activities

Writing curriculum guides, activities, and lesson plans for use by nature center staff and teachers has always been fun for me. I enjoy writing lessons that provide both structure and freedom for educators and students. Most of the activities below are standards-based, hands-on/minds-on lessons that encourage outdoor exploration. Try some!

 

PLT's Environmental
PLT guide and CDExperiences for Early Childhood

Project Learning Tree is a national environmental education program. As the primary writer, I worked with PLT staff and the Early Childhood Advisory Team to develop the written materials for the early childhood program. Minnesota and Wisconsin had developed early childhood guides which formed the basis for the national program. I proposed additional activities that would fill out the program-offering experiences focusing on the five senses, four seasons, and neighborhood trees. Each experience features an introductory activity, main activity, group experience, learning centers, reading connections, and opportunities for friends and families to continue the learning at home. An introduction and appendices offer instructional strategies, logistical hints, and a wealth of ideas for introducing young children to nature. This guide won the Learning Magazine 2011 Teachers’ Choice Award for supplemental materials.

Invaders of the Forest

Invaders of the Forest is an educators’ guide to invasive plants of Wisconsin’s forests funded by the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board. It features:



You can view a sample lesson or download the entire guide from the Envionmental Education in Wisconsin website.

Go Wild with Wisconsin Wildcards

rare mammals wildcard featuring lynx

Wisconsin Wildcards are similar to baseball trading cards, except that they feature Wisconsin’s natural resources instead of ballplayers! By collecting and reading Wildcards, students can meet rare plants and animals, learn to identify invasive species, discover what kinds of fish they caught last summer, and visit special places all over the state.

In 2005, the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board funded development of an educators’ guide. It is filled with lesson plans for use in more formal settings (23 activities) and card games, magic tricks, card stunts, and puzzles (19 things to do). Take a look at the games, tricks, and stunts section of the guide, or download the entire guide from the Environmental Education in Wisconsin website.

kids in the garden

Kids' Gardening Handbook

In cooperation with Havenwoods State Forest superintendent, Judy Klippel, and the University of Wisconsin- Extension, I edited a kids' gardening handbook, wrote kids' gardening activities, and designed this Garden Journal. The handbook is available on CD from Havenwoods State Forest for $20. Call 414.527.0232 for more information.

Wisconsin Forests Forever

Originally produced as a curriculum guide and CD set in 2000, the CD is no longer available. However, the guide contains 13 activities (most of which can be completed without the CD). You can peek at a sample lesson here or download the entire guide from the University of Stevens Point website.