The pedagogical underpinnings of this unit are based on the inquiry process and Place Based Learning (PBL) or Place Based Education (PBE). The inquiry process and PBL exemplify what most of us experience when we are out in the world on a daily basis, albeit in a more formalized structure. Although they are referenced as distinct strategies and practices, there is significant overlap between the two, with the skills embedded in the inquiry process deepening the experience of exploring a place and vice versa.
Guided Inquiry
Through the process of guided inquiry students will explore specific locations and case studies answering the questions;
What has changed?
What might be the reasons for the changes we see?
What have been the impacts of those changes?
Although these general questions are provided, and give us a place to start for each lesson, students will regularly practice asking and refining questions of their own, and answering them whenever possible. As stated in Guided Inquiry : Learning in the 21st Century,
“inquiry learning emphasizes personally relevant questions that inspire students to learn more and create unique ways of sharing what they have learned. Guided Inquiry raises the bar even further to move students to deeper learning by incorporating the research process explicitly into their work.”9
Part of the research students will engage with is the documentation of their experiences on our field trips. Photographs, sketches, notes, sound recordings and videos generated in our time in the field will be used to supplement the materials provided in the classroom.
Place Based Learning/Education
Although we are focusing narrowly on New Haven and the Mill River, we also need to recognize that what we see in the places we study are part of a much larger pattern. Immersing students in the experience of a place encourages them to connect to that place, and by extension recognize similar aspects in other spaces. The transfer of these ideas is powerful. Teton Science Schools identify the following benefits of PBL, which I find applicable to this unit. They are;
“Local to Global Context: Local learning serves as a model for understanding global challenges, opportunities and connections.
Learner-Centered: Learning is personally relevant to students and enables student agency.
Inquiry-Based: Learning is grounded in observing, asking relevant questions, making predictions, and collecting data to understand the economic, ecological, and socio-political world.
Design Thinking: Design thinking provides a systematic approach for students to make meaningful impact in communities through the curriculum.”10
Each lesson will focus on gathering background information for context and using that specific information to generate and refine a series of supporting questions to connect to our class inquiry. Questions generation will also take place during field visits and will be especially useful when paired with specific lenses through which to consider the site. These lenses will include; ecological, socioeconomic, energy, transportation, and recreation.
The final piece in this unit asks students to engage with a real problem in their community, learn about it through research and experience, and propose action steps or plans to address the issue. In this case student will be provided with their essential question, “What should be done with the Mill River District?” This is essentially the application of the inquiry process through the lens of place-based learning in conjunction with encouraging student voice and agency.
