The challenge with a quasi-intercity/suburban school is that hands-on experience with nature, outside the classroom, is becoming increasingly difficult. This particular problem has been coined as ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂNature Deficit Disorder" by author, Richard Louv, in his book - "Last Child in the Woods".
Our school is a magnet school situated near an industrial park, surrounded by many low-income apartment complexes.
Many of our students that live in these apartment complexes rarely get to experience the amazing benefits of nature. Even our students that are brought in from surrounding neighborhoods are unable to experience that outdoor freedom so many of us enjoyed as children years ago. More and more concrete is being poured, fences are being put up and construction blocks the sounds around many of our students' homes, whether it be apartments or closed-cropped suburban neighborhoods. This limits their ability to observe nature's sounds, colors and activity.
Our students are very curious and love to read non-fiction books with lots of photographs, watching a variety of animal programs as well as searching the Internet. This desire to connect with plants and animals is innate, but unsuccessfully fulfilled, through pages of a book or one the various screens to which they are riveted.
My Project
By studying the various ecosystems of the world in class through videos, the Internet, books and magazines the students are able to get a great understanding of the "facts" about these places and the animals. But, to experience these plants and animals up close, will give better meaning to those facts, such as the sounds, antics, colors and size of these various creatures.
Zoos have become a place of education rather than a place of entertainment.
The purpose of this field trip to the zoo is to broaden the studentsÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàknowledge about nature, the environment, endangered species, as well as conservation. This field trip will give the students direct experience with nature, on topics that they have studied about and more, that will increase their ecological awareness, as well as help to fulfill that innate curiosity to connect with the world around them.
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