Adirondack
Curriculum
Project - www.adkcurriculumproject.org 
NYS Content Area Standard
MST
2: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer
information using appropriate technologies.
MST 6: Students will understand the relationships and common
themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the
themes to these and other areas of learning.
MST 6.2: Students will use different types of models such as
graphs, sketches, diagrams, and maps to represent various aspects of
the real world.
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Title: Discover
Nature - Activities to Educate Junior Naturalists
Grade Level: MS to HS Technology Education
integrated with Environmental Science
Author: Alta Jo Longware
Email: alongware@avcsk12.org
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Adirondack Curriculum Content Area
_X_ Natural History
___ Human History
___ Culture & the Arts
___ Government & Civics
___ Economy
___ Health, Recreation &
Life Skills |
Investigative Question or Issue: How do visual models help
humans understand and appreciate the natural environment in which they
live?
Challenge:
Context for this Challenge:
The activities will be compiled into a manual and posted as pdf files
that teachers can pull from as needed.
Challenge: Work in
teams to create a series of activities that will help young students
learn about and appreciate the value of the Adirondack region.
The activities should be appropriate for children in grades K-2, 3-4,
or 5-6 to complete on their own, or with some assistance from a parent
or teacher.
The activities should introduce, enhance, or reinforce topics or
concepts that the young hikers will see or do while on the local nature
trail. It can be “minds-on” such as a word puzzle, “hands-on” such as a
pattern for a cut-out, or “minds-on and hands-on” such as the design of
a model habitat. Whatever the activity is that you create, it
should be engaging, educational and FUN - so use your
imagination!
Procedure:
This project will begin with a field experience where the class will
take a hike on the school nature trail. While on the trail, you
will work in teams to document the different plant and animal species
or prominent features found along the trail. Following the hike,
the class will discuss what each team observed and identify key themes,
concepts, or ideas that relate to the Adirondacks, and then brainstorm
and create a list of different activities that might be appropriate for
young students. The class will conduct research and collect
samples of similar activities. Each team will develop an activity
based on a specific NY State Learning Standard for Math, Science,
Technology, Physical Education/Health, Art, Family and Consumer
Science, and/or English Language Arts.
The final product for each activity will be in the form of an activity
master that a classroom teacher can copy and distribute to the
students. (See the quality standard checklists.)
Topics may include but are not limited to:
- Animal Identification and Habitats (Mammals,
Birds, Amphibians, Insects)
- Biomes and Biodiversity
- Careers: Making A Living In and Around the
Adirondacks (From agriculture to zoologist)
- Ecological Threats and Controls (Diseases,
Invasives)
- Ecological Communities (Food chain, Food web)
- Folklore or Folk Remedies (Origin of the term
Adirondack)
- Forest Products (Food, Shelter, Accessories)
- Hiking Safety and Etiquette (Poison Ivy, Carry
In-Carry Out, Leave No Trace)
- History (People and/or events that helped make
the Adirondacks what they are today)
- Plant Identification (Herbs, Shrubs, Trees)
- Prominent Features (Geology, Geography,
Topography)
- Stewardship (Caring for the natural
environment)
- Trivia (Adirondack Firsts)
Resources:
To accomplish this task, you will have access to a digital camera,
computers, internet, and a printer, as well as plant and animal
identification guides, , the New York State Learning Standards, and
elementary level curriculum guides.
Resource Links:
Examples of Student
Work: Scavenger Hunt
• Leaf Printing • Word Search
• Adirondack Riddles
• Food Chain • Matching • Scat Match
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Quality Standards:
The
student activity should be:
- Engaging, educational, and FUN!
- Age appropriate for the specified grade level
- Factually correct (Research and resources must
be documented)
- Neat and easy to follow with clear instructions
- Aesthetically pleasing (looks good)
- Grammatically correct
- Include appropriate (original) illustrations,
diagrams, pictures and/or text
- Aligned with New York State Learning Standards
(SL) in The Arts, Math, Science, Technology, English Language Arts,
Social Studies, Health and Physical Education, Family and Consumer
Science, or Career Development/Occupational Studies.
The Activity Master should:
- Fit an 8 _ x 11” piece of paper (or two that
will fit an 11” x 17”)
- Be clear and easily reproduced with a copier
The Activity Cover Sheet should include:
- Names of the activity developers
- Target grade level
- Specific learning standard performance
indicators
- Instructions or other information that a
teacher would find useful when using the activity
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Adapted for the Adirondack
Curriculum Project from
the work of Education By Design TM and Leading EDGE, LLC
©ACP 2002
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Product of
the 2008 ACP Biodiversity Workshop, funded by a grant from the New York
Biodiversity Research Institute.