Read Aloud the Text Content

This audio was created by Woord's Text to Speech service by content creators from all around the world.

Text Content or SSML code:

In the next 50 years, up to one third of the world’s plant and animal species may be lost forever due to loss or degradation of natural habitats. Native bee populations are particularly threatened. Land and real estate development is critical for human life, but disrupts the ecosystems that are essential for pollinators like bees. Fewer bees impacts the health of countless ecosystems, as well as farming and food production. This is especially true in places like central Florida where land development is booming. Our learners wanted to do something about this problem.. RevX Facilitator Lizzy Sanders created a module to address habitat loss in central Florida with young learners. Young people were primed with virtual reality and video games to discover the challenge from the perspective of an endangered animal. Then they stepped into the shoes of an Ecologist: conducting field observations at real estate development site in Osceola County, Florida. Curiosity and discussions pushed learners to think about the tension between new developments for humans and natural habitats for our plants and animals. Learners closely Examined the causes and effects of habitat destruction through informational text, interviews, and generating questions. Motivated by what they were uncovering, the group created a podcast to share their findings with friends and family Along the way, the learners grew together as a community participating in different reflection and team building activities. Each RevX session started and ended with Circle: a space for learners to reflect on their behaviors, strengths, and areas of growth, as well as ask for support from others. Break times included fun games like water relays and boats races, and they even started a running club! When looking for ways to address this challenge, Lizzy met the team at Synapse STEM School. Synapse works to empower young people by developing their skills in modern technology. Partnering with Synapse, the group was able to learn a new technology that would help them solve their challenge: 3D modeling! 3D modeling is a $32 billion + industry, leading innovation in nearly every sector, including medicine and housing construction. In teams, learners sketched blueprints of 3D modeled Bee Homes and worked with the experts at Synapse to determine the viability of their designs. With their feedback in mind, the learners made adjustments to their designs and produced a final prototype using TinkerCAD, a 3D printing software. With their products in tow learners got ready to put their designs into action. They carefully selected an area where the bees needed it most. Over the next few days, the learners observed their bee homes by taking photos and collecting data. They assessed the effectiveness of their solutions, and considered possible changes for improvement. With their solutions in place, the learners needed to decide the best way to share their learning journey with others. As a group, the learners created a presentation for friends and family members. They shared their stories and answered questions about their solutions and learning. Individually, learners chose a project they were passionate about as a way to share with their challenge with their community. This included podcasts, 2D Digital drawing, infographics, and Tiktok to spread their message about saving bees. As the RevX experience came to a close, the learners reflected on the personal challenges they overcame, and how they see themselves now as Change Makers. Our young people… • Learned about how to deal with frustration • Used tinkercad 3d modeling • Experienced working with a client