Springfield Nature Notes
In September The Nature Museum began doubling its presence at the three elementary schools in Springfield, Vermont. Regular science lessons in all 31 classes, K-5, will augment Museum nature programs.
Five classes of fourth graders started the eighth year of the Connecticut River Watershed Program and are looking forward to receiving salmon eggs in late January or early February from the White River Fish Hatchery in Bethel, VT. The students will maintain three chilled aquariums in which the tiny eggs will hatch and grow into 1.5-inch "fry." Students will study and document each stage of salmon development, release the fry into the Black River in mid-May, and then go to the Springweather Nature Area to plant trees along the river's edge. The trees will help stabilize the riverbanks, provide habitat for wildlife, and keep the water cooler for its aquatic inhabitants. "We planted a forest!" whispered one student last May after completing her highly anticipated day of Community Service.
Other classes are studying everything from local woodland ecosystems to the universe. Students have looked at local trees, seeds, and different soils, as well as the wide world of insects. Third graders recently completed a unit on the solar system, and first graders are now learning about solids and liquids.
Due to construction at Elm and at Union, access to the woods at both schools has been temporarily restricted. The good news is that each school community will have the opportunity to design new nature trails and outdoor classrooms next year. The Nature Museum is eager to help with that process.
Teaching Teachers
Naturally drawn to nature, children enjoy investigating it and learning by experience. By building upon their attraction to the wild and the creatures that dwell therein and by directing and honing their abilities to observe, record, experiment, and draw conclusions, children can improve their ability to apply the same techniques to other aspects of their school and personal lives. These techniques can make the learning process easier, more personal, and more meaningful. In addition, children quickly realize that learning opportunities are around them all the time and are fun. This transforming place-based education process is one the Museum has used for years. For over three years it also has shared its philosophy, expertise, and practical techniques for application with teachers in two summer Teacher Institutes funded by the Wellborn Ecology Fund, which is part of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
This past summer Museum Director of Education Betsy Stacey led two more of our well-known teacher-training courses - aided by Betsy Owen, part-time Museum staff and Science Education Coordinator for the Springfield Schools; Lynn Morgan, Naturalist Educator at the Museum; Sage Maurer, Museum Summer Intern and student at Antioch New England Graduate School; and visiting experts Michael Caduto, storyteller and naturalist extraordinaire, and Susan Bonthron, educator and bookbinder of Otter Pond Bindery. Paramount to the successful instruction in these sessions for the teachers is their direct and personal outdoor experience in a rural setting, unlike the standard classroom, coupled with scheduled free time for quiet meditation, writing, and the opportunity to interact and converse informally with other teachers.
This summer's 21 participants - 18 women and 3 men - included teachers for grades 1 through 8, three librarians, and a woman who works with blind students throughout Southeastern Vermont. The educators came from St. Croix in the Virgin Islands; Ohio; Lebanon and Newport, NH; and Springfield, Thetford, South Royalton, East Montpelier, and Hartland, VT. Nine attended the Nature Journaling Institute in Grafton, and 12 attended the Nature Writing Institute at Moose Mountain Lodge in Etna, NH.
Most teachers at the Nature Journaling Institute truly loved the beaver lesson; they visited Skip Lisle's beautiful beaver pond and learned to incorporate the ecological history of beavers in their lesson. Nature Writers enjoyed the combination of science, writing, and art. They had a chance to collect live insects, frogs, and tadpoles and write poetry and scientific essays about them. Attendees at both Institutes enjoyed the food and lodging and valued the chance to work on their own journaling and writing skills while acquiring effective, tangible, interdisciplinary activities for their classrooms.
The Nature Museum has an excellent reputation for high-quality programs that teach meaningful ways to retain and develop information and learning techniques. Evaluations from these two courses reinforce that reputation.
Some Teacher Comments about the Institute Workshops:
"This course opened me up to the importance of connecting to nature through emotion and helping kids learn by connecting content to emotion."
"Helping integrate a better understanding of nature into curriculum...in turn helps to create better rounded eager students."
"Excellent workshop! This has been a terrific opportunity to get new ideas, meet fellow educators, and gain a renewed appreciation for the importance of integrating more 'nature' into the curriculum."
"There is a great emphasis on writing in our school. This course will help me encourage children to take risks, to still themselves, to observe AND to write. This is one of the most useful workshops I have taken in my career. Thanks so much."
