outdoors in their teaching. For instance, we spoke with a physics teacher who seeks engaging outdoor experiences to complement what is being taught in her classroom.
Astrophysical Observations On a day trip, students visit the Rothney Astrophysical
Observatory, an observation station in the rural foothills that is part of the University of Calgary, Alberta. (Observato- ries in your area may provide similar services, or setting up your own telescopes may be a worthwhile alternative.) Local astronomy clubs often offer nighttime sessions for students. At Rothney, professors and graduate students explain the architecture of the observatory and its surroundings, pro- viding demonstrations, and answering questions. Students are often surprised that the observatory is mostly one big telescope and a lot of empty space (needed to rotate the tele- scope). The scientists working at the observatory show the students recent pictures of objects and stars. This leads to a discussion on the different types of stars and the differ- ent objects that can be found in the night sky. Another sur- prising observation for students is how little light is in the observatory. The roads leading up to the observatory pur- posefully do not have any lights in order to eliminate light pollution when looking at the night sky, making it perfect for nocturnal viewing through the smaller telescopes in the field as well. The students then get a chance to explore vari- ous pieces of equipment, such as mirascope dome mirrors. Students place coins inside of these and are puzzled trying to figure out why it appears as if the coins are sitting on top of the mirascope.
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After such a trip, help students use concepts from their
course to make sense of what they saw at the observatory. For instance, examine how the reflection of concave mirrors creates the effect that they observed with the coins. Students can also solve relevant mathematical problems, such as cal- culating the angle of reflection and refraction and the refrac- tive indices of various pieces of equipment. Because the trip occurred early in the term, the teacher found that the stu- dents used their experience at the observatory as a basis for their learning and could readily relate their learning to later lessons. While at the observatory, the students also became interested in the career of an astrophysicist, asking what is it that an astrophysicist does exactly, and what program and courses they have to take in university to become one. While most of the above teachers looked for clear cur-
ricular links to make the most of precious field trip time, one described the following activity that was outside the scope of fulfilling curricular plans.
Relaxation in the Outdoors Take students outside and ask each student to find their own
tree. Students are not allowed to bring any devices with them. Start by telling them that sitting by a tree relaxes you and research has shown that when people sit by a tree, their heart rate slows. Let them know that they will be sit- ting there in silence for ten minutes and afterwards they will return to class. The teacher who described this activity found that when students returned to class, they were calmer and ready to work. As such, he now makes this a weekly part of his class routine. Some of his students have even reported taking this technique home to use when studying or feeling stressed.
Julieta de los Santos is a PhD candidate in the Depart- ment of Secondary Education, at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Her research examines how and why high school biology teachers incorporate the outdoors. Dr. Man-Wai Chu is an Assistant Professor at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary in Alberta. Her research focuses on using innovative assessments, such as interactive digital environments, to measure students’ performance-based skills in the classroom and on stan- dardized tests. Dr. Marie-Claire Shanahan is an Associ- ate Professor of Science Education at Werklund School of Education. She studies the ways that people of all ages come to understand what it means to participate in scien- tific communities and activities.
Notes
1. Davidson, L. (2001). Qualitative research and making meaning from adven- ture: A case study of boys’ experiences of outdoor education at school. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning. 1(2), 11-20.
Foster, A., & Linney, G. (2007). Reconnecting children through outdoor edu- cation: A research summary. Toronto: The Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario.
Louv, R. (2005). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature-defi- cit disorder. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.
2. Schon, J. A., Eitel, K. B., Bingaman, D., Miller, B. G., & Rittenburg, R. A. (2014). Big Project, Small.
Phone (800) 545-7475 R
www.dawnpub.com Canadian Distributor R Fitzhenry & Whiteside R 800-387-9776 Page 14
3. The RiverWatch Institute of Alberta. (2016). How to Monitor. Retrieved from
http://www.riverwatch.ab.ca/science/how-to-monitor
4. Walsh, L., & Straits, W. (2014). Creating a quality partnership with informal science institutions.
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