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1927 Map of the Arboretum

Past Summer Institute Syllabi and Resources

Robin Hopkins teaches about floral morphology.
Robin Hopkins teaches about floral morphology.

2019 Investigating Ecosystems Through Field Work Syllabus and Resources

Rationale

Teachers assess field site in the woods to determine location of plots.
Teachers assess field site in the woods to determine location of plots.

This institute focused on teaching the methodologies of fieldwork to primarily middle and high school teachers. Educators then used these techniques to examine and come to understand two distinct ecosystems. An important goal of the institute was to highlight simple procedures to collect data over time, and discuss many ways to integrate field work, ecology and issues of climate change into teachers’ established school curriculum.

Specific goals were as follows:

  1. Introduce teachers to fieldwork techniques that will enable them to investigate and understand two ecosystems – NE forest (Central Woods) and meadow/flood plain (Kent Field).
  2. Understand the term “ecosystem” and explore both biotic and abiotic factors that are at play in such systems. This includes nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and water availability.
  3. Identify plants and animals that interact in each of these ecosystems and learn more about some of these specimens and how they relate to the ecosystem.
  4. Learn about citizen science projects, technology, and web resources that support lessons on climate change, and how to address these issues with middle and high school students.

The institute content addressed the following Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Essential Questions and engaged teachers in all the Practices of Science.

  1. Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems: How do organisms obtain and use energy they need to live and grow? How do matter and energy move through ecosystems?
  2. Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: How do organisms interact with the living and non-living environment to obtain matter and energy?
  3. Structure and Function: How do the structures of organisms enable life’s functions?

Overall Structure

Teachers spent each morning, Monday through Thursday conducting field work on self-designated study plots in both the Central Woods and Kent Field. Working in teams of four or five, teachers collected data and identified plants and animals within their study plots. In the afternoons guest speakers shared their areas of expertise, both indoors and outdoors. On Friday, the day was spent learning about climate change and discussing curricula and strategies to tackle this subject with middle and high school students.

Presentations:

  1. Fieldwork Techniques[pdf]
  2. Role of Forest Ecosystems in Carbon Sequestration and Climate[pdf]
  3. Street Art and Climate Graphs[pdf]

Resources:

  1. Ant Picnic citizen science project
  2. On Line Recommendations
  3. Adaptation Bangladesh Teacher’s Guide[pdf]
  4. Personal Choices and Climate Change[pdf]
  5. Can Humans Help Trees Outrun Climate Change[pdf]

2018 Investigating Ecosystems Through Fieldwork Syllabus and Resources

Cat Chamberlainexplains how to use transects and create study plots in Kent Field.
Cat Chamberlain (far right) explains how to use transects and create study plots in Kent Field.

Rationale

This institute focused on teaching the methodologies of fieldwork to primarily middle and high school teachers. Educators then used these techniques to examine and come to understand two distinct ecosystems. An important goal of the institute was to highlight simple procedures to collect data over time, and find ways to consolidate this information into a culminating presentation.

Specific goals were as follows:

  1. Introduce teachers to fieldwork techniques that will enable them to investigate and understand two ecosystems – NE forest (Central Woods) and meadow/flood plain (Kent Field).
  2. Understand the term “ecosystem” and explore both biotic and abiotic factors that are at play in such systems. This includes nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and water availability.
  3. Identify plants and animals that interact in each of these ecosystems and learn more about some of these specimens and how they relate to the ecosystem.
  4. Learn about plant growth with respect to photosynthesis, respiration, and use of abiotic components.

The institute content addressed the following Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Essential Questions and engaged teachers in all the Practices of Science.

  1. Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems: How do organisms obtain and use energy they need to live and grow? How do matter and energy move through ecosystems?
  2. Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems: How do organisms interact with the living and non-living environment to obtain matter and energy?
  3. Structure and Function: How do the structures of organisms enable life’s functions?

Overall Structure

Teachers spent each day learning from guest speakers and then going to self-designated study plots to practice fieldwork techniques, sometimes alongside the guest speakers. Working in teams of three or four, teachers collaborated when collecting data and helped each other identify plants and animals within their study plots.

Dr. Templer teaches how to use DBH tape to measure trunk diameter.
Dr. Templer (front, right) teaches how to use DBH tape to measure trunk diameter.

Day 1: Fieldwork Techniques

Catherine Chamberlain, Arnold Arboretum Fellow, gave an introductory talk describing commonly used techniques for surveying plant or animal life in the field. Teachers learned how to set up transect lines, how to determine the size and location of plots, and how to obtain data from them. Teachers created Berlese funnels in the classroom, and set up pitfall traps in their plots.

Supplemental resources:

Day 2: Abiotic Components of an Ecosystem

Dr. Pamela Templer, biology professor at Boston University, shared her talk “Role of Forest Ecosystems in Carbon Sequestration and Climate.” Templer is particularly interested in the relationship between abiotic components and carbon uptake by trees. In the field, Templer helped institute participants use DBH tape to measure tree diameter at breast height, use allometric equations to convert DBH to total biomass and then convert biomass into total carbon uptake in an effort to quantify how much carbon is being sequestered by the trees in their study plots. She also shared her own lab’s study plot in the Central Woods, describing each instrument and its purpose.

Supplemental resources:

Day 3: Plant ID

Irina Kadis, Arnold Arboretum curatorial assistant, and Brendan Keegan, Arboretum Gardener, were available for a walk and talk in the field. They helped teachers identify specific plants within their plots, and learn more about individual specimens and their relationships within ecosystems. Teachers used plant identification charts specifically created for this Institute to begin the process of determining the vegetation that was most common in each plot.

Supplemental resources:

Angela (right) and Katie share how fieldwork can be used in elementary classrooms to promote environmental justice.
Angela (right) and Katie share how fieldwork can be used in elementary classrooms to promote environmental justice.

Day 4: Photosynthesis and Respiration

Marjorie Lundgren, a Visiting Fellow and Postdoctoral Associate at MIT, shared her area of expertise in plant growth as it relates to photosynthesis, respiration and water uptake. Her lecture deepened teacher’s understanding of different strategies used by plants for photosynthesis that came about through evolution as a response to environmental conditions. The final afternoon was dedicated to consolidating learned information in the form of documentation boards, and giving presentations about aspects of fieldwork that were most impactful for the teams.

Supplemental resources:

2017 Build a Plant Bottom to Top Syllabus and Resources

Rationale 

Examining evolutionary history of major groups of plants.
Examining evolutionary history of major groups of plants.

During this second year, the Arnold Arboretum Summer Institute focused on tree morphology. Participants gained a deeper understanding of tree parts, their functions, and relationships with the environment. Content and practices were designed to be in keeping with the 2016 Massachusetts Science, Technology, and Engineering (2016 MA STE) Life Science standards, and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Much of what elementary teachers, and their students, are familiar with in terms of  structure and function in life science applies to animals.  One goal of the Institute was to promote understanding of form, function, adaptation, and processes as it applies to plants and their habitats.

Overall Structure

Each day of the Summer Institute was designed to address a specific area of learning. Starting with an overview of plant evolution, the program content zoomed in to consider the structures of land plants that contributed to their evolutionary success. Following this, the content focused on roots and stems, leaves, and flowers and fruit. The curriculum also provided opportunities for teachers to benefit from self-directed time in the Arboretum landscape and then participate in group explorations of plant diversity in various parts of the Arboretum landscape. Additionally, participants were given a copy of Witness Tree by Lynda V. Mapes as a way to incorporate content about form and function into the wider discussion of climate change and environmental interactions.

Day 1: What is a Plant? and Plant Evolution

Making and Using Models to understand inner workings of trees.
Making and Using Models to understand inner workings of trees.

Participants spent some time considering various definitions of “plant” and probing their own understanding, as well as discussing some possible misconceptions that children might have when thinking about plants. This work involved using Assessment Probes developed by Page Keeley in her work around uncovering student ideas in various science domains.

Children’s Education Fellow Ana Maria Caballero presented an overview of plant evolution, from the origin of the chloroplast and cyanobacteria to the evolution of angiosperms.  Teachers learned about the challenges plants faced as they moved onto land and how each challenge led to new evolutionary adaptations that enabled plants to successfully colonize and diversify on land. In the afternoon, Arboretum Director William (Ned) Friedman led a walk in the landscape with a focus on what makes a plant a plant, and how plants fundamentally differ from animals.

Supplemental Resources:

Day 2: Bottoms Up! 

Learning about leaves through model making and hydrophobicity lab.
Learning about leaves through model making and hydrophobicity lab.

Putnam Fellow Kasia Zieminska shared her understanding of vascular systems and the inner workings of roots and trunks.  Teachers applied this learning when examining a variety of roots and stems from both herbaceous and woody plants inside during a Plant Part Stations activity.  Once outside, teachers also spent time observing and recording ideas in a science journal while exploring the Linden Collection on the grounds.

Model making became a central part of learning.  The NGSS practice “Developing and Using Models”  requires that students be able to use and construct models as helpful tools for representing ideas and explanations. Thus, teachers constructed models of the inside of a tree using straws and tubes, and, once outside, used their bodies as well.  Once these models were created, teachers discussed their limitations, applications, and suggested ways to improve upon them or change them to meet the individual needs of different aged children.

Supplemental Resources:

Day 3: Leaf Out!

Assistant Professor Dave Des Marais discussed leaf anatomy, photosynthesis, and respiration.  He also explained about the different and important roles leaves play in the environment, and how there are constant trade-offs in where a plant expends its energy: in defense, longevity, or size, for example.

Using this new information, teachers created leaf models that showed their current understanding of function.  A variety of materials were made available, such as felt, wax paper, bubble wrap, yarn, plastic stirrers, construction paper, and tulle.  Teaches had to justify their choices based on the form and function of the various leaf parts.

In a separate activity, institute participants explored a variety of leaves in the landscape, and brought in a few unique samples to use in a Hydrophobicity Lab.  Teachers placed water drops on a leaf and tilted the leaf to judge its ability to repel or absorb water, and to observe how the water drop moved along the surface or underside of the leaf.

Supplemental Resources:

Day 4: Flower Power!

Learning about flowers and pollinators.
Learning about flowers and pollinators.

Participants spent an extended time outside searching for and photographing a diversity of flowers and developing fruit. These pictures were then uploaded to Padlet, a web-based tool, for sharing with each other. Padlet operates, essentially, as a giant whiteboard on which participants post “sticky notes” that contain text, images, video, or links. Once inside, teachers dissected flowers to examine their parts under dissecting microscopes and via the use of digital scopes and tablets.

A simulation of pollinator-flower interactions required groups of teachers to examine flower morphology, pollinator facts, and data to determine which flowers are most likely to be visited by certain pollinators.  Groups then presented their claims and evidence, backed by reasoning, thus engaging in argumentation based on evidence.

Post-doctoral fellow Sevan Suni shared her research interests and passion about pollinator-flower interactions, and answered numerous questions about the state of funding for research in today’s political climate, how projects get selected, and her own personal opinions about the future of flower-pollinator interactions.

Supplemental Resources:

Nature Journal Prompts

Summer Institute participants take time to reflect and journal in the landscape.
Summer Institute participants take time to reflect and journal in the landscape.

Each day, teachers spent 30 minutes journaling outside, expanding upon a prompt. These were carefully designed to connect previous reading with the daily topic of study, and provide an opportunity to relate content to the natural world.  As such, these moments in the landscape provided time for teachers to reflect on their learning, and prompt new questions or wonders.

Additional Resources for Selected Readings:

Raven, P.H., & Johnson, G.B. (2002). Biology, Sixth Edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill Companies.

Nearby Nature! from the Four Winds Nature Institute

2016 Plants in the Web of Life Syllabus and Resources

Rationale 

Missing from the life science preparation for most elementary teachers is a consideration and understanding of the “Big Picture.” Elementary school teachers frequently have limited knowledge of what defines the six kingdoms of life and how they relate to each other. Equally important, and also often missing, is an appreciation of the evolution of the plant kingdom – from its beginnings in the ocean, through the major evolutionary breakthroughs that represent distinct and evermore complex adaptations to environments, yielding the biodiversity we see today. Read the entire 2016 Summer Institute: Plants in the Web of Life report [pdf]

Overall Structure

Each day of the Summer Institute was designed to address a specific area of learning. Starting with an overview of the many kingdoms that compose the web of life, the program content zoomed in to consider the structures of land plants that contributed to their evolutionary success. Then the focus returned to the relationship of plants to other life forms in terrestrial ecosystems. The curriculum also provided opportunities for teachers to benefit from self-directed time in the Arboretum landscape and then participate in group explorations of plant diversity in various parts of the Arboretum landscape.

Day 1: Organizing Life

Dr. Elena Kramer, professor of organismic and evolutionary biology at Harvard University, presented an overview of the Tree of Life and its domains and kingdoms, and introduced teachers to basic concepts of phylogenetics (the evolutionary history and relationships among organisms.)

Supplemental Resources:

Day 2: Understanding Land Plants

Dr. Kramer surveyed the ways plants were forced to adapt as they began to successfully colonize land, focusing specifically on reproductive adaptations that enabled greater successes in diverse terrains.

Supplemental Resources:

Day 3: Ecosystems: Putting it All Together

Dr. Elizabeth Farnsworth, Senior Research Ecologist at the New England Wild Flower Society, provided an overview of ferns and fern allies, sharing tips on identification and illustrating the role ferns play in a larger ecosystem. Teachers also explored an urban forest ecosystem within the context of specific Massachusetts Science, Technology and Engineering Life Science standards for their grade level.

Supplemental Resources:

Nature Journal Prompts

Twice each day, teachers spent 15 minutes journaling outside, expanding upon one of three prompts. These were carefully designed to elicit background knowledge and pique interest during morning sessions, and to incorporate new knowledge or deepen understanding during afternoon sessions. Various sharing sessions encouraged science talk among participants.