Challenge 4
Welcome to the middle school challenge page for Challenge 4 of the Fairchild Challenge! Read below to find challenge information, entry requirements, resources and more for the challenge.
Challenge 4: Photojournalism
Title: Looking Through the Lens
Due: Fri., Feb. 15 by 5 p.m.
For indivduals
Download the Challenge 4 Rubric
Your Challenge:
Pictures are a great way to tell a story. In this challenge, you will explore the role nature plays in your everyday life through the lens of photography. Your task is to capture three original photographs that showcase how nature influences you or those around you. These could be images of plants, animals, outdoor activities, or landscapes that reflect the natural world’s impact on your daily experiences. Think about how nature makes you feel, what it means to you, and how it shapes your life.
In total, each entry should contain 3 photographs. Along with each photograph, you will write a short "artist's description" (50–100 words) explaining the connection between the image and your personal experiences. Describe why you chose this particular subject, how it relates to your relationship with nature, and what message you hope to convey through the photo. The goal of this challenge is to not only capture beautiful moments but also to tell a story about how nature is an important part of your life, community, or the world around you. Select entries will be displayed in the Center for Sustainable Landscapes Gallery.
Entry Requirements: Deliver to the high school programs coordinator Alyssa Mulé at Phipps in person or via certified mail (electronic submission is not accepted for this challenge):
- Challenge Entry Form
- Include school name and participating students’ names
- Please submit a maximum of 2 entries per school (each entry should have 3 photographs and 3 artist statements)
Please deliver to:
ATTN: Research & Science Education Department
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
c/o The Fairchild Challenge Coordinator
One Schenley Park
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Resources: The following list of online resources may be used when preparing your entry:
- 10 One-Day Photography Activities to Keep Students "Focused" Until the End of the Year - The Art of Education University
- Getting Youth to Focus on Nature
- Here's how kids can take wildlife photographs like a Nat Geo pro
- Native Plant Initiative — Garden Club of Allegheny County
CC.3.5.6-8.J By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
C.3.6.6-8.C Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CC.3.6.6-8.D With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
CC.3.6.6-8.E Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
CC.3.6.6-8.F Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
CC.3.6.6-8.G Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
CC.3.6.6-8.H Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
CC.3.6.6-8.I Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
3.1.6.A1 Describe the similarities and differences of major physical characteristics in plants, animals, fungi, protists, and bacteria.
3.1.6.A2 Describe how energy derived from the sun is used by plants to produce sugars (photosynthesis) and is transferred within a food chain from producers (plants) to consumers to decomposers.
3.1.6.A5 Describe basic structures that plants and animals have that contribute to their ability to make or find food and reproduce.
3.1.6.C1 Differentiate between instinctive and learned animal behaviors that relate to survival.
4.4.6.A Explain how different plants and animals in the United States have specific growing requirements related to climate and soil conditions.
3.1.7.A1 Describe the similarities and differences of physical characteristics in diverse organisms.
3.1.7.A2 Describes how organisms obtain and use energy throughout their lives.
