Friday, October 31, 2014

Essay #3 assignment, plus homework that is due Monday Nov 3...

Hey there, just below is the #3 essay assignment. Be sure to look towards the bottom  of this post to learn about the 3 things you need to do for homework by Monday. 

First the #3 assignment:

You have banded together in small groups of 3 to come up with a proposal for something that may be created and built to be placed out near the Knowledge Garden and Outdoor School House. It is crucial that you spend a good amount of time with your group, brainstorming and refining your proposal. You should read our book, "Taking the Classroom Outdoors" for ideas. The book is full of good ideas and concepts. You should ask yourself what might really be needed out there, what might be a cool addition to that area. 

You have a $200 budget, but you are encouraged as much as possible to use repurposed/reused/recycled materials. 

The Final proposal is due Wednesday, November 20th. Once you have turned it in,  the students in the Passion and Purpose Leadership class will read through all the proposals and pick the 5 that they like the best. These 5 will then be built. You will want to treat this proposal as if you are actually a business trying to win the proposal. 

Each member of the team is responsible for writing up a part of the project. You should divide up the work and writing equally. You will need to do some research and investigating in order to fill out the details of your proposal. 

General Information: 

Name of your Group:
Who are the group members:
Name of your project:
Contact info (to notify you if your proposal is selected):
Would you be willing to help with the implementation of the proposal?
If so what particular relevant skills do you have?

Each proposal question below should be answered in detail. Please don’t just give a one word or one sentence answer. (You should plan on each of you doing about 5 questions.)
  1. Please describe in detail, what exactly is your project?
  2. What makes your project innovative?
  3. What need is being filled by your project?
  4. How does your project fit in with or complement the existing garden/school house?
  5. Where in the garden do you imagine your project will be situated?
  6. Who is the audience for your project?
  7. How will people interact with your project?
  8. What materials will you need to do create your project? (Be specific about type of materials and quantity of each. It is important that you list ALL the materials it will take, including small things like screws/nails.)
  9. Do you have access to any of the materials that you need for your project?
  10. Do you have access to any community members who might want to take part in the project?
  11. What tools will it take to complete your project?
  12. What steps will it take to complete your project? Please be very specific here about this. We need detailed guidance about how to build your project.)
  13. What is your budget for your project? (Please be specific and detailed about what will need to be purchased, including small stuff like nails, etc.)
  14. Do you have drawings, pictures, or plans for your project? (It is strongly encouraged that you include them in your proposal.)
  15. Anything else you would like to add or say about your project?
Also, when your group turns in the 15 questions, you will also each turn in your thoughtful response to the question:  What is the value of nature/outdoors when it comes to education? Each member of your team will write up a 2 page minimum response to this question.

3 things to do for The homework for Monday Nov 3:

1. Go outdoors to nature for an hour or more. Type up a one page minimum reflection about what you notice about nature (use your 5 senses) and what you notice about yourself being out in nature. 
2. Write up 3-4 ideas or quotes or examples in the book "Taking the Classroom Outdoors" that you think might be of value to your group's project
3. Write up a 1-2 paragraph summary of what you think your group project might be. This is your first brainstorm, so things may change, but it is crucial you take a first crack at writing up what you think you want to create. 






Monday, October 27, 2014

Things to do to get ready For Wednesday, Oct 29

Hey there, sorry I haven't been using this blog site for a while--i will try to get back on it more...

First off, quick announcement: this Wed night Oct 29, the Passion and Purpose Initiative will be hosting a special outdoor movie night in the OutDoor School house next to the garden. As part of "Nerd Week" here at Chabot, the movie to be screened will be the first Star Wars!  It should be a lot of fun watching the movie together outdoors. Bring a blanket if you like. You should be there around 6 pm or so, the movie will start around sunset. 


Now on to your homework, all of which is leading us up to paper #3:

1. The first thing you are being asked to do is to take about an hour or so and spend some time in Nature, with out phone, friends, etc. Pay attention to what your 5 senses notice. Pay attention to yourself, too--what is it like for you to be out in nature for an extended period of time. After you do this, type up a 1-2 page reflection that talks about what you noticed and what is was like. Bring this to class on Wednesday.

2. Read chapter 1 (pg 3-37) of the book, Taking the Classroom Outdoors. Bring the book to class on Wednesday.

3. See you on Wednesday. If you didnt get paper 2 quite done, bring it to class on Wednesday. We will be going out to the outdoor school house, but we will first meet in the regular classroom.