National Youth-At-Risk Journal Volume 3 Article 6 Issue 1 Fall 2018

“ and Kindness”: Nature as a Means to Support Academic Skill Development of Elementary Students at Risk Wendy L. Chambers Georgia Southern University

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Recommended Citation Chambers, W. L. (2018). “Colors and Kindness”: Nature Photography as a Means to Support Academic Skill Development of Elementary Students at Risk. National Youth-At-Risk Journal, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.20429/nyarj.2018.030106

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Abstract This article describes a service project involving a 3–year partnership between a university professor (the author) and P–12 faculty at a local rural Title I elementary school. Major aims of the project were to provide an opportunity for students to explore and learn about their natural surroundings through the use of nature photography activities and to connect these experiences to classroom activities with the goal of supporting academic skill development. The author visited the school twice per week to take children around the school grounds to nature for about 20 minutes per session. Outcomes included the following: (a) students demonstrated increased interest in and curiosity about the subjects of their over time; and (b) the nature photography project provided a beneficial context for supporting students’ learning in art and technology and for practicing their writing skills. Sample student photographs and writing excerpts are presented here.

Keywords nature photography, outdoor learning,

This art corner is available in National Youth-At-Risk Journal: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar/vol3/iss1/6 Chambers: Using Nature Photography Activities to Support Academic Skills

“Colors and Kindness”: Nature Photography as a Means to Support Academic Skill Development of Elementary Students at Risk Wendy L. Chambers Georgia Southern University

“How high your awareness level is determines how much meaning you get from your world. Photography can teach you to improve your awareness level.” (, 1902–1984, iconic American )

“The is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” (Dorothea Lange, 1895–1965, American photojournalist)

“I learned that taking pictures helps me see and understand more clearly and I learned to pay more attention to nature and its features.” (Tameka1, age 9, in a written response to an open-ended general question about what she learned from the photography project)

See Appendix for nature images taken by students involved in this project.

ith increasing advancement of between classroom learning and getting children Wtechnologies and other cultural changes into the outdoors. One of the unique aspects that have led to a decrease in the amount of of nature photography is that in addition to time children spend outside exploring their creating a sense of accomplishment through natural surroundings, many American children the making of images, the camera can be used of this generation appear to be disengaged as tool to help support the larger objective from nature—physically, cognitively, and of providing an opportunity for children to emotionally. This lack of to and learn about and develop an appreciation for immersion in the natural environment has been their natural surroundings. Carlone et al. (2015) argued to contribute to a host of detrimental discussed the use of “boundary objects” that issues for children (see Louv, 2008, for a connect children to nature, allowing them to thorough review of research investigating the explore their surroundings with a sense of connection between experience in nature protection from danger of the unknown. In and cognitive and emotional development in the current project, digital served as children). Teachers and researchers working boundary objects for the students; specifically, in the field of environmental education are the cameras provided a “protective space” naturally aware of the importance of connecting within which the children could examine outdoor experiences with learning; however, unfamiliar animals and plant life while learning this connection does not come as easily in many to feel more at ease as they ventured into public school contexts, where teachers are nature (L. Huffling, personal communication, pressured to focus on meeting standards using October 15, 2015). The current service project traditional instructional methods. involved a collaboration between a university Nature photography activities have great professor (the author) and teachers at a local potential for supporting this connection Title I elementary school with the overall aim

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of providing a supportive context for learning Thus, the only “data” that were collected were activities within the “standard” curriculum writing samples from students involved with while allowing for meaningful experiences in the project (during Year 3); these materials were nature for students using photography-related de-identified and transcribed by a graduate activities. Thus, digital cameras also served as assistant before being viewed and examined boundary objects on another level by providing by the author. In addition, relevant student a common means through which different goals comments and dispositions were documented could be met (see Clark et al., 2015; Star & by the author following each photography Griesemer, 1989). session (although no individual student names were included in any documentation). The METHOD sample images presented in the Appendix of Background this article were selected from the cameras that The school chosen for this project was a rural students used, but no individual students were Title I elementary school in southeast Georgia identified with specific cameras. Permission was that serves a predominantly low income, obtained through the university Institutional minority population. The specific racial and Review Board, the county Board of Education, ethnic group demographics were as follows: and the school principal for collection of these 54% African American, 23% White, 16% Latino/a data. (with 14% ELL students), 4% two or more races, and 2% Asian. Ninety percent of the students Procedure were eligible for free or reduced lunch. Although The author wrote a university service grant the school serves a very rural population, many for the purchase of 15 high quality point and of the students do not spend much time in shoot digital cameras. After grant was awarded, the outdoors when they are at home as their she visited the school two times per week to community neighborhoods are not considered take groups of students in grades 3–5 around safe by their parents and caretakers. the school grounds to photograph nature. The The author chose not to pursue a specific school grounds included roughly 10 acres of open research agenda or question but rather focused green space, dotted with trees and bordering a on simply providing a community support wooded area. The classroom teachers decided service to the school in her role as university which children would be allowed to go out collaborator by supplying equipment (cameras for nature photography activities, how much and supplies for printing and matting images) time could be devoted to being outside each and volunteering her time to lead the nature week, and in what ways the nature photography photography activities with the students. activities would be connected with classroom One important focus of this project, from the learning. Although all students were taught standpoint of the author, was to empower the some basics on how to use the cameras during classroom teachers with the opportunity to the first session and informally offered tips on develop activities that they felt best suited how to take effective images throughout the their students’ learning needs while taking into program, it should be noted that the focus of consideration their specific time and resource this project was not on photography techniques constraints. In addition, the Board of Education but rather on discovering nature. for the county in which this school is located During Years 1 and 2, these excursions prohibits educational research of any kind in took place in the context of art and technology public schools, unless the activities are “part classes; the author (along with the art and of the normal school and curriculum process.” technology teachers) took whole classes of

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fourth- and fifth-grade students outside for further engage these academically motivated 15–20 minute nature photography sessions. The students. The author’s role during this year children were encouraged to wander around the remained limited to serving as the nature school grounds, looking for birds and animals as photography instructor for the students; the well as interesting leaves, rocks, and flowers. classroom teacher who was responsible for the They were encouraged to remain relatively quiet students during “extra” time (and who was the and use the zoom lenses on their cameras to media specialist) created the questions that photograph any animals they encountered so as students would reflect upon and respond to not to disturb them. Students took photos and in their field journals. Most of the questions learned how to use digital photo-processing and were deliberately open-ended in nature; for software in technology class, and, example, on several occasions students were in Year 1, the fifth-grade students subsequently simply asked to write about the day’s nature matted their images (which were printed for photography outing. the students by the author) in art class for exhibition at a local gallery. Although the author RESULTS continued her work with students throughout Over the course of the 3-year project, several Year 2, the school was experiencing a change notable outcomes were observed by the of administration and the invitations to visit classroom teachers and the author. and work with students were less frequent and Students were enthusiastic about the inconsistent. photography activities from the beginning; In Year 3, the collaborating teachers decided gradually, however, they became more curious to connect the nature photography project to about the things they were photographing, a focus on writing. The author worked with a often lowering their cameras and simply small group of eight third-grade students; these observing and asking questions. In this way, students went outside to take photos twice a the cameras served as “boundary objects” (e.g., week for 20 minutes and then wrote responses Carlone et al., 2015) that created a space for to open-ended questions pertaining to nature connecting students to the things in nature that in (ungraded) “field journals” to reflect on their they were observing. Although the main goal experiences while practicing their writing skills. for students was always to “get the photo” of The students who were allowed to participate in an object or animal, they lingered and asked this project were identified by their homeroom questions after they captured the image. For teachers as high-achieving “good students” example, at around the midpoint of the program based on monthly test scores and classroom during Year 3, one student was observed lying behavior. Five of the eight spaces in the group on the ground with her camera, saying quietly were retained by the same students throughout “Say cheese, little bug” as she photographed a the school year with the other three spaces beetle. Afterwards, she laid her camera on the being filled by various students throughout the ground and just watched it. Another child noted school year. The photography project began in in the final writing sample of her field journal, early fall of the academic year and extended “I enjoyed taking pictures with the camera to midway through the spring semester. It is of ‘cause you can zoom in and you can look at interest to note that this project was considered it closely.”2 Additionally, on several occasions by the homeroom teachers as an “extra” (as while the group was outside, children asked if in extracurricular activity) that was offered they could be allowed to research the object to students as a reward for their classroom or animal in their images once they returned performance as well as an opportunity to to the classroom.

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In Year 3, students’ comments and written with two of these students earning district reflections generally demonstrated an increasing honors with their essays. appreciation for their natural surroundings as In a related theme, several of the students well as improvements in level of descriptive appeared to have an increased sense of self- detail. About midway through the semester, one efficacy with respect to spending time in nature student exclaimed as the group walked outside, (as noted in the journal entry above). For “Nature is always changing! It’s different every example, prior to the first session for one group, time we come out here!” As another example, when the author was explaining the procedures the following journal excerpts were written and rules for taking photos outside (including by a student during Weeks 1 and 6 of the paying attention to where they were standing, photography program: always respecting animals, and so on), one child exclaimed, “I think I’m sort of afraid.” Often, We went to Miss Renaldo and we went during the first or second photography session, outside and tried to get out of the gate several of the students would scream when they and it was locked so we went back inside found a bee, a worm, or an anthill. As sessions and got out that way and we went across progressed, however, children were observed the street and took pictures of nature and at the end I kind of took some . And to make comments that indicated an increased went back in. The end. (Latasha, Week 1 sense of confidence. For example, while walking response when asked to write about her back to the classroom, one student said, “I love nature photography experience) taking pictures with you, Miss Wendy. At home I’m not allowed to go outside.” The following I love nature because it is so beautiful and excerpts from student field journals and notes quiet and peaceful. The reason that I love support this observation: nature is because it is so wonderful. The trees were beautiful and the butterflies What I think about nature is that it is were awesome but the swarm of bees! At beautiful because it is peaceful and quiet first I was scared that they would sting me and you can just look around and see a great so I did not move and they did not sting view of anything, of colors and kindness. me, they went right around me. I liked the The kindness is that nature does not hurt mockingbird it was so cute. I loved flowers you it is just a world of beautiful flowers the grasshoppers and the eagle [hawk]. I and trees and leaves and mockingbirds. I love nature thank you for teaching me about hope you enjoyed my adventure. (Alyssa, nature. (Latasha, Week 6 response to the midpoint writing sample) same writing prompt as Week 1) I love taking pictures so I can see different Incidentally, the apparent increased interest things in nature like spiders, flowers and in nature and the environment did not dissipate bugs. I am so proud of myself. (Nita, final as soon as the program was over. One of the writing sample) collaborating classroom teachers reported that later in the spring of that same year, the third- My mom says I should be a photographic guy because I take good photos. I do wish grade students were required to submit short to be one day but thank you so much for essays for possible entry in a statewide public that now we should give you something! school writing competition. Students were (Jarrod, final note to author) allowed to choose any topic to write about, and nearly all of the students in the nature On one specific outing, while this group photography group chose to write about nature, was walking with the author close to the

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wooded edge of the school grounds, they Although the author was able to acquire all heard the distinct, very loud warning high quality digital cameras for this project, sound of a rattlesnake coming from the tall classroom teachers could use iPods or other weeds several yards away, which reflexively transportable devices if they are available at the stopped them in their tracks. Although some school, and students can work as partners or of the children appeared to be frightened even in small groups, sharing the equipment to at first, most of them later exclaimed that create a group art and research project centered it was the most amazing experience for on a theme. An added bonus of using nature them. One of the students, referring to the photography activities is that every child can experience, wrote in her final excerpt, “I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in the learned lots of stuff about nature. For one photos he or she creates as it is not difficult for I learned that you should shuffle your feet children to take very good photos with a bit of when you walk in the woods.” direction and focus (as exhibited by photos in Over the course of the 3-year project, this article). On a related note, effective nature the nature photography activities provided photography requires the photographer to slow a supportive context within which students down and hold the camera steady while viewing were able to learn artistic appreciation and the subject in different light conditions; thus, technology skills as well as practice their close attention to the subject of the photo is writing. Students maintained very positive necessary and provides a unique opportunity for dispositions toward all of these classroom purposeful examination of plants and creatures activities; in fact, many of the students in in nature as well as phenomena like clouds, Year 3 expressed disappointment when wind, and morning dew. Also, as one group it was time to stop writing in their field of students in Year 1 nearly yelled in unison in journals. In addition, as noted earlier, several response to the question of what they learned students requested time to research the about photography after the very first outing, animals and plants they were seeing outside “You need to be really quiet to take photos of once back inside the classroom. !” On this day, a very patient red-tailed hawk sat on the flagpole of the school and CONCLUSIONS allowed 25 students (sharing cameras) to “sneak It is argued that even short, simple activities up” on it with their zoom lenses fully engaged as involving nature photography can help support it posed for them. Thus, these types of activities the development of a variety of academic skills provide a supportive context for enabling true while providing meaningful learning experiences appreciation of and respect for the animals, in the outdoors for children. These types of plants, and one encounters. activities can be relatively easy to create and The current project is not without limitations. manage even with whole classes of children One of these is that, in an effort to ensure that (see, for example, Ewald, 2001, for ideas on the classroom teachers maintained complete how to connect photography experiences with control over the activities and the ways by which literacy instruction). Online resources are also they would connect with student learning in the readily available; some resources include ideas classroom, the organization and implementation for outdoor learning activities that could be of the project was admittedly less than perfect. modified to include nature photography while For example, in Years 1 and 2, the fourth- and others provide ideas for effective “prompts” for fifth-grade homeroom teachers agreed that any journal reflections and writing about nature- nature-photography related learning activities related topics.

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would take place “separately” from homeroom REFERENCES time within the art and technology classes. Carlone, H. B., Huffling, L. D., Tomasek, T., Although they were pleased to see what their Hegedus, T. A., Matthews, C. E., Allen, M. students were learning with this project, they H., & Ash, M. C. (2015). ‘Unthinkable’ selves: were not able to find time to extend the nature Identity boundary work in a summer field photography-related activities into their own ecology enrichment program for diverse classrooms as a hands-on means of learning youth. International Journal of Science about environmental science. In Year 3, the Education, 37(10), 1524–1546. nature photography and writing project was Clark, J. K, Kaiser, M. L., Hicks, R., Hoy, C., Rogers, C., limited to serving the eight highest-achieving & Spees, C. K. (2015). Community-university third-graders in the school as an “extracurricular” engagement via a boundary object: The case activity. Although the significance and impact of food mapping in Columbus, Ohio. Journal of this project on these children should not of Public Scholarship in Higher Education, be overlooked, all elementary level students 5, 126–142. can benefit from spending time in nature. Ewald, W. (2001). I wanna take me a picture: Moreover, Carlone et al. (2015) pointed out that Teaching photography and writing to youth from socioeconomically disadvantaged children. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. homes and communities will likely grow up Louv, R. (2008). Last child in the woods: Saving to become stewards of these communities, our children from nature-deficit disorder. largely responsible for protecting the natural Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books. habitats surrounding them. Thus, they argued, Star, S. L., & Griesemer, J. (1989). Institutional “Providing all youth opportunities to spend ecology, ‘translations,’ and boundary time outdoors, learn about and connect with objects: Amateurs and professionals on native flora and fauna, is a social justice issue” Berkeley’s museum of vertebrate zoology. (p. 1526). Social Studies of Science, 19, 387–420. Future projects involving nature photography activities can build upon the present one with NOTES 1 improvements, particularly during the planning Names of all students and participating stages. For example, if classroom teachers can be classroom teachers have been changed to more explicitly made aware of the potential for protect their privacy. 2 great benefits in terms of student achievement All student writing samples have been corrected through these activities and are provided with for spelling errors. enough time in advance of the academic school year to deliberately and systematically build such ************************************** Wendy Chambers is a professor in the activities into their lesson plans, then projects Department of Curriculum, Foundations and have a greater chance of being implemented Reading. She earned her Ph.D. in Developmental successfully with a sustained commitment from Psychology from the University of Florida in all stakeholders. When these conditions are 1993. Her primary research interests are in met, long-lasting positive impacts on young cognitive development in early childhood. She has published research articles in top tier peer- learners are attainable. reviewed journals, and, in 2013, she published a short undergraduate textbook titled Cognitive “Nature is exactly what I imagined!” and Language Development: The Child’s Journey. (Tamyra, age 10) **************************************

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Appendix

Student Photographs

Feather as Art

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Students engaged in nature photography activities

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Sample photograph taken in Year 1 by a student who utilized photo processing software techniques

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Dandelion Art

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Spider Web on an Autumn Morning

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Busy Bee

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Redbud Tree in Bloom

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Tree in the Mist

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Busy Bee 2.0

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Patterns in a Leaf

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Spring Wildflower

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