Use Your Local Resources & Teach Ecology Concepts

In this article, urban students in grades K-12 gained a better understanding of their local environment by investigating energy flow at the Boston Harbor. Two different field experiences we... See More

In this article, urban students in grades K-12 gained a better understanding of their local environment by investigating energy flow at the Boston Harbor. Two different field experiences were set up where children from multi-grade levels and different schools came together at the shore of Carson Beach during low tide to observe, collect and identify as many different things as they could. They were provided with a Carson Beach field guide to help them in the identification process. Their experiences were then used to launch discussions back at their schools about ecological concepts. The second field experience was a trip to an island in the middle of the Boston Harbor. Students were able to use the prior knowledge gained from the first field experience to build their understandings of energy flow in the harbor ecosystem. The four teachers involved enlisted the help of local naturalists and the National Park Service to help students gather evidence of the diverse organisms living in the Boston Harbor. They worked together to create energy flow models. I encourage you to read the article to see how a whole community came together to create these unique learning experiences for their students.