Third Graders Create Fern Field Guides

If one is looking for a way to integrate a schoolyard field trip, art, and science, this article will provide ideas and inspiration to do so. Many students are not introduced to field guide... See More

If one is looking for a way to integrate a schoolyard field trip, art, and science, this article will provide ideas and inspiration to do so. Many students are not introduced to field guides or dichotomous keys until later in their school lives. This third grade class discovers how to use field guides as well as create their own. They created their field guides from their close observations, field notes, and sketches of ferns at various stages of their life cycles. Inspiration for the student-made field guides came when the third grade teachers noticed that their students had difficulty with the vocabulary found in the professionally made field guides. Since the teachers wanted their students to focus on observing and comparing, it gave them the idea to have their students create their own field guides. Third grade students were then paired with second grade students to identify and sketch plants. This sounded like an excellent way to use an outdoor area, teach students about the environment, and receive a daily dose of sunshine while enjoying art with science.