The Fairchild Challenge consisted of five challenges throughout the school year. Our TMS Gifted Team worked very well together and earned 2nd place in the competition and won $500 for TMS! They were recognized at a ceremony at Phipps Conservatory. With the money they won, they decided to purchase greenhouses and gardening accessories for the students in the 7th Grade Science & Environmental Literacy courses. Mrs. Gandy, Ms. Spadaro, and Ms. Banky are very excited to begin using the greenhouses with their students! The Fairchild Challenge is a free, multidisciplinary, standards-based environmental education outreach program designed to give middle school students an opportunity to creatively shine. By appealing to their innate sense of curiosity about the world around them, the Challenge invites students to investigate the thorniest environmental issues, devise imaginative and effective responses to these issues, and take action to address them.
Developed by the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, Fl., and adopted by Phipps as a satellite partner in 2008, The Fairchild Challenge offers a menu of interdisciplinary challenges for grades 6 – 8, attracting students of diverse interests, abilities, talents and backgrounds. The Challenge empowers young people to engage in civic life and encourages them to become energetic and knowledgeable members of their communities. The challenges are outlined below: Challenge #1 – Eco Edibles – 2nd Place Students created a recipe out of produce that would typically be wasted. These recipes were compiled into a cookbook. From Apple Peel Jelly to Fridge Clean Out Gazpacho, the TMS students created tasty ways to eliminate food waste! These recipes were organized by category and compiled into a book with a creative cover. Challenge #2 – Petals and Pollinators – Special Merit Students created a 3-D diorama of an interdependent relationship between a plant and a pollinator. A paper was crafted to explain how these species have adapted to suit the needs of both. Challenge #3 – Eco Lots – 3rd Place Students selected a vacant lot in the greater Pittsburgh area and redesigned this area to make an environmentally friendly community space. Our TMS group adopted a lot along the river and added two freight farms and a gazebo to repurpose the space. Students created a tri-fold poster board to document their efforts. Challenge #4 – An Ode to Nature – 1st Place Students adapted the book, If You’re Not From the Prairie, by David Bouchard to "If You’re Not From PA." The students created poems related to Pennsylvania including covered bridges, stars, and trails before compiling them into a book with a creative cover. Challenge #5 – Environmental Action – Special Merit Students were tasked with taking action to improve their home, school, or community area. Our TMS group traveled to Mingo Creek Park and participated in the Great PA Clean-up. Students created a tri-fold poster board to document their efforts which were documented in our local newspaper! Comments are closed.
|
MRS. GOJMERAC Archives
February 2024
|