Gi:fted and Talenled Education: Forensics in Field Biology

This study explores how the integration of forensic science and outdoor learning into field biology curriculum affect the comprehension of gifted and talented students. Comprehension of the curriculum was measured through daily pre- and post-assessments that measured students' understanding before and after the lesson. A running checklist was used to keep count of how many times each student participated or asked questions during the lessons. This worked to serve as an additional way to look at the students' level of understanding. The final lesson included a design project to assess the students' overall comprehension of both field biology and forensic science. This study was conducted in an after school gifted and talented program for sixth graders in a rural suburban school. The group included 20 students, all of which were included in this study. The students collected their own specimens, extracted and analyzed the data, and applied the tools and skills they learned to solve a fictional crime. The results indicated that students scored higher on their post-assessments and learned more during the lessons where they spent all or part of their time outside. Students gained a higher understanding of the curriculum when it incorporated outdoor learning, versus spending all of the time inside the classroom. The results from this study suggest that students are more inclined to learn about science when they are in an outdoor learning environment.