II. Research
(Intermittent over 1-2 month period)
Objectives:
During the Research Phase of Wild Treasures, your class will use one or more of the 5 concepts introduced during the Challenge Trail to design and carry out original research about your school’s sustainable practices. Past Wild Treasures' participants have measured their school’s waste production, surveyed their school’s interest in an organic lunch program, and analyzed their school’s energy consumption patterns.
The length of the Research phase of this curriculum varies depending on the extent you choose to integrate the program into your other curriculum. We recommend that you submit a research proposal to your WT Teaching Assistant within 15 school days of completing your Challenge Trail as a way to keep momentum going, and to elicit feedback from someone familiar with the program.
Below you will find suggestions for how to facilitate this phase of the curriculum, a rubric for evaluating a research report, and a brief section highlighting the significance and school-based research ideas related to each of the 5 primary concepts.
You can also find sample research reports, and other Research phase support materials. You are welcome to use and adapt any of these resources.
There are many ways your school may be choosing products and activities that contribute to compromising the quality of life for future generations. This section will help your students identify and choose to carry out research projects into how your school:
(1) Contributes to the exponential increase in human population, garbage, and the consumption of finite resources,
(2) Participates in processes that interfere with the cycling of material,
(3) Contributes to feedback loops that increase the consumption of finite resources, the production of garbage, and population growth, and
(4) Contributes to the exponential increase in entropy.
Objectives:
- Decide on, design, and submit a research proposal (3-5 classes)
- Decide on, redesign, and conduct original research (variable)
- Write and submit research report (4-6 classes)
During the Research Phase of Wild Treasures, your class will use one or more of the 5 concepts introduced during the Challenge Trail to design and carry out original research about your school’s sustainable practices. Past Wild Treasures' participants have measured their school’s waste production, surveyed their school’s interest in an organic lunch program, and analyzed their school’s energy consumption patterns.
The length of the Research phase of this curriculum varies depending on the extent you choose to integrate the program into your other curriculum. We recommend that you submit a research proposal to your WT Teaching Assistant within 15 school days of completing your Challenge Trail as a way to keep momentum going, and to elicit feedback from someone familiar with the program.
Below you will find suggestions for how to facilitate this phase of the curriculum, a rubric for evaluating a research report, and a brief section highlighting the significance and school-based research ideas related to each of the 5 primary concepts.
You can also find sample research reports, and other Research phase support materials. You are welcome to use and adapt any of these resources.
There are many ways your school may be choosing products and activities that contribute to compromising the quality of life for future generations. This section will help your students identify and choose to carry out research projects into how your school:
(1) Contributes to the exponential increase in human population, garbage, and the consumption of finite resources,
(2) Participates in processes that interfere with the cycling of material,
(3) Contributes to feedback loops that increase the consumption of finite resources, the production of garbage, and population growth, and
(4) Contributes to the exponential increase in entropy.
Research Suggestions:
Entropy
There are many ways your school may be contributing to the rising pool of entropy.
Here’s a few ways you can find out:
(1) Research your school’s various uses of energy. What types of energy does it use? How much and for what purposes? How has your school’s energy use changed over time? What changes does the principal anticipate? In what ways do your school’s energy use add to the exponential increase in entropy?
(2) Research how efficiently energy is being used at your school. Do an energy efficiency audit. Analyze everything including the types of light bulbs used, the efficiency of your heating system, the location and total area of air leaks, the stoves and refrigerators used in your lunchroom, the implications of turning computers off or leaving them in sleep mode, etc.
(3) Look at any type of maintenance practice like cleaning floors, painting walls, vacuuming, mowing, etc. Find out if there are more efficient and affordable alternatives to currently used products and practices.
There are many ways your school may be contributing to the rising pool of entropy.
Here’s a few ways you can find out:
(1) Research your school’s various uses of energy. What types of energy does it use? How much and for what purposes? How has your school’s energy use changed over time? What changes does the principal anticipate? In what ways do your school’s energy use add to the exponential increase in entropy?
(2) Research how efficiently energy is being used at your school. Do an energy efficiency audit. Analyze everything including the types of light bulbs used, the efficiency of your heating system, the location and total area of air leaks, the stoves and refrigerators used in your lunchroom, the implications of turning computers off or leaving them in sleep mode, etc.
(3) Look at any type of maintenance practice like cleaning floors, painting walls, vacuuming, mowing, etc. Find out if there are more efficient and affordable alternatives to currently used products and practices.
Teacher Suggestions
During the Research phase, students should work in groups of 2-3 maximum. Here are some ideas on how to proceed.
1. Explain to students that they are beginning the Research phase of this curriculum. Their goal is to figure out what kinds of research they want to design and carry out regarding their school’s sustainable practices. Remind them that they will turn their research into a proposal for real action that they will present to their school board.
2. Review the 5 Big Ideas of Sustainability you were introduced to with the Challenges. There you can find a review of the challenge, the concept goal, and a bunch of school-based research ideas associated with each concept.
3. Have students brainstorm other possible research ideas that are of interest.
4. Help your students decide on which research ideas are feasible and compelling. Depending on your own teaching style, comfort and other teaching goals, decide whether you will facilitate one or more different research projects. Remember to use your FREE UNLIMITED WT Teaching Assistant during this phase of the program.
5. As your students are carrying out their research, introduce to them the “Research Report Guidelines & Self-Evaluation Rubric.” Review what makes for an exemplary research report and support them in following it as they turn their research experience into a written document. Again, consider using your WT Teaching Assistant.
6. Determine with your students how they will collaboratively approach the writing of the research report. Identify everyone’s specific roles, responsibilities and deadlines.
1. Explain to students that they are beginning the Research phase of this curriculum. Their goal is to figure out what kinds of research they want to design and carry out regarding their school’s sustainable practices. Remind them that they will turn their research into a proposal for real action that they will present to their school board.
2. Review the 5 Big Ideas of Sustainability you were introduced to with the Challenges. There you can find a review of the challenge, the concept goal, and a bunch of school-based research ideas associated with each concept.
3. Have students brainstorm other possible research ideas that are of interest.
4. Help your students decide on which research ideas are feasible and compelling. Depending on your own teaching style, comfort and other teaching goals, decide whether you will facilitate one or more different research projects. Remember to use your FREE UNLIMITED WT Teaching Assistant during this phase of the program.
5. As your students are carrying out their research, introduce to them the “Research Report Guidelines & Self-Evaluation Rubric.” Review what makes for an exemplary research report and support them in following it as they turn their research experience into a written document. Again, consider using your WT Teaching Assistant.
6. Determine with your students how they will collaboratively approach the writing of the research report. Identify everyone’s specific roles, responsibilities and deadlines.