Augusta

I have struggled with guiding students through complicated processes without the students getting bored or frustrated. For example, leading summer camp kids with water quality testing and why its important. Many kids grew confused and frustrated at all the steps. I've helped with this by breaking the project into smaller steps and giving breaks in between.

I used eBird and Merlin. I have no used either app before but it seemed very user friendly. Although, it did ask about downloading bird packs even though I thought I had downloaded them already? So I think  technology can be a bit of a challenge sometimes.  Unfortunately, I had forgotten my binoculars so could only get a good glimpse at birds that hung out close to me. I can also ID a few birds so my challenge to myself was to forget what I know and try to just observe and find all the details I could before identifying. I hope students would be able to improve their observation skills, critical thinking skills and focus on taking the time to get the bird ID right.

The most impactful thing was turning everything else off to really listen to what was going on around me. I was able to really focus on the sounds around me without sight.  I would love to do this activity with gets to get them grounded and paying attention to nature around them.      

I would like to start a project that gets local students connected to their own backyards. I would like to start a monarch larva monitoring program and really empower those kids to make a difference in their community. I would like to start a collaboration with the zoo I work at, and a local science teacher. I would like them to start doing research on how to protect monarch butterflies at the zoo. I am hoping to make this a yearly project so students can see real time changes in their efforts to give monarchs more habitat.

I worked with elementary students for summer camps at different nature centers and zoos. One activity I did was called "Bird Beak Buffet" where students were given various tools (gardening gloves with sharp edges, pliers, chopsticks, water droppers, tea drainers/colanders) and a variety of objects that they had to pick up using those tools ( gummy worms, plastic beads, water, large nuts).  We showed them various pictures of birds and their beaks and asked them what they ate. We explain that different bird beak shapes help the birds get different types of food. For example a finch is going to have a strong sturdy beak for opening up nuts while a pelican is going to have a beak made for scooping up fish.  Many times we would make a game out of it by timing students using each kind of tool to pick up the object. What tool is the best for picking up the gummy worms? what about scooping water?  I believe this activity is confirmation inquiry since we told them about a concept ( bird beak shapes) and how the concept worked (shapes determine foods) but them them try the idea for themselves. I believe you could add to this activity by observing birds in the wild or in their zoo habitats and writing out their observations and talking with their peers. (Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information).