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Princeton Ecology Education Services can help you navigate through an extensive array of curricula - there are literally thousands
- to create an engaging and educationally enriching unit of study in scientific inquiry, ecology, environmental science or
environmental education at your school. We have provided curriculum development for K - 12 institutions, as well as universities.
The following three examples illustrate how we are able to help our clients realize these goals.
PROBE Program in Aquatic EcologyRider University asked us to help design and implement day-long aquatic ecology workshops for high school students
utilizing a nearby 1,250-acre urban wetland, as well as a man-made lake located on the campus of the University. The major
goal of this program is to enhance science literacy by teaching GOOD scientific inquiry skills to high school students and
their teachers. Aquatic ecology is the vehicle for achieving this aim. Now in its 8th year, 2233 students along with 50
teachers from 31 high schools have participated in the program. Working in cooperative groups, students formulate their hypothesis,
then design and execute their research plan. Guided by a Research Workbook that we designed, data is gathered on
biodiversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates, energy production, and pollution. Students collect data by wading along the edge
of the water. After leaving the marsh or campus, students are required to prepare a written report on their data and submit
it to the Rider PROBE Program for evaluation. An awards ceremony is held at Rider University honoring those students who
submitted exemplary science reports.
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Rider University's PROBE Program in Ecology |
ES2
- Excellence in Science & Environmental Stewardship
This program was featured on the
PBS television series NJN Classroom Close-Up
Princeton Ecology Education Services developed the ES2 Program for the Carroll Robbins Elementary
School - Bayard Campus (Trenton, NJ) after helping the school to acquire external funding. The aims of the ES2
Program are to increase each student's environmental literacy and responsibility (stewardship), as well as achievement
in science knowledge and scientific inquiry skills.
The scope of the ES2 Program required that teachers receive not only on-going teacher professional
development but also comprehensive support in addition to those provided directly by us. An internship program was established
whereby 24 minority students from nearby Trenton Central High School were recruited, trained and supervised by us. The interns
assisted teachers with mentoring long-term independent science research projects and in implementing some of the complex science
lessons in their environmental education curricula. In this capacity the interns helped to insure that the children understood
difficult concepts and were properly learning and utilizing the research skills that the lessons were designed to teach. Both
the interns and the students they assisted reported that they benefited from this relationship. The ES2 Program
at Bayard uses two core environmental education curricula for Pre-K through 5th grade students. We trained faculty through
a combination of teacher professional development workshops and actual classroom modeling of activities.
All students in Pre-K through 5th grades are required to conduct long-term independent science research projects. Student
interviews have shown us that successful completion of this project generates a tremendous sense of empowerment for each student,
as well as an increased enjoyment of science.
Princeton University's PMI Summer Research ProgramPrinceton University's Materials Institute asked Princeton Ecology Education Services to help design
and implement a comprehensive summer scientific inquiry research program for high school students. We trained Princeton University
students to serve as mentors in the program. Throughout the summer we guided teams of university and high school students
in planning and conducting relevant science experiments to resolve several real-world problems posed to them. This research
work culminated in a poster session and digital slide presentations attended by University faculty and students, as well as
parents and community dignitaries.
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