As part of its curriculum, Rosa Stewart School also takes the entire fifth grade for a one-week field trip to Crow's Neck Environmental Center near Iuka. Architecture students build on this experience in the units they teach. In the recent dream home project, fifth graders first had to do a site analysis to understand what impact their home would have on the natural site. They studied direction of the sun, wind direction and the views that would help determine where their home should be placed. Ultimately, everything we do is affected by our built environment.
Students begin to see their fantasy homes in a new way.
Teachers say the projects are a creative way for students to draw on what they're learning in math, writing, and social studies, among other areas. It opens new windows of understanding for our students. It also instills an awareness of environmental issues in young students while they learn. With all of the problems we face with the deterioration of our environment, it's important to educate the next generation. This page has been accessed 93 times since May 20, 2000.