Abstract
Parks are spaces where lived experiences and science learning could come together in ways not afforded by brick and mortar informal science institutions. They offer unique opportunities for authentic science learning in that learners interact with diverse ecosystems within urban settings and engage in authentic data collection practices while making salient connections to place. In urban settings where greenspace is often a premium, parks are opportunities for educators to facilitate experiences with nature that are unparalleled in the classroom. In order to make the most of parks and other similar spaces we ask, in what ways can we engage learners in these environments? Using a theoretical lens of place attachment and identity this chapter describes how teachers form attachments to and build identities around places for science learning and place value on facilitating such experiences for their students. First, a theoretical approach to place attachment is outlined which precedes a description of the urban National Park and the teacher learning programs. Then teacher experiences and reflections juxtaposed with place attachment framework highlight notions of environmental stewardship, culturally-relevant learning, student-centered learning, and place-relevant experiences for both teachers and their students. The chapter concludes with reflections of and implications for teacher learning in park settings.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Regents or Regents Examinations are New York State-wide assessments in high school core subject areas required for a Regents diploma indicating college readiness. The science exams include Biology/Living Environment, Earth Science, Chemistry and Physics. http://www.nysedregents.org/regents_sci.html.
References
Adams, J. (2013). Theorizing a sense-of-place in a transnational community. Children, Youth and Environments, 23(3), 43–65.
Adams, J., & Gupta, P. (2013). “I learn more here than I do in school. Honestly, I wouldn’t lie about that”: Creating a space for agency and identity around science. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 4(2), 87–104.
Basu, S. J., & Barton, A. C. (2007). Developing a sustained interest in science among urban minority youth. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44, 466–489.
DeFelice, A., Adams, J., Branco, B., & Pieroni, P. (2014). Engaging underrepresented high school students in an urban environmental and geoscience place-based curriculum. Journal of Geoscience Education, 62(1), 49–60.
GNRA. (2014). Gateway National Recreation Area: A laboratory for learning. Unpublished document.
Hall, S. (1990). Cultural identity and diaspora. In J. Rutherford (Ed.), Identity: Community, culture, difference (pp. 222–237). London: Lawrence & Wishart.
Kisiel, J. F. (2014). Clarifying the complexities of school–museum interactions: Perspectives from two communities. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 51(3), 342–367.
Kornblum, W., & Van Hooreweghe, K. (2010). Jamaica Bay ethnographic overview and assessment. Boston, MA: National Park Service, Northeast Regional Ethnography Program.
Kudryavtsev, A., Stedman, R., & Krasny, M. (2012). Sense of place in environmental education. Environmental Education Research, 18(2), 229–250.
Low, S., Taplin, D., & Scheld, S. (2005). Rethinking urban parks: Public space and cultural diversity. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
Malpas, J. E. (1999). Place and experience. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Mihaylov, N., & Perkins, D. (2014). Community place attachment and its role in social capital development. In L. Manzo & P. Devine-Wright (Eds.), Place Attachment: Advances in theory, methods and applications (pp. 61–74). New York, NY: Routledge.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. (2003). Ecosystems and human well-being: A framework for assessment. Washington, DC: Island Press.
National Park Service. (2014). Achieving relevance in our second century: A five-year interdisciplinary strategy for interpretation, education and volunteers as we enter the second century of the National Park Service. Washington, DC: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Paperson, L. (2014). A ghetto land pedagogy: An anecdote for settler environmentalism. Environmental Education Research, 20(1), 115–130.
Rosenzweig, C., & Solecki, W. (2015). New York City Panel on Climate Change 2015 report introduction. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1336, 3–5.
Seamon, D. (2014). Place attachment and phenomenology: The synergistic dynamism of place. In L. Manzo & P. Devine-Wright (Eds.), Place attachment: Advances in theory, methods and applications (pp. 11–22). New York, NY: Routledge.
van Eijck, M., & Roth, W. M. (2010). Towards a chronotopic theory of “place” in palce-based education. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 5, 869–898.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge and thank SENCER-ISE for funding the Sentinels of Change.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Adams, J.D., Branco, B. (2017). Extending Classrooms into Parks Through Informal Science Learning and Place-Based Education. In: Patrick, P. (eds) Preparing Informal Science Educators. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50398-1_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50398-1_18
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-50396-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-50398-1
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)