Abstract
This classroom activity showcases how a free website and app, iNaturalist, can be used to introduce students to inquiry while also providing them with an opportunity to explore the outdoors. Inquiry-based approaches are known to have positive impacts on student learning. In addition to this, teaching scientific concepts outside may improve student learning gains while also highlighting the great biodiversity that exists right in their backyards. This project allows students to generate and investigate their own research questions based on their local communities. Students gather observations on the local organisms, utilizing iNaturalist, and ultimately create a presentation to share their findings. The instructor can modify the length of the project and the level of inquiry to fit the needs of a specific classroom. This project can be repeated several times to promote an appreciation of nature. Students can transform into true ecosystem explorers.
Publisher
University of California Press
Subject
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous),Education
Reference19 articles.
1. The effect of inquiry-based learning method on students’ academic achievement in science course;Universal Journal of Educational Research,2014
2. Aristeidou, M., Herodotou, C., Ballard, H. L., Higgins, L., Johnson, R. F., Miller, A. E., Young, A. Y., & Robinson, L. D. (2021). How do young community and citizen science volunteers support scientific research on biodiversity? The case of iNaturalist. Diversity, 13(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/d13070318
3. Teaching and learning science outdoors in schools’ immediate surroundings at K–12 levels: A meta-synthesis;EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education,2017
4. Chan, P. E., Graham-Day, K. J., Ressa, V. A., Peters, M. T., & Konrad, M. (2014). Beyond involvement: Promoting student ownership of learning in classrooms. Intervention in School and Clinic, 50(2), 105–113. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451214536039
5. Conley, D. T., & French, E. M. (2014). Student ownership of learning as a key component of college readiness. American Behavioral Scientist, 58(8), 1018–1034. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764213515232