Two weeks ago, we launched our newest PBL in 4th grade! We gathered all the fourth grade classes into to the GLC to listen to a special guest. We were fortunate to have Terry, from Santa Clara Open Space Authority, come present about her park and some local animals that she works to protect.

At the end  of her presentation, Terry asked the kids for their help. Many of the animals in their park are threatened in some way. She asked the kids to create some kind of informational tool that would inform the public of a threatened animal and ways they can help protect it. Terry explained that they would post these projects on the Santa Clara Open Space website and Facebook page!

When we got back to class, each teacher presented their class with the driving question:

As wildlife biologists, how can we make a positive impact on California endangered animals?

In the last two weeks, the kids have researched which animals are threatened or endangered locally. They then got to pick an animal they wanted to help protect and were put into groups. In the coming weeks, your student will continue to research and learn about the habitat, diet, adaptations, life cycle and food chain of their animal. They will determine their cause for the decrease in population and propose a solution to the public.

This is such an exciting project and I can’t wait to see some of the solutions your children propose. We will gather together in late March for the final presentation of their projects. I will keep you posted on our progress and the date and time of our presentation.