Nature's Classroom accommodates between 250 and 350 sixth grade students per day for a three-day visit. The total program capacity is more than 14,000 students and 1,000 teachers per year. The staff consists of a site coordinator /teacher, two full time teachers, 3.5 part time instructors, four bus driver/boat operators, two boat operators, one custodian/boat operator, two custodians and a secretary.
In The Classroom The understanding of the Hillsborough River ecosystem begins in the sixth grade classroom where students use cooperative learning techniques to explore and investigate a variety of issues that affect the river. The classroom program consists of eight interdisciplinary lessons.
Students spend time in their middle school classrooms exploring the following questions:
- What physical and geological processes have shaped the watershed and valley of the Hillsborough River?
- What biological communities are found within the watershed?
- How are organisms adapted to live in these diverse communities?
- How have humans influenced the landscape within the watershed?
- What is the relationship between the watershed and the City of Tampa's water supply?
- What water and land use issues are involved in managing this diverse system?
Students then visit Nature's Classroom for three days to explore relevant environmental concepts through hands-on investigations. When they return to the classroom, the students are exposed to both Benchmark 2000 skills and a variety of instructional techniques to enhance and expand their understanding of the Hillsborough River. This model ecosystems study unit provides students with the opportunity to explore the many complex issues involved in managing the Hillsborough River Ecosystem.
In The Field The field program will consist of eight to ten classes of students rotating through six activities in three days. At Nature's Classroom, the students will be investigating the following:
- The role that water plays in shaping the biological communities along the Hillsborough River;
- The adaptations of organisms to live in these communities
- The chemical and biological health of the river
- The role people play in maintaining the river as a healthy, living system.
Field activities include:
Animal Compound Students use observation and inference skills to synthesize information on how birds of prey, mammals and large reptiles are able to survive in the Hillsborough River ecosystem.
Interpretive Center Through hands-on experience and observation, students learn about the various types of small vertebrate organisms that live in the Hillsborough River ecosystem.
River Exploration Students monitor the health of the Hillsborough River biologically by collecting data on the number and diversity of birds and reptiles. They monitor the chemical health of the river by using water test kits.
Upland/Wetland Investigation Students study the role the physical environment plays in determining the location of biological communities within the Hillsborough River basin.
Shoreline Sampling Students actively collect small organisms that live along the shoreline of the Hillsborough River. They then classify these organisms, observe their characteristics and make inferences about the biodiversity of the system.
Orienteering Students apply cooperative learning, mathematics and social studies skills to a real life situation as they work in teams to navigate through a series of stations using compasses and charts.
Assessment and Evaluation There are three issues in assessment and evaluation:
- Did the project produce what it set out to do?
- Was the program and the curriculum successful in accomplishing its stated goals?
- Were the students and teachers successful in the learning process?
Teacher knowledge is measured during their training. Their opinions about the effectiveness of the program are measured annually using a questionnaire. Student knowledge is measured using both a knowledge test and writing activity.
Teacher Training A five-hour training session is required of all classroom teachers before they bring their students for the first time to Nature's Classroom.
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