Matrix of Science Skills for Nature Walks

Abstract

The Nature Walk program at the French International School, Hong Kong, has a high Science Content. It is used as a major scientific investigation for Primary aged students. It involves Problem Solving. It encourages the use of community and adult resources. It gives the students the right to choose their learning style by teaching the students to handle a variety of observation, research and learning techniques, encouraging a high level of understanding of the content material, and allowing the presentation of learned materials in a variety of products as projects. The disciplines used to understand the scientific investigation, draws on and focuses on the whole school curriculum. Exposure of the students to real life situations, such as the focused field trips, or Nature Walks, allows the students to systematically examine their own ability to handle real-life problem solving. The approach allows the students to utilize their ability to handle a variety of observation and research techniques, information processing skills from all the subject areas of the school curriculum. The final product in the form of a negotiated project requires the students to use higher level information skills on the walk, during the research period and for the final project. The focused field trip inverts the usual classroom situation. Field trips may reverse the order of learning that usually occurs in the classroom. Students gain knowledge and access information in a cycle which goes from: