Empowering Bay Area Students to Find Climate Solutions
On a sunny morning in mid-August, our Outdoor Education staff gathered on the Big Green Field, engaged in a hands-on imaginative activity to utilize the power of the sun in order to access water. Tor and Dena Allen from the Solar Schoolhouse Project asked staff to imagine they were in a remote location without any clean water. If they only had a solar panel, a pump, and a deep well of water, what would they do? A few minutes and several splashed naturalists later, they had four working water pumps. But why were our naturalists doing this?
This lesson is part of a year-long partnership with the Solar Schoolhouse Project to bring solar education to outdoor schools.
WESTMINSTER WOODS PART OF PILOT PROGRAM TO INCORPORATE MORE LESSONS ON CLIMATE SOLUTIONS
Tor Allen from the Solar Schoolhouse Project.
The Solar Schoolhouse Project is a program of The Rahus Institute, which works with schools and teachers to create solar lesson plans and provide teaching materials to classrooms centered on clean energy and the environment. Their lessons clearly explain how to use energy from the sun and empower students to find their own solutions for a climate-friendly future.
They recently received a grant from the All Points North Foundation so that they can provide similar teaching sets to Outdoor Schools at no cost, and Westminster Woods is proud to be a pilot school for this project.
Our School Programs Manager, Casey Stachelski and our former Curriculum Coordinator, Rebekah Jones, met with founders Tor and Dena Allen over the summer to adapt their classroom lessons for environmental and outdoor education programs–like those offered by Westminster Woods. From this collaborative session, five lessons specifically designed to challenge students to observe nature and think critically about harnessing the power of the sun were adapted.
ENCOURAGING STUDENT’S CURIOSITY IS A KEY COMPONENT OF OUR PEDAGOGY – AND ALIGNS WELL WITH THESE CLIMATE LESSONS
At Westminster Woods, we invite students into the natural classroom of the redwood forest and encourage them to use one of the most powerful teaching tools we have: their curiosity. We believe that looking at the natural world around us, asking critical questions, and engaging in hands-on activities can lead to deep insights and powerful lessons.
Redwoods, for example, share an intricate root system, and offer lessons on mutual, community support. Redwoods can also teach us – and students – about engineering principles. Our experiential learning model encourages students to answer their own questions through intentional observation and critical thinking. Students are also guided by experienced Naturalists who offer helpful resources and learning tools. The Solar Sets provided by Solar Schoolhouse provides one new, and exciting framework for students to explore their curiosity.
As part of this partnership, Tor and Dena, came out to Westminster Woods to teach our naturalists how to use each set. These sets include:
The Solvann Solar Fountain Challenge
This lesson encourages students to work together and create a working water filtration system powered by the sun.
Think-Like-A-Tree
An activity that asks students to observe leaves and tree structures and then build a solar powered fan that works in the shade.
Spin Art
A fun and engaging way to make art with the sun.
These are just a few of the lessons available!
TEACHER NATURALISTS IMPLEMENTING NEW LESSONS THROUGHOUT THE FALL
Over the course of the fall semester, our Teacher Naturalists will continue using these lessons in the field with students. When the semester is over, they will provide feedback to the Solar Schoolhouse Project that highlights student experiences and the efficacy of the lesson sets.
It’s an exciting partnership for both parties that are dedicated to creating educational, empowering learning environments for the next generation of leaders and climate stewards. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with the Solar Schoolhouse Project to develop top-notch teaching tools for outdoor education, and we look forward to sharing more about the impact soon.
Written by Lillian Karl