Learning Outdoors
Resources from Environmental Education - 4/29/21
Spring Curriculum and Classroom Visits
WI School Garden Day - May 20, 2021
Now, more than ever, youth garden educators are displaying resilience, innovation, and creativity as schools and programs are finding ways to continue making gardens an essential part of children’s education.
You can participate in Wisconsin School Garden Day by engaging in some type of garden-based education activity or celebration on May 20, 2021 (or another day that week).
Moving in Nature
PBS Learning Media Resources
PBS Learning Media offers many rich videos and lesson plans on a variety of nature and environmental themes. Check out a few of them linked below!
Becoming Green Energy Experts (7-12)
Take Action for Nature and Your Community (6-12)
The Age of Nature (4-12)
Snowy Owl Craft
Planetarium Corner
Each week, Lisa Swaney (the Planetarium Director) will share some fun opportunities here!
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May the 4th Be With You! Even NASA likes to have a little fun now and then. As May 4th approaches us, it is a time for Stars Wars and science fiction fans to celebrate the possibilities of life beyond our atmosphere and the excitement of space exploration. NASA assists with that task by providing several resources (science fiction and science fact) to help engage and educate those scifi fans in your classroom. Here are a few fun little activities to share. Enjoy!
Lessons
Images, Videos, and Interactives
These NASA Star Wars Day sharables are fun year round!
Wood Duck Houses - Spring Cleaning
Phenology Phorum
Mayapples
written by EE teacher Laureanna Raymond-Duvernell
We moved to our current home in 2013, when the girls were two and four years old. It was a great age to be outdoors with them, exploring our new landscape.
One of my favorite early memories was walking in our small stretch of woods and discovering the plants that made their appearance each spring. A new one for me was the Mayapple.
If you haven’t seen this Wisconsin native plant, it is a surprise at each stage of its growth. A sturdy stalk sprouts up, looking like a tiny, unfurled green umbrella against the brown leaves from the past fall. Next, the leaves spread out, shading the land around them with their wide spread. Soon after, a bright white appears, tucked under the leaves - a small present waiting to be found. The flowers are fragrant and we have often stopped to watch various pollinators stop by to grab some nectar. The pollinated flowers grow the plant’s namesake: a small green fruit that looks like a tiny apple will take the place of the flower in the summer.
A word of caution as you head out to see the Mayapples in action: all parts of the plant are toxic. Unless you’re a turtle - native turtles will eat the fruit and then help to spread the seeds as they digest and travel.
While there are no books about Mayapples that I know of, there are a host of picture books about spring flowers. This week, try out “When Spring Comes” by Wisconsin author/illustrator Kevin Henkes.
Sit-upons
Support for Outdoor Learning
Science Joke of the Week
We Want to Hear From YOU!
Email: ekoeppel@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Website: https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/domain/173
Location: 810 West College Avenue, Waukesha, WI, USA
Phone: 262-970-4333
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SDWEnvironmentalEducation
Twitter: @sdwenved