Kathrina O’Connell led a cross-curricular project focusing on the human impact on prairie life. Her sixth-grade students collaborated with each other and with field experts to research conservation and maintenance of land, focusing on a part of their local prairie in northwestern Minnesota. They learned to hand-harvest, scarify, and plant seeds to support the growth of prairie grass. Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Protecting Our Prairies
Andrea Sayler fostered her students’ curiosity of the natural world by holding a BioBlitz in the nature preserve near their school. A BioBlitz is an event that brings together community members to find and identify as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. Andrea’s students used the data they gathered to develop research projects on flora or fauna that interested them. They shared their findings with their school community. Continue reading Educator Spotlight: A Student-Led Exploration of Local Species
Kim Heckart integrated science and literacy in an inquiry unit investigating the declining bee population. Her third-graders used nonfiction texts to research the reasons behind the decline. They also communicated the problem to their school community and created bee “hotels” to help provide habitat for bees. Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Taking Action to Bolster the Bee Population
Camile Clarke led her high school students on a study of how human activities affect forest biomes in the Caribbean. Students conducted a field experience around their school in central Jamaica to observe characteristics of the local soil and vegetation as well as map the human impact on the natural landscape. Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Examining Local Flora
By Jennifer Adler, National Geographic Young Explorer The thermometer in my car read 45° F, yet every inch of my trunk was stuffed with life jackets, masks, and snorkels. Beneath layers of fuzzy sweatshirts and leggings hid a pink bathing suit. I wasn’t the only one dressed for summer in mid-March. Forty fifth-graders from Williams Elementary School in Gainesville, Florida, also woke up and donned … Continue reading A Quick Dip in the Aquifer!
