Coweeta LTER scientists and staff provide middle school, high school, and
community college students "hands on" field and laboratory research
experience. This "Schoolyard" initiative has been funded since the 1998-1999
school year by an annual supplemental grant from the National Science
Foundation to the core Coweeta LTER grant. This initiative is to formally
provide instruction, field research, and data summary and analysis
experiences to K-16 students and instructors using Coweeta LTER research
projects as an example. The overall goal of the Schoolyard LTER initiative
is to impress the importance of long-term research and environmental
awareness into the curriculum of K-16 science instructors. The variety of
ecosystems included in the LTER network, coupled with the ongoing research,
leads to a great potential in serving as a learning environment for students
of all levels. It can also serve as a setting for teachers to learn about
current science knowledge and methodology to include in their teachings. The
LTER Network utilizes sites in multiple biomes to study five
core areas of research:
primary production, population studies, movement of organic matter, movement
of inorganic matter, and disturbance patterns. This focus encompasses many
historic and current issues in ecological studies.
The program coordinated by researchers at Coweeta Hydrologic Lab includes
students from the Macon Middle School in Franklin, NC, high school students
from Rabun Gap Nacoochee School (a local private school), and college
students from Southwestern Community College.
Locally, the
Coweeta Schoolyard program has reached fifteen teachers and
nearly 400 students. Nationwide, over 200 teachers and over 6,000 students
have participated in the Schoolyard program.