For Eagle Elementary teacher Molly Haas, adding a rain garden is a great hands-on opportunity for her students’ inquiring minds.
The Town of Zionsville approached Eagle Elementary about transplanting a rain garden from the soon-to-be-demolished former Town Hall building, Haas said.
“The goal of these gardens is to manage stormwater runoff and improve local water quality. In an effort to build student agency and empowerment, the fourth-grade students are taking charge,” said Haas, a STEM coach and teacher.
The garden soaks up rain water, which helps prevent erosion, Haas said. It is set to be installed Sept. 30.
Haas said every student in fourth grade is taking part in the Problem Based Learning initiative.
“The best part, thus far, is having a real-world problem that students are working together to solve,” Haas said. “While we are working on specific science objectives and standards, other subjects have been naturally interwoven. It also gives students a chance to collaborate with each other, Eagle Elementary PTO/Dads Club and the community.”
Because the PBL requires some physical labor, the Dads Club and PTO are involved, too.
Haas said by using a PBL approach, the students are working to answer the question: How can the students, as environmentalists, relocate the rain garden from Zionsville Town Hall to Eagle Elementary?
“Through the PBL, students will create a new design for the rain garden that will match our location constraints, ensuring that it will be a functional rain garden, planning short/long-term, how to maintain a functional rain garden and communicate to the community the benefits that this rain garden will provide,” Haas said.
