Galaxy Guardians Puppet Show

The Galaxy Guardians curriculum is designed for preschool - 3rd grade students who are, for the purposes of Lifesmart Education, underserved. The curriculum has been designed to coincide with the demands of a typical young peoples curriculum, keeping in mind that youth who are underserved often have fewer resources available to them and therefore have not necessarily learned some of the basics, either due to educator constraints or system constraints. Therefore, some of the ideas conveyed in the curriculum are simple enough to be grasped by a variety of academic levels, but they are presented in a manner which is consistent with the standards of education for their grade level. 

The Galaxy Guardians curriculum provides recognition at multiple levels for curriculum completion. These include the bronze, silver, and gold levels of achievement. When a student achieves certain levels of completion, they will receive a digital badge and, as part of this curriculum, a coordinating award certificate can be printed. The digital badge is a way of showing one’s achievements in the technological world. The digital badge can be displayed via social media sites, web sites, phone and computer applications, etc. The certificate serves as a physical reminder of one’s achievements. Positive reinforcement has been proven to increase one’s behavior, in this case learning, by way of extrinsic motivation. 

The digital badges and coordinating certificates of achievement serve, then, to fulfill this method of reinforcement which will increase the level of student buy-in and overall achievement. 

The Galaxy Guardians curriculum can be used as a standalone curriculum or as a complementary curriculum meant to add depth to the current classroom experience. The curriculum is divided into categories as follows: 

• Wildlife Warriors (wildlife conservation principles)
• Gaia Guards (land conservation)
• Hydro Heroes (water conservation)
• Debris Defenders (trash reduction)
• Power Patrons (energy conservation)

Note that the curriculum, as it relates to subject wording and artistic presentation, is related to the terminology and art of the galaxy. The idea for the curriculum came from conservation principles and the popular film Guardians of the Galaxy. 

Within the categories listed above, students will be introduced to the subject matter through the use of five academic fields. These fields include science, math, language arts, global citizenship, and creativity. The science portions focus on basic science principles. The math portions focus on relating basic math principles to everyday life and usage. The language arts activities focus on basic reading and writing skills. Global citizenship work will further knowledge about different cultures around the world. 

The curriculum allows for individual learning even when utilized in a group setting. This allows for sharing and collaborating with other students to highlight how, even within our own small communities, there are individual and colloquial influences which make us each unique. Educators should lead the students to celebrate each person’s uniqueness and explain how each person’s individual beliefs and contributions make our society more colorful and interesting. Tolerance for others should be promoted on an ongoing basis.