Bridging the Science of Reading and Environmental Studies: Nature Journaling as an Engaging Pedagogical Strategy

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Incorporating the Arts into Environmental Education

Abstract

Nature journaling is a tool for closely observing and documenting natural phenomena in order to more deeply understand it. While this practice is common in environmental education, it also shows promise for scaffolding core competencies of reading and writing. Using evidence from elementary-aged learners engaged in a reading-focused summer program (n = 36) and their teachers (n = 5), we investigate the utility of nature journaling as a pedagogical strategy for building foundational literacy skills, while fostering connection with nature. Analysis of campers’ pre/post journal entries (n = 127) revealed increased complexity, greater variety in expressive modalities, and higher frequencies of word analysis, scientific reasoning, and metacognition in final entries. Implications for using nature journals to contextualize literacy instruction are discussed.

Authors

• Lindi Shepard, Johns Hopkins University

• Alexis Filippini, Words in the Wild