Kim, You may already know this, but there is currently legislation being considered in Congress regarding No Child Left Indoors to address the nature deficit in children's current schooling. If this is something you are interested in, you can help by contacting your congressional delegation and asking them to support H.R. 3036 (in the House) and S. 1981 (on the Senate side).
The Ecological Society of America is part of a DC-based coalition that is helping support these efforts. See www.eenclb.org for more information. ESA also issued a statement on the issue of nature deficit this past Spring: http://www.esa.org/pao/newsroom/pressReleases2007/04182007.php Best Regards, Nadine Nadine Lymn Director of Public Affairs Ecological Society of America 1707 H Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006 202.833.8773, ext. 205 www.esa.org -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Withers, Kim Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 8:50 AM To: [email protected] Subject: ecology in the lower grades One of the best and most remembered experiences I had was in the 4th grade. In those days (1960's), every 4th grader in the Denver Metro Area went to what was called "lab school" for a week. While I don't remember any specific "teaching" of ecology, we were taken into the Rockies, and spent the week in a rustic camp-like setting. We hiked up to alpine meadows and were exposed to the environment. We were taught about survival and shown the edible plants that were available. We spent the evenings looking at the stars. I saw a huge herd of elk moving down out of the high country on that trip and I'll never forget it. I saw the rings of Saturn and have never forgotten it. It is those kinds of educational experiences that are so important in impressing on children that there is a world outside the inside of the house. It was ecology and more, just not formal instruction, but the kind of experiential learning that seems to have been lost in today's educational system. As rote and memorization become more and more what students get in the lower grades, their ability to really think things through is not developed. Most kids have a lot of curiousity about the world around them but it is squelched by the tight strictures of today's educational system that values standardized testing over actual learning. Kids are also sometimes discouraged from even going outside by parents concerned about kidnapping etc. Ecology is fun and engaging and because of its complexity forces students to really think. Using ecology as a vehicle - for students to get outside and experience nature, to have them engage in critical thinking, to integrate math, physics, chemistry, social science and language skills across disciplines - then the students that we get at the college level - regardless of major - will be better, more prepared students. Kim Withers, Ph.D. Associate Research Scientist Center for Coastal Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi 6300 Ocean Dr., Unit 5866 Corpus Christi, Texas 78412 Office: 361-825-5907 FAX: 361-825-2770 [EMAIL PROTECTED] "In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act." George Orwell
