Clarissa Torres holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Arts in Teaching with a secondary education science focus from Chaminade University of Honolulu. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and holds a California Single Subject Teaching Credential with English Learner Authorization. Clarissa has been teaching since 2022 and currently serves as an online high school teacher and academic adviser, specializing in onboarding digital skills for grades 9–12.
In this lesson, students learn about the connection between sustainability and survival and the importance of Native Hawaiian sustainability practices.
Inquire: Students play a collaborative fishing game to explore the connection between sustainability and survival.
Investigate: Students learn about the term sustainability and about Native Hawaiian sustainability practices for survival by learning about Native Hawaiian fishponds.
Inspire: Students develop a presentation on their solution for overfishing based on the information that they learned about Native Hawaiian sustainability practices.
In this lesson, students explore the components of a landfill, focusing on how landfill liners prevent leaks and learning how solid waste is one of the causes of climate change.
Step 1 - Inquire: Students learn how long it takes for a plastic bottle to decompose and the importance of landfill design to protect groundwater.
Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn the components of landfill designs.
Step 3 - Inspire: Students experiment with different materials to find out which material is best at preventing water leakage and relate the experiment to landfill engineering.
In this lesson, students learn about the importance of water conservation as it relates to a changing climate, create a timeline of Native Hawaiian sustainability practices, and promote a law to address water conservation in their community.
Step 1 - Inquire: Students learn about the importance of water conservation.
Step 2 - Investigate: Students learn where their drinking water comes from, calculate their water footprint, and learn about Native Hawaiian sustainability practices to conserve water.
Step 3 - Inspire: Students review past water conservation policies as inspiration for creating and promoting new conservation policies.
