EDUCATION

"Our children no longer learn how to read the great book of Nature from their own direct experience, or how to interact creatively with the seasonal transformations of the planet. They seldom learn where their water comes from or where it goes. We no longer coordinate our human celebration with the great liturgy of the heavens."

Wendell Berry

*******************************************

According to a recent survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Fund, young people ages 8-18 spend more than 7 ½ hours a day on smart phones and computers and watching television—over 53 hours a week plugged into
electronic media, and an increase over five years earlier.

*************************************************************

Our Programs

Classroom Teachers!

Sign up for our educational programs! These programs are a great way to address topics within your curriculum as well as enrich & extend it! And of course meet your Indiana State Standards!

Families!!

See below for programs targeting families. Adults can attend alone or bring children. Children under 16 must be supervised by an adult during the programs.

Educators!

Flying Wild Workshop details below!

******************************************************

School Programs

NOTE: Classroom Programs For 2011-12 Available Until April 30, 2011

ALL YEAR

Enviroscape:                                                    
Interactive watershed landscape model shows examples of soil erosion and water pollution. Students participate in hands-on activities and discussion about conservation practices. (Grade 3) 60 min.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: An Introduction to Trash & Recycling for Home and School: Learn how to rethink daily actions to reduce landfill waste. (Grade 4) 50 min.

E-Cycling: Life Cycle of a Cell Phone: Students learn about E-cycling, the stages (from Materials Extraction to End of Life) required to produce a cell phone & recycle it, what resources are extracted from the earth, the parts of a real cell phone, why & where we should recycle cell phones, understand BIG numbers, & inventory their homes for electronics. (Grades 3. 4. 5. 6) 60 min.

Where Waste Goes: Reduce & Reuse-Let's Take the Garbage Out! View a video of where waste goes in Indiana and then through brainstorming & a graphic organizer, students will use "trash items" to make decisions about reducing & reusing waste. This activity is followed by a poetry component based on Shel Silverstein's "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out. Students will write their own poems following the same rhyming pattern with the theme of reducing/reusing. (Grades 3, 4, 5) 60 min. NEW!

Ecosystems: Producers, Consumers, & Decomposers:Using PowerPoint, discussion, and activity, students will learn about the importance of a balanced ecosystem with all its producers, consumers, & decomposers. They will understand relationships through food chains & food webs. Students will classify organisms as producers, consumers, or decomposers. Optional activity based on time/grade level: classifying decomposing logs using photographs. (Grades 4-6) 60 min. NEW!

FALL

Water Cycle:                                                  
Through discussion and activities, students learn about the hydrological cycle and the importance of water conservation. The program culminates in a water cycle activity where students become a water drop attempting to maneuver through a water cycle without becoming polluted. Water cycle poster contest is available for students to enter. (Grade 4) 60 min

Worms Eat My Garbage: Examine a working compost bin, learn about the benefits of composting, learn worm facts, and set up a bin in your classroom for students to maintain. (Grades 1-5) 50 min.

SPRING

Seeds & Plants:                                                    
Students learn parts of a plant and how they grow, where seeds come from, and how seeds are disbursed.  Program concludes with students planting seeds to keep in the classroom and watch grow. Teachers provide a small container (recycled milk carton or Capri juice pouch preferred, with top cut off and container rinsed) SWCD will provide soil and seed for activity(Grades K-3) 50 min.

**********************************************************

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS

(For formal & informal educators)

Flying WILD Workshop:

This is a program of the Council for Environmental Education. It introduces bird conservation through standards-based classroom activities and environmental stewardship projects. Participants gain experience in hands-on activities from the activity guide that teaches basic biology, identification, and ecology, bird conservation, and service learning activities. By completing the workshop, you will receive the curriculum guide. Great workshop for teachers of grades 4-12, youth groups, clubs, and home schools.

 

Project WET/AQUATIC WILD Workshop:

Project WET/AQUATIC WILD is one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school. It is based on the premise that young people and educators have a vital interest in learning about our natural world.

Project WET/AQUATIC WILD activities are designed to satisfy the goals of educational programs by complementing existing curricula rather than displacing or adding more concepts. The activities provide opportunities to address curricula objectives and educational standards. These interdisciplinary activities designed for students in grades K-12 are perfect for use in formal and non-formal education settings. (State Standards are addressed). Participants receive curriculum guides following the completion of the workshop.

Healthy Water, Healthy People Workshop:

The program, entitled Healthy Water, Healthy People promotes stewardship of water resources by teaching educators and students about the relationship between water quality and human and environmental health.

Targeting teachers and students in grades six through 12, the Healthy Water, Healthy People program: