KLEIN's
GUIDE TO
SCIENCE EDUCATION
PHOTO CREDIT: Nadene Klein at Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite National Park
My alternative high school has an outdoor ed program to which everyone is encouraged to participate. All activities are outside of the regular school day so that students can earn credit (and teachers extra pay). Most outdoor activities occur over breaks from school or weekends.
For the past two weekends, I had the utter joy of leading 10 students in my newly created outdoor ed program. Rather than being a P.E. credit as most of these activities are classified, I put in a science twist so that students could earn science credit. Thus, Geology of Colorado was born. [Note: even if you don't live in an environment like Colorado, you can explore the nature of your place.] Day 1: We hiked Mt. Sherman which is classified as a 14er (any mountain over 14,000 feet in elevation). 8 of 10 students and my second chaperone had never hiked one before. This was a 7 mile round trip hike with 3000 feet of elevation gain. Science Lessons: students learned the composition of the mountain, the mining of metals, noting the cave system via its entrance, and the general terrain. Students also took in some wildlife and monitoring of weather conditions. Life Lessons: Two students wanted quit 1/3 of the way up the mountain. The feeling of success when finally summiting was priceless. A sense of accomplishment built everyone's self-esteem. Students gained a greater appreciation of nature and our planet. Day 2: We did community service in Cherry Creek State Park. The park field guide taught us about an invasive species of plant called the Mullein Plant. We worked for hours erradicating an entire field of this plant. Science Lessons: Plains are a geological feature. Students gained an understanding of plant identification and the concerns around invasive species. Life Lessons: Manual labor, giving back, and team work are valuable. Day 3: We explored Painted Mines Interpretive Park in Calhan, CO. This was a shorter day for us with about 3 miles of hiking. Science Lessons: Sandstone formations are created by water erosion. Mineral deposits in the sandstone create unique colors. We saw those that included iron and gypsum. We also identified conglomerated rocks and shallow cave formations. Life Lessons: Natural rock formations are fragile and need to be protected. Students became angry at another group climbing on the rocks when this was posted as a prohibited activity. There is much wonder in our world in the most unlikely places. Day 4: This was a full day in Colorado Springs. We began with a spelunking tour of Cave of the Winds. Our private tour included crawling through a living cave and getting very very dirty. Next we had a guided walk through Garden of the Gods. Our last stop was 7 Falls. This waterfall has 7 distinct segments in a beautiful mountain setting. Science Lessons: Our guides taught us so much this day. Students were shown cave formations and taught what they are made of and how they are formed. The geologic timeline was visible in the rock/mountain formations along learning what different colorations in the sandstone was caused by. Students also reviewed the 3 categories of rocks. Lastly students saw the power of water flowing from high to low elevations and then creating streams. Life Lessons: Humans have both positive and negative impacts on nature. You can overcome your fears of darkness and closed in spaces in a cave. Seems like any existing school program can be enhanced with a science twist. Scientifically yours, Nadene
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AuthorNadene Klein, M.Ed. has been an educator for over 25 years. She brings a passion and love for science to the classroom and through this blog to you. Archives
March 2024
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