Journal Entry - American Social Studies and the Natural World

While in the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming for five days I thought about how the American landscape is one of the most amazing things about this country. From the Appalachian Mountains and vast deciduous forests of the East Coast, to the Great Plains, to the Rocky Mountains, to the sandstone formations and deserts of the Southwest, to the Great Lakes, to the oft rained upon Northwest with its huge trees (redwoods, cedars, etc.), to the tundra and enormous peaks of Alaska, to the tropical and semitropical climates of Florida and Hawaii, the USA has an impressive diversity of landscapes and habitats.

As a future social studies teacher, I feel that is it important to expose students to the natural diversity of this country. This begins with hands on exposure to the environments that are easily accessible to us. In Idaho, these environments include the Rocky Mountains, the Snake River Plane, and others. As a teacher I hope to organize meaningful field trips to these environments. I feel that this could be a great multidisciplinary endeavor involving science and social studies.

As a social studies component we can look at the uses of the different environments for economic and cultural purposes. We can look at how land-use has changed over time. We can compare how Native Americans lived on the land both before and after Columbian influence (or conquest) to how European Americans have lived and do now. We can look at how the environment affects the lifestyle and culture of the people living there, both now and in the past. We can look at water rights, land rights and other matters of special significance to Idaho. We can also look at the movement of peoples and how they interact with each other.

As a Science component we can look at the fora and fauna of Idaho as well as the geology. We can study rainfall and its effect on the biological makeup of environments of Idaho. We can look at humans' changing of the environment and how this change has impacted the environment as a whole.

To make this project effective it will be important to do both preloading activities and follow-up projects. Before the field trip(s) my students will know the specific expectations and assignments. I will set my student up so that the field trip is meaningful and productive. After the trip they will complete assignments that make the experience meaningful.