Local sixth graders returned to the woods last week to sow the seeds of their middle-school curriculum.
Under the direction of UF scientists and professors, the Kids in the Woods program was brought back to Westwood Middle School to teach science outside the classroom over two weeks, ending today.
Michael Andreu, a UF associate professor of forest resources and conservation, was among those coordinating the program to foster the relationship between young students and the environment.
“We’re really using the outdoor setting as our medium to learn about science,” Andreu said. “(The students) are still learning their curriculum. They’re learning what they would normally learn in a science class.”
The program originally launched with the collaboration of three Westwood teachers and about 300 students.
Andreu was able to supply necessary equipment, such as tree diameter measuring tapes and 80 pairs of rubber boots, after receiving a grant from the U.S. Forest Service.
“While the initial grant period covered a two-year time period, our goal is that they will continue in Westwood Middle School,” Andreu said.
He said he hopes to eventually expand the program to other schools. He will be conducting a workshop this summer to educate teachers on the importance of programs similar to Kids in the Woods.
“Student behavior has improved, and enthusiasm for learning has improved after getting involved in the program,” Andreu said.
Courtney Miles, a 20-year-old UF education sophomore, said she has witnessed the benefits of hands-on assignments during her time as a volunteer for Joseph Williams Elementary School in Gainesville.
“I think they’re really beneficial, especially for some of the students that might learn a little bit differently,” Miles said. “Some students might have trouble absorbing the material by simply completing a worksheet. Some may need to see it in front of them and visualize what they’re learning.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 3/18/2015 under the headline “Westwood sixth graders embrace hands-on, outdoor curriculum”]
Michael Andreu, a UF associate professor of forest resources and conservation, shows a Westwood Middle School student how to identify a tree based on its leaf. Andreu was with the Kids in the Woods program, which was funded by a grant from the U.S. Forest Service.
