Challenge 6
Welcome to the middle school challenge page for Challenge 6 of the Fairchild Challenge! Read below to find challenge information, entry requirements, resources and more for the challenge.
Challenge 6
Title: My Biophilic Study
For Individuals | 200 points
Maximum Number of Entries per School: 2
Due Date: Fri., April 25, 2025 by 5 p.m.
Your Challenge:
For this challenge, you’ll explore the concept of biophilia; the idea that humans have an innate connection to nature. Over two consecutive weeks of your choosing, you will complete the attached survey/journal to track your relationship with the outdoors. Within the “Resources”, you will find a Digital Journal. Prior to the first week, fill out the first page titled “Initial Questions”. By completing the initial survey, you will be able to assess your mental and physical state prior to Week 1. During Week 1, go about your daily routine as usual. Using the Digital Journal, answer daily survey questions and take note of how much time you spend outside, if any.
In Week 2, make an active effort to spend more time outdoors. This could include activities like eating meals outside, biking, walking, hanging out with friends in a park or just relaxing in your yard. Like Week 1, you will fill out a daily survey and take note of any consistencies or changes that you experience or observe. The goal is to see if increasing your outdoor time affects your mood and overall well-being.
At the end of the two weeks, you will create a posterboard summarizing your experience. This should include before-and-after comparisons of how you felt during both weeks and how your attitudes may have changed. Be sure to include pictures that document your outdoor activities. This challenge will help you better understand the impact that nature has on your mind and body and encourage you to find new ways to connect with the environment around you.
Entry Requirements: Deliver to the High School Programs Coordinator at Phipps in-person.
- Challenge Entry Form
- For completion by individual students
- Maximum Number of Entries per School: 2
- Research presented in a tri-fold poster format with at least 3 Works Cited
- Poster includes:
- Photos from both weeks that showcase your outdoor activities.
- A written reflection that answers the following:
- How did you feel mentally and physically after spending more time outside?
- How did your mood and energy levels compare between the two weeks?
- Were there specific activities that had the most impact?
- What surprised you during this challenge?
- Include data points, such as hours spent outside, mood ratings, or the number of outdoor activities you did.
- Show a comparison of your first and second week (via a chart, diagram or timeline).
- Include creative elements (like drawings, quotes, or creative visuals) that express your connection to nature.
- Include a call to action or reflection on how you’ll continue to engage with nature after this challenge.
Resources:
- Digital Journal (Save your own copy!)
- Biophilia: Does Visual Contact with Nature Impact on Health and Wellbeing - PMC
- The mental health benefits of nature: Spending time outdoors to refresh your mind - Mayo Clinic Press
- The wellness benefits of the great outdoors | US Forest Service
- Want to boost your mental health? Take a walk
- More evidence that exercise can boost mood - Harvard Health
- 4.1.6.D Explain the costs and benefits of recycling in controlling resource use.
- 4.2.6.C Identify natural and human-made factors that affect water quality.
- 4.5.6.A Examine how historical events have shaped the sustainable use of natural resources.
- CC.3.5.6-8.A Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
- CC.3.5.6-8.D Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics.
- CC.3.5.6-8.G Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph or table).
- CC.3.5.6-8.H Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings and speculation in a text.
- CC.3.5.6-8.I Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
- 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.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.
