Presenters: Kindergarten Teachers Kay McCarthy, Ellen Dischinger, and Katie Schmidt

Primary Audience: K-12 Educators

Webinar Details:

The Kindergarten Teachers from Gatewood Elementary will be sharing about the Outdoor Kindergarten Program. Learn more about the program below:

A Minnesota kindergarten program takes learning outside (MPR News)

Outdoor Education Model Encourages Kids To Explore (WCCO)

Outdoor Learning at Gatewood Elementary (Hopkins Public Schools)

Gatewood Outdoor Kindergarten Information Night video (Hopkins Public Schools)

Hopkins elementary school expanding popular outdoor learning program (KSTP)

Resources:

Presenters: Elaine Evans and Jennifer Schultz, U of MN Extension Services & Katie-Lyn Bunney, Monarch Joint Venture

Primary Audience: K-12 Educators

Webinar Details:

Pollinators are vital to creating and maintaining habitats and ecosystems and for our food supply. Educators play a key role in connecting young people with opportunities to protect pollinators and teach others. To learn how you can help this effort, attend this session that will cover resources, project and program ideas and best practices for engaging youth through hands-on learning, and share details on a new professional development workshop, "Pollinators in the Science Classroom".

Resources:

• Pollinators in the Science Classroom

• Pollinator Ambassadors

• Monarch Joint Venture Garden Grants

• Plant Habitat for Pollinators

• Habitat Assessment Guide For Pollinators In Yards, Gardens, And Parks

• Study Monarchs: Community Science Opportunities

• Prairie roots (poster with Native Plant roots)

• iNaturalist

• Bumble Bee Watch

• Bee Lab Bee Squad

• The Monarch Lab

• Tips for Photographing Bees

• Journey North: Monarchs

• Minnesota Bumblebee Atlas

• Project Monarch Health (Citizen Science Project)

• Bee Lab: Pollinator Ambassadors Program

Presenters: Tracy Larson & Anne Strootman, Wilderness Inquiry

Primary Audience: K-12 Educators

Webinar Details: Join Wilderness Inquiry to learn how your students can become a Hero for MN fresh waterways and the species that rely on them. By learning about pressures on local waterways, students can use their knowledge to design and implement a service project that improves habitat for species. Students can extend that learning while paddling in 24’ Voyageur canoes on their local waters through our Canoemobile experience. We’ll provide a hands-on activity to use in your own classroom and show you how to make canoeing accessible and welcoming for all.

BONUS! One lucky attendee will win a Canoemobile experience for their classroom.

Webinar Resources:

• Minnesota Freshwater Quest

• Adopt a River

Presenters: Sue Dahl, Wargo Nature Center

Primary Audience: K-12 Educators

Webinar Details:

Want to get your students outside and exploring nature but not sure where to start? Join Sue Dahl, Interpretive Naturalist at Wargo Nature Center, as she shares some of her favorite nature activities that require little or no materials and are adaptable for a variety of age groups and outdoor sites.

Resources:

Presenters: Peter Harris and Emily Delfosse, Wolf Ridge

Primary Audience: K-12 Educators

Webinar Details:

Join us for an intro to basic weather forecasting using measurements of wind to forecast for clouds/rain/snow and temperature. Implementing geography, meteorology, science standards and creative presentation. See how you can incorporate forecasting into your classroom for short term lessons or long term monitoring projects.

Resources:

• 12 hour weather forecast

• Estimating Wind Speed

• Nowcast Weather Report

• Wind Direction

• Weather Forecasting Powerpoint

Other Weather-related Resources:

• Minnetonka Elementary Weather Stations (Video)

• Example Weather Station: Ambient Weather WS-2902

Examples of ways to integrate weather into grade-level standards:

• Kindergarten: Sky forecast cloudy/sunny/foggy, etc.

• 1st Grade: Temperature

• 2nd Grade: Wind Speed and Direction

• 3rd Grade: Daylight Changes, Astronomy, UV Index

• 4th Grade: Precipitation

• 5th Grade: Air quality; pollen count; maps; health

Presenters: Larry Wade & Holly Einess

Primary Audience: K-12 Educators

Webinar Details:

Brief history of the Dakota people on Lake Minnetonka

Winter Identification of common trees (handouts included)

Aging Trees (handouts included)

Reading the history of the land

Poetry: “Where Does Beauty Hide?

Resources:

Handouts from the webinar:

• • Dakota History at Lake Minnetonka

  • Where Does Beauty Hide

  • Winter Buds

  • Common Trees in Your Neighborhood Bar Graph

  • Aging Trees handout

Additional Resources:

The Old Naturalist Website

• Nature Seeker Workbook (available at cost on website)

Nature School

Aging Trees

Identifying trees in Winter

• Identifying trees by bark Page 1

• Identifying trees by bark Page 2

Other Resources Related to Trees

Winter Tree ID Guide

Project Learning Tree Poet-Tree Resources

Presenters: Emily Delfosse, Wolf Ridge Mentor Naturalist

Primary Audience: K-12 Educators

Join us to learn more about activities you can do in the Snow with students to increase their engagement and excitement about learning.

Activities will be connected to standards and subject areas.

Resources:

• Powerpoint Presentation

• Winter Resources

• A Guide to Snowflakes

• Minitool for measuring snowflakes (featured in Joe's snowflake picture)

• Snow Caves and Snow Science

• Curriculum is Falling from the Sky: Hands-On Activities to do in the Winter (MDE Presentation for early childhood)