By Eric Harrington
Science Teacher

Based on the principles of 21st Century Learning and “Understanding by Design,” I am creating authentic learning environments that support deeper cognitive development through relevant inquiry-based projects. One example is the seventh grade Marine Biology Unit that utilizes the school’s Catalina Island Marine Institute field trip as a platform for students to become developers, researchers, apprentices, and explorers.

Expanding on that, this year, all seventh-grade students participated in the QuikSCience Challenge, which is a contest hosted by the University of Southern California, the University of Southern California Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, Quicksilver, and the Quiksilver Foundation. The goal of the annual QuikSCience Challenge competition is “to improve science education in America by using children’s love of the ocean to make science more approachable.”

Working in cooperative teams, students used their knowledge of science to identify a specific concern in ocean science. Then they created a lesson plan, a community service project, a written solution for an environmental challenge, a portfolio and a presentation about their concern.

Two projects were delivered to USC in February, where they were judged by a panel of scientists, educators, business leaders, artists and ocean athletes. The two St. Margaret’s teams competed against 46 other teams from throughout Southern California. Both teams were recognized for their accomplishments and one of them was awarded Best Community Service Project.

An open house and award ceremony was held at Quiksilver’s corporate offices in Huntington Beach in March, when the award for Best Community Service Project was given to the team comprised of seventh-grade students Amanda Pasternack, Lauren Golledge, Larissa Ohanesian and Julianna Coleman. The other competing team was comprised of Tessa Hurr, Brooke Pigneri, Sarah Phelan, Palmer Knutson, Lauren Cooper and Caroline Smith.

Tags: Academics, Middle School