Student lessons inspired by participation in Team Teaching with Mother Nature workshop

Parts of the Human Body

  • Grade: Kindergarten
  • Title Parts of the Human Body
  • Standards: Science 0.4.1.1.2
  • Materials: White Paper, Crayons, Chalk
Activity: Read the book Parts by Tedd Arnold. Next, have the students go outdoors to explore nature and find objects that they can use to create their human body. Once students find their objects, have them create their bodies, identify the parts, draw a picture, or take a picture of the body they created.
Submitted by Megan Holmes from Southwest Minnesota State University

Scavenger Hunt Map

  • Grade: Kindergarten-1st
  • Title: Scavenger Hunt Map
  • Standards: Science 0.4.1.1.2, Social Studies 2.3.1.1.3
  • Materials: Map made by the teacher, Jeffers Journals, pencils, 15 items (nature-made and human-made with a number attached)
Activity: Students will use a teacher made map to find the numbered objects placed outdoors in a given area. They will write the numbers 1-15 in their journal and write or draw what object they found at each number. They will also indicate if it was nature-made or human-made.
Submitted by Brandon Bursack at Southwest Minnesota State University

Shelter from the Storm

  • Grade: 2
  • Title: Shelter from the Storm
  • Standards: Science 2.1.2.1.1, Math 2.2.2.2
  • Materials: Recycled materials & Natural materials, Jeffers Journals, pencils
Activity: Read the book The Fly Guy Presents Weather by Ted Arnold and have a brief discussion about weather. Students will then design a shelter using the materials provided to leave outdoors for two weeks. Each day for two weeks the students will collect data about what is happening to their shelter. After two weeks the students will present their findings to their classmates.
Submitted by: Megan Yoder from Southwest Minnesota State University

Nature Math

  • Grade: 2
  • Title: Nature Math
  • Standards: Science 2.2.1.1.1, Math 2.1.2.5
  • Materials: Jeffers Journals, pencils, nature items
Activity: Students will find six nature items (acorns, twigs, rocks, pinecones, leaves) and record observations about the items in their journals. Then working with a partner, students will use their nature objects to create different addition and subtraction problems writing them down and solving them together. Encourage students to try to make at least one problem where one of the numbers is a two-digit number.
Submitted by: Emma Asche from Southwest Minnesota State University

Bizarre Bubbles

  • Grade: 3
  • Title: Bizarre Bubbles
  • Standards: Science 3.1.1.2.1, 3.1.1.2.4, 3.1.1.1.1
  • Materials: Plastic cups, basic bubble solution (dollar store), measuring spoons & cups, liquid dishwashing soap, glycerin, corn syrup, maple syrup, sugar, salt, liquid laundry detergent, pipe cleaners, permanent markers, Jeffers Journals, pencils
Activity: Show a science video on bubbles so students can understand the properties of bubbles. Then tell students that Walmart is looking for a linger lasting bubble solution to sell. Their task is to work in a group of 2-3 to create this new bubble solution for Walmart. As a class, time the seconds it takes the basic solution to last. Use this as their time to beat. Students will create a bubble wand with the pipe cleaners and three different bubble solutions using the materials provided, recording the recipes in their journals. Once solutions are made students create a table and conduct three trials to compare the different solutions to the basic bubble solution.
Submitted by: Kelsey Hermeling from Southwest Minnesota State University

Measurements in Nature

  • Grade: 3
  • Title: Measurements in Nature
  • Standards: Science 3.1.3.4.1, Math 3.3.3.4
  • Materials: Rulers, thermometers, magnifying glasses, Jeffers Journals, pencils
Activity: Together create a list of things outdoors that could be measured. These items could be nature-made or human-made. Students will prepare a page in their journal with three columns: item measured, my estimate, and measurement. Take students outdoors to measure items making a prediction first and recording data in their journal.
Submitted by: Melinda Stauffacher from Southwest Minnesota State University

Save the Eggs

  • Grade: 3
  • Title: Save the Eggs
  • Standards: Science 3.1.3.4.1, Math 23.3.2.1, Social Studies 3.3.1.1.1
  • Materials: Compasses, tape, measures, small plastic eggs, jelly beans or other egg-like objects, makeshift nest, clipboards with egg finding direction
Activity: Student groups will get a starting point and written directions on where they may locate the eggs, North, South, East, or West, and also, how far to go to get to the egg. Students will need to measure to the nearest 1/2 inch. Once the students have resued all the eggs they will return them to the nest (which they will have written direction for as well). Read the book There’s a Map on My Lap by Trish Rabe.
Submitted by: Bobbi Krumrei from Southwest Minnesota State University

Solar System Fractions

  • Grade: 3-5
  • Title: Solar System Fractions
  • Standards: Science 3.3.3.2.2, Math 3.1.3.2, 4.1.2.1, 5.1.2.3
  • Materials: Rulers, tape measures, clipboards, pencils, and containers for collecting
Activity: Students will practice fractions by building the solar system. They will be given a fraction worksheet to pit those fractions. For example, the Earth could be 1/2 inch in diameter. Jupiter’s diameter is 11 1/5 times larger than Earth, what would the diameter be? Find an object outdoors to best fit your answer to represent Jupiter. Continue finding objects to build a solar system. Objects can be brought back into the classroom to make a model of the solar system, or a model can be made outside.
Submitted by: Mitchel Carson from Southwest Minnesota State University