Sunday, 6 November 2005
6

The World Is Our Playground: Teaching Children about Environmental Science.

Mary Savin, University of Arkansas, 115 Plant Science Building, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701

The Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences (CSES) Club at the University of Arkansas presented the children of the community with an opportunity to explore the world of environmental science and get an in-depth look at what that entails, all while having an enjoyable learning experience. Children are the workers and leaders of the future; proper education provides them with a foundation for success. In this spirit, the CSES Club sponsored a Kids' Environmental Education Day for over thirty home-schooled children ages five to fourteen. The children were provided with hands-on activities exploring six topics in environmental science. Activities included in this workshop were recycling, introduction to soil, importance of earthworms, types of native wildlife, water quality, and soybean production. The activities were designed so that children would have fun and learn about the world around them, while using the scientific method. Children used the scientific method to ask questions about how different food products are related to soybean plants, made hypotheses and collected data about how earthworms affect litter breakdown and soil properties, and used observations to make conclusions about water availability and differences in soil properties. Knowledge contributed by club members and university professors, in collaboration with the desire to learn from eager, home-schooled students, resulted in a wonderful experience for all who participated. Written and verbal feedback the club received from the children and their parents proved that this was an enjoyable experience and gave the CSES club encouragement to continue this activity in future years. The importance of sharing environmental education with young children will increase their awareness and understanding of the environment and encourage them to protect natural resources throughout their lives.

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