Junior Wildlife Scientist Program

 
The Alabama Wildlife Federation created the Junior Wildlife Scientist Program to:
  • Educate our children about the wise use and conservation of our wildlife and natural resources,
  • Introduce children to the outdoors so they will have an appreciation for Alabama’s abundant biodiversity, and
  • Provide hands-on, inquiry-based outdoor activities that help teach the Alabama Department of Education Course of Study Standards using a schoolyard wildlife habitat as an outdoor classroom.
Teachers will guide their students through a collection of inquiry-based, hands-on activities designed to be used in conjunction with local habitat to help teach the Alabama Department of Education’s Course of Study Standards while integrating STEAM with English-Language Arts.

Students will earn two new merit badges and a new Junior Wildlife Scientist certificate each school year as they complete the Junior Wildlife Scientist activities in conjunction with their schoolyard habitats and outdoor classrooms.

Click on the links below for more details:


Who Can Participate  |  Grade Levels  |  Student Nature Notebook Activities & Merit Badges 
Teacher's Guides  |  Classroom Kits & Order Info 

 

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
  • The AWF designed the JWS program for public and private schools' teachers to use with their students in conjunction with a schoolyard habitat or to be used by homeschool teachers and homeschool student programs in conjunction with local natural areas such as nature centers or parks. 
  • Nature centers, student clubs, after-school programs, government agencies, and city, state, or federal parks are NOT eligible to use this program with public and private school students.
 

GRADE LEVELS
  • Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades ARE now available!
  • Fourth grade will be piloted during the 2025-2026 school year, and will be available for purchase for the 2026-27 school year. 
  • Fifth grade will be piloted over the 2026-27 school year and then be available for purchase for the 2027-28 school year. 
  • This means you can start with your K-3 students for the 2025-26 school year, and each year the students can participate in the JWS program earning merit badges and certificates each school year.
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JWS Student Nature Notebook Activities & Merit Badges

JWS Nature Notebook Activities
Each student participating in the Junior Wildlife Scientist program receives a nature notebook full of fun, hands-on, inquiry-based activities that help teach him/her the Alabama Course of Study Standards for his/her grade level.  

CLICK HERE for more details about the types of activities found in the nature notebooks.

JWS Merit Badges & Certificate 
Each school year, students have the opportunity to earn two new merit badges and receive a new level of certification in the JWS program by completing JWS nature notebook activities. 

For each badge, the student must complete at least three of the JWS nature notebook activities (total of six activities) for their specific grade. The *REQUIRED and *Suggested activities for each badge are marked in the Table of Contents in both the nature notebooks and teacher guides.  
The merit badges and JWS levels for each grade are shown below.

Click on the grade levels below to learn more about the nature notebook activities, merit badges and certificates for each grade level.


 
      
      
Kindergarten
Level 1 Certification: Biologist
The Study of Living Things
    First Grade
Level 2 Certification: Zoologist
The Study of Wildlife
  Second Grade
Level 3 Certification: Entomologist
The Study of Insects
   
   
   
 
 
Third Grade
Level 4 Certification: Herpetologist
The Study of Reptiles & Amphibians
  Fourth Grade
(Coming in 2026!)
Level 5 Certification: Ornithologist
The Study of Birds

 
  Fifth Grade
(Coming in 2027!)
Level 6 Certification: Ecologist
The Study of Ecosystems

 




























 

JWS Teacher's Guides

The JWS Teacher’s Guides give teachers an overview of the Junior Wildlife Scientist program and include details about how the activities help teach the Alabama Department of Education’s Course of Study standards for science, math and English-language arts. 

The guides provide background information, educational resources, lesson plans, and activity answers for ALL of the activities in the students’ nature notebooks.   

CLICK HERE for more details about the types of educational resources that are included in the teacher guides for each grade level.

“These lessons are laid out in such a way that a new teacher could feel confident teaching this with little background knowledge. There’s enough info packed into the lessons.” - JWS Pilot Program School Teacher

 

JWS CLASSROOM KITS & ORDER INFO

Each Junior Wildlife Scientist Classroom Kit includes:
  • (1) Teacher's Guide
  • (1) Nature Notebook (with 15 activities) per Student
  • (1) Nature Notebook Activity Schedule 
  • (2) Merit Badges per Student (with key ring to attach to backpack)
  • (1) Grade Level Certificate of Achievement per Student
 Cost = $5 per student (includes Shipping & Handling)
(for example: Classroom Kit for 20 students costs $100)

Classroom Kits for Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 3rd  Grade are available to order! 


When & How to Order
Batch #1 orders have been placed and will be delivered to schools by Friday, August 15!  Taking orders for Batch #2 now!!
The deadline for JWS Batch #2 orders is Friday, August 8, and you will receive your Kits by Friday, September 15.

Place your order online by clicking the green ORDER NOW button (above or below).  Ordering details are below.
  • Public/ Private Schools: JWS Kits are available for purchase (for Batch #1) between May and July for the upcoming school year beginning in August.  Batch #2 orders are taken until August 8 for delivery to schools by early-to-mid September.
  • Homeschool Families/Associations/Programs: JWS Kits are available for purchase throughout the year.
  • Discounts:  Schools ordering between 10-19 JWS Classroom Kits will receive a 5% discount on their whole order, and schools ordering 20 or more JWS Kits will receive a 10% discount on their whole order!  
  • Deadline: The deadline for placing your Junior Wildlife Scientist Kits Batch #1 order was July 11, to guarantee that you receive the kits by Friday, August 15.  The deadline for JWS Batch #2 orders is Friday, August 8, and you will receive your Kits by Friday, September 15.
  • Payment: Payment can be made by credit card or Purchase Order #, or you can select the "Please invoice me" option to receive an invoice for your order. 
  • Purchase Order #s: If you are still waiting on your Purchase Order number, you can still place your order now by entering "PO# to come ASAP" as your PO# to reserve your kits.  Then simply email us your PO# by Friday, July 18 for Batch #1 ...or... by Friday, Aug 8 for Batch #2
     
  • JWS On-site Training: We can schedule in-person/on-site training for schools' teachers and/or science/STEM teacher(s) to help provide tips for using JWS in conjunction with your schoolyard habitat and outdoor classroom.  Training can be customized, and it can be as short as 30 minutes or up to 3 hours including a tour of your outdoor classroom for your faculty. 
     
  • ​​JWS Webinar Training – Two different 30-minute webinars will be provided on Tuesday, August 19 and Thursday, August 21 at 3 pm.

*Deadline for JWS Classroom Kit orders: Batch #1 is Friday, July 11  |  Batch #2 is Friday, August 8  
*Orders will be delivered to schools: Batch #1 is by Friday, August 15   |   Batch #2 is by Friday, September 12


Note: If you order during Batch #2, your kits will not be delivered in time to begin the program exactly as listed in the grade level's proposed activity schedule. Rather than beginning in August, you would begin in September.  


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