|
|
|
Florida
Disney�s Environmentality Challenge is a unique partnership between Walt Disney World Co. and the State of Florida encouraging students to think more about their environment and why it is "cool to care" about the earth. Classes participate in a two-part program consisting of a Pledge and Class Project. The Pledge requires an easy personal commitment for the environment. If the students want to take their environmental actions to the next level, they may submit a more comprehensive group project. Each project can be incorporated into existing curriculum and can encourage students to develop language skills , teamwork, mathematics as well as their environmental skills.
Class projects are first judged within each of the six Florida Department of Environmental Protection districts. The one winning project from each of the six districts will then compete to be the State Champion.
It's easy to participate. Just fill out and mail or fax the Entry Form by November 17, 2007.
For the Class Project we'll provide free educational pamphlets to get you started. Questions? Just call us at 1-888-JIMINY-C (1-888-546-4692).
See why it's cool to care about the earth when your class participates in Disney�s Environmentality Challenge!
IMPORTANT DATES:
November 17, 2007 - Pledge/Project declaration day
January 31, 2008 - Project due date
February
District-level judging
March
State level judging and surprise announcement to
grand-prize winning school.
April
Mail out prizes and checks to Regional Winners.
May TBD
Grand Prize Winners' trip to the Walt Disney World� Resort
Students can participate in Disney�s Environmentality Challenge in two ways
Pledge
Students take the Environmentality Pledge agreeing to reduce, reuse, recycle and protect the environment. Be sure to discuss environmental problems in Florida and lead the class in taking the Pledge. To participate in the Pledge fill out the Entry Form and we'll send you a Student Pledge Poster and gifts, for each student by December 2007.
Pledge and Class Project
This is the ticket to a fun educational experience. It could also be your ticket to a Grand Prize trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom! The project is up to you and your students and can revolve around pollution issues, animal protection, environmental clean-up, conservation, composting�whatever! Here's how to approach the project:
- Choose an environmental problem to target.
- Provide students with information and resources to help them develop a conceptual understanding of their environmental topic.
- Develop an action plan with goals that are challenging, realistic, measurable and attainable by the project deadline.
- Incorporate other curricula including math, science, language arts, visual and performing arts, community service, business skills and social studies.
- Get everyone involved, even people outside of the classroom.
- Work as a team and keep goals posted to stay focused
- Carry out the Action Plan, assemble the project, evaluate it and measure its positive impact on the environment.
To participate in the Pledge and Class Project fill out the Entry Form and mail or fax it by November 17, 2007. We'll send a Pledge poster and gifts. Send in your project with your project cover sheet, included in the Competition Guidelines no later than January 31, 2008!
The Prizes!
Each class competes against other classes in their region with a Grand Prize winner chosen from the six regional champions.
Grand Prize
Just by sending in the Entry Form, every participating fifth grader will be sent a Disney's Environmentality Challenge gift.
Enter the Class Project Competition!
Special gifts to all class members and teachers will be sent once we receive your project.
$500 for each Regional Champion Class
A $500 prize to further science and environmental studies at your school, plus a specially designed Disney's Environmentality Challenge watch will be awarded to students in each of the six regional champion classes.
Grand Prize Winner
Receives all of the above merchandise, plus an all-expenses-paid trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World � Resort featuring a special learning experience focusing on the environment, plus a $2,000 prize for your school. (The class maximum is 50 students, plus chaperones.)
Class Project Competition Rules and Regulations
1. HAVE FUN.
2. You must be a fifth grade or fifth grade combination class (fourth/fifth or fifth/sixth), maximum of 50 students per class.
3. Classes outside the Florida school system are not eligible to participate.
4. Your class project description and support documents must fit into a 16" by 12" or smaller envelope. No more than 16 single-sided (or eight double-sided) pages (including photos, news clippings, and selected text) may be submitted. Videotapes (up to five minutes) may be submitted as a supplement. No other types of electronic media are acceptable.
5. All class project entries must be postmarked on or before January 26, 2007 and sent to the following address:
Disney's Environmentality Challenge
P.O. Box 621081
Orlando, FL 32862-9080
For any questions regarding Disney's Environmentality Challenge, please call
1-877-JIMINYC.
The Class Project Competition will be judged at the regional and statewide levels by a panel of distinguished scientists, educators, and environmental leaders.
CRITERIA FOR JUDGING
50% - Environmental Relevance
- Project topic(s) selected by students
- Project topic(s) develop(s) a conceptual understanding of the environment
- Class involvement in completion of project - student leadership and effort clearly evident
- The project selected has lasting benefit to the environment (may be the continuation of an existing project)
- Project selected is meaningful to students
- Community involvement evident in project
- Use of quality resources (may include environmental materials provided by State of Florida partners)
50% - Quality and Effort
- Original problem or original solutions to common problems selected for project
- Clearly defined goals that are realistic, measurable, and attainable by project deadline
- Evaluation of project's outcome and benefit to the environment includes measurable results
- Evidence that the project meets a variety of curricula and instructional goals of the classroom
- Project is clear and complete including evidence that the students met their goals
(surveys, interviews, tallies, testimonials, and other data collection tools)
All decisions are final.
The Sunshine State Standards were approved by the State Board of Education in 1996 to provide expectations for student achievement in Florida. The Standards approved in 1996 were written in seven subject areas, each divided into four separate grade clusters (PreK-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). This format was chosen to provide flexibility to school districts in designing curriculum based on local needs. However, as Florida moves toward greater accountability for student achievement at each grade level, the Sunshine State Standards have been further defined. In the subject areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, the Sunshine State Standards have been expanded to include Grade Level Expectations.
Sunshine State Standards-based Class Activities
Choosing to complete a class project is an excellent opportunity to make interdisciplinary connections between the Sunshine State Standards at the fifth grade level and have fun by participating in Disney's Environmentality Challenge.
Below are some classroom project ideas along with a few of the Standards that could easily be addressed:
- Monitor water levels and water quality in a local river or stream and graph your findings. [MA.E.1.2, SC.H.3.2 ]
- Initiate a school or community recycling drive or program and represent your success by using percentages, fractions and decimals. [SC.G.2.2, SC.H.3.2, MK.E.1.2, SS.C.2.2 ]
- Research and adapt an endangered species. Learn all you can about that plant or animal. [ S-SC.G.2.2, W-LA.B.1.2 ]
- Conduct a creek, beach or neighborhood cleanup. Research the watershed, as well as native and non-native plants and animals. [SS.B.2.2, SC.G.1.2, SC.H.1.2 ]
- Conduct a school waste study. Investigate the presence of landfills in your community to determine if these landfills have had an impact on the environment or community. Investigate how recyclable materials may reduce landfills. [MA.E.1.2, SS.B.2.2 ]
- Write, design and produce an informational brochure alerting the community to a local environmental concern. [LA.B.1.2, SS.B.2.2, SC.G.2.2 ]
- Write and present persuasive papers to your local city council regarding an environmental issue in your community. [SC.G.2.2, SS.C.2.2, LA.B.1.2 ]
- Write and perform a play to educate your school and community about environmental issues. [LA.B.1.2, SC.G.2.2 ]
- Research local, state and federal governmental representatives and their responsibilities. Encourage students to write letters tot heir representatives to express their thoughts about helping the environment. [SS.2.2, CA.B.1.2, SS.B.2.2 ]
- Examine the lifestyles of early Native Americans and their views of the environment. Explain how their views differ from those of the early settlers and from us today. [SS.B.2.2, SC.G.2.2 ]
- Explore you local state park or wildlife conservation area. Create a map indicating where students discovered various species of plants and animal during their exploration and write a report on what was found. [SS.B.1.2, SS.B.2.2, LA.B.1.2]
- Or you may� examine the impact of growth on an environmental issue, perform an energy audit of your school, restore an area, build an interpretive trail or conduct an environmental survey.
These are just a few ways in which your project can address the Sunshine State Standards and align with service learning by working with a charitable organization, educational institution or environmental agency to address issues in your community.
Prizes
Pledge participants
Just by sending in the Entry Form, every participating fifth grader will be sent a Disney's Environmentality Challenge gift.
Class Project Participants
Special gifts to all class members and teachers will be sent once we receive your project.
$500 for all Regional Champion Classes
A $500 prize to further science and environmental studies at your school, plus a specially designed Disney's Environmentality Challenge watch will be awarded to students in each of the six regional champion classes.
Grand Prize Winner
Receives all of the above merchandise, plus an all-expenses-paid trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World � Resort featuring a special learning experience focusing on the environment, plus a $2,000 prize for your school. The class maximum is 50 students, plus chaperones
Partners
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Air
Clean Air Florida Website
Coastal
Coastal Habitats Website
Beaches and Dunes Website
Energy
Florida Energy Office Website
Everglades
Everglades Restoration (DEP)
Everglades Restoration (US Army Corps of Engineers)
General
Environmental Citizenship Website
Environmental Education Website
Stop the Mercury from Rising
Greenways
TEAM GREEN Website
Invasive Species
Invasive Species Website
Waste
Recycling Website
Water
Florida Water Conservation Initiative Report
Beyond Drought Web Site
Florida Springs Website
Wetlands
Everglades Restoration Website
The Wetlands, Florida's Natural Treasures Website
|
|
