Setting Up Seasonal Nature Journals:
Getting Students of All Ages Outdoors and Curious
Clare Walker Leslie, Author

Historically, scientists and explorers everywhere had to keep Nature Journal records, not having the digital equipment we have today to record their observations. With a growing interest in Phenology, Citizen Science, and Climate Change concerns, it has become increasingly important for the Science community to have ongoing records of plant and animal as well as seasonal and weather shifting. Clare will present methods for recording observations, in both word and image, as well as outdoor nature observation techniques. Clare will demonstrate how participants can use these skills in a variety of educational settings, providing a tool for place-based education. Participants will have a chance to begin their own Nature Journals, with special emphasis on how they can use them for their professional setting as well as personal pursuits. Clare is the author of 12 books on Nature Journaling.

Biodiversity is Everywhere!
Enhance Your Audience Engagement with Local Biodiversity
Marie Studer, Director of Encyclopedia of Life and Learning and Education Group, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University

Biodiversity is all around us! Learning about, and connecting with, our local biodiversity is important no matter if we live in urban settings, suburban environments or rural landscapes. Educators learned about interactive ways to engage audiences from both informal and formal settings in learning about native and invasive organisms, rare and threatened species and the everyday life around us. EOL Biodiversity Cards and the iNaturalist observation platform can be easily customized for any location and project. Participants learned how they can use this tool and resources in their institutions for both student and adult audiences. This was an interactive session during which educators used the EOL Biodiversity Card Maker, made observations using the iNaturalist app, and learned how to participate in the 2019 City Nature Challenge.

Integrating STEM and the Humanities:
A Role Playing Game
Kris Boudreau, Paris Fletcher Distinguished Professor, Department of Humanities and Arts, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Educators discovered how role-playing games can be an exciting tool for minds-on, hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences at their institutions or in their classrooms. They participated in a role-playing game designed by WPI students and faculty that simulates a “wicked problem” from 19th-century Worcester, MA. Educators learned about and test a role-playing game that gives equal weight to science, engineering, and the humanities (history, theatre, philosophy, literature), creating a multi-disciplinary STEM experience. They spent some time on student learning outcomes and different assignments designed to teach information literacy, problem definition, negotiations, urban history, and engineering. Attendees gained access to the game for use in their teaching, and learned how they can use it as a model for developing a role-playing game specific to their teaching environment.