Discovery Cruise Make-Up

I am truly glad that I received an opportunity to make up the discovery cruise class session. This really was a unique experience that I could definitely see incorporating into my own classroom's biology curriculum. Even though we here in Michigan live no more than a few miles away from a source of water, many students, especially of early high school age, may not have been given the real-life experience of being on the lake itself.

The Clinton Boat Tours, Metroparks, and the Michigan SeaGrant did a great job giving us a great new way to get hands-on in learning and education. Starting with a little history of the Metroparks and the lake itself, we ventured down the Black Creek, into Lake St. Clair and out to the Middle channel where the wetland delta was. On the way, we used underwater cameras to look at the bottom of the lake at certain stops, showing everyone the difference between sandy bottoms and those filled with plant life. We also cast out for plankton, taking samples and placing them under magnification and allowing everyone to see the difference between phytoplankton and zooplankton. I was amazed at how many children actually were able to recognize the word plankton from the show Spongebob Squarepants!

Once in the marsh delta, we were treated to variety of wildlife that made appearances. We learned about the differences between many native and alien species in the area (mute vs. trumpet swans, as well as the cattail vs. phragmites) Water snakes, gulls, swans, underwater plants such as wild celery and a variety of other birds. This vast array of wildlife allowed us to see as well as learn from the cornucopia of nature that surrounded us.

I talked with a few members of the discovery cruise staff and found that even though many of the school-year cruises are elementary based, they have adapted many of their cruises to accommodate a high school curriculum. I would love to try to get my students to experience this first hand as well. I still, as much as ever, believe that learning hands-on increases your retention of knowledge far beyond the traditional classroom and this kind of learning is more valuable than any text book.

Discovery Cruise

NOTE: I was not able to attend the discovery cruise experience due to a death in the family. I have looked at the pictures online and looks like a great way to communicate the relationship of the great lakes with students outside of the traditional classroom setting.

Touch Table

NOTE: I was not able to make it to the first touch table experience due myself having a prior commitment chaperoning my class to Chicago, but I was able to bring in an object on the next class session to share with the class and learn about the touch table experience from that session.

I believe that a student's learning is much more than just from books. The learning process sometimes can take a small side-step to allow the student to share something of themselves. To be able to share something with their classmates and be able to experience new things and objects in a new way can be a valuable resource to the classroom setting. The idea of a touch table links strongly to Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. Every student learns best in different ways. Not only are we just learning linguistically in a classroom setting, but with a touch table we are able to tap into kinesthetic, inter and intrapersonal, special intelligence and more. It again brings the learning process to a level beyond texts. With a touch table, it gives the students a way to take things that they may see everyday and give new meaning to it; To understand common items in a whole new way. This also serves as a way to bring the outside, in, when the conditions for a true field trip may not be right. Students today, especially in the urban/suburban areas are exposed to less and less nature, thinking that food comes from the grocery store and their clothes come from the department store. A bigger perspective must be gained, and a touch table experience within the classroom gives a teacher the opportunity to bring this perspective one step closer to the student. If a student can now touch, feel, think, and experience a small bit of nature within the classroom, new understandings are formed, creating and edging towards a larger outlook on how nature and the environment truly works.

In choosing my object to share with the class, I wanted to bring in something that would make people think. I had in my classroom a demonstration kit about plastic recycling called "Hands on Plastics" In this kit, it shows how all the different plastics, by code, are recycled, and what many of the uses for these plastics may be. Not everyone gets to see this step of the process. People who recycle may just see the actual plastic items as they put them into the recycling bin, and possibly see the final products after manufacturing, but it is this intermediate step that I found to be something of interest. This, I believe made a very good touch table item, as it sparked questions, made people think about where these items came from, and maybe, after seeing and experiecing it, may look at recycling a little differently.

Wetland Ecosystem

I have a special affinity to wetlands. The last nine summers of my life have been spent in and around one. Our trip on Saturday June 2, 2007 was to Metro Beach Metropark's Nature Center. It was here were we got to get up and close with at least an example of what's left of Michigan's once grand wetland ecosystems. For the last nine years, I've worked out at Metro Beach and was routinely encouraged to come out into the nature trails and experience the abundant life inside. This place allowed me to give a sense of nature inside a busy suburban area.

Over the years, of both working there and learning about wetlands in college, the interaction between all the abiotic and biotic organisms is what amazes me. I can remember learning about the complex, yet vital importance of the muskrat and cattail, and how without each other, neither would flourish. Out here I can transport myself to a place where nature can be at peace. Blue herons fly overhead, turtles take the time to bask in the sun's warm rays. The same family of swans have made this wetland home for as long as I have been coming here. This wetland, during the summer is almost a home away from home.

What was new to me, although I could swear that I have heard this somewhere in my education was the vernal pond. To see something that is so vital to the ecosystem here was very interesting. A small pool of water, only available in the spring and early summer was home to a variety of life, including many of the salamanders that call this wetland home. As the vernal pond drys and shrinks, the salamanders will grow and leave the vernal pond, making the rest of this wetland ecosystem home. Along the edges of this pond, beautiful iris would give nourishment to many birds and insects that would travel by. This place was truly special.

This is a place where many memories will stay with me. I have spent too much time with this wetland to forget how important it is and it is with this knowledge that I plan to reach out to my students and get them to grab hold and make someplace special to them.

Grassland Ecosystem

In class, it really hit hard when said that students today think that food comes from the grocery store. Students don't see the where things that they use everyday come from. It's sad that kids today are raised in an environment, that is to say...lacking environment. They see only what's presented to them and never dive deeper into where things come from. A bigger picture must be presented to them so they can stand back and take in the details.

On this outing, we looked not at only the big picture of our grassland ecosystem, but looked inwards, towards the small, the detail, the interactions between the fundamental being of this ecological niche. The first thing that struck me about the grassland ecosystem is the vast variety of organisms. It was literally "alive" with plants, insects, birds, and other animals, all interacting with the abiotic factors around them.

Standing back, looking at this from a whole, I could see the layers of plantlife that would make up the high-rise apartment complex of life. From the treeline in the background, hosting a niche to edge species, to the many levels of shrubs, bushes and flowers that loomed underneath, I could see this truly was a special place. What I focused on mostly was a smaller edge, between the mid-line shrubs and the grasses and other underbrush below.

I could see galls on the goldenrod, a host and home for many insects to survive the harsh Michigan winters. This was paired with vine upon vine of wild, thorned blackberry, gleaming above the low-level grasses with vivid white flowers. From branch to branch, flower to flower, an array of insects danced by, from anthills residing on the side of the trail to the red, white and black butterflies that fed on the nectar of the backberry plants.

But lastly, the plants here, were what truly sparked my interest. Wild strawberries and wild beans were found sprinkled among our plants. It truly was, at least for the wildlife, a grad buffet, giving them constant nourishment and a means to live deeply within the grasslands. So do we get our food from the grocery store? Well, we may buy it there, but kids today need to see this grand picture. How are they, and the bird outside both eating their beans, fruit and veggies? Maybe they need to realize, a link has been made.

Woodland Ecosystem

An understanding of the fundamentals of nature is key to any individual growing up. We need to see that the world is much more than stores, streets, buildings and industry, but a world that also shows us where we come from and how we fit into this strange equation of life. A chance to actually see nature first hand is something that may take a child a while to process if they have been raised in a city environment. A child from the city is used to another “forest”; one of limited trees, grass lawns, concrete sidewalks and roads, and the great buildings that tower over them all. Looking at our tree, it makes one wonder what happened as life has progressed…

We estimated our tree to be roughly 35 years old. As this tree was first germinated, I was but a glimmer in my parent’s eyes…my parents may not of even met yet. It was a time of political revolution, radical thinking…and disco (Thank god that’s over). Flash forward roughly 5 years, it’s 1979. January 20^th, I entered the world, even though our tree was well on its way to becoming an experienced part of this ecosystem. As I was just learning what the world was, our tree was starting to reach towards the heavens, looking forward to one day, breaking through the canopy into the light above.

Again, flash into the future 5 years to 1984. Our tree has gained another 5 years of growth, still not reaching the canopy, but joining many of its brothers for the race for the top. In 1984, two milestones happened. My brother joined me in life and the Tigers won the World Series. Forever, 1984 will be memorable. Maybe somewhere, our organisms around the tree cheered on the Tigers in their win.

Again, roughly 5 years on, it’s 1990. A breakthrough to a new decade, a new way to look at the world, goodbye 80’s and hello to another 10 years. Our tree has now reached the canopy, just moments from breaking through. At this time, just as the new decade has begun, maybe our tree has begun new life within. A nest with a family of robins has been made, a family begins, a new chapter in life. It is at this time, that I leave elementary school and travel on to jr. high.

It’s 1997, seven years later. Our tree has graduated from the ranks of the ecosystem below, ready to take on new roles and find new niches for other organisms. This same year, I graduate from high school, ready to move out, find myself, and find a calling, my own niche in this world.

Higher still our tree grows, leaving the canopy behind and reaching for the sky. It’s the year 2000, and I am in college finally finding what I want to do with my life. Our tree is now home to many animals, birds, small rodents, in the trunk, and a multitude of insects in between. Our tree acts as a place for each organism to find its own way, help them learn what their purpose is. At this time, I finally realize that I want to become a teacher, helping my own students, in my classroom find their own way, help them learn their purpose.

Now we look upon this tree, finally we meet. 35 years have passed for our tree and 28 for myself. Separated by years, stories, experiences, and now, we look upon each other. I see the world around it, the niches that it occupies, and the ecosystem that relies on it. We don’t know what the future holds for either of us, but we both press on, into the light.

Michigan Photos

A Few Pics that I think are significantly "Michigan"...




















Pic from www.metrotimes.com - Photographer, T. Yang

U-M EIC Trip

Getting a student to think outside the box, to be able to experience something first hand, makes the student’s learning process much more memorable. Being able to tap into multiple intelligences in learning can allow the student to add further dimensions to their educational process.

The display and ideas that I think was most memorable from the experience at the EIC was the at-home connection of the Rouge River Watershed and how much it effects the local areas and what we do everyday. Looking at the multiple ways the staff at the EIC was able to relate this information to us we can see how we can infuse the 5 E’s to outdoor education.

Starting with just letting us explore the EIC, many of us happened upon the giant map of the Rouge Watershed on the wall. Sparking my interest, I looked further at it, reading the information and thinking about how this relates to what we may be learning today.

As we started, the interpreter from the EIC led us into a mini IMAX-style theater, where we watched two films. One, documenting the importance of the Rouge Watershed and how it effects us and we effect it, and second, another film showing the “re-birth” of the Rouge River from the deplorable conditions that it once was. These films, sparked my interest further, leaving me wondering what else we would come upon today at the EIC.

Many students today lose interest in the life sciences and outdoor education because they cannot see an at-home connection. With the displays and the films, this connection was starting to be made. To further link this connection into our mind, kinesthetic activities were made available, allowing students to not only, see, but touch and feel how the Rouge River utilizes erosion and deposition on the banks compared to strait channeling.

Finally, to help make further connections, the interpreter at the EIC took us on the “Trip of the Drip”, a guided walk through the outdoors, tracing the path of water from the grounds of the EIC to the Rouge River itself. Starting at the entry of the EIC, we saw and experienced ways to see how water can penetrate the ground using soil cores (once again a kinesthetic learning experience), and continued on into the forest to see where this water may end up.

Throughout the walk, our interpreter made frequent stops, linking wildlife to once-more, at home-connections. Examples of Velcro to describe the Cleaver plant would allow a student to take an idea that is foreign to them, and produce a link in commonality. Describing and holding clay from the soil cores, once again, gave students a way to physically see and do, what normal classrooms cannot produce.

My experiences at the EIC offered worthwhile ideas and lessons to give links to the outdoors and our environment. With these ideas, my students can hopefully realize that the water they use in their house, the rain that falls from the sky, or the oil that is poured in the drain, all have an impact on where they live because of the watershed. A common-link to our environment is sometimes all a student needs to begin to care. When information is just presented from a text, without tapping into another dimension of learning, something is lost. Something that needs to be found outdoors; not locked in a classroom, or on the couch, or driving through a busy city.

Connections must mean something to the student; for without meaning, it’s all just words.