Wildlife Tag
Junior Wildlife Scientist Program
Welcome to the NEW Junior Wildlife Scientist Program!
The Alabama Wildlife Federation created the Junior Wildlife Scientist Program to:
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.
As of May 2024, kindergarten, first, and second grade ARE available. Over the next few years, we will continue to offer more grade levels. Fourth grade will become available for the 2026-27 school year, and fifth grade will become available for the 2027-28 school year. This means you can start with your K-3 students for the 2025-26 school year.
Click on the links below for more details:
Student Activities & Merit Badges | Teacher's Guides | Classroom Kits & Ordering
_____________________________________________________________________________
Eligibility
JWS Student Activities & Merit Badges
JWS 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.
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
Each Junior Wildlife Scientist Classroom Kit includes:
(for example: Classroom Kit for 20 students costs $100)
Classroom Kits for Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 3rd Grade will be available starting Tuesday, May 13, 2025!
Place your order online by clicking the green ORDER NOW button below. 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.
When to Order
Homeschool: JWS Kits are available for purchase throughout the year.
Public/ Private Schools: JWS Kits are available for purchase between May and July for the upcoming school year beginning in August.
*Deadline for all school orders: Sunday, July 13, 2025 | *Orders will be mailed by: Friday, August 8, 2025
Note: If you order during the deadline extension, 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.
.
 |
- Introduce children to the outdoors so they will have an appreciation for Alabama's amazing biodiversity and
- Teach our children about the wise use and conservation of our wildlife and natural resources.
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.
As of May 2024, kindergarten, first, and second grade ARE available. Over the next few years, we will continue to offer more grade levels. Fourth grade will become available for the 2026-27 school year, and fifth grade will become available for the 2027-28 school year. This means you can start with your K-3 students for the 2025-26 school year.
Click on the links below for more details:
Student Activities & Merit Badges | Teacher's Guides | Classroom Kits & Ordering
_____________________________________________________________________________
Eligibility
- The AWF designed the JWS program to be taught by classroom or homeschool teachers.
- All teachers who teach Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade students at public or private schools, and all homeschool parents and teachers are eligible.
- Nature centers, student clubs, after-school programs, government agencies, and city, state, or federal parks are NOT eligible.
JWS Student Activities & Merit Badges
JWS 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
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
(for example: Classroom Kit for 20 students costs $100)
Classroom Kits for Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 3rd Grade will be available starting Tuesday, May 13, 2025!
Place your order online by clicking the green ORDER NOW button below. 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.
When to Order
Homeschool: JWS Kits are available for purchase throughout the year.
Public/ Private Schools: JWS Kits are available for purchase between May and July for the upcoming school year beginning in August.
*Deadline for all school orders: Sunday, July 13, 2025 | *Orders will be mailed by: Friday, August 8, 2025
Note: If you order during the deadline extension, 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.
.