Written by Jess Khawaja, Director of Sustainability
Our students are going to face major sustainability challenges: fighting climate change; achieving social justice and racial equity; and designing healthy and balanced natural systems so that all people and our planet can thrive.
As educators and parents, we need to think "outside the classroom" to help our kids understand and gain the skills to tackle these complex challenges. Getting excited about science, learning how to work together, and analyzing data are 21st-century skills our students will need to succeed. And, they can develop these skills outside.
“Sam” is the sort of kid who struggles to sit still and quiet in the classroom. Remote learning has been particularly rough for this student. However, the long hours in front of a screen seem to melt away as she greets her friends for Field Study at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Thirty minutes in and Sam is leading her group toward the water to collect a sample for testing. They are speculating on the acidity of the lake water, noting the presence of geese, swans, and an oily substance at the water’s edge. At the end of the day, Sam asks, “Can we do this again?”
Active learning and Field Study also reflects our understanding of how to engage and motivate middle school students. Middle school bodies are changing almost by the minute, their minds are stretching and testing, their brains are wired to gravitate to peer groups. Field Study offers chances to expand learning, get up and move, use new skills in groups, and explore the world in ways not possible within the four walls of a classroom or in front of a computer screen.
In this post, I’ll explain our “Field Study” approach, its impact on staff and students, and why it’s more relevant than ever as we face the challenges of educating and nurturing students during a pandemic.
What is Field Study?
Field Study at BUGS is designed to encourage students to investigate contemporary environmental and social sustainability issues. Students visit the same site repeatedly, and track changes over time. For example, our 6th graders study urban ecology and urban green spaces. They manage our gardens and visit Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and other urban farming sites. During recent Field Studies in Green-Wood Cemetery, they collected weekly data on specific trees in order to track seasonal changes. This work is known as “phenology” and is a process used by scientists to measure the impacts of climate change.
During Field Study, students use all five senses to investigate their surroundings. They document what they see, hear, and feel through drawing and writing. Time is also dedicated to slowing down and working together. In November, students built forts in small groups in Prospect Park to start their Biome Survival Project in Science.
Students also conduct “Remote” Field Study independently in their local community. This year, students are participating in the NYC Street Trees project by adopting a street tree on their block. They learn, test the soil around the trees, and design projects to make sure the trees can thrive
Field Study research and exploration culminate in end-of-year community action projects that incorporate plans for change and are presented to their Sustainability class, guest community panelists, and school staff.
Why Field Study Matters
“I had a really good time meeting the people in my class and doing the different garden tasks. One thing I liked about being in the garden was that I got to lead my own tasks. I also liked the feeling of the community in the garden. Everyone was helping each other."
– Mateo, Sixth Grader
Even in our urban context in Brooklyn, NY, students can tune into the natural world and observe the interplay between people, planet, and profit. Whether they are in the BUGS gardens or the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Field Study encourages students to make connections about how systems support life on earth and our dependence on natural resources, appreciating the responsibilities of environmental stewardship and equity, and understanding how nature can inspire design, creativity, and new ways of thinking.
“Field Study has been amazing. We did a walk in the park yesterday and my daughter pointed out all of the things she learned on her Field Study day.” -- mother of BUGS 6th grader
FIeld Study Connects Staff and Students
While our goal is to graduate students who are urban citizens, committed to preserving the natural world, and stopping climate change, one of the most important elements of Field Study during the pandemic is to simply provide an environment for kids to safely develop relationships in person with their support systems of teachers, mentors, and friends. We can do that when we are outside.
Field Study also provides new dimensions to teaching and opportunities for unplanned but impactful “teachable moments” that might not be able to happen in the classroom. Designing a system for deciding which students would lead a 6th grade group in an eco-scavenger hunt in Prospect Park offered real world learning about civics and orderly transition of power.
Field Study Supports All Learners
I am a true believer in active classrooms and outdoor classrooms as a way to support a wide-range of learners. In fact, a 2004 study by the National Institute of Health found that increased outdoor activity reduced observable symptoms of ADHD in children and adolescents (Kuo & Faber, 2004). Field Study at BUGS offers students who may have an ADHD diagnosis; (or have a range of learning styles or just need to move their bodies more), movement in and stimulation by the beauty and solace of the natural world.
It’s been incredible interacting with students on Field Studies this fall who haven't been outside in six months – not even outside their apartment! Many others had only gone a few blocks away. They show up to Field Studies so reserved: nervous, quiet. By end of the day, they blossom – hoods come down, they’re laughing, they’re even skipping! If in only five hours that kind of change can take place, it’s evident that what we’re doing can have a lasting impact now more than ever.
“I think the benefit of having our gardens is that it can bring people joy. It brings peace and happiness to people walking in the garden and looking at all the different, beautiful living creatures.” - Bowen, 7th grade
I remember in September the NYC Department of Education convened lots of meetings about outdoor learning, and the pride I felt in being able to say we already do this at my school. BUGS is lucky to be in a city with so many amazing organizations and individuals doing work that complements our sustainability mission (see the list below).
“It feels so good to breath fresh air!” - 6th grade student
There’s magic to be had in the soft mud by a lake, caring for the trees right outside your window, planting seeds, or exploring deep in Prospect Park. We do right by our kids when we connect them to nature. We should always make time to let our children explore in the woods, or just the sidewalk tree pit, a bit longer.
Be sure to sign up for the blog and follow us on Instagram to see our Field Studies! You can start on Field Studies of your own by exploring some of our partner organizations:
Wildlife Conservation Society (Prospect Park Zoo, Aquarium)
Big Reuse to expand composting on site and to neighborhood
Kuo, F. E., & Faber Taylor, A. (2004). A potential natural treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: evidence from a national study. American journal of public health, 94(9), 1580-1586.