Originally appears in the Fall 2005 issue
I confess myself utterly at a loss in suggesting particular reforms in our ways of teaching. I advise teachers to cherish mother wit. I assume that you will keep the grammar, reading, writing and arithmetic in order; t’ is easy and of course you will. But smuggle in a little contraband wit, fancy, imagination, or thought. If a child happens to show that he knows any fact about astronomy, or plants, or birds, or rocks, or history, that interests him and you, hush all the classes and encourage him to tell it so that all may hear. Then you have made your school room like the world.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Education,” 1840
MANY OF OUR STUDENTS lack a basic understanding of their environment. Partly due to the increasingly urban character of our communities and the proliferation of home computers and game systems, many children report that they prefer indoor play to outdoor activities. We are just now beginning to comprehend the effect this is having on them socially, psychologically, and spiritually. More and more research suggests that outdoor activities play a very important role in the treatment of attention-deficit disorders, obesity, and depression in children.1 Studies in education indicate that using the environment as the context for learning significantly improves standardized test scores, problem solving, critical thinking, decision making, and overall behavior.2
While I was the superintendent/teaching principal of a K–8 school I created a curricular project called “Who Am I?” consisting of a set of tasks designed to enhance students’ understanding and awareness of their natural world. The project integrates elements of environmental education and student-centered, Gestalt, and existential theories. I believe that it not only increases students’ academic knowledge, but also improves their skills in communication, writing, problem solving, and deductive reasoning. In the process of completing the project and participating in ensuing discussions, students develop ideas and create solutions to the problems they perceive in their environment. It ties in very well with U.S. National Science Education Standards that state: “An important part of science education is to give students a means to understand and act on personal and social issues.”
Any teacher can implement this sequential, curricular program. There is no need to completely overhaul existing curriculum, as the “Who Am I?” project easily blends into the existing framework of virtually all subjects. The project was originally designed for students in Grades 4 to 8, but it can be modified for use with junior and senior high school students. I have had much success using this environmental project for more than six years. It is one that students work hard on and seem interested in because it is about them and their world.
Project description
The “Who Am I?” project is introduced to students early in the school year, although it is not due until the last month of school. Students are given a copy of the assignment and I explain each of its nine components (see “Who Am I?” Project Components). Important terms such as environment, interrelationship, natural world, community, and goals are thoroughly discussed over the next several weeks.
I frequently begin classes with a discussion of one of the terms. I might write “environment” on the board, for example, and then read to students a poem by Shelley or Thoreau; or I might read an article or passage about an environmental issue from a journal such as Adbusters or Orion or from the local newspaper. Some classes begin with a song (Ani DiFranco, Sting, and many others have written songs about the environment). I have found that using readings and music is a great way to stimulate ideas about the environment, humanity, and our place in the world. We then discuss the term environment and various related ideas at length. The students contribute words and I write these on the board for further analysis. This process can take a few minutes or as long as needed. On one hand, I want them to fully understand what environment means, what it is; on the other hand, I want them to be the creators of the definition through their discussions, questioning, and reflections. They should walk away from this activity wiser, more confident in their understanding and better prepared to work on their final project. I have had classes that discussed the meaning of specific words, such as environment, for weeks. It is a valuable exercise in that students are writing, discussing, problem solving, analyzing, synthesizing — and involved. As time goes on I find that all of the students are active in this learning process and that they look forward to it very much.
I complete the “Who Am I?” project myself and bring in one of my completed assignments each week for nine weeks. In this way, I model what a project might look like and how students might present theirs when the time comes. I have found it valuable to remind the students that the ideas, experiences, and feelings I present are about my connection to the environment. Their projects will differ, as will their feelings, connections, and experiences. My examples serve as a trigger to get students thinking and allow them a glimpse into who I am.
I encourage students to work on the project throughout the school year. Other than having daily discussions about key terms and concepts related to the project and any questions that arise, the students work on the project at home. I always keep a copy of my own project in the classroom and school library for students to look at; and I am open and encouraging about reading and reviewing rough drafts during the school year. When the students present their projects in class during the last few weeks of school I allow as much time as they need to share. Students do not present all nine items, but rather choose three. This gives them enough time to highlight their project and show off much of what they have completed. The projects are then put on display in the classroom.
The “Who Am I?” project is meant to get students talking and learning about themselves and their natural world. Ideally, they gain much academic and social knowledge as well as awareness of their environment and what it means to them. The program has students interacting with other students, their teachers, their families, and, in many cases, representatives from local community agencies. My hope is that students exposed to this experience are changed and that they develop a lifelong interest in their environment.
I believe that students given the right tools will do whatever the task requires. If we emphasize interaction between learners and learning tasks, our students will achieve more than they ever imagined. If teachers provide students with appropriate assistance, our students will perform tasks that they previously thought themselves incapable of completing on their own. When I first assign the project to children, their response is invariably “this is too much” or “we can’t do all of this”; but when I sit down to listen to their presentations at the end of the year, I am always very impressed and proud.
Note
1 Kevin R. Fontaine, “Physical Activity Improves Mental Health,” The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 28:10, October 2000.
2 See, for example, Gerald A. Lieberman and Linda L. Hoody, State Education and Environment Roundtable, “Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning,” Poway, CA: Science Wizards, 1998.
Suggested readings and songs
The Black-eyed Peas, “Where is the Love? (song)
Burnett, Francis Hodgson, The Secret Garden (novel)
Carroll Lewis, “Advice from a Caterpillar” (from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)
DiFranco, Ani, “Your Next Bold Move” (song)
George, Jean Craighead, My Side of the Mountain (novel)
Orion magazine (good source of readings on a variety of nature topics)
Osburn, Weston, “My American Dream,” (poem)
Paulsen, Gary, Hatchet (novel)
Prine, John, “Spanish Pipedream” (song)
Shelley, Percy Bysshe, “Hymn to Intellectual Beauty” (poem)
Thoreau, Henry David, “Sounds” (essay in Walden)
Tolkein, J.R.R., The Hobbit (novel)
“Who Am I?” Project Components
In this project we will examine the relationship between our natural world and ourselves.
- Draw a picture or select a photo of yourself in your environment (e.g., backyard, front yard), which will go on the cover of the project. (5 points)
Students have turned in a variety of images for this part of the project. Many use a photo of themselves with their family in the backyard while some have turned in photos of themselves in a nature setting engaged in outdoor activities such as fishing, camping or skiing.
- Identify and list five works of literature (poem, haiku, short story, novel, etc.) that reflect your values and feelings about the natural world. Briefly explain how each work reflects your values and feelings. (20 points)
Many students initially find this assignment difficult, but as they peruse their home and school libraries they remember stories that caught their attention because nature plays an important role in them. Students list stories such as Heidi by Johanna Spyri, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein, My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, and the King Arthur legends, as well as poems such as Robert Frost’s “The Road Less Traveled” and “Alone” by Maya Angelou. Here is part of a student’s explanation of how The Hobbit reflects her values:
The best rooms were all on the left-hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden, and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river. — The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
The description of the home of Bilbo Baggins begins to describe my favorite surroundings. As you read through Tolkien’s books you find that hobbits are quite partial to nature, gardens, and beauty. Considering this, I would have made a very good hobbit, had I been born one. — Heidi, Grade 8
- Take a photo or make a drawing of your environment (this might be your back or front yard or it may be a favorite lake or park). Write an essay of at least 250 words describing what is in the photo or drawing. (40 points)
Students are particularly enthusiastic about this part of the assignment, as everyone seems to have a favorite photo of themselves taken on a vacation at some point in their lives. I have received photos of students sailing, hiking, mountain biking, and reading by a pond. The accompanying essays are fun to read because the students enjoy telling stories about a natural place they liked and explaining why they liked it. They also describe other people in their photos, often a grandparent or parent. Some of these essays go well beyond 250 words, and this is one part of the project that most students wish to share.
- People usually seek out places where they feel comfortable and confident. Describe in essay form three memories of yourself in nature that help describe you and your feelings about nature. Include details in each memory. (10 points)
The key here is getting students to provide details that explain rather than simply state their feelings. For example, students tend to say that they “like” nature or that it is “cool” and “fun,” but do not explain why they feel this way. By Grade 4, students are capable of articulating themselves quite well, so I often ask them to revise their essays. This is another popular part of the project. Most students include photos or maps or some other memorabilia with the assignment.
- Write an essay of at least 250 words that describes your personal goals for improving your environment (again, this can be your back or front yard, your neighborhood, or a favorite lake or park). Consider the following examples: making our neighborhoods quieter, making our yards less water-dependent, cleaning up litter or a polluted pond at a local park. (20 points)
This assignment often gets students talking with their parent(s) and encourages them to consider the world outside of their classrooms and homes. Some students don’t initially want to commit themselves to anything that involves time outside of school, so I explain that these are goals and that no action is required. Many older students already have opinions on what needs to be done to improve their environment, as do students who have been involved in community service through groups such as Scouts.
- Write an essay of at least 250 words that describes your single greatest concern in regard to a current local environmental issue. “Local” refers to your home, neighborhood, park, etc. (20 points)
Parents tend to give input on this one, although many students have ideas of their own. In many cities and towns new home and road construction is rampant, covering former fields and affecting ponds and streams. Many students know their local environment well just from walking to and from school or playing outside. When they see their favorite trout pond closed to fishing because the water is polluted or when they are advised not to play outside because of air pollution, it affects them. The fact that the forest surrounding our school is infested with a beetle that is destroying the pine trees was of interest to many of my students. This is an important and usually thought-provoking part of the project.
- Write an essay of at least 250 words that describes your personal goals for increasing your level of participation in your local environment. Again, “local” refers to your home, neighborhood, etc. Perhaps you want to pick up trash every Saturday along the main road that leads to and from your home, or spend more time just being outdoors. (20 points)
This assignment differs from number 5 above, in that it is intended to be a catalyst to action. I explain to the parents that getting (more) involved in their environment and community doesn’t have to be time-consuming and costly. Picking up trash along the highway or cleaning a section of the local creek can be a short and no-cost project. Sometimes groups of students will decide on the same goals and work together.
- Write an essay of at least 250 words that describes your vision for an ideal scenario for the future of your environment. Your environment is where you live and interact. (20 points)
We are now at the culminating part of the project. Students have been discussing their environment and local communities for a long time and now we begin to think more long-term. What do they want for the future of their community? What do they hope their environment will look like when they are their parents’ age? One time I invited a Native American who had lived in the community for more than 70 years. The students listened intently as she described eloquently the community of her childhood and how things have changed. She was especially instrumental in getting the students to think about their futures in relation to their environment.
- Create something of your own choosing that you feel will further explain your connection to your environment. (20 points)
I intentionally leave this assignment open-ended because I hope to encourage students’ independent thinking. They tend to invest much time and energy in this part of the project. Students have designed web pages, board games, short videos of their community and its environmental needs, and photo essays. One student made a terrarium with a single begonia plant. He sealed it tightly and asked that I put it in the school library for 50 years. Another student videotaped the growth of his vegetable and flower garden over the course of several weeks.
Total possible points: 175
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David Rude is a former superintendent/teaching principal. Currently he is an instructor of education methods with National University in La Jolla, California, and he also teaches psychology courses for Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City, Utah.