Science Teachers Explore The Great Outdoors
The teachers of 7th and 8th grade and high school Biology started the school year off by taking part in a unique staff development experience at the Sunken Meadow Outdoor Learning Lab and at natural environments within the park. Twenty three science teachers participated in hands-on field science (data collection and interpretation) and classroom work. The activities were designed to involve teachers in exciting real world science investigations and were also related to the various subjects taught at the various grade levels. Teachers started at the outdoor learning lab, then moved on to experiments performed in the salt marsh, followed by activities at the beach with dune sediment investigations. Back at the lab, the staff of Western Suffolk BOCES Outdoor Education Program (OEEP) provided an overview of OEEP programs, conservation biology projects on Long Island, and a discussion of students of project-based learning. The day ended with the graphing of the data from the field and a discussion of the results and patterns in nature.
The day was an inspiring way to begin the new school year for the teachers involved. Gregory Bentivegna summed up the day when he said, "I cannot remember a professional development day in all the years that I have been teaching that was as pleasant as this...Not only was it nice to be outside in the sun and fresh air, but we got to see how to utilize a local resource. I LEARNED at this workshop."
