Photograph by Leigh Ann Maze
Melissa Wilcox (left) and Xiau-Ling Wee work on pages for the activity book their class created to raise funds for Natural Bridges State Park.
Making a difference matters
By Leigh Ann Maze
After an intriguing field trip of tide pooling and watching butterflies at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz, Bridget Solve's second-grade class at Dave's Avenue School wanted to do more than just write a thank-you card.
They wanted to make a difference.
Although they did send a card thanking their guide, the children also got to work creating an activity and coloring book to share with others what they learned during their January field trip. They spent many February mornings in front of their school selling their books.
They sold 91 books in all, for $2 each, and donated their proceeds after copying costs to Natural Bridges. The park will use the money to create an educational brochure for visitors about the science, beauty and preservation of Natural Bridges.
"The idea was to educate people around the school about what we learned and donate something back to Natural Bridges," Solve said. And the idea came from the children, who, with Solve's guidance, were able to make it happen.
To make the book, the children spent time researching the creatures they saw in the tide pools and the Monarch butterfly grove. Each of the 19 students made at least one page for the book. They used their favorite facts from the field trip and their own research, combined with their artwork.
Photograph by Leigh Ann Maze
Second graders at Daves Avenue School (clockwise from top) Chelsey Prow, Janice Engelgau, Joleen Guzman and Devan Mairose sell one of their Natural Bridges activity books to school librarian Florence Adamson.
Some made drawings of the sea stars, crabs, caterpillars, mussels, sea snails, butterflies, anemones, fish and birds they saw with an interesting "Did you know?" fact at the bottom of the page. Some made word searches, poems, jokes or tongue twisters.
The result was not only a book that served to educate their peers, but a contribution to the conservation of Natural Bridges State Park and the education of the park's visitors.
The children also learned a few things in the process.
"One of the things that is critical to kids' learning is to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom to real life situations. They were able to use skills learned in science in a community service project," said Susan von Felten, principal at Daves Avenue School.
Solve is not surprised by her classes selfless idea and actions. "We talk a lot throughout the year about how lucky we are in this community and about conservation," Solve explained.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
