Authentic FIELD ECOLOGY EXPERIENCES for Teachers

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by PDXScholar Portland State University PDXScholar Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations Environmental Science and Management 2002 Authentic Field Ecology Experiences for Teachers Marion Dresner Portland State University, dresnem@pdx.edu Andrew Moldenke Oregon State University Let us know how access to this document benefits you. Follow this and additional works at: http://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/esm_fac Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons, and the Science and Mathematics Education Commons Citation Details M. Dresner, A. Moldenke. Authentic field ecology experiences for teachers. American Biology Teacher Vol.64 (8). 2002. pp. 659-663. This Article is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. For more information, please contact pdxscholar@pdx.edu. Authentic FILD ECOLOGYEXPERIENCES for Teachers MARIONDRESNER can still help make discoveries about vT new species and their ecologicalrelationships, even at the beginningof the 21st century.Scienceteachers have several opportunities to work alongside field biologists and carry out many authentic field studies throughout the United States and abroad.This paper will focus on one teacherfield researchexperiencesituated in the PacificNorthwest. Conductingauthentic scientific field work involves worthwhileand meaningfulexperiencesin constructing new and meaningful scientific knowledge. This work must be of high quality and be useful to scientists outside of the context of school, typicallyscientistsat a natural resourceagency.Teacherswho spend time collecting useful scientific data tend to develop an in-depth understandingof the topic,and areusuallymotivatedto continueto deepen theirskills and understanding.Their excitementspills over into how they teach; their classroom becomes imbued with renewed enthusiasm. Typically,they use authenticprojectworkwith students, Ph.D.,is an Assistant Professorat PortlandState MARIONDRESNER, University, Center for Science Education, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207; dresnermfpdx.edu.ANDREW is an Assistant Professorat OregonState Universityin the Departmentof Entomology,Oregon State University, Corvallis,OR97331;moldenka@ava.bcc.orst.edu. MOLDENKE,Ph.D., ANDREWMOLDENKE where they often see improved student academic performance(Newmannet al., 1996). Pacific NW State Standards mandate science inquiry,but most teachershavenot been taughtto teach science using inquiry techniques. Through our four years of experience working with teachers, we have found that most need to participatein a science inquiry projectthemselvesbeforethey can begin to include it in a meaningfulway into their own practice.Teachersalso need to experiencea meaningfulauthenticfield science projectfor themselvesbeforebeing capableof providing one of sufficientintellectualqualityfor their students. Hands-on learning experiences through projectbased activities can lead to broad-rangingbenefits for student learning.Evidencegatheredfrommore than 60 schools, collectedvia site-visits,interviews,surveys,and comparisonson standardizedtest scores show that students learnmore effectivelywith environmentally-based content (Leiberman& Hoody, 1998). Analysis of academic achievementcomparingthese programswith traditional ones shows that 92% of students in programs where the environmentwas the integrativecontext for learning academicallyoutperformedtheir peers in traditional programs.These students earned better scores in science achievementtests, were better able to apply science in real-worldsituations,and had greaterenthusiasm and interestin learningscience. 659 EXPERIENCES FIELD ECOLOGY Krupka(2000) emphasizes the importanceof fostering a new generation of scientific naturalists. He describesthe benefits of ecologicalexerciseson or near the school campus, and for field trips to comparable sites awayfrom the school grounds.This trainingcould providemore widespreadsupport for specific conservation biology issues and support for the maintenanceof biological diversity.Middle and high school-aged students who participatedin field work in ecology would have a better foundationfor futurecareerchoices in the biologicalsciences. The forests of the Pacific Northwest are diverse, containing many unexplored ecological processes and organisms.The opportunityto make a direct contribution has been extended to teachers through programs like Teachersin the Woods. Duringa six-weeksummer program,each has a significantexperiencedoing monitoring work alongside field biologists. The teachersgo on to createan authenticfield projectfor theirstudents. One outstanding example of authentic field research work involving teachers has been projects monitoring for diversityof terrestrialinvertebrates. Terrestrial Invertebrates Invertebratemonitoring has been widespread in Europe for the past 20 years and has become increasingly important in North America.Invertebratemonitoring is used as an independent assay of widespread long-termecological processes. For example, a change in species composition can indicate a significant decrease in water quality,which subsequently can be more carefullychecked. Invertebratesare also used as a surrogateto indicatefine-scaleproblems;since they are both ecologically diverse and respond rapidly to change,they allow for the rapid assessment of different alternativeland management practices. In forests, all management procedures from clear-cutting,establishment of riparianreservebuffers or preservationof old growth have strong effects on ecosystem biodiversity. Invertebratemonitoringis often the easiest method to observe decade-longrecoveryperiods. The abundance, diversity,and naturalhistoriesof species of soil-dwelling arthropodsare easy for teachersand students to monitor,and it is criticalto document theirresponses to land managementtechniques. In the forests of the PacificNorthwest the relationship between soil health and forestpolicy is recognized as being of particularconcern in the KlamathRegionof southwesternOregonand northwesternCalifornia.Not only is it known that species, both plants and arthropods alike,are far more likely to be of limited local distribution and hence more likely for extinction in this region, but conifer species are far more physiologically stressed and soil conditions arefarmore fragile.Certain logging practiceshave been shown to upset soil ecology and result in irretrievableabilityto grow trees on previously forested sites. Soil ecological relations between the myriad of fungi, bacteria and invertebrates are extremely complex. Invertebratesare currently being monitored as sensitive indicators of overall soil health with the help of local science teachers. The Northwest Forest Plan, the dominant management guideline for PacificNorthwest National Forests, has radicallyreshaped how forests are to be managed. Instead of managing for a single species, such as for Douglas fir or spotted owls, the plan is based upon understandingthe forest as a complex ecosystem. The health of the ecosystem is dependent upon the integrity of numerousfundamentalprocesses,such as nutrient recycling.Since arthropodsparticipatein or drive most of these processes, it is criticalto monitor them. Their presence can indicate fundamental characteristicsof ecosystems change far more rapidly than botanical monitoring can reveal. Since funding for long term research projects such as this is extremely limited, teachers who receive training through the Teachersin the Woods program are allies in helping gather this valuable information in participatingnational Forests throughoutthe PacificNorthwest. A pitfalltrapmethod is used to collect invertebrates. The trapsare set out in a grid of 12 trapsplaced as deep as possible within the forest stand so as not to capture "forestedge" species. Relevant ecological information about the site, such as soil duff thickness or canopy closure,is collected.Once the trapsareset, they areleft out for about two to three weeks. Then, the traps are collected and the invertebratesare sorted out and grouped according to obvious physical similarities. Even advancedelementarystudents can sort them to the family level and keep track of the number of each type. Experts are necessary to correctly sort them into species. A web site has been createdto help sort out terrestrialinvertebrates:www.ent.orst.edu/comtesa. Teachers in the Woods The Teachersin the Woods program,funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation,provides trainingfor middle and high school teachersand places them in a variety of monitoring and researchprojects working alongside biologists in National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges, and National Parks. This experience allows them to expand their role from educator to becoming a contributingmember of a team of scientists making a direct contribution towards better forest management practices. Once having this fieldbased experience in ecosystem functioning, teachers have the knowledge,motivation,and skills necessary to develop their own projects for their own students. 2002 64,NO.9,NOVEMBER/DECEMBER BIOLOGYTEACHER,VOLUME AMERICAN 660 THE Projectstaff provide teachers with continued contacts and support to help them implementtheir own project. Most of these teachers have developed their own student projectinvolvingauthenticfield-baseddata collection. Manyof these projectsinvolve the participation of a local natural resource agency or citizen's group, such as the Bear Creek Watershed Council and Metropolitan Portland's Regional Greenspaces and Portland'sCity Parks.For example, a Portland,Oregon high school class monitored a rare plant growing at a popular mountain biking destination. Students designed and implementeda monitoringplan and presented a Conservation Strategy to the local parks department. A middle school class in Grants Pass, Oregonstudied tree growth on the school grounds and tried to find correlations between growth rate and atmospheric factors, such as climate. A Vancouver, Washingtonhigh school class monitored the nitrogen levels in forest soils before and aftera controlledburn. A middle school class in Eugene, Oregon studied the factorsgoverning changes in color patterns on pacific tree frogs to determine if these patterns could be used to identifyindividualsusing photographs.A high school class in Helena, Montanastudied the effects of grazing on the grasslandecosystem. Many of these projects were organized to allow small groups of students to conduct variationswithin the majortheme of the study. Allowing student choice within the context of a class projecthelps them build on their strengthsand interests.As is suggested by educational researcherLinda Darling-Hammond(1996), students were encouragedto feel more confidentand capable in school by allowing them opportunitiesfor practice, debriefing, and making revisions because their work "counted"within the scientificcommunity. Case Studies of Two Teachers Susan, a middle school teacher from Portland, Oregon,spent her four weeks of summer researchprimarilyat the RandallResearchareain northernGifford Pinchot National Forest working with three ecologists. Her summerexperiencewas variedand deep enough to serveas a reservoirfor the entireschool year.Her experience conductinglong-termterrestrialinvertebratestudies helped her to develop her own passion for the work and forgelong-termprofessionalcontacts she now continues to use. She also learnedabout the importanceof consistencyin data collection and how to troubleshoot when problem arose. She chose to do a comparative study using terrestrialinvertebrateswith her students as a vehicleto instill an interestin life-longlearning. Susan'sstudentslearnedthe steps of scienceinquiry, especiallyhow to formulatea good question. Each student carried out background research on a chosen species of invertebrate.They practicedmeasuringtransects and learned field observationskills. They then set out a seriesof pitfalltrapsin threecomparablelocations: their school yard, a second growth forest, and an old growth forest.The ForestServiceecologists with whom Susanworked during the summerwent out in the field with her students. After the traps were collected, students sortedthem out by families.Anotherexperthelped her key them out to species. Gary, a high school teacher from Salem, Oregon, spent his four weeks of summer researchworkingwith ecologists at the Hj. AndrewsLong TermExperimental Forest. He conducted his own researchproject centering on the design and implementation of a study to compare the terrestrialarthropods in old growth and maturestands of mixed coniferforests.Additionally,he also workedwith a researchteam that was studying the distribution of Pacific Giant salamandersand a team that was studying long-term characteristics of old growth ecosystems. Garywas well equipped to take the next step with kids. He states that the summer experience prompted his involvement with a local forest ecosystem and enabled him to develop field skills that facilitatedhis student project.Through the program,he made a link with a Foundationresulting in a grant of $2000.00 to pay for field equipment.His students helped develop an environmentalsite report on a 10-acreparcel of forestland, recently donated to the State, in west Salem. Students measuredand counted species of trees, measured canopy closure,and assessed the site for other old growth characteristics.Then, they inventoried animal and invertebrate species. The site will eventually become a naturestudy areafor school groups. Gary felt that along with some better understanding of forest ecosystems, this projectaffordedstudents the opportunityto make a real differencein their communities.Manyof the kids commented that it was great for them to work on setting aside something of real value for future generations. Some said that the site would, without their help, likely get sold for profit and then be paved over for a new housing development. have voiced Some of the other teacher-participants the following benefits of their summer internships in nationalforests: field techniquesin practiceand devel"Seeingmnany oping confidence in teaching some of these, such as running a transect, because of continued practice, helped me feel more comfortabletaking the kids in the field. I didn'thave the requiredknowledge to teach this way before.Although I am still far from expert, I know how to find the people to ask."(Washingtonteacher) "Thenaturalistin me was awakenedand motivated to learnmore.We went out to count bats. The biologists 661 EXPERIENCES FIELD ECOLOGY working with us gave us many things to think about, as overhead the nighthawks were calling. We sat almost silent for almost an hour; we were entranced, completely willing. If only I could create that kind of desire in my class." (Oregon teacher) "I have a new understanding about science, and as my students pick up on this, their own genuine interest will show and spread. Kids feed off of the way their teacher feels about their subject." (California teacher) Teacher Survey Results Formal surveys were conducted with 120 participating teachers over a period of three years. A majority of teachers reported that they felt an increased motivation to do field work as a result of their summer experience. They had more confidence in their own level of scientific knowledge and field skills, and had a strong sense of connection with other professionals. All participants reported an increase in their level of personal field science skills. Teachers also experienced fundamental shifts in their understanding about teaching science inquiry. Less than a third of participating teachers were comfortable with their skill levels at beginning of the summer. By the end of the survey period, all teachers had shifted to a higher level of proficiency in teaching science inquiry. At first, the teachers saw themselves as being relatively incompetent in carrying out the work. As the summer progressed, their understanding of how to conduct the work increased to a level of competency. This insight enabled the teachers to be better equipped to help their students achieve a similar breakthrough in doing their own authentic field projects. Nearly all of our participants developed and implemented field science projects for their students. A total of 94% of participants reported that they had either instituted or improved upon a student field ecology project at a site on or near their school as a result of their participation in this project. Many of these projects were enduring; teachers continued to improve upon them over subsequent years. Student Gains from Teachers in the Woods Eight categories of field work and science inquiry skills, each using a six-point scale, were developed to help evaluate the benefits to students in doing a field project The field skills were: using equipment and appropriate methodology to carry out the investigation, field process skills, conceptual understanding of purpose of data collection, and appropriate social skills to perform tasks. Science inquiry skills included: content and concepts, questions, design, and analysis, interpretation and reporting of data. Scoring criteria for each of the six points were developed based upon overt student actions, such as demonstrating sound practice that generates useful data or explaining in their own words how the data collected relates to the investigation. In an initial study using this performance-based tool, five teachers assessed changes in their students' skills. A total of 155 students was assessed. Student scores increased, especially in the ability to apply scientific concepts, to develop field research questions, and to design a field investigation. Students' science inquiry skills also showed significant improvement, especially in applying scientific concepts, formulating of field research questions, and designing a field investigation. More than 60% of students surveyed had improved their skills in all eight areas. Eighty percent had improved their skills in six of the eight areas, including all four field skills and two science inquiry skills (framing and designing an investigation and collecting and presenting data). The Need for Teacher Training What preparation does a teacher need to be able to carry out a successful student field project? Teachers need to become more flexible in his/her practice to encourage successful student field work. There are no known existing "cookbook" curricula detailing the sequence for a teacher to implement a "real-world"environmental monitoring or restoration project. In addition, teachers must become comfortable with the messiness that such long-range work entails. Teachers need a deeper knowledge of the subject matter than is typically assumed with "cookbook" types of printed curricula (Goodland, 1990). They also need firsthand background knowledge of field ecology and an adequate set of field skills themselves before adequately taking on the task of training students to do so. In authentic project work, superficial recall of information is not adequate. Instead, students must apply what they learned to new situations and show their competency in a complex performance task, such as carrying out a field research project. Teachers need to change their practice from being only dispensers of knowledge to being providers of situations from which students can derive their own understanding. The teacher becomes more of a coach or mentor who encourages students to do the active work of science inquiry. This presumes the teacher already understands how inquiry operates, and can train students in successive stages to undertake the rigorous challenges involved. After teaching with student field ecology projects for the first time, and after a cycle of evaluation and 662 THE AMERICAN TEACHER, VOLUME 64,NO.9,NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002 BIOLOGY reflection,teachersachievea new comprehensionof the value of teachingthis way. Eventuallythey derivemore effectivestrategiesfor generatinggreaterstudent understanding (Schulman,1987). Teachersneed new tools to access student thinking.For example,teacherswho are involved in a new learning situation themselvesmight experience their new insights as their students would. Teacherswho have themselvesstruggledto learnhow to carry out a field research project and, eventually, become competent,can recognize their own growth as learners, enabling them, among other things, to help their students achievesimilarunderstandingsand new competencies. Opportunitiesfor teachersto sharewhat they know collaboratively,discuss what they want to learn, and reflecton the content and process they arelearningputs teachers into a professional community extending beyond the traditionallimits of the school (DarlingHammond, 1996). Having professional contacts with field biologists and enduringcontactswith like-minded teachersis also valuable. The Teachersin the Woods programis currently open to experiencedmiddle and high school teachers throughout the Pacific Northwest and, beginning in 2003, to teachersin Colorado,Wyoming,and Montana. The project web site is: www.cse.pdx.edu/forest. Contactus at dresnerm@pdx.eduformore information. A sampling of some other authenticfield research experiencesfor teachersincludes: 1. San FranciscoStateUniversityWildlandsStudies Field Explorationssponsors national and international ecosystem studies opportunities.Their web site is: www.wildlandsstudies.com/ws. 2. University of California Research Expeditions Programoffers field work opportunitiesin the US and Canada, Africa, Central and South America,Asia and Europe. Their web site is: http://urep.ucdavis.edu/. Recommendations Overthe past fouryears,we have developedthe following set of recommendationsin startinga field ecology project based upon interviews with participating teachers.We suggest that teachersbegin with a small piece of the "whole"and recognizethat the workwill be a multi-yearprocess. This is due to the need to first learn about the site, develop proficiencyin the use of monitoringprotocols and use of field equipment,and the need to develop a meaningful,engagingprojectthat uses authenticmethods and representsa "whole"piece of scientificwork.Fieldprojectsites that areclose to the school help to alleviatelimitations in scheduling and funds for transportation to a more remote site. Collaborationsareimportant.Partnershipswith practicing field scientists providelegitimizationto the project and provide necessary expert advice to the students. Having opportunities for reflection and collaboration with other teachershelps to alleviatesome of the professionalisolation felt by innovativeteachers. References Darling-Hammond,L. (1996). The right to learn and the advancementof teaching:Research,policyand practicefor democraticeducation.Educational Researcher, 25(6), 5-17. Goodland,J. (1990). Teachers for Our Nation'sSchools.San Francisco:Jossey-Bass. Krupka,J.J. (2000). The importanceof naturalistsas teachers and the use of natural history as a teaching tool. The American Biology Teacher,62(8), 553-558. Lieberman,G. & Hoody, L. (1998). Closingthe Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrative Context in Learning.Poway,CA:State Educationand Environment Roundtable.ScienceWizards. Newmann, F., Marks,H. & Gamoran,A. (1996). Authentic pedagogy and student performance.AmericanJournalof Education,104, 280-312. Schulman,L. (1987). Knowledgeand teaching:Foundations of the new reform.HarvardEducationReview,57(1), 1-22. --------- ---aWest Hill a unique living with a offers Biological line tissue CIBT* of fresh-frozen specimens lab for exercises and Reproduction and use in BiolJogica. Chemistry. 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