Using Technology to Help Kids Understand the Importance of Conserving Wildlife

Rebecca Clute, Lisa Lang,  Gretchen Oldenburg, Madiha Syeda

CI515.50-50377-Summer 2016

Dr. Martin Horejsi

7/8/2016

iTunes app "Animal Field Guide to the Flathead Reservation: Riparian Species."        

"Animal Field Guide to the Flathead Reservation: Riparian Species." is a free app for teachers on iPhone and iPad and is also available for Android devices.

Introduction to the App and its importance for Pre K children:

At the current rate of extinction, a child born today will not see the half million species that have already disappeared from the world. Statistics like those found on Think Quest^[1] are simply chilling. Since 1996, it has been calculated that almost 3,000 animals become extinct every year and some 11,000 are on the endangered list. Fostering an awareness of conservation and the environment can best be cultivated among kids when they are very young, and playtime can be utilized as an ideal opportunity for teaching. The  app called "Animal Field Guide to the Flathead Reservation: Riparian Species" can be used to cultivate this awareness among small kids at the Pre K level. We don’t have to be biologists to encourage a love of wildlife in our students. A simple app can work for helping bring knowledge and awareness among the students we teach. 

Contents:

The Apple iTunes website describes the app as follows:

This app focuses on riparian animals commonly found along streams of the Flathead

Indian Reservation in western Montana. These animals include fish, reptiles, amphibians,

mammals and birds. For each species, the app includes photos showing identifying

characteristics, a description of the animal, the species' conservation status and sensitivity

to climate change, and a range map. For each of the mammals, a track guide is included,

and where appropriate, audio recordings of sounds the animal makes.

The app also contains songs and calls for each of the bird species. It allows students to report their sightings of the Tribes’ Natural Resource Department to be posted on a special student page on the Tribe's website. Maps of 4,456 acres of Tribal fish and wildlife mitigation lands found within the Lower Flathead River corridor are also included in the app. These maps are accompanied by a description that includes an audio file of the Salish place name (in Salish with the English translation).

In this way, it can be very attractive for small kids in not only exploring the world of animals but also experiencing them living in their natural abode. Tribal cultural values related to the land and animals are integrated into the app through the audio buttons which play the Salish and Kootenai names for each animal.  This will introduce students to the tribal languages, giving them an appreciation for another culture, and will reinforce the first language of Native Salish and Kootenai kids while allowing them to demonstrate awareness and appreciation for their own cultural background and heritage.

Activities for student involvement:

Before engaging kids in the exploration of the local animals and habitat, the teacher can take kids on a virtual tour around the area through “google earth” focusing on lakes and rivers. This will enhance their understanding of the geographical diversity in the state of Montana.  Teachers can then use the app’s nature activities with their students, for a variety of activities, including: counting species, identifying tracks, adopting a mitigation area, learning Salish and Kootenai animal names, writing a journal, and having fun.

Conclusion:

The iTunes app, "Animal Field Guide to the Flathead Reservation: Riparian Species," is the perfect technology resource for teaching. Not only does it incorporate standards from Indian Education For All and the Montana Early Learning Standards, but it gives students the ability to explore their local environment from the comfort of their classroom or they can use it in the field to identify and learn more about their natural encounters. These virtual field trips will spark interest and excitement in students that can be transferred to their home life and encourage family involvement.