Country School Seventh Graders Focus on Environmental Science

From Country Schools: At New Canaan Country School, igniting student’s curiosity can be as simple as taking a walk in the woods. Seventh grade science students do just that, spending their first trimester exploring the school’s 75-acre campus - much of it woods and trails - as part of their life science curriculum. As the year progresses, they learn how living beings are interconnected within an ecosystem and examine the role humans play within that environment.

Life science then shifts into environmental science and students are introduced to natural resources, energy and environmental issues, while also learning critical research and persuasion skills. Working collaboratively in teams, students are assigned a particular topic related to energy and ecosystem balance which they must research extensively. These studies culminate in a series of environmental debates.

“We ask them to defend a position with evidence. It is not an opinion project. It’s hard because you may end up being asked to defend a position with which you don’t actually agree,” explained Upper School Science Teacher Scott Lilley. “It’s good academic practice. The best part is hearing from parents that these topics show up around the dinner table and are argued there as well.”

After a month of intensive research and preparation, the seventh graders present their cases on topics such as the reintroduction of wolves to the northeast, nuclear energy, oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, wind power, hydro-fracking and the Keystone XL Pipeline.

“Academically, this is the most challenging piece. The students research, collaborate and ultimately write one to two minute speeches on their topic,” explained Lilley. “They also need to be ready to respond to the opposing side’s arguments.”

The last term of the year has the students once again up and out of their classroom, this time exploring the ecosystem of the Long Island Sound. Taking a boat out onto the tidal estuary, the students examine water quality and observe first-hand the impact of environmental regulation, population growth and business development. This culminating experience brings together both life and Earth Science principles, as well as what they have studied, discussed, debated and seen for themselves about biodiversity, sustainability and the environment.

There is a deliberate methodology to the seventh-grade science curriculum. “We call it ‘learn, practice, apply to the real world, master. Repeat,” explains Lilly. It’s critical thinking, but combined with out-of-the-seat doing. The result is a deep and broad understanding of real-world environmental issues.

New Canaan Country School is a co-ed, independent day school for students in Pre-K (ages 3 & 4) through Grade 9. Located at 635 Frogtown Rd in New Canaan, the school provides transportation to families living in towns throughout Westchester and Fairfield Counties. For more information, please visit: www.countryschool.net.

Photos courtesy of Country Schools