Can You Hear Me Now? Using the Telephone to Discover People’s Opinions About Wilderness
In 1964, Congress passed a law that established the National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS). This law identified areas of Federal land to be protected as much as possible from human activities. These lands are called wilderness and are allowed to exist without any machines or permanent habitation by humans. In this study, the social scientists wanted to know how U.S. citizens feel about wilderness. They wanted to know if people are aware that wilderness exists. They wanted to know what people value about wilderness.
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For this FACTivity, you will conduct your own survey like the scientists in this article. You will actually ask people some of the same questions that the scientists in this...FACTivity – Can You Hear Me Now?
For this FACTivity, you will conduct your own survey like the scientists in this article. You will actually ask people some of the same questions that the scientists in this...
Glossary
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Ken Cordell
“I like my work and working for the Forest Service very much. My work as a scientist involves studying how people relate to the natural world and what they like...View Profile -
Gary Green
“One favorite science experience was playing with a chemistry set and accidentally blowing up a test tube when I was eight. I learned a lot from that experience!” “Another favorite...View Profile -
Michael Tarrant
My favorite science experience was swimming with dolphins and studying their habitat in the continental shelf at Kaikoura, New Zealand. This photograph shows the mountains of New Zealand, where I...View Profile
Standards addressed in this Article:
Social Studies Standards
- People, Places, and Environments
- Science, Technology, and Society
- Time, Continuity, and Change
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Lessons
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This five-day lesson plan can be used in whole or in part to accompany the Wilderness Benefits edition of Natural Inquirer. Students will brainstorm and then research features of wilderness...Lesson Plan – Wilderness Benefits
This five-day lesson plan can be used in whole or in part to accompany the Wilderness Benefits edition of Natural Inquirer. Students will brainstorm and then research features of wilderness...