Students Engage in Hands-on Environmental Science During STEAM In The Field Events
Led by the North Central Educational Service District, with funding from ClimeTime Proviso, students from Endeavor (Moses Lake), Warden, Waterville, Bridgeport, Brewster, Tonasket and Oroville schools engaged in hands-on environmental science and conservation efforts on Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) lands. The outdoor field events, STEAM in the Field, occurred over three weeks in April and May.
I owe my gratitude to you for your efforts and for organizing our field trip! I did enjoy planting things, learning about animals in the desert unit, etc. It was truly a blast and I thank you for the bags you gave us. I was left at awe of how it was like for a desert! I learned new things about the water system and how animals and plants adapted to living here which I’ll be glad to teach another. – Student
Washington State Parks Interpretive Rangers leading a station on the local watershed
Washington State Parks Interpretive Rangers leading a station on the local watershed
WDFW Biologist sharing structure and function of native wildlife
Columbia Basin Conservation District leading students through structure and function of native and invasive plants
Local WDFW Land Managers explain how plantings support waterfowl refuge and support birding and hunting recreation
Local WDFW Land Managers explain how plantings support waterfowl refuge and support birding and hunting recreation
Columbia Basin Conservation District Soil Scientists lead students in rainfall simulator and run off tests
Columbia Basin Conservation District Soil Scientists lead students in rainfall simulator and run off tests
Columbia Basin Conservation District Soil Scientists lead students in rainfall simulator and run off tests
On April 23rd and 25th, 141 5th grade students from Bridgeport and Waterville and 7th grade students from Brewster traveled south of Chief Joseph Dam to Foster Creek Wildlife Area. WDFW was instrumental in providing logistical support and leads at several stations. Additionally Foster Creek Conservation District Scientists and Board Member, Wade Troutmen provided station support and an historical introduction to the landscape. The driving question at Foster Creek was, “How do enhancements to a landscape help Sharp-Tailed Grouse?” Students moved through art and planting stations, a scavenger hunt up to a water birch grove, and a stream bank engineering station measuring stream flow and erosion.
“These field experiences are crucial in fostering a sense of stewardship among students. By connecting them directly with nature, we are not only educating them about environmental science but also inspiring the next generation of conservationists and providing career connections to jobs outdoors in their community,” said Lisa Monahan, STEM Coordinator at NCESD.
Finally, with the hopes of warmer temperatures and less wind, 119 5th grade students from Tonasket and Oroville met a team of station leads from WDFW, Colville Tribes Department of Fish Wildlife, Okanogan Conservation District and a Tonasket High School art student at Scotch Creek in Okanogan County to answer the question, “How do enhancements to a landscape help Sharp-Tailed Grouse?” Students represented the interaction of hydrosphere, geosphere, atmosphere and biosphere at the watercolor art station. They measured the effect of a beaver dam analog (BDA) on a water system behind and in front of the dam, planted and identified local trees and shrubs and built a BDA on land. Students engineered a vertical dam with materials, such as grass, bark, rocks and sand, with the goal of slowing down water to keep it on the landscape longer. And the newest station was a simulated river station in which students timed the flow of a ping pong ball with different types of stream: incised or meandering. Students manipulated the placement of barriers in the stream to determine the changes in flow rate of the ping pong ball.
Students measuring erosion at the Stream Bank Station
Le agradezco mucho por las actividades que tuvimos ayer y eso nunca lo había echo me encanto mucho eso de verdad estuvo increible gracias por todo les agradezco por todo dios los bendiga por todo lo de ayer. // Thank you very much for the activities we had yesterday and I had never done that. I loved it a lot. It really was incredible. – Student
All programs were supported by a dedicated team of educators and partners, including the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Columbia Basin, Foster Creek and Okanogan Conservation Districts, Washington State Parks, and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Department of Fish and Wildlife. Their expertise and commitment were instrumental in providing a meaningful educational experience.
The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) strongly supports STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education that provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to learning. STEM education makes learning “real” and gives students opportunities to see the connection between the content they are studying and the application of that content in authentic and relevant ways.
For more information about the STEM in the Field events, contact NCESD’s STEM and Migrant Education Coordinator, Lisa Monahan at LisaM@ncesd.org.
We had so much fun and it was so amazing, and thank you for including us in it. My favorite part was the animals with the skulls and the art and the planting. – Student
Three Rivers Station with simulated meandering and incised streams
Three Rivers Station with simulated meandering and incised streams
Using a dichotomous key to identify local plant species
Students planting and building a beaver dam analog (BDA) on land
Students planting and building a beaver dam analog (BDA) on land
Student working at art station
Student artwork
Students determining the volume of water at BDA in Scotch Creek and testing Vertical Dams with Recycled Bottles
Students determining the volume of water at BDA in Scotch Creek and testing Vertical Dams with Recycled Bottles
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