Free Education Resources

eBird Explorer's Curriculum Series: Download your free eBird lessons to get a taste of the birding world! The stand alone, comprehensive downloads allows educators an opportunity to explore the new K-12 curriculum suite, eBird Explorers. Each grade-band offers youth the opportunity to make careful observations, collect and explore data and patterns, and build STEM practices, all while addressing standards align science content. Entire kits with lessons and supplies will be available through our partners at NASCO soon! Find the free downloadable lessons on their website.

Explorer's Curriculum Webinar: Discover how you can engage your 6-12 grade students in the eBird citizen-science project with our latest eBird Explorers curriculum. Lessons explore the complexity of biodiversity and human impacts on the environment, and how citizen science can help us understand our world. Sign up for either the Nov. 19 at 6 PM or Nov. 21  at 8 PM.

Climate Change in My Backyard Curriculum: With support from NASA, and in collaboration with the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and schools and teachers throughout Illinois, the Chicago Botanic Garden has developed the Climate Change in My Backyard curriculum series. The project targets grades 5 to 12. Students explore climate change in the context of an investigation of how climate affects their local plants and ecosystems. They collect data to contribute to Budburst, and analyze the data they collect in the context of NASA and NOAA climate and atmospheric data, as well as NASA satellite imagery. They learn about the effects of changing climates on ecosystems through participation in Budburst, and then broaden that perspective by exploring the effects of climate change on human communities around the world. You can find the overview and the three different curriculum sets on their website.

Citizen Science Highlight

Citizen science is a way for everyone to contribute in a meaningful way to "professional scientists." It's a great way for students to realize they can make a difference and contribute to the scientific community!

Nature's Notebook: Nature's Notebook is a national phenology program in which professional and volunteer scientists record long-term observations of plant and animal life stages. Observing phenology through Nature's Notebook offers place-based, hands-on learning opportunities provides a collaborative platform for site-based educators, promotes cross-subject engagement while addressing standards of learning, and can be used to identify and answer local scientific research questions addressed by many natural resources, volunteer, and gardening groups. Plus there are already plenty of resources to help educators incorporate activities at all grade levels on their website. Get your classroom involved by checking out their website

Upcoming National Programs

Cornell Lab of Ornithology Summer Educator Retreat
July 7-9, 2020 or August 4-7, 2020

Join us for our Summer Educators Retreat 2020. Pick one of two dates and get ready four fun days of hands-on training in using citizen science and inquiry. During the retreat, educators will:

• Learn eBird protocols, complete a citizen-science study along the Sapsucker Woods trails, and enjoy guest presentations on environmental conservation.
• Discover the Cornell Lab's online field guide, digital library, and citizen-science programs as educational resources for K-12 learning.
•  Receive K-12 Education's popular Investigating Evidence unit, your choice of one of four brand new eBird kits, and two free window feeders.
• Earn 3 CEUs (Continuing Education Units) from Cornell University.
• Enjoy the natural beauty of Sapsucker Woods and the Finger Lakes with like-minded K-12 educators and so much more!

Space is limited. Register today to guarantee your spot. Scholarship applications to attend the retreat are now open. The deadline to apply is February 3, 2020.

Five Rivers MetroParks Event for Classroom Teachers

OUTstanding Teacher Award: We are currently accepting nominations for the OUTstanding Teacher Award! This award recognizes educators K-12 who are weaving nature into the curriculum, getting kids outdoors, and we know you would be an excellent candidate. A significant prize package accompanies the recognition, and you can self-nominate. Nominations are due by Jan. 31, but why wait - nominate now. Learn more.

Recycling in the Classroom: This year the No Waste Lunch at Cox Arboretum has become very popular, and you can recycle even more through a great organization called Terracycle. Think about all the juice pouches your students go through in a week, or chip bags, or granola bar wrappers... you can recycle those, even if it isn't through your regular waste stream. Check out all their brigades on their website.

Symbolic Monarch Migration: This fall join 60,000 students across the globe to create symbolic monarch butterflies and send them to Mexico. Children who live beside the monarchs' winter sanctuaries in Mexico protect the paper butterflies and return them in the spring. Through the Symbolic Migration, children are united by the monarch butterfly and celebrate its spectacular migration. They learn authentic lessons of conservation and international cooperation. The symbolic butterflies' fall flight is timed to correspond with the real monarchs' journey south. As the eastern population of North American monarchs are arriving in Mexico for the winter, students from the sanctuary region receive their symbolic butterflies. Sometime in March when the real monarchs' departure from Mexico is announced, the paper butterflies return north carrying special messages from the students in Mexico. Learn more on their website.

Citizen science is a way for everyone to contribute in a meaningful way to "professional scientists." It's a great way for students to realize they can make a difference and contribute to the scientific community!

Backyard Bark Beetles: Backyard Bark Beetles is a citizen science initiative aimed at producing and maintaining a large-scale, long-term bark beetle monitoring program. Our trapping activity is easy, fun, effective, and utilizes items found in the everyday household (2L bottle, hand sanitizer, etc.).
This activity is especially useful as a hands-on activity to complement in-school lessons focused on topics like native/invasive species, forest health, environmental stewardship, etc. and has been used in courses spanning multiple disciplines (e.g., environmental science, entomology, ecology, etc.). Students will create a bark beetle trap, collect beetles for 3 days, and mail the beetles to scientists. Your beetleswill be identified and promptly added to the interactive map, which can be found at bottom of the project's homepage (www.backyardbarkbeetles.org). Get your classroom involved by checking out their website.

Outdoor Classroom Day: Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign to celebrate and inspire outdoor learning and play. On Nov. 7, thousands of schools around the world take lessons outdoors and prioritize playtime. In 2018, over 3.5 million children in over 100 countries took part.  If you're new to outdoor learning, why not use Outdoor Classroom Day to try it out? If you already get outdoors regularly, use the day to celebrate what you're doing and inspire other teachers around the world to join in. There is plenty of time to get organized now, so get your fellow teachers together and brainstorm how you'll send Outdoor Classroom Day! Check it out and add your school to the map.

Envirothon 2020: Is your high school part of Ohio's Envirothon Competition? If not, you're missing out! The Envirothon is an environmental high school competition designed to stimulate, reinforce and enhance interest in the environment and natural resources among high school students. Students are tested on their knowledge of soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology and current environmental issues. In addition, the Envirothon encourages cooperative decision-making and team building. While each student on a team is challenged to contribute his or her personal best, the score that counts at the end of the competition is the team score. A team consists of five students, all from the same high school. An adult advisor (or advisors) must accompany the team, but is not permitted to assist during the competition. Check out the website for more information for our region (Area 4) and get your team registered today!

"101 Alternatives to the Chalkboard" 45th Annual Educators' Conference: Saturday, October 12, 2019 8:30am-6pm (with the option of staying Friday and/or Saturday night). At YMCA Camp Kern 5291 St Rt 350 Oregonia, Ohio 45054 (32 miles northeast of Cincinnati). Cost: $30, includes all sessions, programs, meals, and overnight accommodations (Scholarships and discounts available!). The "101" Conference is THE weekend outdoor education experience designed to inspire teachers and outdoor educators with creative ways to provide exciting learning experiences. Enjoy meaningful large and small group sessions, excellent company, and fine eating. To register or for more information, see the flyer.