Big Spring teacher highlights place‑based environmental science labs, local watershed testing

At the high school staff update, environmental science teacher Maline Benz described a redesigned curriculum that emphasizes place‑based learning and real‑world labs, including field water‑quality testing on the Big Spring, forest‑management burn simulations and a semester‑long plot project.

"This is my favorite lab that we do and they are looking at different water quality parameters to come to different conclusions based on the data that they have gathered," Benz said, describing student work on the local waterway and how the lab prompts discussion of human and environmental impacts. She outlined how labs build cross‑curricular skills — for example, using statistics from math in wildlife management simulations — and said students are more engaged and civically oriented as a result.

Benz said field work takes students onto the cross‑country course and surrounding woods to catalog biodiversity, soil conditions, and microecology; students adopt a 2‑by‑2 meter plot they monitor through the semester. The teacher also noted the state updated science standards to incorporate environmental literacy and sustainability, prompting curriculum redesign. The board thanked Benz and invited questions; staff said the approach fosters stewardship and develops career‑relevant skills.