Term

Fall 2017

Capstone

Capstone Project

Degree Name

MAED: NSEE

Facilitator(s)

Trish Harvey

Content Expert

Colleen Foehrenbacher

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that early and frequent exposure to nature and the outdoors has a range of physical, mental, emotional, social, and educational benefits. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on using Dr. Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences to connect 4th -8 th grade students to nature, in order to harness the benefits of nature exposure and increase student’s environmental-literacy. Multiple intelligences have been implemented in a number of formal classroom settings for decades, but research on how they have been used in the environmental and outdoor education fields is limited. The project involved creating a diverse curriculum that engages students with nature through activities that utilize the eight multiple intelligences defined by Dr. Gardner. The curriculum will primarily be used in a non-formal environmental education center, but is adaptable to a variety of environments and time constraints, and includes activities designed so that even educators with a limited science background and experience can use them effectively. The goal of the project is to help students create a personal connection to nature and the outdoors, and help them develop into healthy and environmentally-literate individuals who better understand and care about current and future environmental issues.

Project Type

Curriculum

Keywords

Environmental Studies, Multiple Intelligences, Science, Teachers/ Teaching

dc_type

text

dc_publisher

DigitalCommons@Hamline

dc_format

application/pdf

dc_source

School of Education Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Included in

Education Commons

Share

COinS