Project Deliverables

Trading Card Game:

Students will be designing, creating Trading Cards and playing a Trading Card Game in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to engage players in a fun educational activity that follows indigenous people’s beliefs in remaining “one with nature”.

The game involves players playing cards that promote the value of Tecolote canyon’s keystone species and preservation practices designed to “win” the battle against invasive species and human practices endangering the preservation of Tecolote canyon reserve. The game will be designed to be played over and over and will give players from ages of 7 to 97 the lasting social value of the power of one person’s ability to be a warrior for preservation of something right in your own backyard. The game will initially be played by Kearny students and Linda Vista Elementary students with the goal that the students will want to engage their family and friends in the game increasing the impact of the Trading Card Game’s goal of preserving the Tecolote canyon reserve on the community beyond the school walls.

Children’s Narrative Storybook & Science Application Activity:

Students will design, write, illustrate and create a narrative Children’s Book using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, that will be read to the Linda Vista Elementary students. The characters and story will integrate important cultural aspects of the indigenous Kumeyaay people, with heroes, sidekicks and villains on a journey that incorporates the challenges on how to best preserve keystone species found in Tecolote canyon while battling the enemies of invasive species and human practices that harm the Tecolote canyon ecosystems.

The end of the book will have a Science Application Activity designed by Kearny students to engage the readers in an activity to further bring home the importance of preserving keystone species while eliminating human actions that are harmful to the delicate ecosystems. The Children’s book will be creative narratives around the people, cultures and indigenous keystone species. The book will be read to the Linda Vista Elementary students by Kearny students to further their understanding of the importance of preserving the Tecolote reserve.

The Kearny students will then participate, engage, and mentor the Linda Vista Elementary students in completing the Science Application Activity which the Elementary students can take home and use to help share their new understandings with their families and friends about the importance being civically engaged in activities that promote preserving the Tecolote canyon reserve.

3D Printed Sustainability Small Scale Solution:

Students will design, create, and implement their innovative 3D Printed Sustainability Small Scale Solutions, which will be installed and put into use to help preserve the Tecolote canyon reserve. Seed sorting pods, habitat protections, seed starter planters, informational stakes and identifiers are among the innovative designs students will create to be used in helping increase the preservation of keystone species, help maintaining the balance of the delicate Tecolote canyon ecosystems, and reduce the impact of invasive species and harmful human actions.

Survey & Data Analysis Infographic:

Students will survey the community about their knowledge and understandings about the canyon throughout the year to determine if our project has had any impact on the awareness of Tecolote canyon as a resource in Our Backyard.