Science Quest Builds Understanding of Natural Resources

In a recent science unit at Naples Middle High School, the Savvas Science Quest played a central role in helping students develop a deeper understanding of natural resources. Through a series of inquiry-driven lessons, Ms. Zabinski, a seventh-grade science teacher, and Mr. Macone, an AAPS teacher, guided students as they explored essential questions, analyzed scientific evidence, and drew informed conclusions about how humans use and are affected by Earth’s natural resources. The collaborative, hands-on structure of the Science Quest supported both rigorous critical thinking and meaningful student engagement.

The project allowed students to explore natural resources using the Savvas curriculum alongside other approved DoWEA digital tools and resources. Instruction centered on a real-world research focus as students investigated a town or region that had boomed, busted, or remained in balance based on its reliance on a specific natural resource. This approach helped students connect scientific concepts to economic, environmental, and social outcomes.

A key component of the unit was co-teaching with Advanced Academic Programs and Services. Through collaboration with Mr. Macone, instruction was differentiated to provide students with multiple entry points into scientific inquiry. The co-teaching model ensured that all learners had access to high-level questioning strategies and opportunities for deeper analysis as they examined how resource use shaped communities over time.

Throughout the unit, students strengthened research skills by gathering information from Savvas texts, evaluating the credibility of supplemental sources, and analyzing real-world data. They compared renewable resources such as solar and wind energy with nonrenewable resources like coal, oil, and natural gas, paying close attention to how these resources influenced the sustainability of towns and regions. Students examined environmental impacts, economic growth, population changes, and long-term viability, using evidence to support claims about why certain locations thrived, declined, or maintained equilibrium.

Student voice and choice were integral to the project design. Students selected a product format that aligned with their interests and strengths, including dioramas, tri-fold posters, Google Slides presentations, scientific research papers, podcasts, or video tours of Minecraft digital models that showcased towns built around specific natural resources. One student reported enjoying the hands-on experiences in Ms. Zabinski’s science class. Another student shared that the Boom and Bust project allowed them to be creative with resources while collaborating with other students and working within guidelines.

By combining the structured inquiry of Savvas Science Quests, the instructional support of AAPS co-teaching, and the flexibility of student-driven projects, Ms. Zabinski’s unit fostered curiosity, ownership, and deeper comprehension of how natural resource decisions can shape communities. Students left the project with a stronger grasp of natural resources and with research, analysis, and communication skills that support future scientific inquiry.