It’s one thing to theorize about bees and other pollinators or read about them in the abstract. It’s another to walk out into a schoolyard and look for plants that could provide pollen. The latter approach to learning was in full effect at a May workshop introducing the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW)’s new Second Grade Biodiversity and Pollinators unit.
“My teaching partner and I already do a bee unit primarily focused on research and writing a report to cite sources,” one participant reported on a post-workshop evaluation. “This [other approach] is FANTASTIC and we can’t wait to use it.”
The online workshop introduced second-grade teachers to the new curriculum, currently available only in draft form. To begin, teachers reviewed the unit in teams and shared their summaries with the whole group. “This was a creative way to provide a deeper peek into at least one lesson while also covering this extensive 106-page document,” says PEI’s Eastern Washington FieldSTEM Coordinator Amy Dawley. “The engagement was high and I believe educators appreciated being invited to share their feedback and ideas for final modifications.”
To set up their next two activities, Dawley and WDFW Conservation Education Curriculum Developer Autumn Eckenrod explained how to use anchoring phenomenon – real-world, puzzling events or phenomena that serve as a starting point for scientific investigations – and three-dimensional learning, a holistic approach that integrates disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts (ideas that connect different science disciplines) and scientific and engineering practices.
Overall, the approach aims to help students make sense of phenomena, ask questions and define problems by actively engaging with science and engineering as scientists and engineers. “The participants were vocally appreciative of Autumn sharing the intent of the NGSS three-dimensional learning,” says Dawley, “and how investigation driven by student questions provides the backbone to the What, How, and Why of the Unit Level Learning Objectives.”
“My teaching partner and I already do a bee unit primarily focused on research and writing a report to cite sources. This [other approach] is FANTASTIC and we can’t wait to use it.”
— Workshop Participant
To cement their learning, the group experienced their own anchoring phenomenon by evaluating photos from different schoolyard habitats (a school garden in one case, a typical schoolyard in the other) and recording the number of plant and animal species they observed in each.
Analyzing the data led them to the ‘Driving Questions Board,’ where they listed questions that arose based on the differences they observed such as, “Why don’t schoolyards have very many animals and plants?” and “What plants do animals eat?” and saw how such questions could drive student learning.
They also took a break from their screens to conduct a mini-biodiversity survey outdoors, then returned to the group to share their findings. “This allowed them time to consider how they would guide students to do their own schoolyard surveys and share tips and modifications,” Dawley notes.
The Washington Biodiversity and Pollinators unit is now available through the WDFW website. he educator responses provided from workshops in both April and May were considered for final unit modifications. Many shared that they plan to use this unit next school year, either as a replacement for their current pollination unit or as a supplemental unit to meet Next Generation Science Standards.
“I already have a pretty good grasp of the pollination and habitat but the way my district’s curriculum teaches it is not as engaging as the lessons and activities shared today for my students,” one reported in a post-workshop evaluation. “I am excited to implement these lessons to add all the visuals, videos, outdoor experiences and more.”