T261 The 21st Century Geoscience Classroom: Creating Learner-Centered Environments for Undergraduates (Digital Posters)

Wednesday, 12 October 2011
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Hall C

COMBINING FIELD- AND VISUALIZATION-BASED SCIENCE FOR STUDYING YOUR OWN BACKYARD

Paper number: T261-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Authors

Abstract

Teachers use technology today to provide students with authentic experiences related to scientific procedures for data analysis; field-based experiences get students outside in nature, where science happens. Uniting the two – field- and technology-based experiences – can often be difficult for science teachers given time constraints, limited equipment, and access to transportation. Using the school yard, or surrounding neighborhood, as a field site may be a useful way for many teachers to take advantage of field experiences without the need for distant travel. The Earth Exploration Toolbook chapter Seeing the Forest for the Trees: What’s in your Woods? is an activity that addresses many of these challenges. The activity uses trees as a focal point around which other geological and meteorological conditions of the environment are examined. The activity models a method for collecting data (e.g., species, size, etc.) about the trees (and environment) in a local field site, and then uses a Geographic Information System (GIS) to explore the data and compare it to regional and national forest data while also examining the limiting factors of tree growth, including temperature, precipitation, soil, sunlight, and many others.

The activity provides step-by-step directions for downloading trial versions of software, procedures for specific field-related data collection and importing spreadsheet data into GIS for analysis. Initially designed for upper high school students, the activity is suitable for undergraduate students enrolled in introductory college science courses and science methods classes. The scientific focus of the activity is on learning about forest biodiversity, and as written, centers around locations in Maine (a state which is almost 90% covered by forests). The activity models field techniques and procedures that can be used by any science teacher to collect “backyard” tree data, and evaluate data visually via GIS software. For teachers who do not have access to any on-site trees, the activity provides a dataset from Maine for analysis.