Naturalistic Intelligence: Definition, Characteristics, and Activities for its Development

We are born with an interest in everything around us from a young age. It is our human nature to explore, learn and discover what we do not know. Therefore, we love to classify and categorize objects’ characteristics and common associate elements. The explained behaviors are associated with naturalistic intelligence, one of the intelligences we develop at the beginning of our lives. We can say that all children are born with a naturalistic intelligence. Little by little, they explore the world, the plants, the animals, and develop it.

Naturalistic intelligence is one of the eight intelligences that make up Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. It is important to remember that Gardner defines intelligence as “the ability to solve problems or produce products that are of importance in a given cultural context or community.”

In his theory, Gardner indicates that there are eight types of intelligence. They work together, but at the same time, they are independent. They all can develop based on stimuli. In this article, we will be describing one of them, naturalistic intelligence. It is important to note that naturalistic intelligence was the last intelligence added by Gardner in 1997.

Naturalistic intelligence is defined as the ability to appreciate, categorize, classify, explain, and connect the things of everyday life with nature. It is the ability to distinguish between living things, whether plants or animals. This type of intelligence is present in people who know how to observe nature, classify elements of the environment, and use this knowledge productively.

It is currently unknown in which specific brain region it is located. However, after arduous tests and successful results, the naturalist intelligence fully entered the group of intelligences regarding the evaluation based on the eight criteria for determining the intelligences.

Naturalist intelligence can be stimulated in the classroom through activities. Some examples are the creation of habitats, caring for animals and plants, collecting, and classifying natural objects and organisms such as rocks, insects, or snails. The teacher can motivate the students by offering them opportunities to do this type of activity in the classroom. In the same way, you can plan excursions or extracurricular activities to visit museums, gardens, parks, and work for your classes in outdoor spaces.

Characteristics of people with developed naturalistic intelligence:

Caring for gardens and love plants.

They have plants and love to take care of them. They take care of them and are always aware that they do not lack anything.

Enjoy outdoor activities like camping and hiking.

They love to visit farms, fields, and outdoor settings. Camping and hiking are part of their routine activities or entertainment.

Volunteering for ecological organizations to preserve the environment.

They are part of organizations that are consistent with their ecological beliefs. They participate in activities, marches, and struggles to preserve and care for the environment.

Have more than one pet (not just dogs and cats).

They take care of pets such as birds, sheep, cows, rodents, etc. They enjoy having animals around and interacting with them.

They enjoy watching programs related to nature the behavior of animals and plants. They watch series related to climate change and subscribe to channels that deal with environmental issues.

Strategies and materials used by people with developed naturalistic intelligence:

Take courses related to zoology, botany, and environmental education. They are interested in learning about these topics.

Investigative tools (ex. magnifying glasses, binoculars, league tables, etc.)

Use investigative tools to discover, observe, and classify objects, plants, and animals.

Observe and study birds and animal behavior.

They choose a moment of the day to observe and study the behavior of the animals. In the same way, they enjoy studying the behavior and flight of birds.

Use animal analogies to explain concepts.

Through analogies related to animals, they explain different concepts. They associate everyday life situations with the behavior or characteristics of animals.

Study outdoors or in environments surrounded by flora and fauna.

They relax and find spaces to study outdoors. Also enjoy reading in gardens or parks, surrounded by flora and fauna.

Activities you can do to develop your naturalistic intelligence:

Participate in outdoor walks.

You can start participating in outdoor walks. You can choose a park near your community. This will allow you to connect with the environment and get out of the routine.

Take care of plants at home.

You can start with a single plant and study its care. You will learn about watering, fertilizer, and other care necessary to live healthily.

Take care of a pet.

Pets are a big responsibility. You can start with a dog or a cat. Taking care of this will allow you to develop a relationship of trust and affection with the animals. You will be able to understand their needs and how to meet them.

Join community groups that advocate for the preservation of nature.

Start by researching if there are any groups in your community that focus on nature. You can join, interact, learn, and contribute your knowledge to meetings or activities.

Visit natural history museums and make notes of your observations.

Visit museums, participate in exhibitions, and document information related to nature. This will allow you to investigate and learn more about the environmental issue. In addition, you will be able to interact with people who have the same interests as you.

This decision will allow you to stay at the forefront of the different issues and problems related to the environment. You will diversify your knowledge and share with others news and information related to the environment.

Naturalistic intelligence, like musical intelligence, is one of the first intelligences that we develop from our childhood. Like the other intelligences, it is essential in the life and development of human beings. Naturalist intelligence allows us to interact with and take care of the environment. In the same way, it helps us raise awareness about the needs of the world around us and carry out activities for its care and conservation. These skills can be developed from infancy, both in the classroom and at home. The more we expose ourselves to species identification, collection, and classification of objects, plants, and animals, the better our capacity to develop this intelligence. When you develop this intelligence, you can lead a conscious, healthy lifestyle by constantly improving the world around us.

References

Armstrong, T. (1993). 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Many Intelligences. Plume.

Armstrong, T. (2006). Inteligencias múltiples en el aula. Barcelona: Paidós.

Bartolomei-Torres, P. (2018). Inteligencias múltiples en el aula, un recurso para el aprendizaje significativo en la Enseñanza de una Lengua Extranjera (Ph.D). Universidad de Granada. Recuperado de http://hdl.handle.net/10481/52430

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind. New York: Basic Books.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.

Hall, M.C. (1999). Multiple Intelligences: Teaching Kids the Way They Learn. Torrance, CA: Frank Schaffer Publications, Inc.

Suazo-Díaz, S. (2006). Inteligencias múltiples: manual práctico para el nivel elemental. San Juan, Puerto Rico: La Editorial, Universidad de Puerto Rico.