Environmental Studies Faculty and Staff Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2003
Keywords
undergraduate students, Ozette prairies
Abstract
This paper describes a field project from an introductory soils course taught in spring 2001. Looking at soils in the field is a necessity, since the physical details of soils cannot be readily reproduced in a class or lab setting.Convincing students that crawling into a muddy hole will help them learn does not always work. So I conceived a plan to inspire the class about looking at soil in the field. I used geography as a starting point, by selecting an extraordinary environmental setting for the field project. Then I fully developed a research project for the class, including hypotheses to be tested and provided ample background information. I followed the lead of television and peppered advertisements for the project throughout lectures, overemphasizing several aspects with the aim to entice the students into the field. The combination of preparation and marketing resulted in a hugely successful field experience.
Publication Title
Pacifica, Newsletter of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers
Required Publisher's Statement
Pacifica is a publication of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers (APCG), a regional division of the Association of American Geographers (AAG).
http://apcgweb.org/publications#newsletter
Recommended Citation
Bach, Andrew J., "The Best "Lied" Plans: Engaging Undergraduate Participation in Fieldwork" (2003). Environmental Studies Faculty and Staff Publications. 14.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/envs_facpubs/14
Subjects - Topical (LCSH)
Motivation in education; Environmental sciences--Study and teaching (Higher)--Fieldwork; Soils--Sampling--Study and teaching (Higher)--Fieldwork
Genre/Form
articles
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Comments
Permission to post this article was granted by the publication.