Proposal for continued support for the LTER Schoolyard Book Series

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

The Long Term Ecological Research network is developing a children's book series as one component of its broad effort to combine scientific research and science education. The books engage children and their families in learning about the earth's ecosystems through narratives that reflect the research conducted at Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites. This project will strengthen and advance the LTER 'schoolyard' book series by completing production of three additional books and by expanding the publication formats of all 12 books to include both eBooks and interactive ePub3 versions. Selected books will be translated into Spanish. Authors and the publisher will work closely with the LTER Communications Office to increase the profile of the book series and to develop a rich resource of materials that can be used by educators throughout the US. The science theme underlying the narrative of each children's book is a topic investigated by LTER researchers; it uses this approach to engage young children from a broad range of backgrounds. This approach is based on an understanding of how children perceive their local environment and encourages young children to develop empathy for the ecosystem in which they live. This empathy can then lead to greater interest in learning more about their own local environments, progressing to interest in other more distant environments as a student matures. This modest award will advance the LTER schoolyard book series in three distinct ways. First, three books currently in development will be completed, bringing to 12 the number of children's books available. The books will represent half of the active LTER projects, bringing knowledge of diverse ecosystems to middle school students. Second, the investigator will develop a formal assessment of the success of the books as educational tools, including their relationship to new science standards. Third, the lead investigator will work with authors, Taylor Trade Publishers, and the LTER Communications Office to develop a business plan for future publications. In the composite these three goals will strengthen an educational book series that has already proved both popular and effective.