We've spoken with teachers throughout the country to learn how they use the Young Naturalist Awards with their students. Some teachers make it a semester project and require each student in their class to participate. Others suggest the contest to students in their science clubs or present it as an extra credit project. Having each of your students do an independent project in the natural world might seem daunting. However, the entire project can be divided into smaller tasks that students can complete during the semester.

Tips from Science Educators

1. Introduce the contest to students

During the first week of the semester, describe the contest to students. Distribute the Young Naturalist Awards flyer. Have students read the essays of past winners. Discuss the essays and have students identify what it is about each essay that makes it a winner. Have students identify the steps each winner took in conducting his or her expedition.

Note: Some students are discouraged when they read essays about exotic places. If this occurs, explain to them that these are places not any more or any less interesting than their own backyard.

2. Choose a topic to investigate

Read the section of the guidelines called "Selecting a Project" with students. Call on them to brainstorm topics that might be suitable for the contest. When students are done, review each topic and have them think of a question about the topic that they might want the answer to. Have each student choose a topic to investigate. This might not be the final topic they decide upon, but it will help to guide them in choosing the right question to investigate. Encourage students to look beyond the typical project (i.e., why leaves turn color in the fall, why mushrooms grow in my backyard) unless it is one that really interests and motivates them and one to which they can add their own personal voice.

Note: The Young Naturalist Awards looks for research conducted in the natural world, not home experiments that simulate conditions in the natural world.

3. Research

Have students do some preliminary research on their topic in the school or local library and at computer stations. Remind them that they should consult a variety of sources (not just Web-based ones). They should utilize Web sites, scientific books, and journals and if possible talk to an expert in the field. The research provides the necessary background information that students need. It also will help them refine the question they want answered and will help to focus their investigations. Remind students to keep records of the books, journals, and Web sites they read. They will need them for their bibliography.

4. Keeping a Nature Journal

Journaling is a good way for students to begin to connect to the natural world, to learn its patterns and to keep accurate data important to their research project. Discuss the purpose of a nature journal with students. Show them sample journal pages and have them identify the different kinds of information found in them and how that information might be useful.
Conduct several journaling expeditions to a local park or the school's backyard. This should be an opportunity for students to observe, write down their observations, and perhaps sketch what they see.
Back in the classroom allow students time to share what they learned about journaling.

Note: A good journaling resource is Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You by Clare Walker Leslie, Charles E. Roth

5. Sketching and Photography

Point out to students that the purpose of a sketch or photograph is to provide the reader with a visual that will help him or her understand the topic and point of view more fully. Through sketching an object or animal, students become more aware of details that they would otherwise miss if they were simply observing. You might consider partnering with your school's art teacher for a lesson on sketching natural objects. Or you might conduct an activity in class. Bring in small items: rocks, leaves, twigs, seed pods, etc. (one per student) Call on students to sketch the object in detail. Then, have several volunteers display their illustrations. Discuss with the class whether sketching the object made them more aware of its details and whether they learned anything new about their objects. Refer students to the artwork pictured in the essays of the Young Naturalist winners.

Note: Sketching an animal in motion can be a frustrating experience, even for the most experienced illustrator. Suggest that, when sketching animals, students wait (patiently) until the animal is in a sedentary position (sitting, nesting, sleeping).

If possible, have a photographer visit your class to give tips on how to take meaningful photographs. If that is not possible, go over some points with the students yourself. Here are a few pointers:

• The quality of the photos are more important than the quantity.
• The photograph should be in focus.
• The subject should be large enough to see it clearly. (A tiny speck in the sky circled on a photo does not give the reader an inkling of what the bird looks like.) If your subject is far away, try to take a picture through a telephoto lens.
• The photos should relate to specific passages in your essay. (If you are writing about a beaver dam, then a clear, focused photo of a beaver dam should be used.)

6. Finalizing the topic and the question to investigate

By the third or fourth week, students should be ready with a topic and a question(s) to investigate. For homework, have students write down three potential topics. Working in small groups (try to have the same students in each group for the entire semester), have students present their topics and discuss them. Things they should consider are:

• Is this question one that can be answered by my research?
• Is this question too broad? (Am I trying to do too much in a short paper?)
• Is this question too narrow?
• Will I have enough time to gather the necessary data?
• Are the site conditions conducive to conducting research? (Is the site easy to get to? Is it the right time of year to conduct this particular study?)

Teachers should review and approve each topic chosen.

7. Planning the Expedition

Copy and distribute "Planning Your Expedition," to each student. Review these guidelines in class. Discuss what a hypothesis is and have each student formulate a hypothesis for the question/topic they are researching. Have each student make a plan as to how he or she will conduct research, gather data, and what tools will be used. Suggest that students interview an expert in the field to get the answers to some of their questions and to help guide their investigation.

Working in small groups, students should present their plans. Group members might make suggestions as to how the investigation might be improved.

8. Analyze Data and Draw Conclusions

After students have concluded their field work, they are ready to analyze their data and draw conclusions. Refer students to this section in the contest guidelines.

9. Present Findings

Review "Presenting Your Findings" in the Selecting a Project section. Discuss with the class ways they might structure their essays. Remind students that their work needs to have a strong personal voice - a description of their expeditions told by them in their own words. Review "How to Avoid Plagiarism" on the YNA Web site. (Students need to be reminded that plagiarism is a very serious offense.) Have students write a first draft.

10. Review of First Draft

The teacher should review each essay and make comments on the essay¹s strong and weak points as well as ways the essay might be improved. The student should use these comments to revise the essay.

11. Review of Second Draft

The second draft should have the artwork in place, as well as the bibliography (written according to the style on the YNA Web site). Have students work in groups. Have each student present his or her essay to the group. The group should suggest ways to revise them.

12. Final Draft

The teacher reviews the final draft and grades it. (This grade is NOT sent along with the entry form.) Students and their parents read over the entry form, fill it out, sign it, and send it to the Young Naturalist Awards.

Sample Schedule

Date:	Activity:
Jan. 3	Introduce Contest. Send letter home to parents.
Jan. 8	Begin researching topics. Visit computer lab for ideas.
Jan. 12	Signed signature sheet due back from students parents. Begin research for background information.
Jan. 20	Introduction to keeping a nature journal. Introduction to sketching and photography.
Jan. 22	Final topic and question due.
Feb. 1	Hypothesis and procedure due.
Feb. 1 - Feb. 28	Field expeditions.
Feb. 8	One high-quality illustration or photograph is due.
Feb. 15	Field Journal check.
Feb. 23	Bibliography due and copies of at least two of the references cited.
Mar. 8	First draft due to be reviewed by teacher and revised.
Mar. 15	Revised draft reviewed by group.
Mar. 25	Final draft and signed entry form due. The final draft is graded by teacher.

Requirements (Sample)

Specific information regarding assignments listed on the schedule.
Essay Requirements:

• Word length: 500-2,000 words (grade 7)
• At least four references cited in your bibliography, two of which may be Internet Web sites.
• At least three original visuals. These may include student illustrations, photographs, student-drawn maps, student-generated graphs or charts. All must be the original work of the student. No illustrations or photographs from the Internet or from any other source are permissible.

Scheduling Requirements:

Jan. 12	Signed signature sheet due back from parents and students. Both student and parents must read and sign the sheet. Three potential topic ideas must be listed.
Jan. 22	Final topic selection. A paragraph of not less than 5 sentences describing the topic must be handed in to the teacher.
Feb. 1	Hypothesis and procedure due. The student should hand in a typed or very neatly written question or problem he or she would like to answer or solve, a hypothesis, and a description of what he or she plans to do to answer the question.
Feb. 8	One high-quality visual due. These may include student illustrations, photographs, student-drawn maps, student-generated graphs or charts. All must be the original work of the student. No illustrations or photographs from the Internet are permissible.
Feb. 15	Field Journal Check. The student should hand in the field journal for the teacher to check. The journal should include the observations and data collected so far.
Feb. 23	Bibliography due. The student should hand in a typed reference page and copies of two cited references. The format must follow the style presented on the YNA Web site. The reference sheet will be returned to you.
Mar. 8	First Draft due: Students will hand in a neatly written or typed manuscript with word count. It must include at least two visuals.
Mar. 25	Final Draft and signed entry form due. The final draft must meet the requirements above. You must hand in two copies of the draft: one for grading and one for submission to the YNA contest. The entry form should be attached to one copy.

Sample Signature Sheet

Parent/Student Signature Sheet Due Friday, January 12, 2007 Young Naturalist Awards
We (parent and child) have read and discussed this project, its requirements, and due dates together. We have talked about potential topics. We understand that the investigation should be conducted in the natural world. We understand that some very interesting scientific observations can be made in locations near our home or even in our own back yard.
Student Name (print)		Student Signature
Parent Name (print)		Parent Signature
Date:
Potential topics (at least three must be listed)

Rough Draft Check List

Focus of Investigation
	Is my topic original and interesting?
	Is my question clearly defined?
	Did I narrow my focus so that my topic is not too broad?
	What is my hypothesis?
Procedure
	Is my data gathered and recorded using a clearly described methodology?
	Did I clearly identify where, what, when, how, and why I conducted my investigation?
Analysis and Interpretation
	Was good data collected?
	Did I interpret the data correctly?
	Did I use information from outside resources to help formulate my ideas and interpret my data?
	Did my observations support and relate to my question and hypothesis?
	Did I present ways I might change my procedure or include questions for further study?
Personal Voice
	Have I written an interesting and engaging essay?
	Does the essay describe my observations or the expedition I took?
Clarity and Style
	Is my writing clear?
	Is there a logical progression of ideas?
	Do I use proper punctuation? Are words spelled correctly?
	Are sentence structure and word choice appropriate?