Lilia Bellahcen, Grade 12
UWC Costa Rica
Biology was my last class of the week. I was feeling the breeze on my face, I could hear the birds whistling and professor Jeff’s voice being carried away by the wind. Jeff is not an ordinary teacher, he is a naturalist and an ornithologist capable of recognizing any bird by the sound of its chant. His motto: “to study nature, be in nature”. Just like every Friday following what was my first biology class, Jeff made us form a circle around him . These special class days would seem to awaken the inner and curious child in each of us students. They would always start with Jeff’s paternal voice: “Alright folks!”. Once attentive, Jeff assigned us with our first task: Walk around the campus, find a spot, observe and come back with questions. This was rather uncommon for a student like me, very accustomed to sitting in a classroom and absorbing e-v-e-r-y information given by my professors and their slides.
Unsure of what I was supposed to do, I walked for a few minutes and decided to stop by a giant tree. Its roots formed this perfect size depression, as if it was waiting for me to sit in that exact spot. I sat there for a minute, and looked around me. Every other student was absorbed in the present moment, taking notes while observing a flower, looking for where the seed they just found came from and so on. I felt something falling close to me, out of my field of vision. It was just a leaf falling from the tree I was sitting by, but it was enough to catch my attention. I picked it up and started analyzing its gradation of colors. I didn’t see the biology in that but the artist in me decided that I would draw it.
I lost track of time and soon enough, I had to rush back to our meeting point. Jeff looked at me and my drawing and asked me what I did on my alone time. I handed him the leaf accompanied with my sketch. I could see his smile through his mask. This one leaf led to a multitude of questions. What tree was it ? What does the veins pattern tell us about the leaf ? Why did this leaf turn red ? What insects does it attract and which one does it not ? Every single thing I had so meticulously drawn had a purpose, a well-defined function. The veins, the midrib, the blade shape, the stipules… Other classmates brought flowers, other plants, seeds and so on, which allowed us to see the applications of our textbook knowledge in the real world.
This class made me see that we are responsible for our learning and that the best way to acquire knowledge is through asking questions about the world that surrounds us. Experiencing things and putting them in a context allowed me to keep them in my long-term memory. It also allowed me to recall this knowledge faster and more easily. The phrase “to study nature, be in nature” made a lot more sense and soon enough became my own motto.
Unsure of what I was supposed to do, I walked for a few minutes and decided to stop by a giant tree. Its roots formed this perfect size depression, as if it was waiting for me to sit in that exact spot. I sat there for a minute, and looked around me. Every other student was absorbed in the present moment, taking notes while observing a flower, looking for where the seed they just found came from and so on. I felt something falling close to me, out of my field of vision. It was just a leaf falling from the tree I was sitting by, but it was enough to catch my attention. I picked it up and started analyzing its gradation of colors. I didn’t see the biology in that but the artist in me decided that I would draw it.
I lost track of time and soon enough, I had to rush back to our meeting point. Jeff looked at me and my drawing and asked me what I did on my alone time. I handed him the leaf accompanied with my sketch. I could see his smile through his mask. This one leaf led to a multitude of questions. What tree was it ? What does the veins pattern tell us about the leaf ? Why did this leaf turn red ? What insects does it attract and which one does it not ? Every single thing I had so meticulously drawn had a purpose, a well-defined function. The veins, the midrib, the blade shape, the stipules… Other classmates brought flowers, other plants, seeds and so on, which allowed us to see the applications of our textbook knowledge in the real world.
This class made me see that we are responsible for our learning and that the best way to acquire knowledge is through asking questions about the world that surrounds us. Experiencing things and putting them in a context allowed me to keep them in my long-term memory. It also allowed me to recall this knowledge faster and more easily. The phrase “to study nature, be in nature” made a lot more sense and soon enough became my own motto.
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