Peter F. Jaeger, July 17, 2003

Field Guide Fanatics

Peter F. Jaeger

As part of our unit on Wisconsin’s natural resources, I have students create a field guide that focuses on the flora and fauna of our area. To begin the activity, I divide the class into small groups and give each one a commercial field guide to review. I use those published by Peterson and the Audubon Society that focus on plants, trees, and insects. After they have had a chance to familiarize themselves with the format and content of the guides, we discuss what they have in common and compile a list of what students should include in their own guides. This list usually includes a table of contents, pictures or drawings, common and scientific names, information on each organism, an index, and a cover.

Next, I take students outside to demonstrate how to collect information for their guides. Any place that has a variety of organisms works well, such as a garden, grove of trees, or tall stand of grass or weeds. You can also visit a local park if your school grounds aren’t suitable. Students bring pen and paper along and a copy of the list we compiled on information they need to gather. When we come across an organism we’d like to document, such as a tree, I ask students if they know its common or scientific name. I also ask them to share any cool facts they might know about the tree. This information is recorded in their notebooks. Students then make a quick sketch of the organism if it is an animal, its leaf shape if it is a tree or shrub, or its flower if it is an angiosperm. They also write down where it was found, a description of its surroundings, and a guess as to what conditions are needed for the organism’s survival. These things can all be fact-checked later in a real field guide, but that can be done in the classroom.

After documenting a few organisms together, I let students explore an area with defined boundaries to look for other organisms that interest them. As the class ends, I ask students to continue documenting organisms that they find at home and in their neighborhood over the next few days. I encourage them to select a variety of organisms for their guides and ask that they gather at least 16 specimens representing at least four different categories, such as animals, trees, flowers, shrubs, and insects. If you are working with advanced students, ask them to also collect examples of protists or fungi. (They may only have to look as far as their lockers.)

Once students have finished gathering information on their organisms, we return to class to begin the research phase. I give them several days to research their organisms. Students should use a variety of sources during their research, such as books, the Internet, and garden center employees with a knowledge of local plants and insects.

Before students begin creating their guides, we agree on the placement of the table of contents, index, glossary, and other standard components. Students are also asked to include only one organism per page, and to stick to a standard page format throughout the book. For example, students may decide that each page will include a photo or drawing of an organism with its common and scientific names directly beneath and interesting facts included at the bottom of the page. If you have ESL students, consider having them create guides in their native language. The rest of the class will enjoy the translations and it will make your guide collection more diverse. Once these general guidelines are established, students can get to work. I provide a collection of materials that students can use, such as construction paper, scissors, glue, and markers, but they are free to use materials from home to supplement their guides. I give students two weeks to complete their guides.

Assessment

To assess the guides, I use a rubric that takes into account the number of organisms included, the information provided about each organism, the quality of the graphics, the organization of the guide, as well as grammar, punctuation, and spelling. A copy of this rubric is available online at www.nsta.org/middleschool. I also take into account the effort put forth to balance the artistic skills of the students. For extra credit, students can use their guides to make presentations to students in the lower grades about local flora and fauna.

State standards

This project is designed to meet the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s five environmental education standards, which cover the essential aspects of developing environmentally aware students. The first standard covers questioning and analysis, which enables students to investigate environmental questions and communicate their understanding to others. Standard two covers knowledge of environmental processes and systems; the science content a student might get in science class. Standard three covers student investigation skills that enable students to identify and investigate environmental problems and issues. Standard four is decision and action skills where students use the information gathered in their issue investigations and develop decision-making skills and citizen action skills. The fifth standard refers to personal and civic responsibility, which develops an understanding and commitment to environmental responsibility. For more information on these standards, visit http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/.

Peter F. Jaeger is a sixth grade science teacher at Marshall Middle School in Marshall, Wisconsin.

Teachers interested in getting more information about the M.S. Degree Program in Environmental Education for Teachers at UW Stevens Point can contact Tim Byers, Outreach Program Manager, at (715) 346-4176.

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