In recent years it seems more evident that the ability of teachers to get students interested in studying and learning has been a significant challenge. However, Environmental Education programs afford a new way to enhance opportunities for students as well as teachers to make a connection between appreciating nature and linking it with their academic world.
Educators around the country in some innovative programs have helped to redesign curriculum in schools in order to meet their own state standards while at the same time organizing events and lesson plans around multi-disciplined themes based on the environment. You might want to ask: “Why themes or topics based on the environment?” The basis for them is that children have a interest that is almost natural about the natural world that surrounds them daily. Additionally, interested students become motivated students and this is a major step in fostering heightened academic performance in our young people.
Some of these innovative programs have student populations that are highly diverse, but even in those instances the redesigning still resulted in similar outcomes. The students show more enthusiasm about acquiring knowledge and their general performance academically is improved. Another great result is that their teachers are also showing greater enthusiasm about their job.—teaching! They become more creative in developing teaching strategies for their classes and are becoming leaders in changing the way their schools teach.
Exploring, discovering, evaluating, observing, listening, questioning, testing hypotheses, using all their senses to learn more about the beauty of nature around them. We see students come to Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge three times a year to become in touch with their natural environment. I know it sounds too wild to be true that young children can do all those things in the woods and prairie, but you see it in their eyes, in their excitement, you hear it in their questions, you feel when you see them climb back on the bus that day only to fall asleep on the way back to school, simply worn out from the excitement of learning.
Discovering your natural world, a big part of Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge…when are you going to Discover it? Open daily, the forest is here waiting for you and your family!