Challenge 3

Welcome to the high school challenge page for Challenge 3 of the Fairchild Challenge! Read below to find challenge information, entry requirements, resources and more for the challenge.

Challenge 3: Media-Journalism

Title: "In the Field"
For groups or individuals

Due: Fri., Jan. 9, 2026 by 5 p.m.

Download challenge rubric here

Your Challenge:

Like a reporter in the field, it is your turn to take on the role of an interviewer and explore how your peers connect with the natural world. Your mission is to ask meaningful questions and have real conversations that uncover what your classmates care about when it comes to nature. What inspires them? How do they spend time outdoors? Why does the environment matter to them? Through these interviews, you’ll practice skills like active listening, curiosity and empathy all while learning how others experience and value the world around them.

Once your interviews are complete, you’ll turn them into a short audio or visual story. This could be a podcast, a “hallway-style” interview, a mini documentary or a sit-down conversation—whatever format best brings your story to life. The goal is to capture honest voices and real perspectives, and to use those stories to inspire others to appreciate and explore the natural world. This project is about more than just interviews. It’s also about connecting people through storytelling, building awareness about our environment and finding new ways to enjoy and protect the planet we share.

In addition to your video or podcast, please submit a brief 1–2 page reflection discussing and interpreting the conversations you had, how it felt to speak to your peers about the environment and 3 major similarities or differences you noticed across your interviewees’ responses. Videos/podcasts should be between 5–7 minutes in length. We suggest uploading your video on YouTube as an unlisted video or uploading it to a Google Drive folder. Share the link with us by copying it and pasting it into a Word Doc. Be sure to include a list of resources you used.

Entry Requirements: Submit up to 2 entries to the science education coordinator at Phipps via electronic submission to amule@phipps.conservatory.org:

• Challenge Entry Form, include the school name and the participating students’ names.
• One of the following audio/visual submissions:
  • Podcast (5–7 minutes)
  • Short Video (5–7 minutes)
  • Other 5–7 minutes audio/visual option. 
• Work cited

School Submits: Challenge Entry Form, Video, Work Cited

Resources:

• Lesson 2.2: Interviewing: The Art of Asking Questions - PBS News Student Reporting Labs - PBS News Student Reporting Labs
• How to Help Students Develop Interviewing Skills | Edutopia
• SLB Radio Homepage - SLB Radio
• How to speak with your family and friends about environmental issues » Yale Climate Connections
• Exploring the beliefs and perceptions of spending time in nature among U.S. youth | BMC Public Health | Full Text

Standards: 
Read below to find the standards for Challenge 3 of the High School Fairchild Challenge

• Grades 9 – 12

Grades 9 – 12

• CC.1.4.9-10.A Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately.
• CC.1.4.9-10.L Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
• CC.1.4.9-10.S Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade-level reading standards for literature and literary nonfiction.
• CC.1.5.9-10.A Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grades level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
• CC.1.5.9-10.D Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning; ensure that the presentation is appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
• 3.4.9-12.A Students who demonstrate understanding can analyze and interpret how issues, trends, technologies, and policies impact agricultural, food, and environmental systems and resources.
• 3.4.9-12.D Students who demonstrate understanding can apply research and analytical skills to systematically investigate environmental issues ranging from local issues to those that are regional or global in scope.
• 3.4.9-12.E Students who demonstrate understanding can plan and conduct an investigation utilizing environmental data about a local environmental issue.
• 3.4.9-12.H Students who demonstrate understanding can design and evaluate solutions in which individuals and societies can promote stewardship in environmental quality and community well-being.
• 3.4.9-12.I Students who demonstrate understanding can analyze and interpret data on a regional environmental condition and its implications on environmental justice and social equity.
• 15.3.12.F Evaluate a speaker’s reasoning and intent; ask questions to deepen understanding. (individual, team, employment, and business).
  • Reference English Language Arts CC.1.5.11-12.G., CC.1.5.11-12.C
• 15.3.12.I Synthesize information gathered from multiple sources (e.g., digital, print, face to face).
• 15.3.12.J Apply strategies to overcome barriers to active listening.

Return to Fairchild Challenge Main Page