ACTIVITIES - Science Craft Challenges and Nature Journaling
Science Maker Activities - Online
Online teaching presents a whole new set of challenges for all teachers, but especially for those who make extensive use of hands-on learning activities and experiences. While there's no replacing a face-to-face setting for this kind of teaching and learning, there are some ways to engage students in activities that can involve design/making and outdoor exploration using online resources.
Some of the best examples I've found are from the Elkhorn Slough website (a slough is a wetland area, usually a backwater of a larger body of water - pronounced "sloo.") Elkhorn Slough is a National Reserve area in coastal California. You can find out more about the Slough here: https://www.elkhornslough.org/story/
Their website has a number of great educational resources including virtual field trips and walkabouts as well as field trip preparation activities. But of special interest now is the section for at-home learning. I've provided links and a brief introduction to a couple of those at-home learning activities:
Science Craft Challenges. One of the best is the section on Science Craft Challenges. Each challenge has a student construct a tool that can be used in an outdoor activity (backyards are fine.) The materials are all pretty basic household items, and assembly instructions are provided. Each challenge has a link to an activities page (a PDF file - some are bilingual) that guides the student through the challenge. I particularly liked the Biodiversity Survey project. Here's the link that will take you to the Challenges page - there are now nine challenges available: https://www.elkhornslough.org/science-craft-challenges/
Nature Journaling. This section is a six-part video that walks students through the process of developing and using a Nature Journal. Each video is a few minutes long and emphasizes working in your backyard or inside. The topics include simple introductions to things like sketching and using your senses. Here's the link: https://www.elkhornslough.org/journal-in-place/
Online teaching presents a whole new set of challenges for all teachers, but especially for those who make extensive use of hands-on learning activities and experiences. While there's no replacing a face-to-face setting for this kind of teaching and learning, there are some ways to engage students in activities that can involve design/making and outdoor exploration using online resources.
Some of the best examples I've found are from the Elkhorn Slough website (a slough is a wetland area, usually a backwater of a larger body of water - pronounced "sloo.") Elkhorn Slough is a National Reserve area in coastal California. You can find out more about the Slough here: https://www.elkhornslough.org/story/
Their website has a number of great educational resources including virtual field trips and walkabouts as well as field trip preparation activities. But of special interest now is the section for at-home learning. I've provided links and a brief introduction to a couple of those at-home learning activities:
Science Craft Challenges. One of the best is the section on Science Craft Challenges. Each challenge has a student construct a tool that can be used in an outdoor activity (backyards are fine.) The materials are all pretty basic household items, and assembly instructions are provided. Each challenge has a link to an activities page (a PDF file - some are bilingual) that guides the student through the challenge. I particularly liked the Biodiversity Survey project. Here's the link that will take you to the Challenges page - there are now nine challenges available: https://www.elkhornslough.org/science-craft-challenges/
Nature Journaling. This section is a six-part video that walks students through the process of developing and using a Nature Journal. Each video is a few minutes long and emphasizes working in your backyard or inside. The topics include simple introductions to things like sketching and using your senses. Here's the link: https://www.elkhornslough.org/journal-in-place/
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