Two years ago, Cathy Dykstra made a dramatic switch to her grade 6 classroom.  It became the home of the “Water Rockers.” Thanks to a Y.S.A./State Farm of America grant to help get things off the ground, she and her students began to learn about water.  

Their class motto is “ERIN:  OUR LOCAL WATER ROCKS!”  They learn about the water cycle and about world water issues and what countries are doing about them.  They research about oceans and the impact that humans are having on ocean life.  They investigate their local water supply.  They learn about how much water it takes to make our food, clothing, and other items around us.  They read facts about plastic water bottles and reusable bottles.  They estimate how much water they use every day and they discover how to conserve water at school, at home, and in the community.  The students have been so enthusiastic and engaged that water has taken over their reading, writing, math, science, and art activities.  They also have local water “experts” come into their classroom, work with them in the school yard, and conduct experiments with them down by the local river.  

In the school, they make daily morning announcements, put on presentations for other classrooms, post their research on bulletin boards and throughout the school, organize school assemblies, and write articles for the school online newsletter.  Every student is assigned a leadership role.  After two years, they have persuaded 90% of the staff and students at Erin P.S. to use reusable bottles every day.

Cathy has also partnered with the local BIA, with a group of parents from the school, and with the environmental leaders from “Transition Erin”.  Once a month, with their bright blue Water Rocker t-shirts and reusable bottles, she takes her class downtown to talk to the local store owners about their ongoing research, about water conservation, and about the importance of valuing customers who carry reusable bottles into their stores.  Her students have persuaded 100% of the downtown stores to join the “Blue W” program.

To read her full biography, please visit our Burtynsky Award page.

Joanne Arcand 
                   

Thank you to all the applicants!
Your example of passionate Environmental Inquiry teaching in the classroom continues to make a difference in the lives of students, and the greater teaching community.
Thank you for caring for our environment.