Digital Commons Network^™

How Can Citizen Science Be Used Effectively Within Environmental Education In Order To Foster Environmental Change?, Michelle Sagers

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Citizen Science, the crowdsourcing of scientific data collection, is becoming a valuable education tool for environmental educators and classroom teachers. Citizen Science has the capacity to teach students STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math) and inquiry-based learning skills in a real-life setting, close to home, that matters to them personally. It provides participants with the skills to face future environmental problems and become civically engaged on environmental topics. This capstone project focuses on creating an education curriculum utilizing Citizen Science to answer the question: how can Citizen Science be used effectively within environmental education in order to foster environmental change? …

Understanding Vermonters’ Perspectives Of The Eastern Coyote Population, Jenna Howard

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This paper examines the ways in which Vermonters receive information about the state’s eastern coyote population and how this impacts behaviors and beliefs towards this animal. Coyotes often receive negative attention, not just in New England, but around the country due to their resiliency and ability to live in close proximity to humans. In Vermont, information about the eastern coyote is shared through several different avenues, including internet and print media, legislative bills, word of mouth, and sightings and hunting experiences in Vermont’s backwoods country. Educational resources written for community members and students are needed in order to transfer accurate …

Fostering Joy, Enriching Relationships, And Encouraging Growth Through Outdoor Education Curriculum, Emma Chapman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that spending time learning and exploring outdoors can be a vital part of emotional and academic development of students. Connecting with the outdoors is also a foundational aspect in the development of environmental stewards. Many students aren’t given the opportunities to connect with the environment for a number of reasons including lack of access to outdoor spaces and/or lack of role models. This project resulted in the creation of seven lesson plans with the goals to foster joy, enrich relationships, and encourage growth in the outdoors. The lessons target primarily middle school students, but can be adapted …

Addressing Issues Surrounding Food Insecurity And Promote Environmentalism In Urban Settings Using Community Gardens, Tucker Jensen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project reviews the effect community gardens have on the low-income, urban population. After reviewing the history of racism in America, disproportionalities of food insecurity, how poverty correlates to health, and various environmental impacts specific to urban communities, this project was an effort to expand on that research and provide a solution. Food deserts exist in many of today’s American cities, which lead to food insecurity and negative health outcomes. A community garden is a low-cost, effective way to obtain healthy food and simultaneously benefit the environment. This five-day unit of study takes place at an established community garden. …

What Drives Commercial Poaching?: From Poverty To Economic Inequality, Elizabeth Lunstrum, Nícia Givá

Global Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over the last decade, South Africa and its iconic Kruger National Park have experienced a steep increase in the killing of rhinoceros for its horn, which is reaching staggering prices largely in Asian markets. This is a key piece of the larger illegal wildlife trade (IWT). Drawing on fieldwork in the Mozambican borderlands adjacent to Kruger where many poaching recruits originate, we respond to calls for better understanding of the drivers of IWT and in particular links between poverty and poaching. Our analysis shows that economic factors including poverty are the most central drivers of rhino poaching on the ground-level …

Trash, Turtles, And Telesis: Sparking Community Environmentalism Through Art, Missy Parker

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was: How does an art installation work to educate and persuade park users to practice pro-environmental behaviors at Sullivan Lake Park? The purpose was to raise awareness of the environmental problems at the author’s local park, Sullivan Lake Park, and inspire the community to practice habits that are more environmentally friendly. Sullivan Lake Park has environmental issues of trash in the lake and people feeding bread to the turtles and waterfowl. The research focused on barriers to pro-environmental behavior (PEB), influences on PEB, and communication to a diverse community through art. It is …

Women And Outdoor Adventure: Creating A Backpacking Course To Prepare And Empower, Anna Swarts

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Adventure recreation involves activities that are self-initiated, contain a degree of risk, and generally take place outdoors. Participation yields benefits in many areas of a person’s life. However, women are in the minority of participants as a result of a wide variety of constraints that range from the hidden curriculum in education, a lack of visibility, social conditioning, societal expectations, and more. The research question what are the key elements of a course that prepares and empowers women to plan and complete their own adventure trip? provided background for this curriculum project. This project consists of six workshops for adult …

Best Methods For Meeting The Goals Of Environmental And Place-Based Education In Short-Term And Immersive Undergraduate Settings, Henry Whitehead

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone sought to answer the following question: what are the best instructional methods for meeting the goals of place-based and environmental education in a short-term, immersive undergraduate setting? While place-based education and environmental education have been exhaustively studied for younger learners, a dearth of research exists in their application for college students. Through a review of the literature and the execution of the project, a January interim course for college students studying the Driftless Region, it was determined that several factors influence successful and meaningful learning for college students. Most notably, discussion, experiential learning, and engagement with community members …

Looking Ahead To The Future Of The South, Rebecca Lauck Cleary

Blog Posts

Movement and Migration SouthTalks begin Feb. 20 Although the year 2020 seems futuristic in and of itself, faculty at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture are looking beyond the present with a scholarly eye to the next 20 years and more. The Future of the South initiative focuses on the contemporary region and shapes conversations about how it will evolve using innovative approaches to studying the South within the context of the nation, hemisphere, and the globe.

Don’T Bite The Hand That Feeds You: Environmental And Human Exploitation Sold As Prosperity, Eliza Macy

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

In this article I focus on corporate power and the false jobs versus human rights dichotomy, extending it to include jobs versus human rights. Using the coal, prison, and oil pipeline industries as examples, the paper explores the ways in which corporate industries gain and maintain local power. I discuss the false narratives and language that industries use to convince people of their importance, showing how they exploit poverty and unemployment to become the single industries dominating localities. Ultimately, this paper demonstrates the fallacy of the jobs versus environment and human rights dichotomy and demonstrates the ways that the coal, …

Comparing Levels Of Environmental Literacy Between Stars- And Non-Stars-Rated Universities, Analisa Kathleen Campos

Master's Theses

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) is a program that measures university sustainability levels. STARS ranks university campuses based on the number of points received from individual specifications such as green buildings, access to mass transit, number of environmental courses, and more. Therefore, the rank a school receives translates directly to its level of sustainability as an institution. Currently, it is unknown if there is a relationship between a campus’s STARS-rating and individual students’ environmental literacy (EL). The purpose of this project was to analyze the impacts of university’s sustainable features on student EL. Surveys were administered to …

A Better Understanding Through The Use Of The Nature Journal, Carol L. Anderson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This paper examines the positive impact that spending time in the natural world has on students. In reviewing the history of environmental education in the United States, the importance of nature on human development, and the impact that journaling and reflective thought processes have in education, this capstone sought to expand upon the research and encourage using nature journals to affect children’s perceptions of the natural world and their place within it. While journaling can facilitate communication, self-expression and personal development, it is also a way to enhance learning by connecting background knowledge to new information, analyzing and synthesizing ideas …

What A Waste! A Secondary Environmental Science Unit On Waste Reduction And Management, Megan Wagner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This writing serves as an introductory unit to waste management and reduction to be used in a high school urban environmental education classroom. The research question for this capstone was, does teaching environmental science through waste reduction and management in an urban classroom affect student engagement and connection? The research outlined in this paper explores and examines the concept of an urban classroom environment, the importance of teaching environmental science, and tools and materials to incorporate a unit on waste into an environmental science course. The paper goes on to explain the importance of educating students about the waste crisis …

Nature Play For Urban Elementary Preschoolers: Benefits To Their Development And Connectedness To The Environment, Sharon Smith-Lossiah

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project identified how nature-based activities can be integrated into nature play for preschoolers that are located at urban elementary schools. In a world that is becoming

increasingly disconnected from nature, there is a growing body of evidence which shows the life- long implications for preschoolers to their cognitive, social-emotional, and physical growth and

development with daily exposure to nature based activities. The literature review for this study defined nature play, its benefits and how it can be incorporated in an urban elementary school. It identified the benefits and barriers that preschool teachers have when providing nature play opportunities at …

Collegebound: Assessment Of An Outdoor Orientation Program, Kyle Rauch

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Collegebound is an optional outdoor orientation program (OOP) offered to incoming first-year students at two joint liberal arts colleges. This long-running and popular program has increased in participation to over 10% of the incoming class in recent years, however, little formal evaluation had been conducted. This research assessed the outcomes of Collegebound participation. Using a mixed methods design, academic and personal-social outcomes of Collegebound participation were assessed to understand the impact of the program on students’ college transition and career. Academic outcomes (first to second year retention and cumulative GPA after first year) were compared between Collegebound and non-Collegebound students …

Reconnecting Young Children With Nature For Healthy Growth And Development, Suzanne Schiffman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project seeks to answer the question of how early childhood educators can help their young students build connections with nature. The literature review for this study focused on educators’ knowledge of child development as it relates to environmental education and outdoor play; curriculum planning, implementing and assessment using Minnesota state standards and developmentally appropriate practices; availability and accessibility of natural play spaces; and environmental literacy of educators. The project is divided into two parts consisting of three interactive slideshow presentations for professional development and three sets of educational support materials. This capstone is relevant for administrators and early childhood …

Developing An Outdoor Mindful Activity-Based Curriculum For English Language Learners, Krista A. Kulas

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many English Language Learner (ELL) students have endured trauma which inflicted deficiencies in their cognitive function. The restorative effects of nature combined with mindful activities can be employed to enhance ELL academic success and support emotional needs. This capstone project seeks to answer the question of, how can outdoor activities support the academic and emotional needs of elementary level English Language Learner students? Studies have shown that the cognitive benefits of nature included an improved ability to make decisions, a greater ability to concentrate, can foster reduced stress, and help increase positive self-esteem. Studies also confirm that comprehensive support within …

Subversive: Space As A Movement-Making Tool, Maddie Schumacher

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

By exploring placemaking and indigenous memory, this paper argues that space can and should be utilized in movements against oppression. Grassroots resistance is increasingly necessary as the globally marginalized face the constant threats of colonization, incarceration, and fascism. With a grounding in memory studies and a transnational perspective, I analyze Maori movements in Aotearoa New Zealand and American Indian movements in North America in tandem with each other. Charting the histories of dominant space production in these twin contexts allow for a witnessing of each harmful nation-building project. This informed my conclusion that both global solidarities and place-based movements are …

Getting More Young Children Outdoors By Supporting And Encouraging Their Teachers, April Greibrok

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone thesis used an Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods (ESMM) research design to answer the question, How do we support and encourage teachers to take their early childhood classes outdoors? While anecdotally, and through literature review, there appear to be barriers to outdoor activities, e.g., policies and regulations, or lack of safe clothing or equipment, there also is an abundance of research on the benefits of having children spend time in nature, or with natural elements. In the early childhood setting the mixed method survey research identified actual-stated common barriers to spending time outside with a class. An initial quantitative …

Why Is Invasive Species Education Important, Alexandra Crofts

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This research question addressed the importance of invasive species education in the Midwest Great Lakes Regions. Invasive species threaten most ecosystems around the world and can lead to decreasing biodiversity and even the extinction of native species. Humans are one of the largest vectors responsible for the transportation of invasive species. This research focused on providing evidence of the negative impact aquatic invasive species can have on native fish populations. Fish population data was collected using gill nets in the East Metro Area of the Twin Cities in Minnesota in the 2018 field season. This data was compared to Minnesota’s …

Snow Science: Curricular Units For High School Outdoor Winter Inquiry, Elizabeth Wagner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Winter is typically viewed as a “dead” season in the midwestern United States, where temperatures are often below freezing and snow blankets the ground for much of the year. Teachers cite weather as a barrier to meeting proposed curriculum standards and point to cold climate as a barrier to outdoor learning. Outdoor education provides many social and emotional benefits to students. When we consider these benefits, we must ask ourselves why we allow the learning opportunities of winter to be wasted. One reason that few high school classrooms venture outside in the snow is due to the lack of lesson …

How Environmental Education Based Camps Can Create An Inclusive Opportunity To Ensure Children With Autism Have A Positive And Meaningful Experience, Emma Leslie

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

In a world that is becoming increasingly disconnected, environmental education has the ability to reach diverse audiences and create an environmentally literate community capable of making decisions that support sustainable practices. Diversity implies inclusion of all individuals, including those with autism. Autism is one of the most prevalent developmental learning disabilities in the United States and those with the neurobiological disorder experience challenges in areas such as social reasoning, language, cognition, sensory sensitivities and emotional regulation. Environmental education often occurs in informal learning environments, including day camp programs. While day camps provide the ideal setting for addressing deficits in peer …

Supporting The Development Of Ecoliteracy In Middle School Students Through The Use Of Phenology, Amy Hamernick

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question for this project was, how does knowledge of local phenology impact the development of ecoliteracy?It documents a science teacher’s development of a unit of lesson plans, and an accompanying website, to develop observation skills and strategies that will allow students to collect data in their local ecosystem. Phenology, the study and documentation of natural systems over time, is supported by the understanding of observation skills, use of field identification guides, and formats for recording and sharing data which are developed through the lesson plans. The website provides details for two observation sites, models how to collect and …

Recycling Influences: Exposure To Childhood Environmental Education, Janet Hollinger

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed was what do people who participate or do not participate in a neighborhood recycling program report regarding their exposure to childhood environmental education? It focuses on 2 communities in the southwestern United States. The author documents details of a qualitative survey as well as presents data from 2 seven-week-long observations. While the survey was minimal, the observation results show that only a small change can markedly affect the participation in recycling programs.

Children’S Connectedness To Nature And Parental Influence: A Mixed Methods Survey, Meredith Yue

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

I conducted a mixed method survey to focus on the question, “What are the ways parents positively shape their children’s connectedness to nature?” There is a national phenomenon on the disconnect between children and the natural world, coined as the “nature deficit disorder.” This disorder has been linked to an increase in obesity, mental health, attention disorders and the overall well-being of children. I administered a quantitative survey for children to measure their connectedness to nature as well as a qualitative survey of parents to gather in-depth information to capture the richness of the nature experience that happens at home. …

Can Engagement In The Natural Environment Reduce Stress In Gifted Students, Elizabeth Gluck

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed what defines a gifted student, how gifted students process the senses, definitions of the natural world and engagement, and the intricacies of gifted emotions. Dabrowski identified that gifted students may have overexcitabilities which indicate heightened ability to respond to sensory stimuli. Influential studies included Keniger’s research on stress reduction through intentional interaction with the natural world, and Han’s research on impact of emotions through interaction with the natural world. The author used a Convergent Parallel Mixed Method Design and designed tools to capture qualitative and quantitative data through three different experiences. The author’s research concluded that …

Will An Environmental Focused Genius Hour Affect Students’ Attitudes Toward The Environment?, Claire Opsahl

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if an environmental focused Genius Hour will affect students’ attitudes toward the environment. Over an eight week period ninth grade students in an Honors Civics class self-selected an environmental topic to research, write a research paper and present their findings. The study was completed in a suburban high school setting. The study Quantitative and qualitative data was gathered using student interest surveys and the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Likert Scale Survey. The participants were surveyed before completing their Genius Hour project and after completion. The results of the survey show that an …

Framework For Purposeful Technology Integration In Environmental Education Using Inquiry Based Learning, Jonathan Massung

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was, how do you incorporate technology to facilitate raw exploration of the natural world that reinforces inquiry-based learning in Environmental Education? The concept of the project was to create a framing guide to allow traditional and non-traditional educators to purposefully incorporate technology into a program with emphasis on environmental education standards. The primary focus of the format of the program is intended for K-12 lessons. The idea behind creating the program is to not simply add technology to a program, but to include the technology tool as a central piece with standards that …

Walking Field Trips: Mapping Outdoor Instruction Opportunities, Anna Cochran

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this project was the following: How can upper elementary educators in a rural school district utilize walking field trips and outdoor instruction to support achievement of state academic content areas and to integrate principles of environmental education? The project extends upper elementary school instructional settings to public lands, open spaces, parks, trails, river access points, and beyond in order to enhance the academic experience. It is informed by Sobel’s place-based education theory and Lieberman and Hoody’s proposal of using outdoor settings to connect multidisciplinary content areas. A walking field trip map was produced for a …

Creating A Culture For Outdoor Environmental Education In An Elementary Setting, Daniel Huldeen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many elementary educators believe in the importance of providing opportunities for outdoor environmental education but fewer actually offer activities and lessons to their students. A review of the literature detailed the many benefits that outdoor environmental education offers to students. It was also clear through research and a review of the literature that many teachers have perceived barriers preventing them from offering environmental education to their students. After identifying the barriers and highlighting the benefits this ten lesson curriculum was created to address the major barriers teachers face when teaching outdoor environmental education and provide students all of the many …