Allison’s Big Idea: Allison’s students learned about the health of their local watershed and created presentations on how to repair areas affected by human activity. Along with classroom learning about the local watershed, Allison took her students to the nearby lake and river to collect and analyze data to determine the health of the local ecosystem. Students then used computer programming to have micro:bits record human activity in unhealthy areas. Allison then assigned students to not only come up with ways to help the local watershed but to create posters, videos and presentations for their community.
Allison wanted to empower her students to be problem solvers. Her project called for them to use science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to find the root of a problem and propose a solution.
Interesting Facts: While Allison teaches 7th and 8th grade science, her husband teaches middle school PE. They have a son in middle school. Because the whole family has the same schedule, they like to spend their summers in their pop-up trailer on extended camping trips.
