Pomfret School students are using current environmental reporting as classroom material, according to an October 8 school account of its environmental science program.
Teacher Annie O’Sullivan’s recurring assignment asks students to explain an article’s central findings, add context and develop questions. The school says topics this year have included wildfire research, artificial reefs intended to limit coastal erosion, waste-to-energy plants and research into pesticides and health.
One recent presentation examined controlled house-burning experiments described in a news article. The classroom discussion included the tradeoffs involved in keeping combustible materials close to homes.
The report describes how students evaluate environmental questions; it does not independently establish the scientific findings in the articles they selected. This account is attributed to Pomfret School, which is a boarding and day high school in Pomfret.