Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/2866
A idyllic setting, groups of youngsters study the fragile watershed environment. One group makes relief maps from crumpled paper. Another plays a question-and-answer game testing knowledge about “point-source pollution” and the ecosystem. Others gaze into the water observing insects. Their “teachers” are students from Pioneer High School, which borders the waterway. Along the bank of the Guadalupe River in an The teens — working with fourth-grad- ers from Allen at Steinbeck K-8 School — are engaged in what is known as “service learning,” and are part of a national move- ment where giving back to the community is part of the curriculum. Rob Zaccheo, a science teacher at Pio- neer and a San Jose Teachers Association (SJTA) member, beams with pride watch- ing his students, who are clearly heroes to the youngsters. “It’s so powerful to watch my high school students teaching younger students about the environment.” Last year, staff decided to implement service learning projects in a ll depart- ments, says Mike Burrell, a history teacher who serves as service learning coordinator for Pioneer, one of three campuses honored by the California Department of Education in 2007. There are now more than 70 com- munity-based service learning projects at the high school. Teens teach special-needs elementary students how to swim in one project, while in another, Pioneer students counsel middle school students about the dangers of smoking. In a project called “Locks of Love,” students and community members donate hair for children who have lost theirs due to illness. “Basically, students select a world prob- lem, research it in the classroom, and go out into the community and try and fix it,” ex- plains Burrell, who is also an SJTA member. Real-world lessons In the BioSITE (Students Investigating Their Environment) program, Pioneer High School students and their protégés monitor water quality on the river, collect and test water samples, look for animal and plant species, and document their findings in an online database. “Our goal is to show students that learn- ing can take place out of the classroom,” says Burrell. “Students learn better when Kelly Bradley and Junko Griffith from Pioneer High School in San Jose teach vocabulary to elementary students. 8 California Educator | december 2008 • january 2009