Wendi Pillars, Jessica Sandel, and Rose Pate

The team’s innovative teaching idea, “Our Unsung Outdoor Heroes,” focuses on learning biology standards outside the classroom. The school has wetlands, woods, and a stream that will allow students to experience nature first hand. This idea targets students who do not do well in a structured classroom, so taking the classroom outdoors and using hands-on biology will enable students to rediscover the love of learning in a different setting. They will be able to interact with their environment while also having the opportunity to learn about it. Students will make observations, experience nature, gain empathy, and build a community environment. Through concrete experiments with insects, plants and accessible biological timelines, Pillars and her team aim to promote a love for life in students while using the scientific method.