This project was funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.    

Time for the 2010 program!

It is that time again to start planning this year's Keys Kids In Nature. with the fourth grade classes at the Sugarloaf Elementary School. For those of you who are not familiar with the program, it is a multi- disciplinary environmental education program that meets FCAT and County standards.

I am seeking volunteers to again assist with the environmental education event for the 4th grade students from Sugarloaf Elementary School .There is a training session scheduled for Saturday, April 24, 9 am - 12 noon. The event is scheduled for Tuesday - Thursday May 4 - 6 from 8:30 am to 1 pm. I need volunteers instructors for one to three days for the field trips.

This fun filled half day field trip onto the refuge introduces the students to the natural environment. They learn some common trees, how to use a compass and meter stick and learn how many things in the environment are interconnected. The activites are tailored to Monroe County and FCAT requirements and aids teachers in educating their students. The activities are simple in nature and we all work as a team assisting each other. The training will take place on National Key Deer Refuge on Sugarloaf Key, at the refuge gate on Crane Blvd. about a mile past the elementary school. The field trips also start at the same location.

To assist, you need to:

• Attend the 4/24 training session unless you are familiar with the activities. However, if you are, your knowledge of the common trees will aid in teaching other volunteers!
• Meet with the other instructors and the field trip coordinator each morning that you signed up, Tues, Wed. and or Thursday, 8:30 am to 1 pm.
• Guide a group of students (3 - 5) along with the other volunteers and their students for a 1 mile walk and identify habitats and common trees
• Lead the students in learning how to use a compass and directions from a compass. Use a meter stick to measure the diameter of a solution hole, and take the water and air tempurature, and watch over the students as they spend a half hour silently viewing the environment around them and writing their observations.

There is a lunch break and lunch is provided for the field trips. your choice of a sandwich. This is a fun day outside and all the instructors, teachers and the students have nejoyed it. The teacher and sometimes a parent are their to also supervise the students. Also, you may ride the bus back to the gate from the end point so you don't need to walk back.

If you are interested, please contact me by Friday April 16. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Thanks
Jim
James Bell, Refuge Ranger
National Key Deer Refuge
179 Key Deer Blvd.
Big Pine Key, Fl 33043-0510
305-872-0774
FAX 305-872-2154
james_bell@fws.gov

Those who have helped out in past years have had a wonderful time. The teachers, students and parent chaperones alike also enjoy the day.  Anyone who is interested in helping one day or all three days, please contact me by March 20.

Keys Kids in Nature is an attempt to help 4^th grade students in Monroe County learn more about the natural world that surrounds them. The program is specifically designed to help new or experienced teachers incorporate these lessons without having to forgo other important learning mandates. Lesson questions are FCAT formatted and tied to Monroe County as well as Sunshine State standards. Lessons are cross-disciplinary. Field trip locations are close by to keep costs down.

Developed by a graduate student from Antioch University on behalf of the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges, the Keys Kids in Nature program also received crucial help from local 4^th grade teachers, ensuring absolute usability.

Designed as a three-week odyssey, each lesson builds on the next, bolstering student knowledge and confidence. The first week is teacher driven, incorporating at least 5 lessons to introduce the students to the subject matter. The second week is Refuge staff and volunteer driven, consisting of two program days: 1) A __ minute PowerPoint presentation/activity, and 2) A 3-hour field trip. The third week is student driven, asking them to incorporate their learning into meaningful projects to be shared outside their class.

In addition to the academic theme, the program incorporates individual and team-building opportunities. On field trips, each instructor works with a teaching group of approximately 8-10 students and one school chaperone.

In total, the "Keys Kids in Nature!" program hopes to provide the tools with which students will develop a sense of place that will inform them and guide future learning and decisions.

The goal of "Keys Kids in Nature!" is to:

• Develop students' knowledge and skills in math, writing, and science through an integrated, field-based study of the local Refuge ecosystems.
• Increase student motivation and engagement through the use of authentic projects, field-based learning experiences, and a relevant local context.
• Develop students' technology, problem-solving, and communication skills through research projects involving gathering, organizing, processing, and communicating information about the Florida Keys environment.
• Develop students' character skills and foster a stewardship ethic and a sense of civic responsibility, as the local environment becomes the avenue for emphasizing attitudes of respect, responsibility, and cooperation.

Last modified: Thursday, April 07, 2011

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