Middle School STEM

The learning outcome of My Place in This Space is for students to explore how they are equipped to be environmental and community stewards through their ability to make an impact in their homes, in their community and for our planet. They will engage in activities in both Earth Science and Math that will increase their awareness of waste and equip them to contribute to change for good. Students will develop an awareness of food waste in their homes by tracking and weighing the waste we produce of the course and by analyzing the contents of regular household waste. Additionally, students will learn how food waste can be turned into a resource through composting and growing their own vegetables to donate.

This year, 7th grade students will explore the effects of water on humans, and also how humans are affecting bodies of water. This expedition will be rooted in two books, A long Walk to Water and Trash Vortex. Learning will span all academic and connection classes, tying learnings from each class together.

In case study one, students examine why water is essential to human life. The investigation begins with a book about two separate individuals who have different journeys through Sudan in A Long Walk to Water but are very much connected in their search and need for water. Students also explore the importance of water in life as their own body systems interact to maintain homeostasis, or a disease-free body. Students will also study water distribution and scarcity, looking at the Water Crisis in sub-Saharan Africa to brainstorm ways to provide impoverished populations with access to clean water.

Case study 2 addresses the question about how people's actions change the environment. A two voice poem identifies the struggles that two seemingly different, yet similar people endure, helping the audience to see how similar we all are. Students also focused on water related environmental issues and created a technical format to showcase the cause and effect as it relates to humans and their everyday actions. Finally, students used an app to document the spread of pollution in our community.

Case study 3 tackles the last guiding question about how people’s behaviors are changing society. From investigating the rate of pollution, showcasing the life cycle of a plastic bag, to examining the ever changing garbage patches in the oceans, students will identify how human behaviors are the cause of pollution. They will also develop ways they can be the change now and reduce plastic waste, culminating in an argumentative essay and video focusing on the best ways to reduce plastic waste.

In conjunction with the study of the anchor text, Summer of the Mariposas, in Social Studies students will research and debate personal perspectives regarding immigration. In addition, students will track the progress of a bill currently up for consideration in the Georgia Legislature, and meet with state and/or local elected officials. They will conduct research and form educated opinions about this issue, and draft argumentative essays expressing multiple perspectives on various social issues of choice. These experiences will provide students with the opportunity to participate directly in the democratic process and enable them to become more active and involved citizens.

Students will create websites that will serve as a tool to inform the community and bring about other advocates. Students will work hand in hand with the science class to understand how humans work with the electromagnetic spectrum and how the human eyes take in information the best.

Students will be ready to leave Amana with the ability advocate for their passions as a changemaker.