Documenting the experience of bringing the Sec 1s out for their Geographical Investigation to Dairy Farm Nature Park (DFNP) here!
Sections
03. Actual Fieldwork
Conception of the Actual Fieldwork Package
Was fortunate to meet Beng Chiak from Nature Society Singapore (NSS) at an NSS event I attended earlier in March. Beng Chiak is a secondary school Biology teacher who is currently working at NSS, and is extremely knowledgeable about the history and development of DFNP.
Through her zoom sharing, we were able to get a glimpse into how the area has provided for humans in the past -- where they rear imported Australian cows to provide fresh pasteurised milk for the children of expatriates -- and continue to enhance the quality of life of residents as a green space for leisure and recreation. [Side fun fact: the cows had to be imported every year since they could not adapt to/survive Singapore's climate. The grass that the cows grazed on was imported as well.]
We were also able to get a clearer understanding of how the DFNP area's transformation is in part a product of Singapore's shift away from mining as a result of its devastating effects on the environment. Dairy Farm Quarry was filled up with earth when mining activities ceased in the 70s to 80s, and a large part of it has recovered (i.e. growth of secondary forest). Singapore Quarry, on the other hand, is now a huge lake. [see before/after using the slider tool I created below!]
Pre-Fieldwork Activity
Using the knowledge gleaned from Beng Chiak's sharing, I created a (mini) Google site to activate students' knowledge of DFNP in terms of its historical context and its changing landscape. This would put them in a better position to appreciate the actual fieldwork experience, given that they will be more aware of the trip objectives and what to look out for.
I then used ChatGPT to generate 5 simple MCQs as a form of AfL after students have engaged with the site. This was easily done by copying and pasting the content on the Google site onto the AI platform. The quiz was hosted on Google Forms.
[Link to site: here]
Actual Fieldwork
The actual fieldwork log was meticulously designed to help students to stay focused when making field observations.
The first activity allowed students to tap on their senses in making field observations. GTA's scaffold on Sensory Geography was used to guide students in describing what they see, hear and touch in the nature park.
Beyond observing what the human modifications in DFNP were (e.g. NParks putting up signages to guide hikers/humans littering), the questions posed sought to extend their learning in considering the impacts of human modification of DFNP on people and the environment.
Students were also tasked to sketch and annotate both a leaf and a root adaptation. I thought it would be good to get students to record the metadata* of their sketch.
"Metadata is the "data behind the data" of every journal entry. With metadata (data, location and weather), a journal entry becomes historically relevant and scientifically useful. This information gives important context to the journal entry. It also helps focus students on the big-picture context of that journal entry and is a nonthreatening way to break into the new blank page."
From: How to Teach Nature Journaling: Curiosity, Wonder, Attention by Emilie Lygren and John Muir Laws
Throughout the trail, students also looked out for wildlife around them and recorded them in the biodiversity inventory list. Google Image Search allowed them to pinpoint which tree/plant/insect species what they observed belonged to.
Actual Fieldwork Consolidation
Given that the field tasks were largely done individually, I thought it would be a good idea for the whole class to collaborate and help one another better make sense of the experience. This was done by providing a Google Slides template for students to input their pictures/videos and record their observations.
In groups of 3-4, students populated the slide deck, with each group focusing on different aspects of the fieldwork experience (e.g. history of DFNP, leaf adaptations, etc.). I also provided scaffolds in the presenter's notes to guide them (see below).
Beyond using their own photos, students also used photos uploaded by their classmates in our shared Google Drive Folder to complete this task. This value-added to their experience, as they were able to discover what sights/ sounds they might have missed out on on the trail. Even those who did not manage to go on the field trip were able to have a visual/auditory experience of the place through the rich media captured by their friends.
I then got students from each group to do a verbal sharing of their assigned slide, before getting the class to chime in and suggest any changes/ improvements to the slides.
By doing so, we managed to bring out different perspectives. For instance, the group working on human modifications at DFNP initially only pointed out the benefits of the added signboards and trails in enhancing people's experiences at the park. A student from another group pointed out that she saw litter along the trail, and proceeded to add the photo evidence onto the slide (see bottom right of slide).
The whole-class consolidation also allowed the students to share their unique experiences, such as when an insect landed on a students' shorts (see bottom right of slide) #cheapthrills
Student Artefacts
1TG2's Field Notes
Vlog done by Mohamed Raiyan Fikry (1 Vincent, 1TG2)
Possible Extension Activities
Other measurements we can take in future runs of the GI at DFNP to quantify human impacts on nature:
Temperature and noise levels at the MRT station vs. in DFNP
We can possibly bring up DFNP as a case study when teaching the topic of Housing (Sec 2), specifically the factors affecting the location of housing. The development of the DFNP area is affected by land-use planning and developers, among other factors.
Landuse planning:
Landuse planning in Singapore is done by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). The Master Plan (MP) guides Singapore's development in the medium term over the next 10 to 15 years. The MP shows the permissible land use and density for developments in Singapore. It is reviewed every five years and translates the broad long-term strategies of the Long-Term Plan into detailed plans to guide the development of land and property. By balancing economic, social and environmental considerations, the goal is to create a sustainable Singapore that provides a quality living environment, offers plentiful growth opportunities and jobs for the people, and safeguards our clean and green landscape.
We can monitor changes in landuse by looking at the MP. Some changes from 2003-2014, and from 2014 to the present:
We can also see that the forests north of Dairy Farm Road is largely unprotected. In a span of 10 years, the trees have been cut down and the land has been converted to various uses. Notable buildings include The Skywoods (residential) and the German European School Singapore (educational institution).
Developers:
Private developers, which are companies that develop property for profit, tend to pick sites that are most commercially viable. Housing near DFNP would fetch high property prices due to its attractive location - apart from being in close proximity to green spaces (DFNP), residents would also have an unblocked view of the nature park.
Dairy Farm Residences is the latest condominium to be built in the area (completion in 2024). It would be meaningful to get students to check out how the property is being marketed by its developers (PropertyGuru - Dairy Farm Residences).
We can also get students to observe how human activities are slowly encroaching on nature, and discuss the benefits of drawbacks of said encroachment.
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