Sustainability: From Science Camp to Campus

Garbology-- What do we throw away?Project based learning is sometimes messy! #PBL pic.twitter.com/adVgiUShAB
— Mrs. Bibayoff (@LEroomI3) January 22, 2015

One of the best things about going to camp at Marin Headlands is how much students learn about about sustainability there. With camp leaders, they carefully weigh how much recycling, compost, and trash is left behind at each meal and chart it at group meetings in a time called "Garbology." They learn about the ocean and coastal life that is impacted by how much we throw away (especially if it ends up in our waterways). They learn about taking only what you need and not wasting so much. They vow to share a napkin with "napkin buddies." They go "hard core" by eating the whole apple.

However, we sixth grade teachers have noticed a disconnect. What happens at camp, unfortunately, stays at camp--not seeming to come back to campus. We've often wondered: How can we help our students to bring these practices back "home" to our school?

This summer I had the amazing opportunity to spend a week at the Monterey Bay Aquarium along with two other middle school teachers, Mrs. Feeney and Mrs. Coleman, learning about best practices toward implementing a Project with a capital P into our classes. Teachers from all along the west coast from up north in Alaska and Washington down to Southern California were also involved in this project-based learning endeavor. We've had follow-up sessions every couple of months as well to discuss how we are bringing these ideals to our students, having students gather real data, and working on real-life problem solving projects. These ideas also work perfectly with the spirit of the new NGSS standards (Note: MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment--how perfect is that!) I have decided that my project would center around bringing back those sustainable practices learned at camp to our campus.

So, the few students who've stayed back with me this week while the majority are away at Marin Headlands camp have been learning about types of trash. We've studied the choices we make each time we throw something away (Is it recyclable? Could it be composted?). We also conducted our
own trash audit so that we can compare the numbers that the students who went to camp bring back on Monday from garbology time.

My hope is that next week, we can use this data collected as a jumping off place for discussions and action plans for what we can do to positively impact the planet not just while off at science camp but also in the "real world" back at home and school. Wish us luck!