Clip Board. Data Sheet. Field Guide. Pencil Case. We are off to the pond!! 6th grade science students spent several days making observations and collecting data at the pond behind Westmont High School. Students were presented with a hypothetical problem that was created in partnership with the Westmont Park District, which provided opportunities for students to explore, collaborate, learn to make real-world decisions, and to interact with their community. They were working to answer the questions: What are the benefits of parks in a community? What factors indicate to you that this is a healthy ecosystem? What factors indicate that this is an ecosystem that is not very healthy? Should this land area be left in its natural condition or should the Westmont Park District develop the land into a neighborhood park with a walking path? This problem-based pond study is designed to be student-centered, where students work collaboratively to solve real world problems, draw their own conclusions, and then reflect on their experience. In PBL, learning is driven by challenging, open-ended “problems” where teachers take on the role as “facilitators of learning”. In partnership with the Superintendent of Parks & Planning for Westmont, Mr. Bob Fleck introduced this problem-based unit to the students and asked them to “solve a problem”. Utilizing technology to organize their solutions, students created a PowerPoint presentation to communicate their data to the Westmont Park Board. So. . . . .what are the benefits of parks in a community? Ask your student!!!
