Biophilia means to love life for living things, and the scientific hypothesis, ‘the biophilic hypothesis,’ describes the natural urge humans have to be close with the environment around them.
Flat Rock Middle students have tapped into that need by studying biophilic design and putting it to practice in four key areas: A hydroponic system, a pond, and two outdoor classrooms.
Students in 8th grade through the Career Class, and in coordination with their grade level content team, were challenged to explore the connection of biophilic design to their personal lives.
To make the integration actionable, students chose areas to leave a legacy at the school to include outdoor classroom refinement, ecological pond development, hydroponic building and construction, and general school group beautification.
The outdoor classroom portion of the project caused students to reflect on their learning.
“Reflecting back on what we were able to accomplish throughout this project, we think we achieved partial success in making the outdoor classroom into a positive space that is ideal in both functionality and appearance,” said Jeff Eller, STEAM facilitator at Flat Rock Middle. “We made a lot of progress and improved the outdoor classroom significantly compared to how it was when it started, but we believe that in a longer period of time, we would have been able to complete more actions that would benefit its usability. Even with this, we have succeeded in making the outdoor classroom a place that is easier for teachers to take their students to and gain all of the benefits that can come as a result of spending time outside.”
For additional details about all projects, click here.
