OLD FORGE - When Pat Warunek was asked to think of a lesson plan that would keep a class of nine gifted sixth-graders occupied for a school year, designing a house seemed too easy.
But a class brainstorming session helped to build on the original idea.
Each of her students will design and construct a 3-D model home that incorporates some form of green technology.
"When I realized it was for the whole year, it needed to be a multi-faceted project," Mrs. Warunek said.
To help with the project, she began the process to apply for a $500 Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority grant in early November and secured the funds in late December.
Since the project will require a lot of research, she plans to use some of the funds to buy an iPad for the students to use.
Already, the fruits of her students' research are providing ideas. On Friday, one of her students approached her with an idea of using a windmill to generate electricity. She suggested a waterwheel for hydroelectric power. Other students are incorporating solar panels to fulfill project requirements.
"I want them to be creative," Mrs. Warunek said. "I want that upper level thinking."
The homes would each be made out of whatever the students can find - cardboard, spoons, straws and the lids off containers, to name a few. Mrs. Warunek said that teaches resourcefulness.
"Teamwork, communication skills, analytical thinking," Mrs. Warunek said, naming lessons she hopes to impart. "How to substitute things for something else."
She also wants to use the funds to take her students on field trips to the Catlin House on Monroe Avenue in Scranton and the Scranton Cultural Center on North Washington Avenue in the hope that the architecture at the two locations will inspire more ideas in her students.
District Superintendent R. Scott Jeffery said that he is happy Mrs. Warunek took the initiative to apply for the grant, adding that anytime the teacher takes the time and effort to go "above and beyond" what they are contractually obligated to do is a good thing.
"It's going to be great for our kids," Mr. Jeffery said. "There are going to be other kids at some point in the future that it's going to be great for as well."
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter