Driven by their love of animals and nature, students will identify an environmental problem affecting aquatic or Wisconsin habitats and evaluate possible solutions using credible research. Teams will study Wisconsin regions, animal traits and survival, habitats, invasive species, and human impacts with support from MMSD, the DNR, and Wher Nature Center. Students will write an informational piece, create a persuasive conservation project, and apply multiplication, area, and addition to design an event layout and manage a supply budget. They will present their cause and proposed solution at a faux charity event for families, other students, and community members, using feedback and reflection to strengthen their work.

Students will explain how Wisconsin regions and sea environments shape animal traits, habitats, survival, and the effects of invasive species and human activity. They will research an environmental or community problem, evaluate source reliability, write an informational piece, and propose realistic conservation solutions informed by MMSD, DNR, and Wher Nature Center experts. Teams will use multiplication, area, and addition to design an event-space layout and manage a supply budget for a faux charity event. Students will collaborate, use feedback to revise their work, and persuasively present why their cause deserves support to families, students, and community members.

Student teams will create a research notebook and informational piece explaining a Wisconsin or sea-related environmental problem, its effects on animals, plants, and people, and evidence-based solutions. They will develop a persuasive conservation display or model showing their cause and why others should support it, using feedback from peers and partners such as MMSD, DNR, and Wher Nature Center. Teams will also produce a scaled event-room layout using multiplication and area and an itemized charity-event budget using addition. At the final exhibition, students will present these products and a clear call to action to families, community members, and other students.

Launch with a “Wildlife Rescue Mission” featuring photos, maps, and safe artifacts that reveal pollution, invasive species, or habitat loss affecting sea life and animals across Wisconsin regions. Students rotate through observation stations, identify animal traits and habitat needs, and record clues about how the environment affects plants, animals, and people. A guest or video message from MMSD, DNR, or Wher Nature Center challenges teams to choose a problem, explore possible solutions, and plan a charity event that inspires community action. End with students creating a “What we notice, wonder, and want to protect” wall to guide their research.

Host a student-led conservation charity showcase for families, community members, other students, and representatives from MMSD, the DNR, and Wehr Nature Center. Teams will display their scaled event-space layouts, itemized budgets, and research-based campaigns explaining a Wisconsin or marine environmental problem, its effects on living things, and possible solutions. Visitors can “donate” play money to causes after hearing each team’s persuasive presentation, while teachers assess informational writing, source credibility, environmental understanding, collaboration, and accurate use of multiplication, addition, and area. Students will conclude by reflecting on visitor feedback, their contributions, and how their work could support real conservation efforts.