Essays

• Expand upon a few key points in the Creativity section rather than listing everything that comes to mind
• For “Use of Funds” section, the more specific the better. For example, include a realistic list of items to be bought, quantity, and cost; include a statement of which classes will benefit from and how student learning will be impacted with the purchase of these items

Lesson Plan

• Lesson plan should be concise, readable and complete
• Lesson plan should be rigorous, contain accurate science content, and include inquiry-based activities.
• Lesson itself fulfills standards, goals and objectives outlined by teacher and connects to student interests
• Lesson is tied in to previous lessons and thus builds on prior knowledge that students have
• Students are involved in the design and implementation of a lesson that develops conceptual understanding, instead of reiterating factual knowledge
• Assessment asks students to apply their understanding rather than restate facts
• Lesson plan explicitly identifies which part of the plan is part of a packaged curriculum and which part is the participant’s contribution
• If the lesson relates to environmental studies, there should be a clear science component to it in addition to policy components
• Limit appendices and additional content. Judges will skim this information and rarely review websites and additional outside content provided.