We talked to Heather Evans of Redding Christian High School in Palo Cedro, California, about why she had her students participate in the Purple Plow Challenge.
Why did you choose to use the Purple Plow Challenge WASTE NOT, WANT NOT in your classroom?
The students have spent the year in environmental science learning about natural resources and their sustainable uses. The challenge came at the perfect time to integrate the final units on energy use and waste management. We kicked off the units by brainstorming a solution to the challenge and the students really had to think about all they had learned during the year.
Were your students engaged in the project?
Initially the entire class of 16 was involved in the brainstorming, research and development. When the project had been chosen, we separated the students into groups and 7 really wanted to see it to completion. Each area, whether designing, building, wax development, creativity, and reporting had student leads and team members. They really enjoyed the designing and testing components.
Do you believe Purple Plow Challenges are designed for authentic learning experiences?
Initially, I wasn't sure how it would go in a class with such a wide age spread (9th -12th grade.) Because the topic fit so well within the curriculum, I feel that the students really benefited from all of their prior knowledge on the subject. The design and development really captured the attention of the hands-on students while the logo development, slide show, and reflection was fun for the more creative students.
Would you recommend the Purple Plow Challenge to a colleague?
Absolutely! I think with some extra scaffolding, it would be great for upper middle school science students as well.
Any other thoughts to share?
I think as an educator, you really have to be organized to get an entire class to successfully participate in this type of activity. Contacting the local waste management department was a huge help in finding a local problem that needed a solution. That made it much more accessible to the students. Also, it was ok that half the class decided that they didn't want to participate after the design component. I was able to give them a different composting exercise to work on to receive their grade. The 7 remaining team members really pulled their weight and worked together.
Thanks, Heather, for your great feedback! If you want to participate in the Fall 2024 Challenge, check it out here.