There are a variety of ways that community members can be involved in education. Bringing real-world problems to the classroom helps students connect the curriculum to the complexities of different careers. Seventh-grade science teacher Crystal Barnett-Sheaves provided this experience for her students on April 28. She was partnered with Kenny Sims, from the non-profit organization Friends of the Lower Muskingum, in order to provide a problem scenario for her students to solve.
Teacher perspective: “So far the implementation of the problem scenario has been new and exciting for me as a teacher. My students have met the expert Mr. Kenny Sims from the Friends of Lower Muskingum River (FLMR) and begun working through problem-solving steps. Their problem is preventing runoff from local farms getting into the watershed. I am excited to hear what solutions the students will develop and I have invited Mr. Sims and a member of the FFA to hear their solutions.”
Community partner perspective: “I had a great experience when I helped to implement the problem scenario for Building Bridges to Careers. I spent the day in the classroom with a 3-D watershed model that demonstrates all different types of land uses found within a watershed and how they can impact the quality of ground and surface water. This model can be used to demonstrate the differences in point-source pollution compared to non-point-source pollution. The students were very interested in the demonstration and I was very impressed with how informed the students were. Their understanding of what a watershed is along with why it is important to take care of our watersheds was impressive. I look forward to coming back and hearing the students’ new and creative ideas about how they can help to protect our watersheds.”
Student perspectives:
“I think that this is a fun project and it helps develop skills we can use in our adult life. It is a good way to challenge yourself and your group. I really like it because it gives me a chance to see what it is like to solve real world problems. It is interesting to think of all the solutions my classmates can come up with.”
“So far I really like the problem solving. It is a great thing because it helps us learn how to problem solve and use it when we really need it.”
There are a variety of ways that teachers at Marietta City Schools are bringing Community to the Classroom.
Submitted by: Tasha Werry
