Resources for Teachers and Parents
This page provides a portal to various teaching resources for natural history, natural resource
conservation, the environment, and climate change. We are continually updating the resources, so check back periodically.
conservation, the environment, and climate change. We are continually updating the resources, so check back periodically.
Categories:
- Announcements
- Introductory Material for Teaching Natural History
- Resource Websites
- Nature-related Webinars
- Nature Books for Kids
- Nature Apps
- Nature Activities
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Virginia Association for Environmental Education Virtual Mini-Conferences
Want to connect with other environmental educators? The Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) is offering a virtual mini conference series! Each day will highlight one of Virginia’s different regions, seasonal changes, and the educators that work within that area.
Registration is currently open only for the full conference (all three dates together as a package) and the February event.
VAEE is now also accepting proposals for presentations, so if you would like to lead a session or workshop, submit your proposal. Many VMN volunteers have had great presentations at past conferences.
Please see the VAEE website for all the details you need on both registration and submitting a proposal.
Virginia Association for Environmental Education Virtual Mini-Conferences
Want to connect with other environmental educators? The Virginia Association for Environmental Education (VAEE) is offering a virtual mini conference series! Each day will highlight one of Virginia’s different regions, seasonal changes, and the educators that work within that area.
- February 20 - Winter in the West
- July 17 - Summer on the Shore
- October 23 - Fall in the Piedmont
Registration is currently open only for the full conference (all three dates together as a package) and the February event.
VAEE is now also accepting proposals for presentations, so if you would like to lead a session or workshop, submit your proposal. Many VMN volunteers have had great presentations at past conferences.
Please see the VAEE website for all the details you need on both registration and submitting a proposal.
INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL
What is Natural History - Camille Hartley, UCSC
Teaching Natural History - Camille Hartley, UCSC
Observing Nature I
Observing Nature II
What is Natural History - Camille Hartley, UCSC
Teaching Natural History - Camille Hartley, UCSC
Observing Nature I
Observing Nature II
RESOURCE WEBSITES
Appalachian Mountain Club - 10 backyard nature activities for kids
Clifton Institute - Educational Resources
Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District - Envirothon Resources
Harvard Museum of Natural History - Resources for Teachers
London (UK) Natural History Museum - Living things and their habitats
National Environmental Education Foundation - Click Here
National Park Service Educational Resources to advance biodiversity awareness and discovery - click here
NOAA Climate.gov - Toolbox for Teaching Climate and Energy - Click Here
PBS Learning - Climate Literacy
PBS Learning - Classification/Taxonomy
PBS Learning - Ecology
PBS Learning - Natural Resources
PBS Learning - Weather and Climate
PBS Learning - Human Impacts on Earth Systems
PBS Learning - Earth's Atmosphere
PBS Learning - Global and Regional Climate Change
Smithsonian Natural History Museum - teaching resources
University of California - Berkeley - Natural History education resources
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation/ Lesson plans for backyard classrooms - click here
Chesapeake Bay Foundation - RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Virtual Environmental Education Program
ONLINE WATERSHED LEARNING (OWL)
Teachers may reserve a 45-minute virtual OWL session from one of the six themes below. Each reservation will include the following support:
For more information: click here
Appalachian Mountain Club - 10 backyard nature activities for kids
Clifton Institute - Educational Resources
Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District - Envirothon Resources
Harvard Museum of Natural History - Resources for Teachers
London (UK) Natural History Museum - Living things and their habitats
National Environmental Education Foundation - Click Here
National Park Service Educational Resources to advance biodiversity awareness and discovery - click here
NOAA Climate.gov - Toolbox for Teaching Climate and Energy - Click Here
PBS Learning - Climate Literacy
PBS Learning - Classification/Taxonomy
PBS Learning - Ecology
PBS Learning - Natural Resources
PBS Learning - Weather and Climate
PBS Learning - Human Impacts on Earth Systems
PBS Learning - Earth's Atmosphere
PBS Learning - Global and Regional Climate Change
Smithsonian Natural History Museum - teaching resources
University of California - Berkeley - Natural History education resources
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation/ Lesson plans for backyard classrooms - click here
Chesapeake Bay Foundation - RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
- Learn Outside, Learn at Home
- Student Investigations & Activities
- Nature Journaling
- CBF Education Videos
- "Ask an Expert" Videos
- Graphics for the Classroom
- Water Quality Investigation Series & Interactive Map
- Osprey Tracking Map
- Storm Drain Stenciling
Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Virtual Environmental Education Program
ONLINE WATERSHED LEARNING (OWL)
Teachers may reserve a 45-minute virtual OWL session from one of the six themes below. Each reservation will include the following support:
- one lesson, which can be taught to up to six class sessions on the platform of the teacher's choice;
- a planning conference call with a CBF educator prior to the class online session;
- guidance on CBF's Learn Outside, Learn at Home online resources, including video lessons from the field, student investigations, and student action extensions.
- Healthy Habitats
- Watershed Connections
- Oysters and a Clear Bay
- Chesapeake Bay Ecosystems
- Freshwater Ecosystems
- Forests, Wetlands and Healthy Water
- Student Action
For more information: click here
NATURE-RELATED WEBINARS
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For additional webinars, see our Continuing Education page
NATURE BOOKS FOR KIDS
Clifton Institute Reading Lists
Recommended Reading List of books organized by grade level and program theme
Design your own Family Book Club with this nature-themed reading list.
Science Magazine's 2020 "Fodder for future scientists" has a number of nature-related books (highlighted)
The Big Book of Bugs by Matthew Robertson
Why do bees make honey? How do spiders spin their webs? Which is the smartest bug? This is an up-close and personal book for young entomologists and all curious kids who are fascinated by bugs. Look into a spider’s eye and get tangled in its web. Marvel at teeny tiny creepy crawlies blown up to extraordinary sizes. Photographs are annotated with “buggy” facts and figures. Larger than life photographs of these bugs include locusts, caterpillars, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, ants, praying mantises and more. Quizzes that test your child’s knowledge and dozens of animal-friendly activities and experiments that kids can do at home.
Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids: 50 Creative Projects to Spark Curiosity in the Outdoors by Kim Andrews
This book encourages young nature lovers to get outside and track, explore, discover, and create. The book is filled with hands-on, educational outdoor activities in three sections:
Fun with Nature: Take Along Guide by Mel Boring, Diane Burns, and Leslie Dendy
This book helps kids discover the incredible world in their own backyards. Topics include: Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies; Frogs, Toads and Turtles; Snakes, Salamanders and Lizards; Rabbits, Squirrels and chipmunks; Tracks, Scats and Signs; and Trees, Leaves and Bark. Filled with facts and activities. Provides detailed descriptions and illustrations of more than 150 different animals and plants.
The Kid’s Guide to Exploring Nature by Brooklyn Botanic Garden Educators
Become a top explorer of the Great Outdoors with these adventurous nature activities. This beautifully illustrated guide will inspire kids to look closely at the world around them. It teaches children how to observe environments as a naturalist does and leads them on 24 adventures that reveal the complex ecosystems of plants and animals in the woods, at the beach, and in a city park. Detailed scientifically based drawings help young scientists identify hundreds of North American plants and animals. Projects include keeping a journal, conducting field experiments, and exploring nature with all five senses.
The Kids’ Nature Book 365 Indoor – Outdoor Activities and Experiences by Susan Milord
Shore to desert, country to city, exciting nature activities await discovery -- from beneath the smallest rock to the vast sky above. With a full year of 'nature-nurturing' activities, the book launches children on a lifelong love affair with the natural world. The book includes 365 self-contained, fully-explained indoor and outdoor activities, observations and experiences.
Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Cornell
The guidebook presents 42 educational games designed for people of all temperaments and intended to open up nature to children (ages 3 and up) and adults. The games are organized in seven major sections according to the type of activity:
The Big Book of Nature Activities: A Year-Round Guide to Outdoor Learning
by Jacob Rodenburg (Author), Drew Monkman (Author)
Clifton Institute Reading Lists
Recommended Reading List of books organized by grade level and program theme
Design your own Family Book Club with this nature-themed reading list.
Science Magazine's 2020 "Fodder for future scientists" has a number of nature-related books (highlighted)
The Big Book of Bugs by Matthew Robertson
Why do bees make honey? How do spiders spin their webs? Which is the smartest bug? This is an up-close and personal book for young entomologists and all curious kids who are fascinated by bugs. Look into a spider’s eye and get tangled in its web. Marvel at teeny tiny creepy crawlies blown up to extraordinary sizes. Photographs are annotated with “buggy” facts and figures. Larger than life photographs of these bugs include locusts, caterpillars, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, ants, praying mantises and more. Quizzes that test your child’s knowledge and dozens of animal-friendly activities and experiments that kids can do at home.
- Ages 9 to 12 years, grades 4 to 7
- 448 pages
Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids: 50 Creative Projects to Spark Curiosity in the Outdoors by Kim Andrews
This book encourages young nature lovers to get outside and track, explore, discover, and create. The book is filled with hands-on, educational outdoor activities in three sections:
- 50 Fun outdoor projects Inspire a lifetime of curiosity with tons of guided, interactive ideas that let kids observe animals, plants, and even outer space in action.
- Activities for everyone, everywhere The fun and games inside cover a range of seasons and regions so all kids can start exploring, no matter where they are.
- Important skill-building By stopping to notice and record what's going on around them, kids will practice important skills like observation, memory, writing, drawing, wildlife safety, and more.
- Ages 6 to12
- 134 pages
Fun with Nature: Take Along Guide by Mel Boring, Diane Burns, and Leslie Dendy
This book helps kids discover the incredible world in their own backyards. Topics include: Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies; Frogs, Toads and Turtles; Snakes, Salamanders and Lizards; Rabbits, Squirrels and chipmunks; Tracks, Scats and Signs; and Trees, Leaves and Bark. Filled with facts and activities. Provides detailed descriptions and illustrations of more than 150 different animals and plants.
- Ages 7-10 years old, Grade Level: 2-5
- 288 pages
- Available in Kindle
The Kid’s Guide to Exploring Nature by Brooklyn Botanic Garden Educators
Become a top explorer of the Great Outdoors with these adventurous nature activities. This beautifully illustrated guide will inspire kids to look closely at the world around them. It teaches children how to observe environments as a naturalist does and leads them on 24 adventures that reveal the complex ecosystems of plants and animals in the woods, at the beach, and in a city park. Detailed scientifically based drawings help young scientists identify hundreds of North American plants and animals. Projects include keeping a journal, conducting field experiments, and exploring nature with all five senses.
- Ages 9-12 years
- 134 pages
- Winner: Hands-on Science category, 2015 American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Named an honor book for the 2015 Green Earth Book Award in Children’s Nonfiction
The Kids’ Nature Book 365 Indoor – Outdoor Activities and Experiences by Susan Milord
Shore to desert, country to city, exciting nature activities await discovery -- from beneath the smallest rock to the vast sky above. With a full year of 'nature-nurturing' activities, the book launches children on a lifelong love affair with the natural world. The book includes 365 self-contained, fully-explained indoor and outdoor activities, observations and experiences.
- Ages 9 to 12
- 156 pages
- Winner of Parents’ Choice Gold Award
- Endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Massachusetts Audubon Society
Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Cornell
The guidebook presents 42 educational games designed for people of all temperaments and intended to open up nature to children (ages 3 and up) and adults. The games are organized in seven major sections according to the type of activity:
- Close Up with Nature
- How Much Can You See
- Nature's Balance
- Learning Is Fun
- Play and Discovery
- Spotting and Attracting Animals
- Adventures.
- In honor of the book’s 20th Anniversary, Cornell―drawing upon his experience giving workshops worldwide―has added eight new games and revisited many others in this second edition.
- Amazon: This is not just a book, but a powerful approach to raising nature awareness in children and adults. The first edition of this book sparked a worldwide revolution in nature education, and became a classic. The author, Joseph Cornell, is one of the most highly regarded nature educators in the world today. His expertise, and his irrepressible enthusiasm for the grandeur and mystery of nature, spill over onto ever page. His unique blend of knowledge and warmth creates an atmosphere for learning that is very contagious.
The Big Book of Nature Activities: A Year-Round Guide to Outdoor Learning
by Jacob Rodenburg (Author), Drew Monkman (Author)
- Amazon: Get out! Seasonal activities, information, stories, games and observations to foster engagement with the natural world The Big Book of Nature Activities is a comprehensive guide for parents and educators to help youth of all ages explore, appreciate and connect with the natural world. This rich, fully illustrated compendium is packed with crafts, stories, information and inspiration to make outdoor learning fun.
- NATURE APPS FOR KIDS
Here are some sources of various nature apps for kids:
- Sierra Club - Best Nature Apps for Kids
- 10 Best Nature Apps for Kids - click here
- American Forests - 7 free iPhone apps - click here
- Treehugger - 12 nature apps - click here
NATURE ACTIVITIES
Keep a Nature Journal.
Writing prompts for kids (right) and a video on
How to Nature Journal from the Clifton Institute. Eleanor’s back with another video about nature journaling, this time with activities that are great for kids! Let us know what you see and notice and what it reminds you of!