Konza Environmental Education Program

Teaching Students Science Through Ecology

Original extent of the North American Prairies. 

“Prairies Across Kansas”

K-12 students often learn little about their own ecosystems, and more often, nothing about prairies and the differences in prairie types of the Great Plains.  Kansas’ prairies are diverse and change from the eastern to the western regions of the state.  In the east the tallgrass prairie has greater diversity, more lush vegetation due to more precipitation and a different geology and topography.  In the west the shortgrass prairie has some of the same species as tallgrass prairies, but also includes other plant and animal species that are adapted to lower rainfall, different plant communities, and soil types.  The mixed grass prairie is a transition between the two. 

The grasslands of North America are among the most endangered ecosystems on this continent.  Development, overgrazing and other poor management techniques endanger the future of all native prairies.  It is important for students to learn the environmental heritage of the Midwestern prairies—what the North American prairies were like before European settlement, what they came to mean for agricultural production, and why they are so valuable to us today.  By sharing knowledge generated through long-term data collection at Konza Prairie, we give teachers tools for connecting children to their prairie ecosystems.

Schoolyard Long-term Ecological Research

KEEP received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to begin SLTER science education in 1999.  This program allows K-12 teachers and students access to LTER sites and/or personnel.  LTER sites across the world encompass unique ecosystems and are outdoor laboratories where scientists study long-term ecological processes. 

SLTER data collection and inventories are real word research experience for students.  SLTER activities allow students to participate in Konza Prairie research by generating data of value to tallgrass prairie studies.  Students enter their data into long-term databases via the Internet.  Data can be manipulated in the classroom to produce graphs and reports for a unique view of long-term data trends.

“Prairies Across Kansas”  will allow teachers and students across the state to collect data at their own native prairie site near their school based on KEEP SLTER activities.  From their classroom the data is entered  into KEEP databases via the Internet.  Data from various sites in different prairie ecosystems will be compared.  The same protocols carried out at each location will allow similarities and differences to become apparent over time.  Teachers are expected to collect data annually with their students as a part of this long-term ecological program.

Teachers’ Workshop

During the workshop, teachers are exposed to each of the ten Konza Prairie SLTER activities in a learning-by-doing atmosphere.  Teachers will choose a project that fits their curriculum and prairie site, and develop pre– and post-field trip units.  The technology component includes instruction in classroom use of spreadsheets, LTER and SLTER databases and graphing.  Current SLTER teachers will share their prairie experiences and classroom activities.  Researchers will be on-hand to discuss basic prairie ecology and interpret data. 

In association with the workshop, KEEP staff will help teachers find an appropriate native prairie site and set-up research plots.   KEEP will provide funds for busses to and from the native prairie site near your school for field trips.  The equipment needed for the projects will also be supplied by KEEP.  

Teachers will be expected to begin collecting data the fall or spring following their participation in the summer workshop.  Because we are about long-term research, it is important each teacher is willing to incorporate the research project into their curriculum and carry out the data collection in future years.  This will be beneficial to upcoming classes, because they will be able to see ecological patterns and long-term trends.     

Click here to learn more about SLTER across the United States.