Taking Science Outdoors
Inquiry Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls
February
7 – 8, 2012
Diana B. Vélez, Claudio Vargas B., Lawrence Hall of Science
Amy J. House and Ariel Bedoy, Pasadena ISD
Quote of the Day…
“We are the Earth – part of the air,
water, soil, and energy of the world;
beings with love in our hearts, life in
our souls, and a kingdom of kin at our
doorstep.”
David Suzuki
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Goals of the Institute
• Value the importance and effectiveness
of outdoor education for overall student
academic achievement and well being;
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Goals of the Institute
• Acquire the necessary content
knowledge and pedagogical skills to
successfully integrate outdoor learning
into the science curriculum;
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Goals of the Institute
• Learn life, earth and physical science
content through model lessons that focus
on “Water Interactions,” based on the
TEKS for grades 3 – 8;
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Goals of the Institute
• Experience an engaging context for
building literacy skills and developing
language for English Language Learners;
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Goals BEYOND the Institute
• Develop a plan for teaching science
lessons outside on a regular basis at the
school sites.
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The Context for Learning
What: Content
How: Language
Development
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Why: Environment
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Rules and Procedures
•
•
•
•
•
Meet at home-base and go over focus questions
Take satchels and notebooks
Stay within the boundaries.
As we walk outside, listen for the sounds of nature.
Observe, don’t disturb or take, leave environment
the way you found it.
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Connecting to Others & to the Outdoors:
Envirolopes
• “Count” off by bird names (Snowy Egrets,
Great Blue Herons, and White Ibis)
• Get ready to go outside with your group
• Bring your satchels and notebooks outside
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Egret
Heron
Ibis
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
White Ibis
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A Sensory Report
Developing
awareness of
place through
writing
Part 1: Observation
• Go with your partner somewhere outside. Once the two of you
have agreed upon a place, please sit silently and individually
take notes in your notebook on anything you notice about that
place.
• Feel free to take notes about what you:
– See
– Feel
– Hear
– Think in that place
– Smell
– Any interactions in that area
• You have 10 min.
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Part 2: Writing
• Pick a part of your notes that is particularly interesting to you.
• Develop this idea through writing a:
– Poem
– Letter to the Editor
– Short story
– Report of your Experience
– Journalistic article
– Play
• Use your observation notes as the inspiration to your writing,
but feel free to extend your writing from your experience.
• You will have 10 minutes to write.
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Part 3: Sharing
• Take turns reading your piece to your partner
• Discuss the similarities and differences in your
observations
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Group Debrief
• Volunteers to share?
• What was this process like for you? What do
you think could be gained by this process in
your classroom?
• Questions?
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Armand Bayou Nature Center
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The Context for Learning
What: Content
How: Language
Development
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Why: Environment
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Earth Systems
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The Earth is composed of several integrated parts
(spheres) that interact with one another
Atmosphere
Geosphere
Biosphere
Hydrosphere
(Anthrosphere)
(Exosphere)
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The Earth System: Atmosphere
• 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen
• 1% CO2 and water vapor catch
and hold the Sun's energy
• Allows liquid water that
supports life
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The Earth System: Geosphere
• Earth's interior, rocks,
minerals, and landforms
• Processes that shape the
surface
• Defines much of the
environment we live in
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The Earth System: Biosphere
• Ecosystems - the zone of life
on Earth, a closed and selfregulating system
• Living beings and their
relationships
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The Earth System: Hydrosphere
• Combined mass of water
found on, under, and over the
surface of a planet
• Covers 70% of the Earth
surface
• Without water, life as we
know it would not exist
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What’s the Big Idea?
Water shapes the
land, affects the
atmosphere,
and sustains the
life on Earth
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Essential Question
What are
water’s unique
physical and
chemical
properties?
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Water Explorations:
1. Water on Earth Materials (TEKS 3, 4, 5)
2. Water in Living Things (TEKS 5, 7)
3. Water and Weather (TEKS 5, 6, 8)
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Water on Earth Materials
Guiding Questions:
How does the movement of water affect
earth materials?
How does water shape our environment?
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Water in Living Things
Guiding Questions:
How does water move through vascular
plants?
How does water interact with living
things?
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Water and Weather
Guiding Questions:
How is the heat capacity of water different
from other earth materials?
How does the heat capacity of water affect
weather?
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The Context for Learning
What: Content
How: Language
Development
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Why: Environment
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English Language Acquisition
• How do we make science content and
practices accessible to all students?
• How can we use science instruction to
develop academic language for all students?
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ELPS in your Classroom
• Think about 1 strategy that has been most
effective with your EL students for learning
science content.
– Why do you think it has been effective?
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English Language Acquisition
Activate Prior Knowledge
Comprehensible Input
Vocabulary Development
Oral Practice
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English Language Acquisition
• How do we make science content and
practices accessible to all students?
– Connecting to prior knowledge
– Providing comprehensible input
– Presenting vocabulary in context
– Providing opportunities for oral practice
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Begin by Activating Prior
Knowledge
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Activate Prior Knowledge
1. Choose a water picture.
2. Form two lines.
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Activate Prior Knowledge
1. Introduce yourself to the person in
front of you.
2. Share your pictures.
3. What do you notice?
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Activate Prior Knowledge
1. Move one person over to the left.
Introduce yourself to the person in
front of you.
2. Share your pictures.
3. What do you think is happening?
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Activate Prior Knowledge
1. Move one person over to the left.
Introduce yourself to the person in
front of you.
2. Share your pictures.
3. What does the picture remind you of?
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BREAK TIME!
Please go to your break-out
rooms after the Break
Present to colleagues after
lunch
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Water Explorations:
Water on Earth Materials
Barn
Water in Living Things
Auditorium
Water and Weather
Classroom
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Taking the Learning Outdoors
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What’s the Big Idea?
Water shapes the land, affects
the atmosphere, and sustains
the life on Earth.
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Working in Grade Level Groups
• Focus Questions
• Exploring
• Sharing findings
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LUNCH TIME
Start
End
12:30
1:30
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Quote of the Afternoon…
“When the well is dry, we know
the worth of water.”
Benjamin Franklin
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Group Sharing
• Share the mornings’ activities with colleagues.
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Properties of Water
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Properties of Water
Only chemical
compound that
occurs naturally
in all three
physical states.
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Properties of Water
The Unique Structure of Water: O + H
Chemical Bonds: What kind?
Molecular Models
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Properties of Water
PICTORIAL
GLAD Strategy
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Properties of Water
Attraction of Water Molecules to Water:
Cohesion
Surface
Tension
How many drops?
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Properties of Water
Attraction of Water Molecules to Others:
Adhesion
Capillary
Action
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Properties of Water
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Why doesn’t the water balloon pop?
1. Discuss at your tables
2. Give everyone the space to ask questions
and share knowledge
3. You have 5 minutes
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Why doesn’t the water balloon pop?
1. Water has high heat capacity and can absorb a small amount
of heat with a large increase in temperature.
2. The water wets the wall of the balloon so that it can’t
combust.
3. Water has a high specific heat because of intermolecular
forces between molecules.
4. The kinetic energy in the water increases without increasing
the heat.
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Properties of Water
Water and Heat
Heat Capacity
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The Wrap-Up
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Reflection of the Day
How did today’s activities support English Language
Learners?
1.Go outside. Gather around a chart in groups of 6.
2.Discuss the question with the group. Have someone
record the responses.
3.When you hear the signal, rotate to another chart
and add comments. Star the ones you agree with.
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"To understand water is to understand the cosmos, the
marvels of nature, and life itself." - Masaru Emoto
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Welcome to DAY 2
Quote of the Day…
“Everybody needs beauty as well as
bread, places to play in and pray in,
where nature may heal and give
strength to body and soul.”
~John
Muir
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Quickwrite
How did it feel to be
outside yesterday?
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Sharing with a Partner
Form Dyads
Take turns talking and listening
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The Research
Research on Effectiveness of Teaching
Strategies
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Research on Effectiveness of Teaching
Strategies
• Texas Science Initiative Meta-Analysis of
National Research Regarding Science
Teaching
– Prepared for the Texas Education Agency by
the Center for Mathematics and Science
Education Texas A&M University, 2005
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Research on Effectiveness of Teaching
Strategies
A ranking of strategies
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Research on Effectiveness of Teaching
Strategies
4. Inquiry Strategies
Student-centered, inductive instructional
activities, e.g. using guided or facilitated
inquiry activities, guided discoveries,
inductive laboratory exercises, indirect
instruction.
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Research on Effectiveness of Teaching
Strategies
3. Questioning Strategies
Varying timing, positioning, or cognitive
levels of questions, e.g. increasing wait
time, adding pauses at key studentresponse points, including more highcognitive-level questions.
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Research on Effectiveness of Teaching
Strategies
2. Collaborative Learning Strategies
Arrange students in flexible groups to
work on various tasks, e.g. conducting
lab exercises, inquiry projects,
discussions.
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Research on Effectiveness of Teaching
Strategies
1. Enhanced Context Strategies
Relating learning to students’ previous
experiences, knowledge or interests, e.g.
using problem based learning, taking field
trips, using the schoolyard for lessons,
encouraging reflection.
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Why the Outdoors?
• increases engagement and enthusiasm for
learning;
• improves academic achievement;
• increases sense of belonging;
• increases caring and sense of responsibility;
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Science Outdoors
Mapping the (school) yard
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Mapping the Schoolyard
• Work in groups of 4. Choose the map maker
• Record:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Perimeter of the area (in paces)
Landforms, structures, and wildlife
Spaces that could be used for lessons outdoors
Ideas for project-based learning (improvements)
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Science Outdoors
Armand Bayou Nature Center Explorations
Stewardship Service Project &
Understanding Wetlands
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LUNCH
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Quote of the Afternoon…
• The human spirit needs places
where nature has not been
rearranged by the hand of man.
~Author Unknown
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Outdoors in Action
Boston Schoolyard Initiative
Stellar videos from Cunningham, Houston ISD
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Taking FOSS Outdoor Folio
• All read the first 3 pages.
• Jigsaw sections:
– Number off 1-7.
– Make new groups according to your number.
– Read your section and as a group create a poster that
summarizes the important points from the folio and from
your experience teaching.
– Be prepared to share out.
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Taking FOSS Outdoor Folio
1.
2.
3.
Sections 4.
5.
6.
7.
Managing Space (p. 4)
Classrooms
Managing Time (p. 8)
Managing Materials (p. 10)
Managing Students (p. 12)
Teaching Strategies (p. 20) Auditorium
Flow of the Lessons (p. 22)
Extending Beyond FOSS Outdoors (p. 23)
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Making it happen
1. Take the science lesson “as is” outdoors.
2. Modify science lesson to take advantage of
outdoors.
3. Extend science learning with specific outdoor
lesson.
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Making it happen
• Objectives for taking science outside:
• What will it look like in your classroom?
• Can it extend school-wide?
• How will you involve the community?
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Re-cap of the Workshop
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Ending Quote …
• If we want children to flourish, to
become truly empowered, then let
us allow them to love the earth
before we ask them to save it.
David Sobel, Beyond Ecophobia
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El Fín
back!
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Mean
rating of
AD/HD
symptoms
after
activities
Faber Taylor, A., Kuo,
F.E., & Sullivan, W.C.
(2001). “Coping with
ADD: The surprising
connection to green
play settings.”
Environment and
Behavior, 33 (1), 54-77.
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Water and Land TEKS
• Examine properties of soils, including color
and texture, capacity to retain water; (4th)
• Recognize how landforms such as deltas,
canyons, and sand dunes are the result of
changes to Earth’s surface by wind, water, and
ice. (3-5th)
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Water and the Atmosphere TEKS
• Explain how the Sun and the ocean interact in the
water cycle; (5th)
• Investigate methods of thermal energy transfer,
including conduction, convection, and radiation (6th)
• Recognize that the Sun provides the energy that
drives convection within the atmosphere and
oceans, producing winds and ocean currents (8th)
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Water and Life TEKS
• Observe the way organisms live and survive in their
ecosystem by interacting with the living and non-living
elements; (5th)
• Investigate and explain how internal structures of
organisms have adaptations that allow specific
functions such as … xylem in plants; (7th)
• Observe and describe how different environments,
including microhabitats in schoolyards and biomes,
support different varieties of organisms (7th)
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