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Environmental Education Resources

Nature Activities: From Screen to Green:

Join WXXI Education to get involved in community science by observing and participating outdoors in activities. Here are some resources to get you started.

Enjoy this list of FREE nature-exploring activities and resources that families and educators can use.

Exploring nature is a great opportunity to infuse some curiosity and science learning into your day! We’ve collected some great resources from our community partners, like New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, to share with you. Now, choose one and get outside and explore! 

What to do:

Participate in the ongoing WXXI Community Nature Observation Challenge This project is ongoing! So get outside (yes, even in the winter!), explore, observe and participate as many times as you’d like!

Observe and identify plants and animals while out for a walk or hike.

Take your nature knowledge up a notch with Seek! Use the power of image recognition technology to identify the plants and animals all around you. Earn badges for seeing different types of birds, amphibians, plants, and fungi and participate in monthly observation challenges. Get the free app here & Learn more

NYS DEC Nature Activities 
Our friends at New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have created a stellar list of nature-exploring printable activities! From outdoor observation journals, to seek and find hikes, to New York State bird profiles, and so much more!

Find all of their downloadable and printable nature activities here: https://dec.ny.gov/get-involved/education/kids-go/nature-activities

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

3. PBS Nature 
This collection of science videos and media-enhanced lesson plans draws from PBS Nature. The collection can be viewed via PBS LearningMedia NY, and includes topics such as: American Spring LIVE, Earth Science, Human Impacts on Earth Systems, Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, Science and Engineering Practices, and more. 

Find the full collection here: https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/nat/

PBS NATURE

    5. Bird Cams
    Our friends at Cornell Lab Bird Cams connects viewers worldwide to the diverse and intimate world of birds. They have created a virtual opportunity to watch birds all over the world, from wherever you are! 

    Bird Cams

    SciGirls Resources

    SciGirls is a show for kids ages 8-12, showcasing bright, curious, real tween girls putting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to work in their everyday lives. In each half hour episode you’ll meet a new group of girls, whose eagerness to find answers to their questions will inspire your children to explore the world around them and discover that science and technology are everywhere.

    See the Season 7 Trailer:

    Check out the SciGirls websites:

    Design Squad: Inventing Green Resources

    Design Squad’s mission is to get kids excited about engineering and inventing. For years Design Squad, the award-winning PBS KIDS program and website, has created activities, videos and clubs that aim to make engineering and invention accessible and fun for kids. Now, Design Squad is tackling a new content area: inventing for a sustainable future. We want to get kids thinking about how engineering and invention impacts environmental sustainability and how new inventions can help tackle environmental problems.

    Design Squad Global Inventing Green is the latest addition to the Design Squad family of resources that challenges youth to brainstorm solutions that can help people with things such as lack of food, clean water, renewable energy, affordable energy, and ocean and land
    pollution. These resources use the same core tenants found in the other Design Squad materials such as:

    • Every child should and can participate in engineering and invention.
    • Engineering and invention are most meaningful when kids have the opportunity to solve real problems faced by real people.
    • Failing is to be embraced as a step that all engineers and inventors take in the Design Process.
    • Students should have the opportunity to lead their own learning process with guidance from an educator.
    • Hands-on learning experiences based on an open-ended problem lead to more successful experiences with engineering and invention concepts.

    In the Design Squad Global Inventing Green Club PBS LearningMedia collection, the is objective: help kids build an environmental sustainability mindset when inventing. Design Squad wants kids to work to solve environmental problems with invention as well as learn to bring sustainability practices to the process of inventing. This includes thinking about material choices, where an invention goes once it has outlived its usefulness, and how an invention is powered.

    The Age of Nature Education Collections

    THE AGE OF NATURE is a  three-part documentary series, exploring how an increased awareness of the natural world is leading to a new chapter in the story of both humanity and the planet. The series focuses on the resiliency of Earth’s ecosystems through stories of success, as scientists, citizens and governments act to fix past mistakes and restore the environment. 

    Education Resources

    WXXI Education staff have collected resources from The Age of Nature series, PBS LearningMedia, our partners, and more that are appropriate for use with middle and high school students. 

    About The Age of Nature Series Episode Overviews:

    Episode 1 “Awakening”: Discover how a new awareness of nature is helping to restore ecosystems across the globe, with inventive actions being taken to repair manmade damage and restore reefs, rivers, animal populations and more. In the Pacific Island of Bikini Atoll, the full extent of the ocean’s ability to recover is evident. When scientists returned 50 years after the world’s most powerful nuclear weapons experiment devastated the island, they were astonished to discover that the reefs they thought destroyed were thriving. When forest land began to be developed around the Panama Canal, scientists stepped in to explain that there would be no water for the canal without the trees. A national park was created, saving some of the richest rainforests on Earth. In Norway, the crash of the cod industry is a cautionary tale about exhausting a once-abundant natural resource. But working sustainably, the fishing community has learned to manage resources for future generations. The resurrection of Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique in the wake of civil war and widespread poaching shows that ecosystems can be repaired — with a nudge in the right direction. Finally, in China, the enormous potential for humans to improve the environment is stunningly realized in the 25-year restoration of the Loess Plateau, the cradle of Chinese civilization, which had turned to dust during 8000 years of human activity.

    Episode 2 “Understanding”: Explore how a new understanding of nature is helping us find surprising ways to fix it. Along the Elwha River in Washington, we learn how removing dams has led not only to the recovery of the local forest but also Chinook salmon, which provide food for the endangered orca population. In China, one scientist’s determination to restore fireflies, which provide natural pest control, is transforming the lives of rural farming communities — even tiny creatures can have a significant impact. The return of wolves to America’s first National Park, Yellowstone, has rejuvenated the entire landscape, repairing and restoring habitat that had been over-grazed by herbivores. This pioneering project discovered the crucial role of predators in bringing balance to ecosystems. In Scotland, planting trees is reversing massive deforestation which took place centuries ago, helping native wildlife thrive and mitigating some of the effects of climate change. And in South Africa’s Cape Town, innovative efforts to remove massively thirsty European pines and other invasive species are helping to restore the watershed, which faced a severe shortage in 2018 after three years of drought.

    Episode 3 “Changing”: An urgent problem faces the planet: climate change. But around the world, scientists, citizens and indigenous activists are increasing our understanding of the potential of nature to help us cope with and even mitigate it. From Bhutan — the only carbon-neutral country in the world — to Borneo, an encouraging restoration of ecosystems is taking place, from planting forests to re-wilding areas to increasing biodiversity. In Poland, bison have been reintroduced to the Bialowieza Forest, the largest in Europe. New discoveries in Australia reveal that seagrass meadows lock massive amounts of carbon underwater and may help save the Great Barrier Reef. In Antarctica, whales — whose digestive processes feed microscopic phytoplankton, the basis for life in the oceans — are recovering. And in Belize, we meet Madison Edwards, who at 11-years-old waged a social media campaign that became a national movement, resulting in a government ban on offshore drilling.

    PBS KIDS Play & Learn Science Resources

    PBS KIDS Play & Learn Science
    Play with shadows, control the weather, roll and slide objects down a ramp, choose the best materials for an umbrella – all while building science inquiry skills and learning core science concepts. The games in the app encourage kids to see the science in their world. They are intentionally designed to serve as catalysts for real-world exploration by modeling real-world locations and experiences. The related hands-on activities and parent notes prompt families to “try it” at home and provide tips for engaging in conversations.

    PBS KIDS Play & Learn Science for Parents App
    Ramp and Roll

    Ramp and Roll explores how objects move, roll, slide and/or stay put on ramps and other surfaces. 

    • PBS Play & Learn Science Mini-Games: Play the following games in the app: “Explore the Roll”, “Hit the Target”, and “Surface Challenge”
    • Hands-on Activities:
      • Create a ramp using recycled materials (cardboard tubes, cereal boxes) or using items you have around (books, pillows, clipboards).
      • Test different objects (balls, marbles, blocks) to see if they roll down your ramp.
      • Add different materials to your ramp to change the surface (bubble wrap, a blanket, sandpaper). Does your object still roll? Does it roll the same?
      • Race different objects to see which object rolls the farthest?
      • Go on a ramp hunt – look around inside and outside for different kinds of ramps.
    • Connected Book:  
      • Oscar & the Cricket a Book about Moving & Rolling by Geoff Waring
      • Ramp & Roll books
    • Videos:
      • Ramp-n-Roll (0:51) – George must figure out how to build a ramp so that Hundley, a little dachshund, can get out of a basement window in this video excerpt from Curious George: Hundley’s Great Escape. 
      • Building Ramps (1:28) – In this video segment from PEEP and the Big Wide World, real kids explore what types of objects will slide down ramps of different materials.
      • Rolling Down a Hill (1:28) – Real kids discover what types of round objects will roll the fastest down a grassy hill, a piece of cardboard, and a sidewalk in this video segment from PEEP and the Big Wide World. 
      • Homemade Hills (1:27) – In this video segment from PEEP and the Big Wide World, real kids explore what types of objects will slide down ramps of different materials.
      • The Watchamacallit (8:50) – Peep, Quack, and Chirp discover how ramps and slides work by using angles and round objects, in this video segment from PEEP and the Big Wide World.
      • Super Grover 2.0 Digital Ramp (0:27) – Join Super Grover to learn about ramps. Ramps help you go from low to high. 
    Shadow Play

    Explore light and shadows by making and observing shadows, making and interacting with shadow puppets, and playing with flashlights. 

    • PBS KIDS Play & Learn Science Mini-Games: Play the following games in the app: “Exploring Shadows”, “Shadow Scenes”, or “Guess the Shadow”.
    • Hands-on Activities:
      • Use a flashlight or another light (lamp, cell phone or tablet flashlight) to create hand or full body shadows.
      • Use the PBS KIDS Shadow Puppets to make shadows.
      • Move objects closer to the flashlight and then further away, what happens?
      • Tape a piece of paper to a wall or door. Use a flashlight or lamp to create a shadow, try tracing the shadow on the paper with a pencil or crayon.
      • Play “Guess the Shadow”. Use different objects (try using the PBS KIDS Puppets) to make a shadow and then try to guess what or who the shadow belongs to. 
      • Host a shadow puppet show!
    • Printables:
    • Connected Books:
      • Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch
      • The Black Rabbit by Philippa Leathers
      • Shadow Play books
    • Videos: 
      • My Shadow Goes Where I Go (1:30) – In this short video from The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, children learn about energy and light. Nick and Sally create shadow puppets and sing a song about where your shadow can go! No matter where you go, you’re shadow will be there!
      • Shadows Can be Scary (2:23) – Daniel Tiger sees a scary shadow on the wall, but Dad shows him that shadows can be fun. Teach kids that being brave and investigating scary things together helps make things seem not as bad
      • A Thing or 2 About Making Shade (1:30) – This short video from The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, teaches about physical science, energy, and light. Thing 1 tries clear, tinted, and opaque glass, to create a shade for Thing 2. He decides that opaque glass provides the best shade, and relief from the sun.
      • How to Make Shadow Puppets (2:11) – Make your own shadow theater with just a few household items! Mya shows your how to make some neat shadow puppets, and tells the story of the dinosaurs in her own low-lit play.
    Weather and Gear

    Explore the weather by observing, matching appropriate gear and clothing for certain weather, and experimenting with thermometers and temperature.

    • PBS KIDS Play & Learn Science Mini-Games: Play the following games in the app: “Read the Temperature”, “Weather Controller”, “Thermometer Picking”, “Photo Weather”, “Gear Up”, and “The Amazing Umbrella”
    • Hands-on Activities
      • Roll the weather cube. Use Del and Dee Dress Up Characters and Gear to put different outfits ont the character that matches the weather.
      • Track a week’s weather using the “Today’s Weather” printable or a sheet of paper.
      • Hot vs. Cold weather experiment: Use a thermometer to test something really cold (ice cubes or snow) vs. something warm (hand warmers, something put in the microwave). What happens to the thermometer?
      • Roll the weather cube. Find items in your house (winter hat, goggles) that you can wear to match the weather on the cube. 
    • Connected Books:
      • Weather by Jill McDonald
      • All About Weather: A First Weather Book for Kids by Huda Harajli MA
      • Weather books
    • Printables: 
    • Videos: 
      • Poem: “Big Snow” (0:18) – This video segment from Between the Lions is an animated poem that rhymes. Snow falls all over the city and then a snow plow pushes snow. 
      • Bert is All Dressed Up for Winter (2:51) – Get your galoshes on your head, your gloves on your ears, and get those earmuffs around your waist. Earmuffs around your waist? No, no, no, they’ve got it all wrong. Hopefully, Bert can figure out how to get dressed for winter so he doesn’t end up with a cold.
      • Clouds & Weather (2:15) – This video, featuring original stop-motion animation, is a fun way for children to learn about different types of clouds and their relationship to weather. 
      • What is Weather? (2:16) – Abby Brown loves to help kids have fun while learning! In this segment, Abby teaches kids about weather. Kids learn to observe the air and and sky as well as a thermometer in order to evaluate the weather.
      • Meet the Helpers: Meterologist (2:35) – Dive deeper into a meteorologist’s career and find out how this Helper assists in emergency situations. 
    Water Play

    Explore how different objects float or sink and notice how water moves through different kinds of spaces.

    • PBS KIDS Play & Learn Science Mini-Games: Play the following games in the app: “Water Wall”, “Thirsty Doggie”, and “Sink or Float”
    • Hands-on Activities
      • Use aluminum foil or recycled containers to create boats. Test whether they float in the sink, bucket, or bathtub.
      • Add pennies or washers to your boats to see if they can hold weight.
      • Find a variety of objects (pennies, pencil, crayon, ball, race car) and use a sink, bucket, or bathtub to test whether objects sink or float. Make guesses before testing.
    • Printables: 
    • Connected Books:
    • Videos: 
      • Do Try This At Home: Make a Boat (1:30) – In this short video from The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, children learn about motion and stability: forces and interactions. Nick and Sally test some objects in their backyard wading pool, to see what will float and what won’t. 
      • Sink or Float (1:33) – Show students how easy it is to experiment while introducing them to the concept of buoyancy, in this fun video demonstration. Students are asked whether they think an item will sink or float, the item is then dropped into a fish tank, and the results are charted.
      • Sink or Float Experiment (1:03) – Learn about household objects that sink and float in this easy-to-prepare activity with The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!
      • The Fish Museum (8:52) – In this video segment from PEEP and the Big Wide World, Quack learns about what objects float and sink as he tries to add objects to his underwater fish museum.
      • Making Things Float (1:27) – In this video segment from PEEP and the Big Wide World, real kids explore what types of objects float in water and how to keep sinking objects from staying afloat.
      • Make a Boat (1:28) – Real kids learn how to make their plastic bottle boats sink and float by adding different objects and water to them in this video segment from PEEP and the Big Wide World. 

    Other Support Resources 

    Books & eBooks: There are also LOTS of books available from our local libraries for you to borrow:

    WXXI Community Observation Challenge

    Join WXXI as we continue to be community scientists and observe our community through a special ongoing WXXI Community Observation Challenge!

    Let’s explore the biodiversity our region has to offer by sharing photos of wildlife observations in backyards, local parks, nature trails, sidewalks…Participation is easy, free, and open to anyone in the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region. Help us see all the different living things in our community and get excited about being citizen scientists. 

    What to do:

    1. Download the free iNaturalist app onto your device. 
    2. Find wildlife – any plant, animal, tracks, bug, etc. 
    3. Take a photo of whatever you find (and remember where you found it!).
    4. Upload your picture to the iNaturalist app and choose the project: WXXI Community Observation Challenge

    (Not into using an app? Snap photos of your observations and remember the important details [date, time, location] and then upload on the iNaturalist website later!)

    This project is ongoing! So get outside (yes, even in the winter!), explore, observe and participate as many times as you’d like!

    To participate in the Backyard Observation Challenge, download the FREE iNaturalist app, which works on all devices – Android version and Apple version. Need help learning how to use iNaturalist? Check out some of the video tutorials. Teachers: there’s even an iNaturalist educator guide to help with use in your classroom instruction!

    Take your nature knowledge up a notch with Seek! Use the power of image recognition technology to identify the plants and animals all around you. No registration is involved, and no user data is collected. This is a great app for families who want to spend more time exploring nature together. Learn more and download the Seek by iNaturalist app!

    Wild Kratts: Videos, Games & Activities

    Play games and watch full episodes of The Wild Kratts: https://pbskids.org/wildkratts

    Join Chris and Martin Kratt in “Wild Kratts,” a series for children ages 4 to 8! In each episode, the Kratt Brothers travel to a different corner of the world to meet amazing new animals and learn about them and their habitats. It’s all wrapped up in engaging stories of laugh-out-loud adventure and mystery as the Kratt Brothers activate their creature power suits to rescue their animal friends!

    Mask Maker Activity Challenge

    Where to Watch:

    Watch Full Episodes Below on this Wild Kratts Playlist

    WXXI Education Favorites
    Here are a few of our favorite Wild Kratts Activities & Articles: 

    Wild Kratts Collection from PBS LearningMedia
    In this collection:

    Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Wild Kratts Show Page

    Read

    Elinor Wonders Why: Songs, Videos & Activities

    Play games and watch full episodes of Elinor Wonders Why on pbskids.org/elinor

    PBS KIDS for Parents Elinor Wonders Why Show Page: Articles, Games, and Activities

    PBS LearningMedia Elinor Wonders Why Collections: Elinor Wonders Why Collection & Elinor Wonders Why Ready to Learn

    Where to Watch:

    Elinor Wonders Why Videos Playlist

    About the Show:  Elinor Wonders Why is a PBS KIDS animated show encourages children to follow their curiosity, ask questions, figure out the answers, and learn about the natural world around them using their science inquiry skills. The multiplatform series, created by celebrated cartoonist and robotics engineer, Jorge Cham, and physicist and educator, Daniel Whiteson, produced in partnership with Pipeline Studios.

    Developed for children ages 3-5, Elinor Wonders Why centers on the adventures of Elinor and her pals, Ari, a funny and imaginative bat; and Olive, a perceptive and warm elephant. As young viewers explore Animal Town along with Elinor, Ari and Olive, they will meet all kinds of interesting, funny, and quirky characters, each with a lesson to share about respecting others, the importance of diversity, caring for the environment and working together to solve problems. Elinor models the foundational practices of science inquiry and engineering design in each episode, using her amazing powers of observation and willingness to ask questions. When she encounters something she doesn’t understand, like why birds have feathers or how tiny ants build massive anthills, she perseveres until she figures it out. In discovering the answers, Elinor often learns something about nature’s ingenious inventions and how they can relate to aspects of our designed world, as well as what it takes to live in a community.

    WXXI Favorite Activities:

    See Games, Activities and Videos from the Elinor Wonders Why Series at PBS KIDS

    Find articles, games, and hands-on activities to go with the series at the PBS KIDS for Parents Elinor Wonders Why Page

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