Field Natural History for Teachers

Catalog description

The purpose of this course is to equip students with knowledge of central Pennsylvania flora and fauna, familiarize students with different techniques for teaching about natural history, and to engage students with citizen science efforts. This class uses lectures sparingly and is instead designed to be an experiential and hands-on class that will engage students with the natural world on campus and other local sites. Analyzing natural history-based educational programs and the pedagogical methods for teaching in both outdoor and indoor settings is a core component of this class, alongside participation with citizen science data collection efforts and dissemination of findings. The overall goal of this course is to familiarize students with the natural history and biodiversity of Pennsylvania and techniques for educating in, for, and about the outdoors. At the end of the course, students will be able to: (1) Analyze the importance of interrelationships between all living organisms and how this contributes to a healthy planet. (2) Identify common Pennsylvania flora and fauna. (3) Regard living things as teaching tools for science classrooms. (3) Evaluate methods for teaching about different natural history topics in both indoor and outdoor settings. (4) Demonstrate their natural history observations and understandings by contributing to a citizen science project.