School Programs

  

Creative ECO-Logical Programs

(Offered by Jennifer Reinfeld, Executive Director of Children of the Earth United)

Through dynamic activities, storytelling, student theatrics, and  writers’ workshops, these in-school, hands-on programs:

Help children understand and appreciate the environment & establish practical stewardship skills.

 

Cycles of Life in the Food Chain

- Through creative movement activities, students metamorphosize themselves into the living creatures of a food chain. Students then co-teach themselves the concepts and importance of this natural system. In addition to cooperative activities, the children participate in an improvisational game which involves making predictions while learning how availability of basic habitat components affects animal population.

Curriculum Connections:

Insects, animals and plants
Basic needs of living creatures
Concepts of food chain, predator, prey, decomposition and circle of life
Mathematics: making predictions

Grade 2 - Outdoor Program
(Recommended outdoor activity but can be presented indoors in a large area.)

 

Changing Habitat

- Through a dynamic activity, students will gain an understanding of the different types of space an animal needs to survive. Through discussion, students design a healthy forest (the setting for their improvisational play) and choose which regional animals they will act out. As they act out living in their habitat, different things happen to the forest and they have to consider how each new development affects their character. Afterwards, students brainstorm things that they can do to help preserve and create healthy habitats for animals (humans included!). The workshop ends with an inspiring story.

Curriculum Connections:

Important components of a habitat
Basic needs of animals
Human impact on environment
Practical ways for young people to improve the environment
Cause and effect, problem solving, and analytical skills

Grades 3 - Outdoor Program
(Recommended outdoor activity but can be presented indoors in a large area.)


Harmonizing our Habitat

- This workshop involves a two-part improvisational play with students acting out the characters in a woodland habitat. During the first part, the students examine how uncontrolled development can affect animals and people. The second part of the play focuses on a number of practical solutions. Students hypothesize how each new positive change will affect their habitat, redesign the set and modify their characters’ performances accordingly.\

Curriculum Connections:

Important components of a habitat
Human impact on the environment
Practical ways for people to improve the environment
Introduction to sustainable technologies
Cause and effect, problem solving, and analytical skills

Grade 4 - Outdoor Program
(Recommended outdoor activity but can be presented indoors in a large area.)

    

Where's the Water ?

- Through hands-on games and presentations, students will learn the importance of drinkable water, travel through the water cycle, learn how and when pollution is added and/or removed, and look at how we can have a better impact on one of our greatest natural resources - water.

Curriculum Connections:

Global and local water sources
Water cycle
Water pollution
Practical things that young people can do to reduce their use of water and the amount of pollutants entering the water supply

Grades 5 & 6 - Outdoor Program

(Recommended outdoor activity but can be presented indoors in a large area.)

    

Creative Writing Workshop:  Making A Difference

- Students participate in writing activities that help them personally reflect on the planet and ways that they can make a difference. The writing technique is derived from the work of Gabrielle Rico, Ph.D., an internationally renowned writing teacher. These easy to repeat strategies help writers flow intuitively and creatively. Interwoven within these activities will be a presentation on some of the major environmental issues facing our society.

Curriculum Connections:

Overview of environmental issues
Population growth and human impact
Personal strategies for making a difference
Creative writing 

Grades 5 through 12 - Indoor Program

  

Outdoor Teaching Strategies for Educators

- This workshop will help teachers become more comfortable and excited about complementing their curriculum with educational outdoor activities. Strategies and topics discussed will include safety, team building, and integrating language arts, science, mathematics, and music with outdoor education.

Teachers Outdoor Program

   

General Program Information

Due to the hands-on nature of the programs, they are best presented to individual classes (or groups with less than 30 students). Ideally, each workshop is presented in 90 minute time slots. However, we are happy to tailor the course length to suit your scheduling needs.

 

Testimonials

"Ms. Reinfeld is skilled at getting her message across using hands-on activities and interesting examples the students can relate to. She fostered a greater respect for the earth and all of its inhabitants. The programs she presented made a profound impact on the students, and showed them how they have the power to truly make a difference."

- Robyn, 3rd grade teacher

"This was a great experience for the children. They had so much fun and really absorbed the knowledge. The instructors couldn’t have been any more enthusiastic... It was great!"

- René, 2nd grade teacher

"I thought the presentation was wonderful. I thought the approach was very creative and really drove the point home. I loved how active the students were in the lesson. I loved how the students learned the impact of human development on the environment."

- Tara, 3rd grade teacher

"I liked that the program reflected the state learning standards; the activities were fun and suitable to the grade level; and the activities and lesson concepts were well developed."

- Anonymous, elementary school teacher

"You taught me a lot of stuff. I learned that people can make a big difference in the world. I liked when we made believe that we were animals. It was a huge experience..."

- Daniel, 8 year old student

"Thank you so much for teaching us about nature... Now I will plant flowers, trees and all other kinds of plants. I will make a difference to the world. I loved the games we played. It was a lot of fun to learn and play at the same time."

- Dena, 9 year old student

 

PLEASE CALL  (608) 237-6577 for more information.

 

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