One-day Ecology Programs
Learning Ecology by Doing Ecology
EEC's one-day programs offer the opportunity for students to experience the joy and satisfaction of conducting real-world ecological research. These programs empower students with the ability to understand how to do science inquiry research. [Remember, ecology is a scientific discipline AND the research skills a student acquires from EEC's programs can be used in other science fields - biology, chemistry, physics, etc.] A schoolyard, park, field, forest, stream, pond, swamp or the ocean’s edge can be used as an ecological learning resource. It could even be a classroom. One-day programs typically run for two to four hours.
Ecological concepts such as energy transfer in ecosystems (through food chains and food webs) come alive as students learn these complex concepts by studying them in a real-world context instead of just reading about them in books. And there are many other excellent educational benefits:
Increased interest in ecology and science in general.
Empowerment that comes with finally understanding how to independently do science research.
Understanding how to apply ecological knowledge in order to help resolve real-world environmental problems.
Example of a Customized Ecology Research Booklet
This booklet was prepared for an elementary school class. The research theme was forest ecology. Based on pre-trip (classroom preparation) and three-hours of field research, the students:
This booklet was prepared for an elementary school class. The research theme was forest ecology. Based on pre-trip (classroom preparation) and three-hours of field research, the students:
- learned how to conduct ecological research by doing a (fictitious) real-world study at a nearby state park.
- learned the importance of habitat to wildlife survival
- gained an understanding of how living organisms interact with other living organisms and with the nonliving environment.
Click the 'Ecology Research Notebook'
to view the booklet
Freshwater Aquatic Food Web
Credits: Students Exploring (Dennis J. Gemmell) / Students at Microscope and Computer (Comstock Images)
