FFCHS teachers create cross-curricular class that gets students outdoors

For the past 15 years, FFCHS teachers Amber and Charles Jeffords have had to go out of their way to see each other at school, but this year they see each other every day during 6th period. 

The married couple launched a cross-curricular class that combines both their passions- social studies and science. The class is called Geo-Geo of the National Parks where students learn about the geography and geology of parks.

“He’s a geology teacher and I’m a geography teacher. We also have a dog named ‘Geo’ I mean it really all lined up and came together,” said Amber. 

The couple was inspired to create this class after their own family trip to a national park. 

“We were going back and forth about, ‘here’s the human interaction, and here is the geography of it’ and we thought this could be an awesome class for our students,” said Charles. 

The class was a hit with over 200 students interested, but only 60 spots available. Since the class is double the size of a regular class, it’s held in the auditorium to fit everyone. The Jeffords say they run it similarly to a college class

“It opens up so many opportunities for us to move around and get the kids moving around and the giant screen has been pretty cool to utilize too,” said Charles. 

The students like the different format. 

“ I think it helps prepare us for college and things in our real life,” said junior Eden Shain.

“I’ve always been self-driven when it comes to classes. It just gives us a lot more freedom,” said senior Anthony Leger. 

Class is also sometimes held outside. Throughout the year, students go on field trips to local parks to apply what they have learned. Some areas they’ve visited include Red Rock Canyon Trail and the Paint Mines. 

“It’s been really cool to take them to places and to show them these unique features that are 30 minutes from their house and also try to get an excitement for being outdoors,” said Charles. 

“For the kids who have been to a lot of our local parks, they’ve expressed to us that they have never seen it through the lens we’ve presented it,” said Amber. 

This hands-on approach is what drew many students to this class in the first place. 

“I really love to be outside and I think it’s interesting and fun to learn,” said Shain. 

“We get to journal and take pictures of all of the features that we are learning about in class and it’s just a really cool experience,” said senior Audra Yocum. “I feel like it’s kind of really drilling into our brains exactly what we are learning in class and the importance of all of it too.” 

 

Not only has this been a learning experience for the students –but for the Jeffords too. 

“ It’s fun to be able to see her [Amber] run with it and relate things that I would never have thought to relate and that I can use in my other classes,” said Charles. 

“And I find myself perking up when I hear him [Charles] talking about geology stuff that I didn’t know. Every day I learn from him and it’s just really a fun part of the day,” said Amber. 

The Jeffords hope that their class inspires other cross-curricular classes at FFCHS in the future. 

“Maybe math and science can work together or language arts and social studies or music and math,” said Amber. “We know this is one of those outside-the-box classes, but we are just grateful for the district always supporting and encouraging this.”

Watch a video about the class here.