We Need Pollinators–Lessons & More!
Who doesn’t love spotting butterflies?! But we NEED butterflies and other pollinators, and their habitat is decreasing. But we can help! Find out how by downloading the Pollinator Lesson Pack for FREE!
Launching #99Parks!
How much of Iowa have you really seen? The Iowa Department of Tourism is challenging Iowa families to visit 99 Iowa Counties & 99 Iowa Parks! Download the checklist and take the challenge!
FUN!!! With Kids & Worms
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about worms, and more! Create your own worm composting bin. Learn about the important jobs worms do for us. Talk about garbage!
Summer Days
School has started now, and I’m reflecting on our summer together–trying to decipher what made it so special. Although our calendar looked wide open, never once did I hear the words, “I’m bored.”
Want Better Discussions? Frame the Conversation
Teachers can improve student to student conversation nonverbally by paying attention to their position in the classroom…Thoughtful classroom movement also helps the teacher manage the classroom by discretely redirecting students.
Want Better Discussions? Just Wait A Few Seconds.
…the way teachers respond to their students greatly impacts the authenticity of the discussion. It’s not surprising that teachers who interject their own ideas and/or reject or rephrase students’ ideas, kill the conversation off quickly.
Want Better Discussions? Questions are the Answer
Teachers ask a lot of questions, but many of those questions target basic knowledge or recall. We can make our discussions more effective by beginning them with “What”, “How”, “Why”, “If…then”–open-ended questions that require more thought.
The Peace and Beauty of Winter in your Classroom
Winter has finally arrived! The solstice brings a sense of peace and serenity to the great outdoors. Likewise, Teachers and students are getting ready for some much-needed relaxation.
Devastation in Puerto Rico
Shelly Johnson, Martha McCormick and I planned to travel to Puerto Rico this Tuesday. Next Step was chosen to present at the North American Association of Environmental Educators’ (NAAEE) Annual Conference in San Juan this week. Our presentations were planned, and we were looking forward to learning about a place we had never visited.
Instead, we have anxiously followed the news as two storms approached and hit the island, and through the weeks since. Here are some of the things we learned–
- Eighty-four percent of the population in Puerto Rico is still without power nearly one month after Hurricane Maria.
- According to the Washington Post, only 63 percent of the islanders have access to clean water.
- Just 60 percent of wastewater treatment plants are working. Food supplies and medical systems are inadequate.
People are dying. Three weeks of recovery, yet so many US citizens continue to live in devastation. This is unacceptable.
If 3 million people were suffering in a different part of the country, perhaps even Iowa, I can’t help but think the response would be different. Constant media coverage would put a spotlight on the slow recovery. A stream of politicians would visit. Certainly, the president of the United States would not be threatening to abandon relief efforts.
Obviously, our conference was cancelled. The organizers have scrambled to make some of the conference topics available online. We’ve been invited to submit the materials we would have presented to a virtual conference site.
Here are some of our plans. Focusing on these projects has been difficult because my mind dwells on the families living in such desperate circumstances in Puerto Rico.
SESSION TITLE: Keeping Environmental Education Programs Fresh: Aligning with Next Generation Science Standards
SUMMARY: Naturalists’ interactions with school groups have a major impact on the next generation. By tweaking programs as school curriculum evolves, naturalists can expand their outreach.
- Participate in an interactive online NGSS scavenger hunt to learn about Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
- Align your own programs to NGSS with a template. An example is provided as well.
- A description of Next Generation Science Standards, tips for aligning programs with the standards, and sample before/after lesson tweaks are in our slides. Contact us for a copy.
SESSION TITLE: Teaching with Mini Wind Turbines and Solar Panels: Opportunities and Challenges
SUMMARY: Renewable energy production is on the rise, offering both benefits and challenges for our next generation. Learn about these technologies as well as strategies for incorporating them into STEM learning experiences for students.
- Experience a sample activity from our middle school renewable energy curriculum: VIP interviews.
- To explore opportunities and challenges in renewable energy, take on various perspectives from the assertion jar. Find the Assertion Jar lesson in our middle school service learning curriculum. This renewable energy add-on provides specific statements.
- Build mini circuits using materials from the Teachers Going Green teaching kit. Then search for energy lessons on the website.
- If you would like a copy of our slides, please contact us.
Even though we don’t get to travel to Puerto Rico this year, our hearts are with the people of that small island. If you’d like to donate to the recovery efforts, here’s a link that may help you decide the best route to do so.