Lakewood Elementary School Outdoor Education Field Guide
Timeline
Spring 2024
Description
Affiliated course: ENV245/SUSTAIN245, Sustainability Theory and Practice
Summary: A team of five students collaborated with Lakewood Elementary School to develop a field guide of local North Carolina flora and fauna to support teachers facilitate outdoor learning. Sophie Peters, teacher and STEM specialist, had an established working relationship with the professor for this course, making for a seamless and trusted partnership with the student team. This initiative was driven by the need for resources to help teachers utilize the nearby natural environment for educational purposes. The school is located adjacent to a forested area which offers a diverse ecosystem ideal for hands-on learning.
Goal: 1) Develop a bilingual field guide in English and Spanish to improve the educational and environmental engagement of faculty and students at Lakewood Elementary School. 2) Engage young students with the natural world and instill a deep appreciation for the environment and its conservation. 3) Identify the local flora and fauna found near the school.
Experience and Learning Outcomes: Over the course of the semester, the student team conducted seven in-depth interviews with experts, including Erin Carroll, Outdoor Learning Supervisor, three outdoor education specialists, a natural resource advisor, a STEM specialist at Lakewood, and two teachers for K-2 and 3-5 grades. These interviews provided insights into making the field guide accessible and engaging. The team also observed outdoor classes, collected and analyzed images of local species using the iNaturalist and Merlin Bird ID apps, and identified the top 19 species based on their prevalence and appeal to children. The team used ChatGPT image generation to create images for the guide. The field guide is complemented with a companion video.
Related to the engagement with the field guide, Erin Carroll, Outdoor Learning Supervisor, says: "[A field guide] helps to break down the barriers, and it helps to increase and encourage the student's curiosity about the things around them."
Recommendations: The student team recommended that Lakewood continue to pursue more ways to engage students outdoors. They also suggested the development of a story walk, more nature trails, potential gardening or green projects, and more outdoor classroom space. The team suggests that for additional resources on outdoor education, Lakewood staff and teachers could consider reading Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv and Practitioner Guide to Assessing Connection to Nature by Martha Monroe, Gabby Salazar and Kristen Kunkle.
Students: Nathaniel Cardel, Tessa Kawall, Ashlon Jackson, Lily Meierhoefer, Chanté Davis
Instructors: Charlotte Clark, course instructor (Nicholas School of the Environment); Lindsay Batchelor and Emily Bilcik, co-instructors (Sustainable Duke); Dima Zlenko, teaching assistant
Client: Sophie Hatcher Peters, K-5 Science teacher, Lakewood Elementary School
Other stakeholders: Nicki Cagle, Duke Nicholas School of the Environment (advised on identification and naturalist resources)
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