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Introduction to Inquiry
Jump right into inquiry with us …
Click on a question and go to an interactive web page to get a flavor for schoolyard ecology while you participate in an on-going inquiry with us.
What is schoolyard ecology?
1) Ecology
Definition: E·COL·O·GY: from Greek oikos = house (place we live) logos = (study of)
The scientific study of organisms and their environment, addressing
- the distribution and abundance of organisms
- how living things interact with each other and their environment
- the fluxes of matter and energy through the living world
- the full set of relationships between organisms and their environment, for example:
- the ecology of the tropical rainforest, or the ecology of the schoolyard
- the ecology of the gray squirrel, or the ecology of the prickly pear cactus
- a disciplinary field, a profession, a community of scientists of which students, teachers and citizens can be a part!
2) Schoolyard
The area or grounds that include and that immediately surround and encompass the school. However, we take a broader view of the sites where schoolyard ecology teaching can occur, and include sites as long as:
- they are close and safe enough to walk to as part of the regular school day
- students can observe and inquire there
- students can repeat observations over time without costly changes (e.g., bulldozing, etc.)
- ideally, students can establish short- or long-term experiments.
3) Schoolyard ecology
- Ecology IN the schoolyard - any environment within the schoolyard that includes organisms can be the subject of ecological study. For every facet of ecology, examples can be found in the schoolyard.
- Ecology OF the schoolyard - the ecology of the schoolyard as a whole can be the subject of schoolyard ecology, too.
4) SYE and related topics/endeavors
- SYE and schoolyard enhancement. Schoolyard ecology can begin and, often, flourish in schoolyards of virtually any condition. Ecological processes and phenomena in the schoolyard, and the ecology of the various habitats there or of the schoolyard as a whole, are the subjects of study. Schoolyard enhancement seeks to improve the schoolyard for some purpose(s) - for teaching and learning, for play, for aesthetics, for conservation, for community enrichment, for creative expression.
- SYE and school gardening programs.
- SYE and other inquiry-based and constructivist programs.
- SYE and other ecology education programs.
- SYE and environmental education.
- SYE and education reform beyond science education.
Why schoolyard ecology?
The need for the public to understand the ecological basis of environmental problems has never been greater. "Global change" is upon us. We are reminded every day of the increasingly pervasive influence we have on the environment and of how it, in turn, influences us. Educators can help increase the ecological literacy of students at every grade. Furthermore, ecology is a great way to engage students and teachers in science in general, providing fertile ground for the broader goals of enhancing scientific literacy.
While the teaching of ecological concepts has traditionally been the domain of environmental educators, elementary teachers can and must become the key players in teaching youngsters ecology. In this way, ecology will receive the attention it deserves, and will be better integrated into the rest of the curriculum rather than relegated to special sessions and instructors.
We believe that students should learn the science of ecology by doing it - by conducting research with organisms close to home. This conviction is reflected in numerous national reports and in the curriculum mandates of most states. Ecology is best taught through direct involvement with organisms in their environment, i.e., outdoors. While visits to nature centers are desirable, outdoor ecology education is most likely to occur when teachers are not faced with the constraints of formal field trips, such as bus scheduling and permission slips. Some research suggests that study of more familiar environments actually is preferable to novel field trips (Falk et al. 1978). There is ample evidence that outdoor experiences in the schoolyard enhance learning of science in elementary students, especially when the activities are well managed and integrated with other instruction (Dissinger 1984 and 1987, Harvey 1989).
Students should study ecology in their local environments so that they learn that a scientific understanding of the environment applies to human-influenced and human-managed ecosystems like urban, suburban and agricultural systems as well as to more pristine areas. Such ecosystems are most familiar and available to the majority of our students, and are critical for understanding the human role in the earth's ecology. In this way, schoolyard ecology education is distinguished from the traditional notion of nature study as just pertaining to the study of "pristine" environments, and is made accessible to the vast majority of our students. This emphasis on the local environment applies to urban areas, where large populations of students in groups currently underrepresented in science in general and ecology in particular, live and learn.
The ultimate goal of Schoolyard Ecology is to help classroom teachers foster ecological literacy in their students. To do this:
- students must study real organisms in real environments - i.e., outside and local,
- outdoor study must be frequent and progressive, i.e., convenient and easily fit into changing schedules and curricula,
- students must be able to set up and re-visit manipulative and long-term studies, and
- learning should be inquiry-based, where students deepen their understanding of the environment and their place within it by pursuing their own questions and building on their prior knowledge and interests.
In summary, here are six simple arguments for Schoolyard Ecology:
- Ecology must be inquiry based with real organisms in real environments.
- Schoolyards are the most convenient places to do this.
- Schoolyard ecology conveys that ecology is everywhere, not just at "nature" centers and parks.
- Schoolyard ecology is a great vehicle for teaching science process skills and dispositions.
- Ecology and critical thinking are important for the citizens of tomorrow.
- Schoolyard ecology addresses established local, state and national goals.
Where does schoolyard ecology fit in? Everywhere in the curriculum!
The new National Science Standards developed by the National Academy of Science's National Research Council make it clear that inquiry-based teaching and learning are that cornerstones of the current vision for science education in the United States. Even a cursory reading of the Standards will reveal that schoolyard ecology - with its emphasis on learning in real-world contexts and taking a student-centered, inquiry approach - is ideally suited to accomplishing the goals set forth therein.
The same applies for the other prominent national science education reform project of recent years, Project 2061 of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Here, too, the emphases on learning-by-doing, learning fewer concepts in greater depth, and learning science process skills is completely consistent with schoolyard ecology.
What can a SYE Institute accomplish?
1) Goals for students - the ultimate purpose
Schoolyard Ecology and Environmental Literacy for All Students
Ecological address
Students understand their "ecological address" - the organisms and processes that shape their local environment - and their place in it.
Science process skills
Students can use science process and critical thinking skills to ask and answer their own questions about the world around them.
The environment is everywhere
Students realize that the environment is everywhere - not just in "special places" like nature centers or parks - and that environmental learning is an integral part of their curriculum - not just something that happens on field trips away from school with teachers other than their own.
A natural laboratory
Students have the opportunity to learn outside in the schoolyard. Outdoor, inquiry-based learning in the schoolyard is convenient enough that investigations can be frequent, can build on prior lessons over time, and fit easily fit into teachers' and schools' schedules and budgets.
2) Goals for Teachers - Ultimate goals for innovative teacher practice
More outdoor teaching of ecology
Teachers make outdoor teaching of ecology a regular and frequent part of their instruction.
More inquiry-based teaching of ecology
Teachers use inquiry-base, student-centered approaches to teach ecology.
3) Proximal goals to support teacher innovation
Understanding of ecology
Teachers develop a rich and current understanding of the basic concepts of ecology and how they apply to their schoolyard.
Knowledgeable about schoolyards.
Teachers are familiar with the natural history of local organisms and the ecology of local communities and ecosystems.
Inquiry competence and confidence
Teachers understand the nature of scientific inquiry and how to use the skills and processes of inquiry, both to learn ecology and to explore ways to teach it better.
Comfort with teaching outside
Teachers are familiar with the resources on their own schoolyard, knowledgeable about how to use these resources for teaching ecology, and comfortable doing so.
Reflective practice
Teachers use reflection and experimentation to continue to grow and refine their professional practice.
Practical plans for teaching
Teachers plan approaches and activities for their students by experiencing the activities for themselves, by becoming familiar with research on students' learning, and by selecting and developing resources and materials for their own use.
Resources and on-going support
Teachers receive the resources and support they need to sustain innovative practice.
| The SYE Institute Goals and Methods |
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Institute Goals |
Methods for Achieving Goals |
- Increase teachers' familiarity with the ecology of schoolyards, and their comfort with outdoor teaching and learning, to provide new perspectives on and motivation for using the outdoors as a teaching resource
- Allow teachers to become inquirers, to experience a range of investigation approaches and develop insights into the approaches= strengths and weaknesses, and to internalize a framework for inquiry pedagogy.
- Build teachers' conceptual understanding of the ecology of their local environment.
- Help teachers translate their workshop experiences into plans for doing schoolyard inquiry with their students.
- Sustain teachers' growth and innovation in teaching ecology through inquiry.
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- Visit and do inventories of, and ecological inquiry activities on, teachers' schoolyards during the summer workshop; focus journal reflections and discussions on growth and change in perspectives.
- Do guided (questions and methods are provided) and open (questions and methods are determined by the learner) inquiries shaped by what is present in the schoolyard, rather than working through a pre-set curriculum; discuss the process of inquiry and what it means to teach via inquiry.
- Choose inquiry activities that address core ideas in ecology, then make the underlying principles explicit through discussions and data analysis to address and help teachers revise or enhance their prior ideas .
- Provide resources, ideas and experience with investigations that can be done on schoolyards, and time to work collaboratively to shape concrete plans; optional practice leading activities for one another or with children during the summer workshop.
- Build in various kinds of support (e.g., recruiting at least two teachers from a school to attend the workshop together; visits to schools by scientists, lead teachers, undergraduates, and community specialists throughout the school year), and facilitate the establishment of ongoing networks (e.g., follow-up meetings with peers) for interaction and exchange.
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"Hoped For" Teacher Outcomes for the SYE Institutes
This is a brainstorm list of "hoped for" outcomes generated by the original 15 SYEFEST teams at the 1994 Leadership Workshop. The outcomes can be viewed as distance on a path, involving a developmental process over time. All teachers differ in where they are, how far they want to go and how they want to get there.
As a result of participating in SYEFEST, most teachers will...
- Be enthusiastic about using the schoolyard for teaching ecology.
- Teach ecology in the schoolyard and use the schoolyard as a resource.
- Do some inquiry based teaching, at least at guided inquiry level, in the schoolyard.
- Be willing to ask for help and know where and from whom to get it.
- Realize that science isn't cut & dry, and that it is a discovery process.
- Use the textbook as a reference, not as the teacher.
- Be aware of printed resources to consult for information.
- Share and communicate strategies and findings with other classes.
- Integrate schoolyard ecology with math & language arts.
- Be willing to find out about and accept different learning styles.
- Be able to manage a cooperative classroom outside.
- Be motivated to expand their schoolyard ecology repertoire.
As a result of participating in SYEFEST, ideal teachers will...
- Model new ways to learn.
- Look to use the schoolyard everyday.
- Seek total thematic integration of schoolyard inquiries.
- Know the names of common organisms in their own schoolyard.
- Use more experience-based, active learning in their classrooms.
- Become an all-weather teacher.
- Be flexible enough to take advantage of teachable moments.
- Not be afraid of saying "I don't know".
- Develop communication between her/his class and other schoolyard ecology classrooms.
- Be comfortable with outdoor class management.
- Draw the community into schoolyard ecology participation.
- Become an advocate for ecology and for change in the classroom.
- Engage students in hands-on activities and reporting of results.
- Facilitate lots of open-ended projects.
- Exhibit good cooperative learning facilitation skills, but also use other approaches.
- Address and respect diversity in students and their learning styles.
- Be able to show evidence of the impact of schoolyard inquiries on student learning.
- Use the available environment, developing it if appropriate and maximizing its use.
- Be self-motivated to learn more about ecology.
- Address state mandates and incorporate schoolyard ecology into what is already required.
- Get students excited about the outdoors.
The following are some quotes from teachers and their comments regarding the inquiry process.
Peggy Hanson kept a diary of her experiences, while other teachers from
California and Michigan also narrated some of their own experiences.
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