This academic year, the Arboretum for Educators newsletter will feature each of the eight NGSS Practices of Science with suggestions for outdoor applications paired with a children’s picture book biography that shows scientists engaged in that practice. It is my hope that students of all ages (high school students love picture books too!) will come to understand how ordinary people pursue their passions out of curiosity to become incredible plant scientists. |
Practice of Science: Developing and Using Models |
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Scientific models represent information, which is data. As students observe and record their findings, they gather data and communicate this in many ways. 2D drawings in various forms of magnification and perspectives, diagrams and flow charts, pressed plant material, artifacts, and photographs, graphs, maps, mathematical equations, 3D scaled models and even simulation games all offer opportunities for students to think abstractly.
Models help students push their current understanding and develop predictive skills. Models should evolve as new understanding is gained, and their limitations are discovered.
How can students develop and use models using outdoor spaces? Here are a few ideas:
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Observe plant-animal interactions and create food chains and webs.
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Diagram the cycling of matter throughout an ecosystem.
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Gather pollinator-flower preference data and use it to design a new pollinator garden space.
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Map usage patterns on the school grounds and identify areas where new plantings can mitigate erosion or create pollution buffers.
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Identify and map carbon sources and sinks on a city map.
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Investigate rotting logs and document decomposition over time.
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Track areas of sun and shade across the playground; take air and surface temperatures across seasons and substrates and develop a plan to reduce heat island effects.
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Map water sources in a school yard and engineer a system to bring water to where it is needed.
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The Leaf Detective How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang |
Students can meet Meg Lowman through this fantastic biography AND learn more about her work at canopymeg! It is exciting for students to know that scientists are real people, alive today, observing, wondering, and solving problems.
In her quest to observe tree canopies in ways that no one had ever done before, Meg invented her way up to the trees! She developed slingshot-fired ropes, hot air balloons with rafts, canopy cranes, and canopy walkways. Once above the trees, Meg observed, took notes, counted and gathered data, monitored and collected plant specimens, and modeled the relationships between organisms in rainforests. These field work techniques became models for how scientists can promote forest conservation and environmental education with minimal impact on surrounding ecosystems and biodiversity.
What can your students invent that will allow them greater access to the natural world with minimal impact on their schoolyards, neighborhoods and surrounding green spaces? |
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