Fifth- and sixth-graders will head to the woods, then the classroom, at J.D. Floyd. The environmental theme is one "all kids tend to find fascinating," teachers say.
By LOGAN NEILL
Published August 1, 2004
SPRING HILL - Charles Barrett took a gulp of cold water and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he took a break from his morning's work. Though a lot of teachers come to school during the quiet summer months to ready their classrooms, Barrett's task has taken a bit more muscle.
Although there are no desks to straighten, no chalkboards to clean and no stacks of textbooks to check in, Barrett's classroom at J.D. Floyd Elementary School does have 18 acres crowded with pines, turkey oaks and wire grass. Using saws, pruning shears and a lot of back work, Barrett and some fellow teachers recently spent two days clearing the thick brush around an area he will use this year to conduct his environmental science classes.
"It's going to be nice, something different from being inside a building all day," said Barrett, who will teach classes to 375 students in a new program at Floyd designed to offer both classroom and hands-on learning.
Students in the program for fifth- and sixth-graders will spend about 50 minutes each day with Barrett researching the natural habitat. They will collect plant specimens, measure weather and discuss wildlife in the natural setting. The rest of the day will be devoted to traditional subjects such as math, reading and writing.
Principal Marcia Austin says the program will provide a progressive, well-rounded curriculum that students will enjoy while easing crowds at county elementary and middle schools.
"It's something that we felt was truly needed in our area," Austin said. "It's also great because it will give students who may not feel they're ready to jump into the middle school right away a chance to ease into that atmosphere."
The environmental science program will essentially operate as a school within a school. Students in the program will spend their day within a compound of nine new double-wide portable buildings behind the permanent campus at Floyd. As in middle school, students will change classes several times a day.
Roughly one-third will be sixth-graders, said Floyd administrator Melissa Harts, who is coordinating the program. Though most of the slots will be filled by Floyd students, Harts expects the program to also draw interest from students at nearby schools such as Suncoast Elementary, Deltona Elementary and Spring Hill Elementary.
"We've been impressed by the response so far," Harts said. "I think a lot of parents, especially those with middle school-age children, are looking at alternatives to traditional paths in education. I think what we do here will definitely have an impact on schools in our area in the future."
Martin Ratcliffe, one of 19 teachers assigned to teach in the program, says an environmental science-based curriculum appeals to him and his fellow teachers.
"It gives us a chance to take a team approach to teaching kids," said Ratcliffe, who has taught fifth grade at Floyd for three years. "Every subject - math, language arts and writing - will be tied together to a subject that all kids tend to find fascinating. We're betting it's going to be hugely popular with students as well as parents."
The teachers and school administrators attended workshops this summer with environmental curriculum specialist Mark Weaver to learn how to better incorporate environmental themes into their classroom planning.
Said Weaver: "Environmental science lends itself well to other subject areas because kids can grasp ideas better when they can see it hands-on. For math, they can measure things like rainfall and growth rates in plants and animals. They can come experience the outdoors and write enthusiastically about it. It really holds their interest."
Charles Barrett, who will be in charge of providing hands-on activities that relate to the program's classroom lessons, thinks students will be inspired to learn at a higher level.
"Kids become highly motivated when they think that learning is fun," Barrett said. "Our goal is to seize upon what gets them excited and to use it as at tool to teach with."
