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Inquiry in the Rainforest: A Field Course for Science Teachers

Status:Accepting applications
When:July 7-20, 2025 Arrival: July 6th Departure: July 21st
Where:Costa Rica: La Selva Research Station & Monteverde Biological Station
Duration:2 weeks
Credits:
Language:English (Bilingual Coordination Team)
Deadline:March 30th, 2025
Program Guide:
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SKU: U-SA-AEC-2019-2

Program Overview

This course, designed for middle- and high-school biology teachers, applies 60 years’ experience at OTS in delivering the content of science using the process of science – in other words, by inspiring inquiry and active learning in spectacular tropical rainforests.

CONTEXT: Teaching biology well has never been easy. Today it has become exponentially more difficult. Students refuse to read. Their attention spans are the length of tik-tok videos. The curriculum has been distorted by unrelenting emphasis on fact-based state and national science standards … which are often expressed in nearly impenetrable jargon. Misinformation and disinformation run rampant on the web. Subjects from evolution to immunology to global ecology have been politically politicized. Overworked, under-respected, and under-resourced, more teachers than ever are experiencing classroom burnout.

 

Our antidote? Re-igniting participants’ passion for biology by immersing them in rainforestsand guiding them to explore like scientists, observing organisms in complex ecosystems, asking questions, formulating hypotheses, designing experiments to test those hypotheses, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting results for peer review. These activities boost confidence and ability in teaching through inquiry.

 

Participants discover that actually doing science automatically incorporates all the trendy buzzwords they encounter in standards:  crosscutting concepts, disciplinary core ideas, sense-making, argument from evidence, and communication about the nature of science. More importantly, doing science provides context and significance to those terms.

 

Participants should expect to be challenged intellectually and professionally: This course has been approved for two graduate credits and 96 contact hours of PD/CE credit for good reason. It delivers training in field research, coaching in using research to teach the nature and process of science, instruction in tropical ecology and conservation, and tutoring in educational video production. This agenda requires participants to absorb and utilize information and techniques more rapidly than many have since college.

 

Participants should expect to be challenged socially. Field research and video production are social undertakings, so participants face the same challenges that their students face when assigned to work with peers. Independent thinkers are welcomed with open arms … and must be able to work in groups. Field experiments and video projects require collaboration among 3-5 participants, so effective communication and mutual respect are vital.

 

At the end of this 2-week course you will be have gone through the following subjects and topics:

  • Various Group Dynamics
  • Uses of Media in Teaching
  • Innovative and Creative Ways of Using your Phone and Other Devices for Teaching
  • Planning a Night Walk or a Nature Walk
  • How to Interpret a Nature Walk
  • Practicing Inquiry
  • The Scientific Method from Short to Large Projects
  • Field Methods and Experimental Design
  • Field Data Collection
  • Field Data Analysis
  • Field Project Reporting to Popular Audiences
  • Citizen Science for Science Teaching
  • How to Study Plants: Prop Collection, Storage and Manage
  • Bases on Science Communication
  • Bases on Social Media Uses and Production

All of the above is going to be combined with amazing Costa Rica environments, nice accommodations and walks. It is a perfect mixed between learning, enjoying, creating and tourism. We assure you that your memories and learnings from this course will be for life.

 

From Kristen Edwards, Formerly: Lee HS, Marianna, Arkansas;

Currently: Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, NASA, Washington, DC

Participating in “Rainforests and Reefs” (July 2008) was, hands-down, the single most profound professional development experience of my teaching career.

Professionally, my experiences in Costa Rica were nothing short of remarkable.  As a life scientist by training, participation in the course was a reminder of how important it is to actually engage in the process of science, not just “memorize, regurgitate, repeat”.  In an educational climate where many science teachers are relegated to “teaching to the test”- despite my own best intentions, I was beginning to go down that path myself – it was a striking reminder to me that the lessons I remember the most from my own science education, and the ones that inspired me to pursue a career as a scientist (and then a science teacher), were those where I was actually doing science.  I was also able to bring back to my classroom a greater appreciation for the interdependence of life, a different perspective – from first-hand experience – on topics such as climate change and land management.

During the course, I also established relationships, both personal and professional, that continue to this day.  Being around men and women who are so passionate about education reinvigorated me as a teacher and inspired me to play more of a role in ensuring a quality science education for all children.  If I could find the time, I would do it again without hesitation.

From a personal perspective, the most enjoyable parts of the trip were whitewater rafting on Rio Sarapiqui, going on nighttime nature walks, and every single moment we spent at Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve.  While I had been rafting before, the experience of doing so in a tropical rainforest, seeing plants and animals I had previously encountered only in books, was phenomenal; I consider that day one of the top five of my entire life.  The night walks were incredible; I was so enthralled by the difference in the flora and fauna we were encountering (compared to day walks on the same trails) that I completely “forgot” that I am terrified of the dark!  Cabo Blanco was a life-changing experience; several days of being completely unplugged from the “real world”- no electricity, cell phones, Internet, etc. – reminded me of the importance of slowing down and appreciating the beauty that surrounds you, and being in a place that is so (relatively) untouched by human influence made me more appreciative of my role in conserving and protecting the planet.

Prerequisites

This course is for science teachers or university students who are planning on pursuing a career on high school teaching. But, we encourage also people from environmental sciences, biology or related fields who work with environmental education as well.

 

Past participants testimonials

 … an amazing opportunity to learn new facts, new pedagogy, and most of all, to be overwhelmed by the diversity and concentration of life in the rainforest. 

William Hodges, Holt HS, Holt, Michigan

Throughout the trip my eyes were opened to remarkable environments and new ways to teach my students … Each of the projects changed how I teach … I have always valued hands-on learning but now I am incorporating more science inquiry in all of my courses. Each day that I teach, it seems like I am incorporating … my experiences in Costa Rica.   — Amy Braverman, Alexander HS, Albany, Ohio

(This course) … was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had in 18 years of teaching.  We spent our time together experiencing science in truest form, as a scientist ourselves.  This is something that we rarely get time to do in our busy day-to-day lives, so to take 15 uninterrupted days was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Once on the trip I found that I was in the midst of seven of the best teachers probably anywhere in the country.  Being able to interact with such intelligent people who had similar goals in the classroom as I had was extremely enriching.  Learning the natural history of this new country was an eye opening experience as we got to experience everything first hand from climbing an active volcano to dodging snakes and bullet ants.  Taking that information back home would have been an amazing trip.  However this trip was even more than that as we put scientific skills to work in the rainforest.  Getting that experience of executing scientific experiments from idea all the way to completion is something I bring home to my students that will make teaching an even more enriching experience …

The most enlightening part of this experience was … following the scientific process all the way to the end and the importance of the presentation.  I have used been using inquiry based methods in my classroom for about six years.  But one part that has been lacking is the follow through with the analysis of the results and classroom discussions of the results.  This course drove home the importance of these in getting students to understand what their results mean and how to interpret those results.  Also, having to do the presentation myself I realized there is a whole higher level of thinking and learning in preparing that presentation and then with the delivery of it.  It is something that will definitely take my students learning to a new level.

From Martin Perlaky, Springfield HS, Holland, Ohio

Sites Visited

La Selva Research Station

Located in the Caribbean lowlands, La Selva is OTS’ largest field station and is one of the best-known tropical research sites in the world. The station protects approximately 1,600 hectares of primary and secondary tropical rainforest. It averages 4,000 millimeters (over 13 feet) of rainfall a year. This lush environment facilitates the existence of thousands of species of plants and animals, making La Selva a great place to see all kinds of wildlife, including toucans, monkeys, ocelots, agoutis, peccaries, and the endangered green macaw. Two major rivers, the Sarapiquí and the Puerto Viejo border la Selva. These rivers form part of the San Juan River Basin. La Selva is connected via a biological corridor with Braulio Carrillo National Park, which contains 46,000 hectares of forestland and ascends almost 3,000 meters in elevation to Volcán Barva, which overlooks the town of Heredia in the Central Valley.

La Selva has an extensive trail system, and lots of lab space, and is, in general, a pretty busy place. (The station can sleep over 100 people.) Important crops grown in the area surrounding La Selva include bananas and the heart of palm. Services available at La Selva include phone, fax, and e-mail. Showers may or may not have hot water, and students have access to laundry machines. Housing consists of small dorm rooms with up to six students each.

Please visit the station’s site for more information: https://tropicalstudies.org/portfolio/la-selva-research-station/

 

Moteverde Biological Station

A low-middle elevation cloudforest in the central pacific of Costa Rica and just 40km in a straight line from the coast makes Monteverde a unique place for biodiversity. We will be based at Monteverde Biological Station, which is next to a 100 hectare property of conserved forest. While we are here we will also visit Montevede Hanging bridges as a one-day tour.

Our courses are designed to make the most out of the students’ time with OTS. As such, a student’s day during a course will usually begin at 6:00 am with breakfast, and the workday will begin by 7:00 am. Lunch will be at 12:00 pm (may be eaten in the field depending on the circumstances), and dinner at 6:00 pm, with lectures/activities after dinner as well.

Date Time Activity Location
July 6 5:00 Meet and greet Hotel Irazú & Studios
7:30 Welcome dinner Hotel dining room
July7 7:00 Buffet Breakfast Hotel dining room
8:00 Load Bus Lobby (w luggage)
8:30 Bus leaves for OTS office Lobby
9:00 Orientation & introductions; Why are we here? CRO classroom
9:30 Broken Squares: Introduction to group dynamics CRO classroom
10:15 Break (prone to motion sickness? Take meds for bus to La Selva) CRO Lobby
10:45 Load bus & depart for La Selva CRO parking lot
12:30 Check-in and Intro to La Selva; Kenneth Alfaro

Unload luggage and course equipment

LS Reception &

Dining Hall (DH) patio

12:45 Lunch CRO Lobby
1:55 All participants and staff drop luggage at lodgings

unpack boots, field clothes, flashlight, and bug repellant

Cabinas A-Z
2:30 Lecture: Geography and Climates of Costa Rica (Joe/Pablo) Lab/Classroom
4:15 Intro to La Selva- remember flashlight, boots, & bug repellant Lab/Classroom
6:00 Dinner Dining Hall (DH)
7:00 Discussion: Media in Teaching; (Joe, Pablo, TA, group) Lab/Classroom
8:00 Workshop: Using your phone for pics and videos -composition, lighting, audio (Pablo) LB/Classroom
July 8 6:00 Breakfast (remember boots, hats, sunscreen and bug rep) DH
7:30 Natural history walk 1 (Joe, Pablo, TA) DH Patio
10:00 Natural history walk 2 (Joe, Pablo, TA) Classroom patio
12:30 Lunch DH
1:30 Natural history walk 3 (Joe, Pablo, TA) DH patio
3:30 21 questions: Practicing Inquiry Classroom
5:30 Review course equipment Classroom
6:00 Dinner DH
7:00  Intro to field problems (Joe, Pablo)
Prep for FP#1: Formulating testable hypotheses from questions
Classroom
July 9 6:00 Breakfast DH
7:30 Field Project 1: Methods, pilot study & Data collection Classroom / field
Noon Lunch DH
1:00 Field Project 1: Analysis/Report Prep Classroom
6:00 Dinner DH
7:00 Field Project 1: Report presentations and discussion Classroom
9:00 Night walk!! start @ classroom
July 10 6:00 Breakfast DH
7:30 Prep for Field Project 2: Forming hypotheses Classroom
9:30 Field Project 2: Methods, pilot study, and Data Collection Classroom/Field
Noon Lunch DH
1:00 Field Project 2:  Analysis & Report Prep Classroom
6:00 Dinner DH
7:00 Field Project 2: Report presentations and Discussion Classroom
July 11 6:00 Breakfast DH
7:30 Group Field Project (GFP): hypotheses, methods, design Classroom
Noon Lunch DH
1:00 GFP: Pilot studies, Data collection Classroom / field
6:00 Dinner DH
7:00 Botany of Tropical Fruits lecture (Pablo) Classroom Patio
8:00 Night walk! Classroom / field
July 12 EARLY! Bird walk (optional-Pablo)
6:00 Breakfast DH
7:30 GFP: data, report prep Classroom / field
Noon Lunch DH
1:00 GFP prep continued Classroom
4:00 GFP presentations & Discussion Classroom/Field
6:00 Dinner DH
7:00 Media workshop for Video Project 1: One-take wonders (OTW)

Conceptualizing, storyboarding, writing, voicing, filming videos with no editing. (Pablo & Joe)

Classroom / field
July 13 6:00 Breakfast DH
7:30 OTW: production Field
Noon Lunch DH
1:00 River Trip Meet at DH
4:00 OTW presentations Classroom
6:00 Dinner DH
7:00 Media workshop for Video project 2

Intro to editing using Davinci Resolve (free software)

(Pablo)

Classroom
July 14 6:00 Breakfast DH
7:30 Video project 2: choosing a completed project, and determining the best way to film “science in action/process of science” including hypothesis formation, experimental design, data analysis, & conclusion

Production: storyboarding, writing, filming (Pablo & Joe)

Field/classroom
Noon Lunch (order box lunches for trip to Monteverde) DH
1:00 Video project 2: continue post-production Classroom
4:00 Video Project 2:  presentations Classroom
6:00 Dinner DH
7:00 Lecture/workshop (Joe):  Understanding Global Change Classroom / field
8:00 Open discussion, wrap-up, pack lab boxes, etc. Classroom
July 15 7:00 Breakfast DH
8:30 Herbarium Collection at La Selva (Orlando) Orquídea Building
9:30 Plant-o-rama: Calculating estimates of plant diversity withOUT needing to identify species; species area/sample size curves. Academic Center Atrium
Noon Lunch DH
1:30 Workshop: iNaturalist + eBird Data bases and using it for teaching (Pablo) Classroom and trails
6:00 Dinner DH
7:00 Pack luggage and get ready for next-day travel. Tomorrow overview schedule. Joe talk: Arenal Hydro Project Classroom
July 16 6:00 Come to dining hall patio w luggage and room keys ready to check out

breakfast

(take motion-sickness meds if needed)

 

 

DH Patio

8:00 Check-out, pick up box lunches;

load load bus for trip to Monteverde

DH, Patio

Classroom

1:00 Lunch Monteverde Bio Station
2:30 Intro To Monteverde and Monteverde Bio Station (Marvin) Monteverde Bio Station
3:30 Check in and get into rooms Monteverde Bio Station
6:00 Dinner Monteverde Bio Station
July 17 7:00 Breakfast DH
7:30 MV Bio Station Hike with Marvin (Administrator) Monteverde Bio Station trails
Noon Lunch DH
2:00 Lecture (Joe): Global change and the tropics Classroom
4:30 Informal discussions; participant-driven topics;

tricks & tips exchange, etc.

Classroom
6:00 Dinner DH
July 18 7:00 Breakfast Soltis DH
8:00 Nature walks Various
10:00 Media workshop for Video Field Project: pre-production planning Classroom
Noon Lunch Soltis DH
  2:00 Video Field Project initial discussion Classroom
6:00 Dinner Soltis DH
July 18 7:00 Breakfast DH
8:00 Load Bus: Monteverde Hanging Bridges Selvatura
Noon Lunch DH
2:00   Video Field Project Classroom/Field
6:00 Dinner DH
7:00 Lecture (Joe): Dealing with science denial in classrooms
July 19 7:00 Breakfast DH
8:00 VFP con’t Classroom / field
Noon Lunch DH
1:00 VFP con’t Classroom / field
6:00 Dinner DH
7:00 VFP presentations Classroom
8:30 Selected episode of Primal Survival Classroom
July 20 7:00 Breakfast

(if prone to motion sickness, take meds)

DH
8:00 Repack luggage and equipment Classroom
9:30 Load bus for Souvenir shopping Patio/Parking lot
Noon Lunch Sarchi; TBD
3:00 Check in to Hotel Irazú & Studios

(arrange @ reception for airport shuttle for next day)

Hotel Irazú & Studios
6:30 Farewell dinner Café Mundo
July 21 Fly home SJO!

 

 

 

 

Tuition

OTS has used its scholarship fund to be able to offer this course to all accepted students at a reduced tuition.  Participants are expected to pay $2350, the remainder of the cost for this program

 

Joe Levine, Ph.D.

Joe’s dissertation research conducted between Harvard University and the Marine Biological Laboratory focused on the evolution of color vision in aquatic animals. He has taught various biology courses at Boston College and a field course on coral reef biology at Boston University. His work has been published in prestigious journals like Science and Scientific Americas and popular science magazines such as Smithsonian and Natural History.

After a Macy Fellowship in Science Broadcast Journalism, Joe committed to enhancing science education and public understanding. He has produced features for NPR and helped launch Discovery Channel’s “Discover Magazine.” He served as a scientific advisor and editor for several PBS series and films.

Joe co-authors “Biology” with Kenneth Miller, a widely-used high school biology program in the U.S. He conducts professional development seminars for educators internationally and served as an “Outstanding Educator in Residence” in Singapore. He is also involved with organizations like OTS and the MBL Council.

Beyond academia, Joe supports Mil Milagros, an NGO focused on women’s empowerment and child nutrition in Guatemala, and EcoLogic, which aids rural communities in protecting ecosystems. He recently joined the Board of the Central Square Theater in Cambridge, dedicated to using theater to promote science awareness and acknowledge diverse contributions in the field.

 

Pablo Muñoz, M.Sc.

Pablo is a tropical biologist and currently the Education Coordinator for the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) at the Costa Rica Office. He completed his undergraduate studies at UNA and holds a master’s degree in biology from UCR. Before working for OTS, he was a student in the OTS graduate course “Tropical Ecology and Conservation” in 2018, and then served as an assistant for the same course from 2019 to 2021. He has also worked as a field technician on various projects related to climate change and the photosynthetic response of plants to temperature variations in southern Costa Rica. In 2020, he launched a science communication project called Tico Overland alongside Francisco Bravo, in which they travel around Costa Rica documenting the fieldwork of their friends; they now focus on creating infographics and telling stories through images, and more recently they launched the “Libreta de Campo” Podcast on Spotify. At this moment, he is responsible for research scholarships, course logistics, and facilitation of modules related to science communication, in addition to collaborating with OTS’s scientific staff and generating outreach content for the organization. As a researcher, he is passionate about bird ecology and their social interactions.

 

 

Housing & Meals

It is important to recognize that the OTS courses differs from your typical day-to-day living and especially on the fact that they are mostly intensive field courses. Though you may have prior experience of living with one or two roommates on campus, during the course you will be interacting closely with 10–15 others.

We have selected the research cabins for the students attending this course, in each cabin you will find from 3-5 different rooms, one to two private bathrooms and a common area. You will be sharing the room with 1 other person. We planned it like this, because we know it is important to have a more private environment after long days of field work and socializing.

During the day you will be immersed on lectures, workshops, hikes and constantly sharing common areas with your classmates, this means communication and respect will be crucial. We also need to have sincere respect for one another, regardless of different opinions and lifestyles. This includes respect for privacy, respect for rules and regulations, and even respect for the fact that unpredictability is an inherent feature of field-based programs such as ours. Indeed, next to communication and cooperation, flexibility and a good sense of humor are the most important characteristics of a successful student in our program.

 

Passport & Visa Information

You must have a valid passport to travel to Costa Rica. It is important that the passport does not expire within six months of entering Costa Rica. If you are NOT a citizen of a North American or European country, you will probably need a special visa to get into Costa Rica. We recommend that you contact your respective consulate or embassy services to determine if you need a visa to travel to Costa Rica. It is important to consider the requirements to get a visa approved before you apply for one of our courses. If you are accepted into one of our courses, we will provide any information necessary, within reason, to help with the visa application. Please keep in mind that the visa application process can take several months, depending on the country of issue. For more information on this topic please visit this website.

U.S. citizens entering Costa Rica are automatically granted a 90-day tourist visa. Students planning to stay in Costa Rica after the program end date need to take this into account.

Review the requisites about traveling and entering Costa Rica in the following links:

Entry requirements: https://www.visitcostarica.com/en/costa-rica/planning-your-trip/entry-requirements

US Embassy information: https://cr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

Please consult OTS if you have any questions.

 

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