trevordayschool

1 5 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 – 2 0 1 7 harvested from different oak trees. Within ten blocks of the classroom, we found a largely natural environment that was rich for study. Two years later, I wrote my master's thesis: "Using Central Park to Teach Science to the Young Student." When I became Trevor's Lower School division director a few years after that, we formalized the inclusion of Central Park as a resource for all grades in the Lower School curriculum. Inquiry-based learning engages students in activities and investigations that drive true understanding. Rather than reciting facts or showing a clear path to a solution, teachers guide and mentor students through a process of discovery and reflection via well-crafted questions and problems. In an inquiry-based learning environment, the teacher is both a facilitator of learning and a provider of information. is dynamic approach encourages students to ask questions and actively participate in their learning, thus building knowledge from experience and process. Students not only gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter, but also develop lifelong processes for learning that will serve them into college and beyond. Inquiry-Based Learning It is our responsibility and mission to harness the young student's innate love for and powerful curiosity about their natural world. e best way to harness these is by creating a bridge between their personal questions, ponderings, and experimentation, and our formal study of the subject within the school curriculum. is is best accomplished through inquiry-based learning— where, for example, the student is an active scientist, not a passive reader of what has been accomplished by other scientists. Learning focuses on meaningful, actual problems and questions that allow students to learn through their personal investigation. A student learns to use a thermometer to obtain an accurate reading of the water temperature at the Harlem Meer; they return to the classroom to research a cardinal's beak after having observed one pecking at seed in the park. e teacher's role is not a "knowledge dispenser"—but, instead, a knowledge- able mentor, who carefully constructs and guides students through a sequence of experiences, all of which provide opportunities for research, experiments, and drawing conclusions. With students taking an active role in the learning process, they can build understanding through developing their own conceptual framework; this happens best when students have answered their own questions. Plus, students collaborate, reflect, and learn from one another. e work and learning are messy, playful, and joyful. Learning is most dynamic and long lasting when we provide a context for the information and skills being taught. Central Park is our laboratory. rough our yearlong program there, students study different elements of the environment, from the structure of its bridges, to the bird habitats in the Ramble (36 acres of winding pathways between 73rd and 79th Streets), to the different bodies of water. By the end of the year, students have developed an extensive understanding of the interconnected ecosystems within this one larger environment. Rooted in our mission are the belief in and commitment to bring students outside of the classroom to learn. Our goal is for them to become lifelong learners who are skilled at learning in the greater, dynamic world that exists beyond school walls. e park is our 1st-graders' workplace in which to conduct real science. Regular trips allow for experience in the field, where students can make direct observations, collect data, research their questions, and discover new questions. Students are not just studying about science; they are active scientists. Each academic subject area has tools that enhance learning: the paintbrush, pen, calculator, the primary resource, the musical instrument, the soccer ball, the textbook. Our young students are learning to use scientific tools, such as thermometers, binoculars, centimeter rulers, magnifying glasses, kestrel meters, and more. ey understand that scientific tools enhance all five senses in our observations, experiments, data collection, and study. Essential to inquiry-based learning is Opposite page: A 1st grader spots a male cardinal in Central Park; A colored drawing of a cardinal from a bird book created by students toward the end of their study (each student selects one bird on which to focus.); Left: 1st graders Lexi G. and James C. measure water temperature in Central Park; Above: Former 1st grader Lilly G. (now in 4th grade) shows her completed drawing of the second half of Greywacke Arch in Central Park. In addition to learning about the bridge's structure, students learn about symmetry in this drawing exercise. A "simple" field trip becomes a lesson in physics and mathematics.

• Cover