Phenology as a vehicle for integrative science curricula in elementary classrooms

Background/Question/Methods

Over the past several years, educators and ecologists have recognized the potential for studies of phenology, or the timing of life cycles, to connect student learning to real-world research on climate change (e.g. Schwartz 1999, Bombaugh et al 2003). I partnered with an award-winning teacher to implement a pilot project in a 2^nd/3^rd grade classroom to explore opportunities for studying ecology through phenology with elementary-aged children. Our studies were driven by three major themes: ‘Being a Scientist,’ ‘Cycles,’ and ‘Form fits Function.’ Students chose individual ‘research areas’ in their school woods, where they recorded weekly observations to address their own research questions and tracked events such as senescence and emergence of plants and departure/return of migrating birds. We evaluated the effectiveness of the phenology program using continuous informal formative assessment to check for student understanding, a mid-year assessment consisting of students' written responses to four questions ('What is phenology?' 'How has your research spot changed this year?' 'How have you changed this year?' and 'What are your goals for the rest of the year?'), and authentic performance tasks at the Madison Children’s Science Symposium.

Results/Conclusions

All students were able to define phenology as the study of 'changes in nature' and to identify ecological changes in their research areas, including changes related to life cycles of plants, abundance of birds and insects, and weather. Students reported improvements in their skills in measuring, using tools, collecting data, and writing, as well as increased confidence in 'answering questions' and 'paying attention to nature.' Students made great strides in identifying plants, fungi, and birdsongs throughout the year, developed their meta-cognitive abilities, and learned to present their research to adults and peers in an engaging way through their studies of phenology. Not only did their achievements address pertinent science standards, but enhanced learning in areas such as writing, mathematics, art, and computer literacy (through working with Project BudBurst).

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See more of: Enhancing Ecological Thought Through Phenological Observation, Research, and Education
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