Christy Morris

Morris's "Project S.P.A.C.E. - Students Protecting and Conserving the Environment," engages seventh and eighth grade students in the creation of an outdoor classroom. Students work together to build birdhouses, a pavilion, an amphitheater, a reading center, wet labs, benches and paths for nature walks. Students maintain the outdoor classroom and use it for gathering data to be interpreted in the traditional classroom. The outdoor classroom allows for many student study projects, including tree and bird identification, wetland preservation, entomology and biodiversity. This interdisciplinary project instills a high level of respect for the environment by introducing students to their coexistence with wildlife and teaching them their part in protecting and conserving the environment.