Species Study and the Big Event

This semester Small Middle School is launching the Green Tech Academy at Small. We are expanding our environmental science elective course offerings. Students will be able to choose either a green or tech track.

David Bamberger once shared with me that he thinks every student should pick one plant or animal species and study that throughout their school career. Each student would become the expert on that species. Students rarely have the opportunity to study any topic in depth and so lack an understanding of how to do meaningful research. Our plan is to have incoming 6^th graders select a native species and conduct a study of published materials pertaining to their topic. As 7^th graders they would expand their investigation to actual field study, and if possible, participate in an ongoing research project. Several local wildlife experts have already agreed to mentor the fieldwork. Once they have made it to 8^th grade, we expect students to keep abreast of new information and further their field experience, as well as, develop a presentation for staff and peers. We will be offering an independent studies semester-long elective for this purpose. Students who already have credit for green classes they took at Small last year will also be invited to participate.

To help students choose a species, we are inviting some local experts to participate in a kick off event modeled after a career fair (The Big Event) on Tuesday, September 6^th. So far, our presenters are David Bamberger, keynote address, snake expert, Jared Holmes, raptor rehabilitator, Sallye Delahousseye, and small mammal rehabilitator, Ed Sones. They will be bringing live animals.