Science, Biology, and Ecology instructional units About Missouri habitats and species Aligned with MDC mission Aligned with DESE Grade- Level and Course-Level Expectations

Each unit includes: Student book Teacher guide with outdoor activities Local outdoor component is key Improves physical and mental health Improves academic performance Encourages familiarity with the outdoors

Each unit includes: Free training by MDC Education Consultants Grants for outdoor field experiences Grants for outdoor exploration equipment and outdoor classroom supplies

Inquiry-based hands-on learning Observation Field investigations Testable question Data collection and analyzing Hypothesis Conducting experiments Checking results with hypothesis Reporting

Helps us achieve MDC mission and vision Students and teachers “learn about fish, forest, and wildlife resources” and become active participants in the outdoors. Familiarity OwnershipAppreciation Participation Empowerment Stewardship

Helps teachers teach DESE Standards Closely aligned with GLEs and CLEs Covers material in state standardized tests Connects students with nature close to home

Creates a new learning environment Collaborative work Information exchange Active, exploratory, inquiry-based learning Critical thinking and decision-making Proactive, planned action Real world context

Elementary Unit Grades 3-5 Pond, forest, and prairie habitats Activity example: Students build bird feeders, observe birds, and complete data sheets

Middle School Unit Grades 6-8 Aquatic Ecosystems Activity example: Students make observations about their school’s watershed, erosion, and potential non-point source pollution.

High School Unit Grades 9-12 Ecology/Wildlife management Activity example: Students record examples of organism interactions with cell phones or digital cameras. Groups make observations, record data, and make presentations to the rest of the class.

K-2 unit DNS grew 227% in 2010!

By Each Unit

All Units Combined

What’s coming up? Unit for Kindergarten – second grade Unit for early childhood DNS training at MSU as part of a conservation education minor for education students

Conservation Education = Conservation