After students have investigated their driving and supporting questions and generated claims from their synthesis and conclusions, they can identify solutions and develop action ideas that directly address the environmental issue within their school, neighborhood, or community.
Students are actively engaged in and, to the extent possible, drive the decision-making, planning, and implementation of the action project, while teachers play a facilitation role by forming groups, moderating, and answering questions. Students reflect on the value of the action and determine the extent to which it successfully addressed the issue.
Watch the video on this page or view it HERE to see what student-driven action projects can look like. Notice how the projects differ between elementary, middle, and high school students. Some projects are implemented with assistance from a partner organization while others are guided by the teacher.
“I think there is an element of ownership when there's a project involved. My kids gave me 110% pretty much every day…this was a huge push for a 100% engagement which is something we strive for in education and you don't see very often unless you put that extra effort in,” Ms. Reilly
Action projects may include stewardship, civic action, or a combination or both. These projects come in a wide-variety of forms. The four types of action are listed below and may range in time required and in scope. While you're welcome to use any of the ideas listed, remember that actions are student-driven and therefore they should be selected and planned by students.
Types of Environmental Action Projects:
- Restoration or Protection: actions that assist in the recovery or preservation of a watershed or related ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed (e.g., plant or restore protective vegetation/trees; restore a local habitat; remove invasive plants; clean up litter at local beaches, parks, or school grounds; develop a school garden, natural history area, community garden, or other sustainable green space; install rain gardens to help manage stormwater).
- Everyday Choices: actions that reduce human impacts on watersheds and related ecosystems and offer ways to live more sustainably (e.g., refuse/reduce/reuse/recycle; monitor and save water in the face of potential drought or reduction in water availability; compost food or yard waste; research and implement energy efficient strategies or energy alternatives at school and/or at home).
- Community Engagement: actions that inform others about how to address community-level environmental issues (e.g., give presentations to local organizations; organize community events; record or broadcast public service announcements; share information on social media; post flyers in community; share posters at community events/fairs/festivals; mentoring).
- Civic Engagement: actions that identify and address issues of public concern. Students acting alone or together to protect societal values or make a change or difference in a student’s school, neighborhood, or community (e.g., present to school principal or school board; attend, speak, or present at town meetings; write to local or state decision makers or elected officials).
From the Toolbox
The Moving from Claims to Informed Action student worksheet was developed to help students brainstorm different action options for addressing the driving question explored in your MWEE. You and your students can review some action project examples at Bay Backpack.
Posted here is a student example of the worksheet. Students can start by copying the claim they developed from their Claim, Evidence, Reasoning worksheet. Recall that the driving question is: How does agricultural land use affect the quality of the water in our watershed?
Download the Moving from Claims to Informed Action example below if your browser does not display iFrame.