I taught two seasons of Mountain School, North Cascades Institute’s flagship K-12 outdoor education program, while completing a residency at NCI’s Environmental Learning Center in North Cascades National Park. As a Mountain School instructor I used experiential, inquiry-based learning techniques to teach elementary, middle school, and high school students about concepts in ecology, biology, geology, and Northwest history.
Dates: September 2016 – May 2017
Location: North Cascades National Park, WA
Activities: I led outdoor trail groups of students in grades 5-7th at North Cascades National Park. Students attended three days of class at the Park (one full day and two half-days), exploring the local environment and learning about forest ecosystems. Lesson themes included the water cycle, rock cycle, food chains and food webs, plant and animal adaptations, and developing observation and inquiry skills.
Schools involved:
September 12-14th, Carl Cozier Elementary
September 14-16th, Jefferson Elementary
September 19th-21st, Skagit Adventist
September 21st-23rd, Methow Valley Elementary
October 3rd-5th, Happy Valley Elementary
October 17-19th, Lowell Elementary
October 19th-21st, Islandview Elementary
October 31st-November 2nd, Evergreen Elementary
March 20th-21st, Cascade High School
April 17th-18th, Silver Beach Elementary
April 26th-28th, Centennial Elementary
May 17th-19th, Roosevelt Elementary
May 31st-June 2nd, Washington Elementary
Nick Engelfried 