SCIENCE AND EDUCATION AT CONGAREE NATIONAL PARK

Congaree National Park is located just outside of Columbia, South Carolina. The park is comprised of one of the largest remaining spans of old-growth forest in the country. Congaree is home to a number of national and state champion trees, as well as a biologically diverse floodplain ecosystem. The uniqueness of this region allows for a one-of-a-kind educational experience. During my internship at at Congaree National Park, I assisted with the presentation of a weeklong course, titled The Science of Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Conversation. This program is presented to K-12 educators in all subjects in order to promote understanding and appreciation of floodplain forests through investigations of the water cycle, the carbon cycle, and climate change in Congaree National Park. The goal of the workshop was to engage local teachers in the forest and floodplain science, with emphasis on the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the new South Carolina state science standards, as well as extensions to a wide array of ELA, social studies, math, art, and physical education standards and performance expectations. At the end of the workshop, teachers had the tools and experince to develop lessons that tie environmental and science education to all content areas in all grade levels.