In this lesson, students are introduced to trees and the many things we commonly use that come from trees. Includes introductory movement activity, guided discussion, a matching game, and fun facts.

NGSS: Partially meets 1-LS1-1, 2-PS1-1, 2-PS1-2

Common Core: W.2.7, W.2.8

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: "Apples to Oregon" book and three paper lunch bags labled: wood, food, cellulose.

In this activity, kids will work on two fundamental early math skills – sorting/classifying, and graphing. There will also be some great fine motor skill practice! Includes place-based discussion questions, activity instructions, extension activities, songs, and student graph worksheets.

NGSS: K-LS1-1, 1-LS1-1, partially meets K-ESS3-1 (book and discussion)

Common Core: MP.4

Time: 45 minutes

Matierals: bag of dried beans ("16 bean soup"), paper bowls, glue, chart paper, the book "One Bean" or similar book about growing food plants, especially beans.

This lesson pairs with the book "Pancakes, Pancakes!" by Eric Carle. First read this story and then run the breakfast relay outlined in this lesson.

NGSS: K-ESS3-3

CCSS: SL.K.3

Social Sciences: K.10, K.17, 1.12, 3.12, 5.11, 4.18

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: "Pancakes, Pancakes!" by Eric Carle, food cards and bags labeled: earth, farm, store, factory.

In this lesson, students will learn about bees and their connection to agriculture. Includes activity instructions, variations, and exentsion activities.

NGSS: 2-LS2-2

Common Core: RL.1.1, RI.7, SL2.5

Social Sciences: K.11

Time: 45 minutes

The online geology lab for community college students was developed during two years of forced online synchronous learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This open educational resource is a cohesive laboratory manual intended for two-year, non-major college students from the New York area. Each lab is accompanied by a Teacher’s Guide and an online answer sheet (formatted for the Blackboard learning management system). A multiple-choice format is used for many questions, making the labs easy to grade.

In this activity students will make a “growing” bracelet and learn about the basic elements plants need to grow and thrive. Includes activity instructions, extension activities, songs, and additional reading list.

NGSS: K-LS1-1, 1-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2 (extension activity)

CCSS: L.K.5, SL.K.1, SL.K.5, SL.1.4

Social Sciences: Partially meets 3.13

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: "One Bean" book, chenille stems/pipe cleaners, and pony beads (yellow, brown, blue, clear, green, and red.

In this lesson students will learn about rock formations and fossils within rock layers. Includes video links, discussion, and activity instructions.

NGSS: 4-ESS1-1

Time: 1 hour

Materials: bucket of clay and plastic animals

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)* call for students to use the practices, concepts and content of science and engineering to understand phenomena and solve problems that are relevant to their lives. Starting from a student’s own experiences and community makes the science meaningful and increases engagement while helping students understand how global issues like climate change are present and addressable in their lives. In this series (NGSS in Action: Science and Engineering in your Schoolyard) we examine how you can use the new science standards and your community to understand and address real world environmental problems and explore together how to integrate NGSS into your district’s classroom science units.Workshop 1: Science in Action Description: "Venture outside the walls of the classroom to find local environmental phenomena that can anchor your classroom science unit. Explore with us the big picture of Next Generation Science Standards’ “three dimensional” science learning and then get hands on with the Science and Engineering Practices as you use them to build an understanding of an example phenomenon in our 'schoolyard.' You’ll leave this workshop with ideas and examples you can use in your own classroom science curriculum."

Through this lesson, students in 3rd-5th grade will understand how the human history of a local creek (Whatcom Creek in this example) affects the health of salmon populations. This lesson is an active way to engage students in graphing through the use of models and uses critical thinking to understand implications of human actions in the past and in the future.

In this lesson, students will investigate the miraculous process of air and water combining with seeds, soil, and sunlight to create nearly all the food we eat. Extension activities can take this a step further by encouraging kids to track growth rates of different seeds in an observation journal. Includes place-based connection, activity instructions, extension activities, songs, and vobaulary list.

NGSS: Partially meets 2-LS2-1, 1-LS1-1

Common Core: W.2.7, W.2.8, and MD.K, MD.1, MD.2.1, MD.3.3, MD.4.4, MD.5 with extension activities.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials: "One Bean" book or other book about plant germination, clear plastic cups, paper cups, paper towels, seeds, and water.

In this lesson students create a model beaver dam and demonstrate changes in the ecosystem community pre- and post-dam. Students hypothesize about changes that they would expect to see to the ecosystem after the beaver dam is built.

NGSS: 5-ESS2-1, 3-5-ETS1-3

Time: one or two 50-minute class periods

Materials: ecosystem cards (included), seed trays or long Tupperware containers, wood/popsicle sticks, sand, rocks, and clay

In this lesson, students will investigate how trees change by the season. Includes discussion of techniques for identifying trees, journaling changes that take place over time for the same tree throughout the school year, a list of vocabulary, a field guid to identifying trees, and a tree journal worksheet for students.

NGSS: Partially meets 2-LS4-1

Common Core: W.2.7, W.2.8, 2.MD.D.10

Social Sciences: 3.12, 4.12

Time: 1 hour initially, then 30-40 minute lessons through the seasons

Materials: "The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree" book, My Tree Journal pages (included), pencils, colored pencils, and clipboards.

What's the Matter with Trash?Have you ever wondered what happens to trash once you throw it away?  You may know that it goes to a dumpster or that the trash collectors come and get it.  But, what happens then?  Some of the items you throw away will break down into smaller parts, some might get heated in fire, and others will get buried underground in landfills and might never break down at all!  Trash and the many ways humans “get rid” of it can cause a number of health issues for the community. You will explore the properties of materials we throw away and how you can make your community cleaner and healthier by learning to recycle, reuse, and reduce waste. You will then influence your community by convincing others to improve solid waste management.