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We were the project leads for this multi-organization effort to create a new way of teaching about our ocean planet. Together with Santa Barbara Middle School, we gathered a board of experts with experience at NOAA, UCSB, The Nature Conservancy, and National Geographic. Our goal: to showcase how the California Channel Islands are a living classroom like none other. We created and managed all of the editorial and graphic design that went into a 400 page illustrated “untextbook” about the islands, as well as built out an accompanying website and support materials for K-12 teachers.
We had seen first-hand the impact that these magical islands have on students who might not consider themselves scientists or history buffs. On several exploratory islands expeditions with middle school students, observed what resonated with them most: the places and the stories. Told by rangers and marine biologists, deckhands and fishermen. Tales of the islands and their surrounding waters stuck with the kids more than any diagram or essay ever could.
Recognizing this, we proposed reframing the teaching of core science and history topics around stories instead of third person prose. We would create an “untextbook”—a volume of narratives told by those who knew the islands best.
Chumash elders and marine biologists. Urchin divers and surfers. Giant Coreopsis and blue whales. This collection of stories would be called Island Visions.
We put together a scaffolding of eight core themes—local phenomena that would allow us to explore global issues. Kelp forests would explain biodiversity. The Chumash experience would shed light on Spanish colonial expansion and the horrors of the Missions. The island fox would illuminate the complexities of modern conservation efforts. With the help of an advisory board that had decades of experience researching and documenting the islands, we began looking for the voices that would fill this ambitious tome.
As the authored stories came in, we wove everything together with a larger meta-narrative. The goal was to take students out to the islands, wow them with the wonder, and show them why caring about these tiny dots of land can be a bridge to protecting this little blue marble that we all share. If it could be illustrated instead of written in black and white text, we did it. Pages filled with over 1000 drawings, maps, and graphics that we crafted by hand. We wanted this to appeal to all styles of learners: from the fact-hungry stats nerd to the margin doodler who couldn’t care less about essays—and everyone in between.
After several rounds of proofs and editorial guidance, we were ready to go to press. What started as a simple curriculum design project had turned into a 400 page hardcover volume with beautiful photos and hand-drawn illustrations on every page. Packed with words and wisdom written by everyone from Dr. Sylvia Earle to Patagonia Surf Ambassador Liz Clark to Oholone-Costanoan poet Deborah Mirandah.
This new style of textbook invited students of all ages to look out the window, across the waves, and wonder.
Thanks to several generous donors, we were able to offer a buy-one-get-one offer to schools up and down the California coast. Island Visions is now an officially approved educational resource in Santa Barbara and Oxnard School Districts. It has been adopted by dozens of classrooms across California. 4th graders re-imagining their Missions projects. AP Environmental Science students looking for local context. Future marine biologists and science teachers at UC Santa Barbara and CSU Channel Islands. We also launched a companion website that both gives a preview of the book, and provides sample lesson modules for teachers looking for new ways to bring the island wonder to their classrooms. We can’t wait to see the next generation of scientists and stewards inspired by these stories!
