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Who's in our schoolyard?
Our schoolyards are teeming with fascinating living things (besides the students). we just have to look! To explore "Who's there?" students make observations and ask questions, the most important skills of any ecologist! Our first visit focused on familiarizing students with the diverse abundance of organisms in their schoolyards, and on encouraging them to pose questions about the colors, patterns, textures, and behaviors they observed. Prior to this visit, we suggested that teachers conduct the inquiry Ecologists Make Careful Observations! (pdf format) to introduce certain areas around their schoolyards and surprise students with the amazing diversity of natural objects to be found. For this visit, we conducted a modified version of the inquiry The Expert Naturalist: Experience through Observing (pdf format). In particular, we adapted the inquiry to focus specifically on observations relating to phenology, such as leaf color, seedheads, and signs of insect preparation for winter. The inquiry was presented as a "scavenger hunt" for these various signs of fall. At the end of the visit, students participated in a reflective discussion about their observations and brainstormed questions about what the organisms in their schoolyards were doing to prepare for winter. |
