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: Jackpot Video Challenge

Title: "Town Hall"
For groups

Note: Entries will be considered for the Patti Burns Prize for Excellence in Communication and Media, a monetary prize of $500 awarded to schools for science and sustainability initiatives, instead of being awarded points towards the Fairchild Challenge.

Due: Fri., Jan. 10, 2025 by 5 p.m.

Download the Challenge 3 Rubric

Your Challenge:

Step into the role of a local leader and engage your community with a town hall meeting focused on environmental issues impacting Western Pennsylvania. In this challenge, you’ll create a script and film a short skit that captures the spirit of a town hall. Choose a local environmental problem, develop a realistic solution and present it to an audience as if you were hosting a public meeting. During your skit, you’ll open the “floor” to feedback, showcasing both the positive and negative aspects of your solution. Your goal is to explore the pros and cons of the issue thoughtfully, considering the diverse viewpoints that a real town hall would address

In real-life, town hall meetings are a vital part of local government, allowing citizens to gather, voice their concerns and provide input on important community decisions. These meetings offer a platform for open discussion between the public and their elected officials, promoting transparency and civic participation. The goal is to foster dialogue, weigh different perspectives and find common ground for solutions to local issues. Through this challenge, you’ll learn how town halls function, how they encourage community engagement, and how leaders balance multiple viewpoints to make informed decisions. In your conclusion, you’ll decide the final outcome, drawing on the suggestions and comments from your “audience.” This challenge encourages critical thinking, public speaking and creative storytelling, while empowering you to be an active voice for environmental change.

Videos should be between 2 and 4 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.

School Submits: Challenge Entry Form, video, resources list

Resources:

• Town Hall Meeting Guide
• Town Hall Toolkit
• Town Hall Meeting Guide
• NPR: Climate change: How it’s likely to affect Pennsylvania | StateImpact Pennsylvania 
• Department of Environmental Protection: Impacts
• WESA: Climate Change Is Already Affecting Western PA, How Can We Manage The Inevitable Effects? | 90.5 WESA

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

• Grades 9 – 12

Grades 9 – 12

• 4.1.10.A Examine the effects of limiting factors on population dynamics. 
  • Analyze possible causes of population fluctuations.
  • Explain the concept of carrying capacity in an ecosystem.
  • Describe how organisms become classified as threatened or endangered.
  • Describe how limiting factors cause organisms to become extinct.
• 4.1.10.B Explain the consequences of interrupting natural cycles.
• 4.1.10.E Analyze how humans influence the pattern of natural changes (e.g. primary / secondary succession and desertification) in ecosystems over time.
• 4.3.10.B Analyze how humans manage and distribute natural resources. 
  • Describe the use of a natural resource with an emphasis on the environmental consequences of extracting, processing, transporting, using, and disposing of it.
  • Analyze the impact of technology on the management, distribution, and disposal of natural resources.
• 4.5.10.A Explain how public policy encourages or discourages the sustainable use of natural resources. Research laws and policies that address the sustainable use of natural resources (e.g., solid and liquid waste management, industry, agriculture and enterprise).
• 4.1.12.A Analyze the significance of biological diversity in an ecosystem. 
  • Explain how species adapt to limiting factors in an ecosystem.
  • Analyze the differences between natural causes and human causes of extinction. 
  • Research wildlife management laws and their effects on biodiversity.
• 4.1.12.B Research solutions to problems caused by interrupting natural cycles.
• 4.1.12.C Research how humans affect energy flow within an ecosystem. Describe the impact of industrial, agricultural, and commercial enterprises on an ecosystem
• 4.1.12.E Research solutions addressing human impacts on ecosystems over time.

 

• Other Possible Standards (depending on the direction of the speech):
• 4.5.10.C Analyze real-world data and explain how point and non-point source pollution can be detected and eliminated. 
  • Compare and contrast the environmental effects of different industrial strategies.
• 4.5.10.D Evaluate various methods of managing waste as related to economic, environmental, and technological factors.
• 4.2.12.C Analyze the effects of policies and regulations at various governmental levels on water quality. 
  • Assess the intended and unintended effects of public polices and regulations relating to water quality.
• 4.3.12.A Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using renewable and nonrenewable resources.
  • Explain how consumption rate affects the sustainability of resource use.
  • Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using renewable resources such as solar power, wind power, and biofuels.

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