Latest Posts
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The Shrinking Heap: A Third-Grade Lesson on the Magic of Decomposition
By Phyllis Stewart’s Third-Grade Students, Horace Mann Montessori School, Dayton, Ohio Editor’s Note: Originally published in Dragonfly Magazine in 1996, this vintage inquiry takes us back to a playground in Ohio, where a group of third graders turned a pile of yard waste into a seven month-long lesson on the power of decomposition. The Spark…
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Embracing the Journey: Six Years of Heart Knowledge and Connection in Baja, Namibia, and Guyana
By Jessie Schrauger A timeline of global field experiences: Baja California (2019), Namibia (2022), and Guyana (2025). When I first started Project Dragonfly in 2019, I could not have imagined that I would still be on this journey of pursuing my Master’s six years later. I see it as a real blessing and opportunity though,…
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How to Turn Your Science Class into a “Choose Your Own Adventure”
Imagine a high school science classroom where the teacher refuses to hand out a rubric. Where students roll a 20-sided die (D20) to see if they can get five extra minutes on a quiz. Where the curriculum isn’t a rigid checklist, but a quest driven by the students’ own curiosity. In this episode of Dragonfly…
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Is a Master’s in Biology Worth It? Evaluating the ROI for Educators and Conservationists
By Dr. Kevin Matteson, Associate Director In my 14 years at Project Dragonfly, one of the most common questions I get isn’t about biology, field sites, or curriculum. It is a much more human question: What will this program actually do for my career? Most of our students are driven by passion. You are here…
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How to Redefine “Wilderness”: From the Bronx to Mongolia with Dave Johnston
Imagine driving a van across a landscape so vast it’s called the “Land of the Big Sky.” You have no GPS coordinates and no specific destination. You simply drive until you spot a white felt tent—a ger—on the horizon. You pull up, knock on the door, and ask a complete stranger, “Can we come in?”…
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Barking Up Our Trees: How 3rd Graders Debunk Common Tree Myths
By Cheryl Cowan’s Third-Grade Students, Mayflower Mill School, Lafayette, Indiana Editor’s Note: Originally published in Dragonfly Magazine in the late 1990s, this investigation reminds us that the best science starts by testing the things we think we know. Our Spark When we started our tree unit, we looked at the pictures in our textbook. Based…
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Sweating Trees: Which Leaf Wins the Transpiration Race?
By Georgia Brown’s Fifth-Grade Students, Sanibel Elementary School, Florida Editor’s Note: Originally published in Dragonfly Magazine in the late 1990s, this timeless and inspiring inquiry was created by young investigators on Sanibel Island, Florida. It remains a perfect example of how local landscapes spark big questions. Our Spark Our school is on Sanibel Island, a…
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The Battering Rain Drumming on the Wooden Cabana
Reflections from my Earth Expeditions to Belize By Christian Gueits The battering rain drumming on the wooden cabana during the night was a violent soundscape. Every once in a while, a chilling call came from the surrounding shadows that hugged the structure. A warm, measly light emitted from the camping lantern the student within was…
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Threads of Renewal
Reflections from my Earth Expeditions to Australia By Shelby Elder My time on my Earth Expeditions Australia course this summer was not only a journey across landscapes but also across ideas, perspectives, and connections. Each place—Sydney, Tasmania, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, and Townsville—offered a different window into the theme of interconnectedness, which became the thread tying…