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Abstract
Taking Action Opportunities (TAO) is a curriculum that combines guided reflection, a focus on the local environment, and innovative use of wildlife technology to empower student action toward improving the environment. TAO is experientially based and uses remote cameras as a tool for schoolyard exploration. Through TAO, students engage in research design, implementation, and analysis, and increase participation in environmentally responsible behavior. TAO was tested with fifth-grade students (age 10-11 years) through a pre- and posttest design. Treatment groups (n = 93; 4 classes, 2 years) were compared with control (n = 89; 4 classes, 2 years) and baseline data (n = 458) to measure knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Students in the treatment groups demonstrated significant (p < .01) gain in all categories. These students left fifth grade with experience, skill, and confidence in improving their environment.
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Author Biographies
Dawn Tanner, PhD, recently graduated from the Conservation Biology Program at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
Julie Ernst, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation at the University of Minnesota–Duluth, USA.
