SCIENCE AND STORYTELLING
The growing field of environmental science is more important than ever in our pursuit to understand and combat climate change. Yet, it often brings to mind long, 20-page research papers filled with the indecipherable language of academia. The Garden of Scholars flips that idea on its head, exploring science through the lens of storytelling. Students can learn about topics that interest them and experiment with creative ways to teach others about those topics. Each term culminates in a series of student presentations, with the goal of being both educational and a lot of fun. If you’re both curious and creative, this is for you!
WHAT'S ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE?
“Environmental science” is a broad: from degradable plastics (and whether they're real), to the potentials of nuclear fission energy, green materials and nanotechnology to coding and modelling climate trends — the possibilities are endless. Since it’s such a broad category, we’ve broken it down into five sectors:
AIR
The sky's the limit.
What comes to mind when you see the sky? The weather. The atmosphere. Maybe even greenhouse gases. But what really are greenhouse gases? Why do they trap energy? How are they affecting weather patterns? AIR governs atmospheric chemistry, climate trends, air pollution, and everything else in that infinite expanse of blue.
WATER
Life beneath the waves.
Water gives us life, but in return, we sure give it trouble. What are the effects of different types of pollution? How are marine ecosystems and ocean currents responding to the changing climate? WATER encompasses the tumbling waves and rising storms that human activity brings to aquatic systems.
EARTH
The garden of life.
EARTH explores the basic needs of humans: food and shelter. From agriculture to deforestation, biodiversity to green urban planning: how do fertilizers and pesticides work? How is the mass farming of our modern day affecting the soil? How are animals and ecosystems responding to the warming temperatures? The questions, and possibilities, are endless.
FIRE
Prometheus's gift.
Our concept of energy has come a long way from simple fire. Every aspect of our daily lives, from cars to laptops to even the simplest alarm clock, runs on electricity and energy. FIRE asks questions about the very energy sources that make the world go round: why do we keep burning fossil fuels and natural gases? What is renewable energy and why do we need to transition to it?
METAL
Innovation and invention.
Science is synonymous with research, exploration, and invention. How can we create new innovations to make our world more sustainable? METAL is about the technology that works to combat the sustainability issues, including biodegradable materials, carbon capture technology, digital simulations, and more!
JOINING GARDEN OF SCHOLARS
If you're interested in doing a Garden of Scholars project, email alin28@andover.edu before November 21 to learn more or to join the team!