself ends in June with a class of middle school students transforming the way their school operates.
Wild Treasures’ Do it Yourself ends in June with a class of middle school students transforming the way their school operates.
It begins the previous September along a multi-station in-class challenge trail. There, small groups of students solve a variety of surprising problems that introduce them to 5 big ideas about sustainability: waste, exponential growth, cycling in nature, feedback loops and entropy. If they solve all the problems, they can proceed to the next phase of the program called Research. And depending on the resources and ingenuity of the facilitating teacher, students may also be awarded with classroom privileges or some other motivator. Of course, the more the award is connected to the Wild Treasures program the better.
During the next 9 months students apply the 5 big sustainability ideas learned along the Challenge Trail to achieving three milestones:
- Conduct original research about their school’s sustainability practices,
- Present a comprehensive proposal to their school board, detailing the necessary action-steps needed in order to improve their school’s sustainability practices (based on their research), and
- Transform their school-board approved proposal into measurable action.
Since Wild Treasures inception in the fall of 1999, more than 450 students from fifteen middle schools in southern Vermont and New Hampshire have participated in the local program facilitated by the Department of Environmental Studies Science Teacher Certification Program. These youth have become real agents of change in their communities while learning about and applying the principles of sustainability. Students have reduced their school’s solid waste, implemented school-wide energy conservation programs, initiated large-scale composting systems and started an organic lunch program.
History
The Early Years
For seven years “Wild Treasures: Sustainability, Naturally” was directed by a graduate student in the Science Teacher Certification program in the Department of Environmental Studies at Antioch University New England. Each participating class could earn up to $1,500 toward the purchasing of environmental monitoring and conservation equipment and services that helped students’ research their school’s sustainable practices or transform their school board approved proposal into action.
Challenge Trail
Classes would begin their Wild Treasures experience at the Challenge Trail located at the Keene Municipal Recovery Center and Transfer Station. There, among the deafening sounds and constant activities of our waste stream, small groups of 5th-8th graders meandered along a trail where they tried to solve a variety of surprising problems designed to introduce them to the principles of sustainability. When they solved all the problems, they left with their first of three $500 awards!
Research
Students then returned to their schools and designed their own research investigating their school’s sustainable practices; they had to show evidence that their research was informed by the principles of sustainability that they were introduced to along the Challenge Trail. Research reports were submitted to the director of Wild Treasures who then evaluated the reports based on a shared assessment rubric. The director determined how much the class earned of their next $500 award.
Proposal
For many, if not all of your students, this experience will become one of the defining moments in their lives. (Principal Larry Alper to his Wild Treasures’ teacher after observing the 5th/6th graders at his school presenting their proposal to the school board.)
Students then transformed their research report into a persuasive proposal and presentation to their school board, again always having to show evidence that their proposal for how to improve their school’s sustainable practices were informed by the principles of sustainability that they were introduced to along the Challenge Trail, as well as additional concepts that were introduced by the director along the way.
Action
Classes then used their award money to transform their school board approved proposals into demonstrable action. They proved their actions to the Wild Treasures’ director and to local and state dignitaries. Those classes that proved that they took significant action since their school board decision earned a Governor’s Sustainability Award from either the state of Vermont or New Hampshire.
Classes submitted their proposed budgets to support their research or action plans to the director. The director purchased all approved budget orders and had materials sent directly to the school.
Change Highlights
The original Wild Treasures program begins at a capped landfill, offers significant money to participating classes, leads to an award recognized by the Governors of two neighboring states, and requires the facilitation and support of Science Teacher Certification students from the Department of Environmental Studies.Challenge Trail: The new Local Program will also begin at a capped landfill, will not offer award money, will lead to an award recognized by the Governors of VT and NH, and will be supported by graduate students from the Science Teacher Certification Program in the Department of Environmental Studies.
Challenge Trail: The new Local Program will also begin at a capped landfill, will not offer award money, will lead to an award recognized by the Governors of VT and NH, and will be supported by graduate students from the Science Teacher Certification Program in the Department of Environmental Studies.The Do It Yourself curriculum, however, can be implemented by teachers and students, and without field trips, financial awards, or recognition from public dignitaries. In addition, Do it Yourself participants can choose to take only those curricular pieces that they find appealing.
The Do It Yourself curriculum, however, can be implemented by teachers and students, and without field trips, financial awards, or recognition from public dignitaries. In addition, Do it Yourself participants can choose to take only those curricular pieces that they find appealing.Unlike the original program, both the Local Program and Do it Yourself participants need to request funding from their school board to support those components of their proposal that require financial support.
Unlike the original program, both the Local Program and Do it Yourself participants need to request funding from their school board to support those components of their proposal that require financial support. Both Local Program and Do it Yourself participants can implement the full-year curriculum without sacrificing other science teaching goals.
We hope all the participating classes will send us electronic copies of their research reports and proposals, as well as pictures of the actions taken to improve their school’s sustainability profile.
Unlike the original Wild Treasures that was designed for 5th-8th graders, Wild Treasures’ Do it Yourself is designed for middle general science and life science classes, as well as high school environmental science classes, including AP Environmental Science.
Reviews from Participant Schools
“Wild Treasures made it possible for students to leave behind a bit of magic and inspiration – the magic and inspiration I notice in my new students this year as they carry on community services created to enhance the sustainability of our school – the magic and inspiration I notice when students are engaged in real and meaningful work.” — Karen DiIorio-Bowen, 5/6 teacher, Oak Grove School
“I want you to know how highly I think of Wild Treasures. My students and I have learned a lot through this process. It is very rewarding to make positive change in our easy-to-be-an-environmental- pessimistic world while at the same time enlightening and empowering children.” — Cory Stark, 5th grade teacher
“Wild Treasures is a meticulously crafted adventure that works through an adroit blending of doing and thinking, discovery and instruction, collaborative work and competition against the clock, the devastatingly serious and the playful. The three-hour adventure is fun, but the greatest pleasure is intrinsic, as the children discover the big ideas and made them their own.” — Heidi Watts, Professor Emerita at Antioch University New England
“They barely stopped to eat, pulling snacks out of backpacks for a few bites as we hiked along in the woods–too curious about what challenge lie ahead to stop. Changed by our work at the ‘Challenge Trail’ a special magic returned to the classroom with us.” — Karen DiIorio-Bowen, Grade 6 Teacher at Oak Grove School, Brattleboro, VT
“Wild Treasures: Sustainability, Naturally was one of the most challenging and thought-provoking experiences that we, as teachers, have ever encountered for adolescents.” —Charlestown Middle School science and mathematics teacher Shawn Brodeur-Stevens
“Most impressive to me, however, was the understanding they gained of how the local political process works and how they can work within that process to bring about change. By developing proposals that they first brought to their building principal and then to the local school board, these students learned how those in positions of power evaluate and respond to proposals. This experience led them to ask themselves and develop comprehensive answers to the questions and concerns of policy makers. That they were able to do so successfully is testimony not only to the leadership of their classroom teacher, but also to the structure of the program, which builds in important incentives for the students to work effectively within the political process.” — Lisa Cox, School Board Chair & Vermont State Board of Education member
“We met this morning with the director of food service for our school district and he was FABULOUS: 1) we can participate in selecting vendors in the fall season and pay only the difference between the conventional and organic products. 2) he is impressed by all the work we’ve put into this and will attend the dinner Tuesday 3) he will put our facts on the backs of all the menus next fall 4) if we increase the number of students buying breakfast and lunch on the organic days, we will have to pay less for the food and he will begin providing organic days at other schools in the district.” — Theresa Majoy, 5th grade teacher, Emerson School