By Whitney Baxter
Offering college students opportunities to enhance their skills in lesson planning and teaching while engaging elementary students in scientific exploration are two goals Tim Stewart has for the new Field Ecology Teaching course.
Tim Stewart, associate professor of natural resource ecology and management, is one of the 2024 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows. Alongside Jan Thompson, Morrill Professor of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, he has modified what used to be NREM 380: Field Ecology Research and Teaching. Rather than requiring a research component, students now focus on getting younger students excited about wildlife animals and habitat, gaining different and more comprehensive experiences in education along the way.
“We’ve had students that just blossom in this environment,” he said.
The four Iowa State students enrolled in this semester’s field ecology teaching course traveled to Brookview Elementary School in West Des Moines earlier this fall to lead third grade students in outdoor activities.
Blake Ganpat, senior in animal ecology and biology, teamed up with Jacob Piasecki, senior in animal ecology, to lead an activity where the third graders placed cutouts of various wildlife into boxes that showed different habitats. After the students placed the wildlife, Ganpat and Piasecki asked why the students chose the locations and reviewed the importance of each habitat.
“It was cool because all the kids were outside and having a blast,” Ganpat said. “Seeing them reacting to and engaging in the activity was rewarding.”
Sophia Preciado, junior in animal ecology, and Sarah Rose, sophomore in animal ecology, had their group of third graders visit and collect various plants from the prairie next to the school. The third graders put the plants onto pieces of poster paper then selected cutouts of animals that would use the plants for shelter or food.
“It was a fun experience as we got to see something created and planned by us be brought to life,” Rose said. “This class gives you lots of room for creativity and ideas to plan programs with concepts you enjoy learning and teaching others about.”
The Iowa State students are currently working on indoor lesson plans for second graders at Brookview Elementary.
The intended outcomes of the course and the students’ lesson plans include:
- helping elementary students understand what ecology is and why it is important,
- helping elementary school teachers meet Iowa Science Standards expectations,
- improving environmental stewardship among the general population, and
- preparing Iowa State students to go out and teach others.
Preciado and Rose both want to pursue careers in interpretation of natural resources and enrolled in the course to enhance their teaching skills.
“Dr. Stewart and Dr. Thompson have been great teachers, providing great feedback and guidance on how to improve our programs and make them more fun and educational for the students we are working with,” Preciado said. “I have learned a lot about the work that goes into interpretive programming, and I am excited to take what I learn into my future career.”
Stewart said he is pleased with how well this semester’s class has gone and looks forward to continuing to offer the course in the future, perhaps connecting with inner-city schools to bring lesson plans to those student populations.
“This fellowship has offered an opportunity to do something I’ve always wanted to do as an educator, and it’s been great to partner with Jan and the teachers at Brookview to promote greater knowledge and interest in ecology and environmental protection,” Stewart said.