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Educators around the country are developing materials to use with Nature's Notebook.
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Brian Powell
Nature's Notebook Activities
Explore Nature's Notebook materials created by the National Coordinating Office Staff and partners.
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| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Habitat Scavenger Hunt |
The following lesson can be used as an introduction to the concept of observation. Observations skills are critical to the field of science among other things! Knowing how to pay attention to what’s is going on around you is an important life skill. Taking the time to make observations is beneficial to health and wellness too. It also introduces the concept of phenology through the observation of plants and animals in a habitat garden. The activity increases science literacy by teaching about observation skills, encourages people to pay attention to their surroundings, to spend more time outdoors and observe things they may not yet have experienced. USA-NPN Education Publication Number: 2014-013-C |
| Phenology Bingo |
The following activity can be used as an introduction to the concept of phenology. The items on the phenology board are phenomena that participants have observed in nature, perhaps without even knowing their relationship to ecology, science, and climate, or their status as phenological events. Maybe they are fond childhood memories. The activity increases science literacy by teaching about life-cycle events, encouraging people to recall experiences outdoors and spend more time observing things they may not yet have experienced. It can be adapted to any grade level. USA-NPN Education Publication Number: 2014-010-C |
| Observation Station |
The following activity can be used as an introduction to the concept of observation. Observations skills are critical to the field of science, among other things! Knowing how to pay attention to what’s is going on around you is an important life skill. Taking the time to make observations is beneficial to health and wellness too. The activity increases science literacy by teaching about observation skills, encourages people to pay attention to their surroundings, to spend more time outdoors and observe things they may not yet have experienced. It can be adapted for any grade level. USA-NPN Education Publication Number: 2014-012-C |
| The Life of Corn |
The following activity can be used as an introduction to the concept of phenology. It demonstrates the life cycle of a corn plant, a plant familiar to many, putting this plant into a new perspective. The Life of Corn highlights the importance of the developmental life-cycle, something which all organisms experience in a predictable manner. The activity increases science literacy by teaching about life-cycle events, encourages people not only to recall experiences outdoors but also to spend more time outdoors and observe things they may not yet have experienced. This activity was adapted from Dandelion Life, presented by NatureBridge. It is adapatable to all grade levels. USA-NPN Education Publication Number: 2014-014-C |
| Making Basic Phenology Observations |
The following activity is meant as an introduction to phenology, the study of recurring plant and animal life cycle stages. Students make scientific observations of plants and record their observations and record them for Nature's Notebook. USA-NPN Education Publication Number: 2014-011-C |
| Volunteer Training Course Phenology Notes Worksheet |
**Editable This worksheet can be used in a Master Naturalist or Master Gardener course as an assignment to track phenology throughout the subject areas presented. Students can make notes each week during lectures and presentations about how phenology informs most, or all, of the subjects presented as part of the training course. Because the form is editable, it can also be used in other volunteer training programs. |
| Phenology Word Searches |
These word searches can be used as activities in the classroom or in an informal setting. The first, suitable for younger grades, contains six words to find and corresponding questions. The second has a list of words to find. |
| Phenology Monitoring - Site Set up Planning Activity for Students |
This worksheet can be used as an activity in a high school classroom where students will be responsible for planning out the long-term phenology monitoring program to be established at the school or within the community. It includes a series of thought-provoking questions that students can discuss in groups. It will work best in conjuntion with other preliminary Nature's Notebook activities. Background information on the physical characteristics of a site can be found on the second worksheet called, Guiding tips for site set up and Sugerencias para ubicar su sitio físico - en español USA-NPN Education Publication Number: 2014-006-C; 2014-006a-C (2014-006-CSP ; 2014-006a-CSP - Spanish) |
| Phenology Calendar Activities |
Use this monthly phenology chart to record what species of animals you see, and what species of plants are leafing, flowering and fruiting. Use as a quick reference in addition to what you record in Nature's Notebook. Print it out on large paper and hang it in a classroom or nature center for an annual view of what you might see. USA-NPN Education Publication Number: 2014-003-C You will also find listed above a Phenology Calendar Activity developed by our partners at Signs of the Seasons Maine where students can create a month by month calendar of phenological events. |
| Phenology and Seasonal Change Study Guide |
This KWL (Know, Want to Know, Learned) Chart can be used prior to introducing a Nature's Notebook monitoring program in a classroom (grades 5-12). This activity elicits critical thinking skills and can be used in context with making weekly observations for a semester or year. USA-NPN Education Publication Number: 2014-004-C
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