Hibernation in animals and other dormancy Hibernation in animals is a much talked about topic in elementary science, but it’s often misunderstood. Hibernation is usually used as a blanket term for any animal that sleeps through the winter. However, dormancy is the more accurate blanket term for sleeping animals and there are multiple forms that […]
Outdoor Education
Podcast
Outdoor Learning Equipment for Schools and Homeschool Groups [Ep. 28]Outdoor learning equipment for schools Outdoor learning equipment for schools and homeschool groups come in all different shapes, sizes, and prices. But as a teacher, you are already paying for way too many things to make your indoor classroom run, you shouldn’t have to add more of a financial burden onto your shoulders to be […]
Outdoor Education
Podcast
The Great Backyard Bird Count: How to Put Together a Bird Feeding Station with Martha Holzheuer [Ep. 27]Prepping for the Great Backyard Bird Count I am so excited to be able to offer you a guest interview all about setting up a bird feeding station for the Great Backyard Bird Count! Martha Holzheuer is the owner of Nature Niche and has had an amazing career with a focus on native plants as […]
Outdoor Education
Podcast
Celebrating the Winter Solstice with an Outdoor Party for Your Elementary Students [Ep. 26]Celebrating the Winter Solstice Winter break is coming and so is your classroom party! Instead of taking elements from Christmas or Hanukkah for your winter party this year, consider celebrating the winter solstice instead. The winter solstice is a natural phenomenon that everyone on Earth experiences at some point in the year making it an […]
Outdoor Education
Picture Books
4 Turkey Day Activities and Books for Energetic Elementary Students [Ep. 25]Turkey day activities and books The week leading up to Thanksgiving comes with a lot of energy from your students. They are excited about the idea of having extra time off, eating all the pie, and sleeping in. If you’re feeling overwhelmed finding fun ways to keep your students engaged, make sure to listen to […]
Outdoor Education
Podcast
Different Kinds of Children’s Outdoor Activities and Games for Teaching Science [Ep. 22]Children’s outdoor activities and games Lesson planning for outdoor activities is challenging if you haven’t seen it in action before. Trying to imagine how to implement children’s outdoor activities and games without some sort of modeling or prior support seems incredibly daunting. However, I’m here to help you with descriptions and examples for different kinds […]
Podcast
Classroom Halloween Activities for An Outdoor Celebration [Ep. 19]Classroom Halloween activities Halloween is coming and so is your classroom party! You’re either planning your classroom Halloween activities, or you’re waiting just a wee bit longer to get your to-do list started. Whichever method you use, you should consider taking your Halloween party outside this year. By taking your party outside, you could end […]
Outdoor Education
Podcast
Nature Based Preschools and Elementary Classrooms: Talking Teacher Roles with Dr. Rachel Larimore [Ep. 18]Teacher roles in nature based preschools and elementary classrooms I am so excited to be able to offer you a guest interview all about teacher roles in nature based preschools and elementary classrooms! Dr. Rachel Larimore is a consultant, educator, and former nature preschool director and has recently co-written a book about the human element […]
Podcast
6 Fun Fall Activities Aligned with K-5 Next Generation Science Standards [Ep. 17]Fun fall activities Learning through play is a powerful way to teach your students. Gamifying your curriculum will help your students experience your content and will help them understand the phenomena in a deeper way and fall is a great time to begin this process. In this episode, we’ll talk about 6 fun fall activities […]
Podcast
Outdoor Classroom Routines and Procedures: 5 Easy Activities for Your First Week Outside [Ep. 14]Classroom Routines and Procedures Practicing classroom routines and procedures is essential in the first few weeks of school. When done consistently, you can set you and your students up for success for the rest of the school year. The same can be said for your outdoor classroom routines and procedures. In this episode, I describe […]