“Colors and Kindness”: Nature Photography as a Means to Support Academic Skill Development of Elementary Students at Risk

Abstract

This article describes a service project involving a 3-year partnership between a university professor (the author) and P-12 faculty at a local rural Title I elementary school. Major aims of the project were to provide an opportunity for students to explore and learn about their natural surroundings through the use of nature photography activities and to connect these experiences to classroom activities with the goal of supporting academic skill development. The author visited the school twice per week to take children around the school grounds to photograph nature for about 20 minutes per session. Outcomes included the following: (1) students demonstrated increased interest in and curiosity about the subjects of their photographs over time; and (2) the nature photography project provided a beneficial context for supporting students' learning in art and technology and for practicing their writing skills. Sample student photographs and writing excerpts are presented here.