Field Study Fun

A field study plot is an area set aside for making observations over time. By carefully observing and recording a field study plot over a week, month or year, scientists and others can learn about wild animals, their habits and food preferences.

Setting Up a Field Study Plot

Research which plants attract the most wildlife in your area. Whenever possible, use native species which are adapted to local weather conditions and are often attractive to wildlife. You might also select a plant that grows and/or changes quickly to maintain student interest while conducting the field study.

Once you have selected a suitable plant species, find a group of plants of that species in your landscape or plan a space in which to plant them. Rope off a square yard or suitable sized area around the plants (children may be involved in the process) to serve as your study plot. You may have one study plot and work with one small group at a time or similar study plots that small groups can observe at the same time. With older children, you may have plots with different types of plants for a comparison study. If space is an issue, consider using container plants. Spring is a good time to start your field study.

Container Gardens

If it is desired or necessary to plant your own seeds, seedling or plants for your students to conduct a successful field study, there are a variety of container garden options that may suit your needs. Containers that have rims close to the ground will allow more ground dwelling animals to visit your field study plot. Larger containers with more soil generally require less frequent watering and are less susceptible to temperature extremes – but they may be much heavier to carry if you need to bring them indoors.

Follow these basic steps to create a container garden:

• Select a container such as a clay pot or planter box that is large enough for your plants at their expected size at maturity.
• Cover the bottom of the container with small rocks. Cover the rocks with a thick layer of potting soil.
• Plant seeds, seedlings or plants in the soil according to the package or label directions. Check your garden every day and water as needed.
• You many opt to carry your container garden indoors each evening (to protect it from vandals or large herbivores). Doing this may disrupt some natural cycles of the plant and or animals that use it.

Conduct a Simple Field Investigation
Take your students to your designated field study plot. Encourage students to look for animals at the ground level, on stems, under leaves and inside flowers. Help your students record their observations on a Field Study Data Sheet (from Project Learning Tree’s Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood). Students can color the printed pictures that match their observations. They may also draw, paste in photos or dictate descriptions of the animals they see.

Visit your field study plot on a regular basis so your students can observe how the plant and animals stay the same or change over the course of a week, a month, a season or even a year. Use a new Field Study Data Sheet to record observations each time so you can compare findings.

Tips for Successful Student Field Investigations

• Don’t be afraid to share the wonder of discovery along with our students. Watch how an insect moves or notice how a plant’s color appears to change with varying light conditions.

• Plan opportunities to practice investigative skills with your students – practice sitting quietly, using magnifiers, listening for sounds or recording what they see and hear.
• Model investigation and discovery as an ongoing practice - provide opportunities for your students to think and allow time for them to process what they have learned and post more questions to explore.
• Use open-ended question to further investigation – “What do you think lives in this tree?” or “What might have made these holes in the ground?”
• Encourage your students to ask questions and build on their responses.
• Don’t expect to have all the answers. It is not important to name every plant and animal seen outdoors. Use your students’ questions as a guide to your investigation. Look for answers together.