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"My own inquiry-driven schema of thought has grown, and it will continue to do so with my students, as well."
-- Jennifer O., Cincinnati, Ohio; elementary art teacher and past participant
At the Zoo: Saturdays are Sept. 13, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, and Dec. 6, 2008 + Project Work
At Home or School: Sept. 1 - Dec. 9, 2008, on the Web
Cost: $175 + Course Texts
Credits: 3 graduate credits from Miami University; $1,300 in-state and $2,950 out-of-state tuition waived

Plants & People

As is evidenced by the schoolyard ecology movement and the popularity of Richard Louv's recent book Last Child In the Woods, educators increasingly realize the power of local environments to engage students in powerful learning experiences that cannot be duplicated in the classroom. Join Cincinnati Zoo and Miami University instructors in an emerging, vital conversation about the role of nature in human development and learning, with a particular focus on plants and their use in education. Explore the power of inquiry to generate knowledge and illuminate the relationships between plants and people. Interact with Zoo Expedition ecologists, botanists, and classmates, while developing great ideas for using natural and cultivated plant communities in educational programs.

Course Themes

Investigations

All Zoo Expedition graduate students will complete a semester-long research project that incorporates key course topics. With the help of faculty and course peers, Zoo Expeditioners create a research question, which can spring from any discipline from art to social studies to science. Depending on a Zoo Expeditioner's needs, a research project can also cover individual classroom goals or, in a broader sense, district goals or state or national standards. In its entirety, the research project follows the same steps that a practicing research scientist would undergo: creating a testable question; conducting research; writing a paper detailing the research question, methods, and results; and creating a poster of research highlights. Projects may be conducted individually or in groups with course colleagues.

Students from Mt. Orab Elementary School -- with their teacher and Zoo Expedition participant Jennifer Fiscus -- conducted the investigation below. The article appeared in the Cincinnati Zoo's Wildlife Explorer magazine. (Please click on the image to download the article.)

Students from Mt. Orab Elementary School -- with their teacher and Zoo Expedition participant Jennifer Fiscus -- conducted the investigation below. The article appeared in the Cincinnati Zoo's Wildlife Explorer magazine. (Please click on the image to download the article.)

(The document above is in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF), and can be viewed using the program "Preview" in Mac OS X or "Adobe Reader," available as a free download here. Adobe Reader is available for both Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.)

Zoo Expedition graduate courses provide educators with a unique choice: Should I pursue a question, conduct research, and 'be the scientist' myself? Or should I challenge my students to 'be the scientists' -- asking a question and seeking the answer together? Either way, the possibility of transformation is remarkable.

"I appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity to try our hand at primary research. Here I am, a science teacher, and I can't tell you the last time that I went through the scientific process myself in an authentic manner. I've come away with a different perspective.:"
-- Joshua F., New Albany, Ohio, eighth-grade teacher

Zoo Expedition students have access to all the research projects created by their classmates. Each research project has the potential to become an investigation to be used in the classroom or at the Zoo. And educators who complete this graduate course come away with countless ideas to use in their classrooms and, even more importantly, an unparalleled experience that has the potential to change the way they see their classrooms, their work, and perhaps their world.

"(Dragonfly's) inquiry process demystifies scientific research. It provides a framework to organize an inquiry, collect data, present data, and draw conclusions."
-- Alice A., Dayton, Ohio, second-grade teacher

Saturdays at the Cincinnati Zoo

Zoo Expedition courses are designed to fit the schedules of working teachers and informal educators. Accepted applicants join instructors and classmates on four fall Saturdays at the Cincinnati Zoo to interact and collaborate on important education and conservation goals. The 2008 Saturday 'Zoo Days' are Sept. 13, Oct. 4, Nov. 1, and Dec. 6, 2008. These all-day, face-to-face experiences provide a unique opportunity for educators to engage with each other and with course instructors, while experiencing the Zoo's wealth of plant and animal life. On these Saturdays, students and instructors create, develop, and gather data on their semester-long research projects that can occur at the Zoo and/or in educators' home institutions. Besides including direct assistance establishing research projects, these Saturdays include lectures, seminars, and discussions on course topics. On the final 'Zoo Day,' educators from all three Zoo Expedition courses present posters of the highlights and conclusions of their research projects.

Dragonfly's Web-Based Learning Community

Throughout the fall semester, all Zoo Expedition graduate students join instructors and course colleagues in Dragonfly's collaborative Web-Based Learning Community. Every week in between Saturday 'Zoo Days,' students logon to the website for a few hours to interact in a seminar-style discussion about their course readings, assignments, and research projects. From home or work on their own schedule, Zoo Expeditioners discuss course assignments, develop and present projects initiated at the Zoo and in their home institutions, and exchange ideas. A typical week might include reading, project work, and interacting on the web -- a commitment of approximately three hours a week. Navigating the web platform is easy -- it's designed for people with no prior computer experience. Dragonfly's Web-Based Learning Community, developed by Miami University's Project Dragonfly, has a proven record of supporting the implementation of course experiences in the classroom. An overview of the web platform can be found at www.DragonflyWorkshops.org

Tuition Waivers and University Credit

To support involvement by a broad range of educators, Miami University is waiving tuition for 2008 Earth Expeditions students who work in the education field and hold bachelor's degrees. Upon successful completion of the Saturday 'Zoo Days' and the web-based components of the Earth Expeditions course, students will receive three graduate credit hours. Approximately $1,300 in-state and $2,800 out-of-state tuition is waived. Courses are taken for a grade and cannot be taken on a credit/no-credit or pass/fail basis.

World Community Conference

In January 2009, participants from all Zoo Expedition courses, and their students where appropriate, are invited to present their projects at Earth Expeditions' World Community Conference at the Cincinnati Zoo. At this event, students from both the Zoo Expedition and Field Expedition courses share their own and learn about each other's investigations through their Earth Expeditions experiences. Hundreds of regional educators attend each year.

Course Costs

Zoo Expedition course costs of $175 cover:

In addition to course costs, accepted applicants will be required to purchase a course reader and, for some classes, an additional course text. Zoo Expedition students are also responsible for personal expenses incurred at the Zoo, such as gifts and snacks.