TY - JOUR
T1 - The prairie science class
T2 - A model for re-visioning environmental education within the national wildlife refuge system
AU - Ernst, Julie
AU - Stanek, Donna
PY - 2006/1/1
Y1 - 2006/1/1
N2 - The Prairie Science Class, a partnership between Independent School District 544 and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), uses a local prairie wetlands ecosystem as an integrating and motivating context to engage fifth-grade students in science, math, and writing through real world, field-based learning experiences. This article describes the Prairie Science Class and a research base for this educational approach. A program evaluation was conducted during the first year of its implementation with results suggesting positive cognitive and affective outcomes. The Prairie Science Class illustrates how one NWRS site has transitioned from providing traditional one-time, awareness-building programs for school groups to an in-depth program where middle school students attend school daily at this NWRS site. We encourage discussion regarding the way environmental education is approached within the NWRS and other natural resource management agencies.
AB - The Prairie Science Class, a partnership between Independent School District 544 and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), uses a local prairie wetlands ecosystem as an integrating and motivating context to engage fifth-grade students in science, math, and writing through real world, field-based learning experiences. This article describes the Prairie Science Class and a research base for this educational approach. A program evaluation was conducted during the first year of its implementation with results suggesting positive cognitive and affective outcomes. The Prairie Science Class illustrates how one NWRS site has transitioned from providing traditional one-time, awareness-building programs for school groups to an in-depth program where middle school students attend school daily at this NWRS site. We encourage discussion regarding the way environmental education is approached within the NWRS and other natural resource management agencies.
KW - Environmental education
KW - National Wildlife Refuge System
KW - Program evaluation
KW - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85019148314&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85019148314&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10871200600803010
DO - 10.1080/10871200600803010
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85019148314
SN - 1087-1209
VL - 11
SP - 255
EP - 265
JO - Human Dimensions of Wildlife
JF - Human Dimensions of Wildlife
IS - 4
ER -
