Take about 60 first graders out of school and set them down in a place brimming with wonder and discovery, and the stage for chaos seems readily set. But, under the capable direction of their teachers and Edna Lawrence Nature Lab staff, the young Paul Cuffee School students saw their science and art curriculum come to life at the Rhode Island School of Design natural history collection.

“The students were awestruck by all that there was to see in all three rooms,” said Stacy Gale, a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) specialist, who teaches grades K-5 at Paul Cuffee School. “It was clear they were excited to ask questions, make observations, and draw connections between what they had been learning in the classroom and what they were seeing at the Nature Lab.”

The collaborative Hands-on Science Experience pooled the resources of the RISD Nature Lab and Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR to provide the youngsters with an unparalleled outreach adventure.

Gale said the genuine exposure to the lab’s extensive collection offered a new and engaging way to learn, and allowed the students to see how everything in the natural world is connected:

“Much of our urban student population has had very little experience with nature. Their understanding of real and natural objects is extremely limited. I can’t say enough about how important it is for students to have experiences like this, where they are able to see real objects and make observations and comparisons.”

Gale led the trip with Michelle Carden, Paul Cuffee School art specialist for grades K-5. The Nature Lab created the perfect element for instruction because both educators were using birds as an entry point to explore different aspects of form and function. In science class, the student have been reading and studying how birds use their beak as a tool, and conducting an experiment to see which is the best beak.

Learning comes to life

At the Nature Lab, students had the opportunity to look at bird beaks up close and observe the differences. Students considered beak shapes, how the beaks enabled function, and what kinds of tools the beaks looked like

Melita Morales, EPSCoR | STEAM communications and engagement coordinator at RISD, said the overarching goals for the first grade visit were pulled from the Next Generation Science Standards:

Structure and function — All organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water, and air. The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function.

In a place like the Nature Lab, students don’t need to be told what they need to learn. Their wonder will lead them to ask questions and discover things on their own.

Variation of traits — Individuals of the same kind of plant or animal are recognizable as similar but also can vary in many ways.

Scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence — Scientists look for patterns and order when making observations about the world.

Carden said the experience also drew from the National Visual Art Standards:

Creating — Through experimentation, build skills in various media and approaches to art making

Responding — Compare images that represent the same subject matter (Students learned about artists Charlie Harper and John James Audubon in art class).

Connect — Identify times, places and reasons by which students make art outside of school.

Up close, hands on

The teachers divided their charges into three groups, each group spending about 20 minutes at each of three stations — bone room, main room and microscopy room.

In the bone room, students closely followed instructions to find an object and settle into their own space with colored pencils and paper. They spent their time drawing with Carden, making observations and comparisons about the skeletal structure of different specimens.

They wandered through the main room, peering into the glass doors of cabinets lining the walls with every imaginable natural treasure. The youngsters oohed and aahed as they pointed to items and asked questions.

A scavenger hunt led the students to learn about varied features of different animals. Exclamations of “Look at this!” and “Let me show you!” sounded throughout the large, sunlit room.

A turn in the microscopy room gave the schoolchildren a lesson in light, magnification and focus. A selection of clear boxes, each containing a specimen, let the students choose what they might be interested in and study it up close.

Carden said the afternoon was deliberately structured to allow exploration time, where students could use their own curiosity to drive their learning.

“In a place like the Nature Lab, students don’t need to be told what they need to learn,” she said. “Their wonder will lead them to ask questions and discover things on their own. One student might choose to look at different colors and patterns of butterfly wings, while another will be curious about the shapes of different starfish.”

Both Carden and Gale said in addition to the Nature Lab’s collection, the space straddles disciplines and intersects art and science. Their intention with the trip was to inspire the students to observe and explore the natural life in ways they may not have had the opportunity to do before.

Gale said, “Michelle and I were both blown away by the Nature Lab and the abundance of all the specimens it contains. It is rare that we get to compare and contrast natural objects all in one place. The incredible forms and patterns of nature come alive and there is something about being able to observe and hold these objects up close that is incredibly exciting.”

Carden added, “The boundaries we may put on them in the classroom don’t exist at the Nature Lab. Students naturally start doing what all great scientists and artists do — make close observations and wonder about the world around them.”

Story & photos by Amy Dunkle | Pictures by Paul Cuffee School first graders