Student Science- Squared
About Us
We are a 5th grade classroom located in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Outdoor Education is a curricular focus in science for our district. This project is meant to provide students with an authentic nature experience that takes place on a weekly basis, while also giving cross-curricular learning opportunities. Writing (many different types), application of technology, reading, research, and global citizenship are just a few other subject areas integrated within One Square Foot.
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Our participants
There are twenty four students involved in the One Square Foot project. Each is reponsible becoming an expert at one specific location. There are currently fourteen boys and eleven girls participating. Please check out the News and Photogallery pages to keep up with their progress! We will update these sections as we move through the project!
History of project
The inspiration for this project came from a book titled The Forest Unseen: A Year's Watch In Nature written by David George Haskell. He is an American biologist, author, and professor of biology at Sewanee: The University of the South, in Sewanee, Tennessee. Among other awards, this book was a finalist for the General Nonfiction Pulitzer Prize in 2013.
While reading this book, I was amazed at the process of common plants and animals (some not so common as well) becomming gateways into deeper thoughts, observations, and general ecological knowledge. The author observed a one meter section of old growth forest and wrote about his experiences. I wanted to provide my students with a similar experience, which will then (hopefully) turn into a catalyst for a deeper understanding and appreciation for the world we live in.
While none of my students will have access to old growth forest, all will be able to find One Square Foot of space outside. I anticipate a variety of different ecological settings; from yards of grass, to flower beds, to woodland, to prairie , to ditches, and everything in between. Collaboratively, we should get a decent picture of our local flora and fauna as we share our experiences with each other and the rest of the world!