Wetlands Field Day 2021

Here at Powhatan, we use an approach called NEAL (Nature Enhanced Approach to Learning). NEAL is a lens through which we can teach any or all components of our curriculum. We use it to bring our students outside into the natural world and to bring the natural world indoors to our students. An authentic experience like the third grade Wetlands Field Day elevates the learning environment with a hands-on approach to applying their studies to the real world.

Our third graders have been studying the importance of the wetlands on the Crocker Conservancy. Students put on their muck clothes and waded into the wetlands to discover which plants and insects were thriving in our calcareous muck fen.

Throughout this unit of study, we have explored the wetlands both as a filter for the stream and as a habitat for plants and animals. After reading about freshwater habitats, studying our watershed model, playing a game of tag to mimic chemical runoff, and listening for signs of life from the boardwalk, students felt ready for our wetlands field day, an event planned as the culmination of the unit. It was time to wade out into the muck for a much-anticipated closer look at the habitat.


#Nature #Wetlands #Conservation #Education