Walk in, sit down, listen. Take notes, zone out and hope for the long-awaited bell to ring.
If you’re in the new Honors Interdisciplinary Climate Exploration class, you know that this is hardly the experience. Led by science teachers Nicole Midani and Nelly Tsai, ICE rejects the structure of traditional science and math courses and instead explores environmental issues such as climate change, environmental justice and public policy, aiming to supply students with opportunities to address these issues.
“We’re trying to radically reimagine what it means to be a student, what it means to experience science and what it means to be in STEM,” Midani said. “It’s multiple ways of engaging in and multiple ways of thinking and feeling about environmental justice.”
We’re trying to radically reimagine what it means to be a student, what it means to experience science and what it means to be in STEM.
— Nicole Midani
ICE – the result of a $45,000 grant Midani and Tsai received in February – offers an interactive and unique student-driven learning experience where the classes often combine and work together. ICE students are granted creative freedom to explore their interests through Inquiry-based lessons and interactive projects that replace traditional assessments like tests and quizzes. As the year progresses, students will also participate in internships and community field trips.
“I’m really excited for the hands-on experience,” senior Jaelynn Mitra said. “We get to actually do something instead of regular ‘paper and pen’ learning.”
Currently, ICE students are working on a “climate story” that is intended to contextualize climate change in a high schooler’s life and create a personal connection to the course. This assignment models the type of work that will be seen throughout the entire year: Individualized work that builds knowledge in science, mathematics and history into environmental literacy.
“With the applied method of this course, we can’t just memorize equations or learn the history,” Mitra said. “We have to see what’s going on right now and see what we can do. It grounds everyone as a whole and brings us back down to earth.”
