During January’s intensive class period at Southwest Open School, students in teacher Catilin Munroe’s tree class are taking a tour of the West from Cortez to San Francisco and back to learn more about trees and their ecosystems on the West Coast.
According to SWOS Director Casey Simpson, the idea was dreamed up by Munroe, a humanities and art teacher at the school, and it was tried out two years ago for the first time.
“She wanted kids to connect to and study trees in person as well as through research. The goal was to investigate trees that were unique to geographic locations throughout the western United States in order to bolster student engagement,” Simpson said.
Some of the trees students study during the trip include the largest aspen in the world (Pando), giant sequoias, bristlecone pines and Joshua trees.
The class happens during an intensive term, which Simpson said takes place four different times during the year: August, December, January and May. During the intensives, students receive 75 credits (90 hours of learning) during the three-week period.
Students also stay with the same teacher and class for the three weeks.
“The intensive schedule allows classes at SWOS to travel and have authentic learning experiences,” Simpson said.
In Munroe’s class, students choose a tree to research. Once they’ve researched their tree, they create a project or write a paper on it. Only students who have completed their project or paper and have no behavior logs are eligible for the trip.
Now that they’re on the trip, the class will visit each tree and its ecosystem, see the trees in person and complete the research they started on their chosen trees in the classroom. During the duration of the trip, students will also learn individual and community leadership skills as well as outdoor living and survival skills, according to the school.
“Many of the students have never left the Four Corners, seen the ocean or been camping before. They are excited and nervous and super capable,” Simpson said.
Because gas and food prices have gone up since last time SWOS sent students on one of these trips, Simpson said Munroe didn’t have enough funds in her allotted yearly budget for the trip, but with the help of donations from an online fundraiser, which raised $2,500, and a grant from the local Kiwanis Club, the trip was able to proceed as normal.
“Teachers at SWOS that had not used all of their budget and anticipated not needing it this year also donated money,” Simpson said. “The money will enable the kids to take two vehicles, eat healthier food in their camping meals, sample foods from cuisines they have never tried in San Francisco and attend museums and nature sites that otherwise they wouldn't have been able to afford,” Simpson said.
