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MOUNT RAINIER INSTITUTE FIELD STUDY GUIDE AMY WILSON, CANDIDATE MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION MONTREAT COLLEGE Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

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Page 1: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

MOUNT

RAINIER

INSTITUTE

FIELD

STUDY

GUIDEAMY WILSON, CANDIDATE

MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

MONTREAT COLLEGE

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 2: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

2

BACKGROUND

MOUNT RAINIER INSTITUTE

“provides outstanding nature-based education experiences that are rooted in

science and nurture the next generation of environmental stewards and

leaders”

(Hayes & Wilson, 2016, p. 3).

SCIENCE

Intentional use of science to

link to environmental education

(EE) outcomes.

LOCATION AND AUDIENCE

Eatonville, Washington

Middle school students

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 3: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

BACKGROUND

MOUNT RAINIER INSTITUTE

EXPERIENCE

Arrival

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 4: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

MRI

Departure

Day

Mount

Rainier

Page 5: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

5

BACKGROUND

NGSS ALIGNMENT

Allows for learning transfer

(James & Williams, 2017).

THEORETICAL

FRAMEWORK

Unified with the concept of

understanding.

Includes Kolb’s experiential

learning cycle, NGSS, and

Understanding by Design.

BEST PRACTICES

Intentional integration of best

practices identified by Stern,

Powell, and Hill (2013) and

Jacobson, McDuff, and

Monroe (2006).

Seasonal debriefs consistently

revealed a need for a written

curriculum (R. Bishop, S. Francis, N.

Frymier, A. Patia, & R. Weisberg,

personal communication, November

7, 2013; A. Bavier & K. Ewen,

personal communication, October 27,

2016).

Staff training varies from season to

season depending on the staff’s prior

knowledge.

STAFF REQUESTS

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 6: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

PURPOSE OF THE

PROJECTTO CREATE A FIELD

STUDY GUIDE FOR MOUNT

RAINIER INSTITUTE

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 7: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

DEFINITIONS

Environmental Education – A pedagogy that aids students in gaining knowledge about the environment, developing skills,

and creating understanding in how to address local and global challenges (NAAEE, 2016).

Experiential Education – A pedagogy where students learn through direct experiences (Dewey, 1997).

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle – A four stage learning cycle that can be entered into at any point but then must be

followed in sequence thereafter. The stages of the learning cycle are, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation,

concrete experience, and reflective observation (Kolb, 2015).

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 8: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

DEFINITIONS

BEST PRACTICES IN

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

A best practice that requires

learners to be actively engaged

in the education experience

(Stern, Powell, & Hill, 2013).

PLACE-BASED EDUCATION

An approach used to connect

students to their local communities

and ecosystems by using those

areas as a starting point to teach

interdisciplinary concepts in the

curriculum (Sobel, 2017).

COOPERATIVE

LEARNING

A best practice that demands

all participants work together

for a common goal (Stern et al.,

2013).

PURE INQUIRY

Learners develop, refine, and

conduct investigations with little to

no help from the educator

overseeing the experience (Stern

et al., 2013).

IMMERSIVE FIELD

INVESTIGATION

A best practice that

incorporates data collection

and analysis into the

experience (Stern et al., 2013).

REFLECTION

Allowing students time to look

back on personal experiences

or to think on a recent

experience to make

connections to the current

objective (Stern et al., 2013).8

Page 9: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

LITERATURE REVIEW

THE FOLLOWING

LITERATURE INFORMED

THE DESIGN OF THE FIELD

STUDY GUIDE

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Page 10: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

10

LITERATURE REVIEW

ACTIVE

PARTICIPATION

• Better equipped to foster attitude and behavior changes within

students than didactic methods (Ballantyne & Packer, 2009;

Knapp & Poff, 2001; Kusmawan, O'Toole, Reynolds, & Bourke,

2009).

• Important in memory recall as this builds the foundations for

future connections to more complex ideas (Knapp & Poff, 2001).

• Creates inclusive learning communities (James & Williams,

2017).

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 11: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

11

LITERATURE REVIEW

COOPERATIVE

LEARNING

• Utilizes all students’ knowledge and observations, allowing for

a more complete view of the topic at hand (Ballantyne, Fien, &

Packer, 2000).

• Used in a structured or complex environment (Dillenbourg,

2002).

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 12: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

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LITERATURE REVIEW

IMMERSIVE FIELD

INVESTIGATION

• Aids in skill acquisition and refinement (Stern, Powell, & Hill,

2013).

• Higher rate of learning transfer seen in students taught with

immersive field investigation (Basile, 2000).

• Positive gains due to immersive field investigations (Ballantyne,

Fien, & Packer, 2001).

Knowledge

22%

Attitude

17%

Behavior

45%

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 13: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

13

LITERATURE REVIEW

PLACE-BASED

EDUCATION

• Creates attachment to place with practices such as time

outdoors, stewardship projects, and use of local resources

(Duffin, Powers, & Tremblay, 2004).

• Understanding students’ link to the environment encourages

admiration for the local environment (Sobel, 2017).

• Increased awareness is created by interaction with the

environment (Gruenewald, 2003).

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 14: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

14

LITERATURE REVIEW

PURE INQUIRY

• Is most authentic way to practice science (Reid & Yang,

2002; Zion & Mendelovici, 2012).

• Has ability to transform a students’ perception of science

(Zion, 2003).

• Requires critical thinking throughout the process (Zion &

Mendelovici, 2012).

Page 15: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

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LITERATURE REVIEW

DescriptionStructured

Inquiry

Guided

Inquiry

Open

Inquiry

Pure

Inquiry

Topic Teacher Teacher Teacher Teacher/Student

Question Teacher Teacher Teacher/Student Student

Materials Teacher Teacher Student Student

Procedure Teacher Teacher/Student Student Student

Results Teacher/Student Student Student Student

Conclusions Student Student Student Student

Teacher Student

Adapted from Bonnstetter,1998

Page 16: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

16

LITERATURE REVIEW

REFLECTION

• When used in an EE setting, allows students to reflect on

emotional and sensory aspects (Tooth & Renshaw, 2009).

• Positive impact on environmental attitude (Stern et al.,

2014).

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 17: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

17

LITERATURE REVIEW

KOLB’S EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

CYCLE

• 4 Stages in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb, 2015).

• This learning cycle allows the teacher to begin at any point in

the cycle so long as they continue in sequence (Kolb, 2015).

Page 18: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

18

KOLB’S EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

CYCLE

ACTIVE

EXPERIMENTATION

CONCRETE

EXPERIENCE

ABSTRACT

CONCEPTUALIZATION

REFLECTIVE

OBSERVATION REFLECTIVE

OBSERVATION

Reflect on the experience

ACTIVE

EXPERIMENTATION

Forming the plan

ABSTRACT

CONCEPTUALIZATION

Conceptualization of an idea,

theory, or model.

CONCRETE

EXPERIENCE

Completing the activity or

experience planned in the

active experimentation stage.

Kolb, 2015

Page 19: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

SUMMARY

BEST PRACTICES

* Active participation

* Cooperative learning

* Immersive field investigation

* Place-based education

* Pure inquiry

* Reflection

KOLB’S EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 20: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

METHODOLOGYUSED IN CREATING THE FIELD STUDY

GUIDE

• Theoretical Framework

• Expert Panel

• Feedback from the Expert Panel

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 21: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

METHODOLOGY

Understanding by

Design

Next Generation

Science Standards

Kolb’s Experiential

Learning Cycle

Each piece of the framework contributes to the

Field Study Guide.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

1

2

3

4

• Curriculum design with a focus on creating and

deepening understanding (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005).

• Lifelong learning focused on educating the whole

person (Kolb, 2015).

• The science and engineering practices along with

crosscutting concepts should be used to deepen

understanding of the core ideas

(National Research Council, 2012).

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Page 22: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

22

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE

STANDARDS

NGSS

On October 4, 2013 Former

Superintendent Randy Dorn formally

adopted the NGSS

“Having all our students literate in

science is the key to our success in the

future. The Next Generation Science

Standards will make our students

successful, whether they are college- or

career-bound” (Office of Superintendent

of Public Instruction, 2016).

Dimensions of NGSS

(National Research Council, 2012)

Page 23: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

EXPERT PANEL

Past and present MRI Instructors

MRI INSTRUCTORS

EE Professionals from a wide

geographic distribution.

EE PROFESSIONALS

Teachers who use the NGSS.

TEACHERS

23

Page 24: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

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METHODOLOGY

The EE professionals who reviewed the Field Study

Guide had experience in these countries and states.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Page 25: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

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METHODOLOGY

Combined Map of EE Professionals and Past/Present

MRI Instructors.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

EE Professionals

Past/Present MRI Instructors

Page 26: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

FIELD STUDY GUIDEA GUIDE FOR MOUNT RAINIER INSTITUTE

26

Page 27: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

Table of Contents

Introduction

Theoretical Framework

Figure 1. Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle

Curriculum Layout

Figure 2. Graphics Key

01/ Everyday Science

02/ Exploration

03/ Asking Questions

04/ Scope of Study

05/ Protocol

06/ Analyzing Data

07/ Conclusions and Arguments

08/ Symposium Preparation

09/ Field Science Symposium

Glossary

References

Multifarious Instructor Answer Cards

Multifarious Student Cards

PowerPoint Template Cards

FIELD STUDY GUIDEA GUIDE FOR MOUNT RAINIER INSTITUTE

27

Page 28: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

Title

Goal:

7 | P a g e

Time: 20-30 minutes

Materials:

Skill Acquisition:

NGSS Connections:

Practices

Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concept

Understandings:

Reinforcing Key Concepts:

Background:

Activity Prep:

Assessment:

FIELD STUDY GUIDEA GUIDE FOR MOUNT RAINIER INSTITUTE

Goal: The overarching target of the activity.

Skill Acquisition: Objectives closely tied to materials.

NGSS Connections

Practices: How Scientists and engineers investigate the world

around them.

Core Ideas: Key ideas

Crosscutting Concept: Connections to help students connect all

four areas of science.

Understandings: to make sense of what a person knows.

Reinforcing Key Concepts: Activities that reinforce a construct

represented by a word or phrase

Background: Information for instructors to have before preparing the

activity.

Activity Prep: Notes about how and what to prep before the activity.

Assessment: Informal, formative assessment

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Page 29: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

Nature Scope

Goal: Introduce the day with a safe and structured way to explore an unfamiliar natural area.

Time: 30 - 45 minutes

Materials:

Dry erase boards1 per group

Dry erase markers1 per group

Kaleidoscopes1 per group

Journal and Pencil1 per student

Skill Acquisition:

Demonstrate teamwork

Model energy flow between

chosen items.

NGSS Connections:

Practices

Develop a model

Core Ideas

Cycle of matter and energy

transfer in ecosystems. Ex.

Old growth forest.

Crosscutting Concept

Energy and Matter

Stability and Change

Understandings:

Students can work together to investigate the world around them,

construct models, and build greater understandings of the

connections in the ecosystem they are exploring.

Reinforcing Key Concepts:

Identify chosen items

Trace energy flow through the old growth forest

Background:

Often, students come to Mount Rainier Institute feeling uneasy

and sometimes fearful of being in a forest. This activity places

students in small groups for a structured exploration. Using this

type of exploration allows instructors to safely engage students

that have been showing signs of being wary in nature. This

activity can serve as a springboard to introduce the day, provoke

questions, and identify connections within an ecosystem.

Activity Prep:

Nature Scope is best completed in an area without stinging

nettle, poison hemlock, cow parsnip, or giant hogweed.

Remember, a goal of this activity is to safely engage students

who are wary of nature. This can be impossible if the activity

comes with a lengthy list of biotic factors that could potentially

hurt the students. While it is important for students to be aware

of all environmental dangers present in any area where

programming takes place, it is recommended that environmental

dangers be reduced by the instructor, in site selected for this

activity.

Assessment:

Student models of the forest ecosystem

Small and large group discussions

Nature Scope Facilitation

Gather the students, after arriving in a

new section of the forest.

Ask the group if they have any

observations about the area they are standing.

Tell students that they will have 15 minutes to

explore within the boundaries the instructor has

set. Please describe any environmental

hazards at this time.

Have students divide into groups of 3-4 and

give each group one nature kaleidoscope.

Explain to the students that these

kaleidoscopes are special in the way the

bottom plastic piece (cup) is removable. They

may place small natural items in the cup and

look through the kaleidoscope. If students

desire an item in the cup to turn they should

roll the whole kaleidoscope in their hands

(instead of twisting the cup). The instructor

should demonstrate.

Instruct the students to explore this new area.

Give boundaries. Each student should find

one natural item they find interesting that they

could contribute to the kaleidoscope.

Before sending the students off, it is important

to remind them of their impact on an area. Ask

students to refrain from placing picked flowers

and arthropods in the cup of the kaleidoscope.

Tell students to observe each item individually

in the kaleidoscope before putting all items in

the cup together. After each small group has

collected and observed their own

kaleidoscope, have them present to the larger

group.

Release students to explore and be available

to aid with teamwork or share in the wonders of

the area.

Pull students back together in a circle and pass

each kaleidoscope around the circle so that

each person has a chance to enjoy the pieces

created.

Distribute to each small group a white

board and dry erase marker.

Instruct students to carefully place

their natural items on the dry erase board and

encourage them to circle and label the items

they can identify. If they cannot identify the

items on their board then encourage them to

write descriptions next to them.

Ask a few students to share with the large

group why they chose the natural item they did.

What did they want to investigate closer?

Now ask students to turn and talk in

their individual groups about how

each item they chose may be

connected in the ecosystem.

Request that they only talk about their chosen

natural items for now.

Instruct students to draw arrows on their dry

erase board to show those ecological

relationships.

Bring students back into one large sitting circle

with each dry erase board touching in the

center.

Ask the students if they felt like they were

missing any key ingredients in order to record

those ecosystem connections. Some

examples of this may be the sun, water, or

animals.

Select a volunteer to draw the student-

identified missing links in the ecosystem. As

each missing piece is added, reevaluate all

other pieces to see if there are any

connections to the new piece.

Ask students if there are any surprising

ecosystem connections on the boards.

Direct students to grab their pencils and

journals and turn to a blank page.

Page 30: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

CONCLUSION

• Mount Rainier Institute’s mission links science and the goals of environmental education

• Students gain familiarity with science practices while using the prescribed best practices indicated. This can change perceptions of science and positively impact:

• Learning Transfer (Basile, 2000)

• Skill Acquisition (Stern et al., 2014)

• Environmental Attitude (Ballantyne et al., 2001)

• Environmental Behavior (Ballantyne et al., 2001)

• Foster a Respect of Place (Sobel, 2017)

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson

Page 31: Mount Rainier Institute Field Study Guide

“The question is not what you look at but what you see”

– Henry David Thoreau

QUESTIONS?

Photo Credit: Amy Wilson