Wildlife Tag
Outdoor Classroom Activity Kit Ideas
Create activity kits with educational materials and resources needed for hands-on, inquiry-based activities to help your teachers utilize your outdoor classroom as an effective educational tool. Click on each Outdoor Classroom Activity Kit Idea below to view more details including the activities used with each kit and a list of suggested activity kit materials and their estimated cost.
Click on the links below each Activity Name to view and download the worksheets and/or lesson plans for the activity. Each activity worksheet is provided as a Word Document in case you would like to edit it or adapt it for a different grade level. Alabama Department of Education Science Standard correlations are referenced when applicable.
Learning about Living Things Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the whole outdoor classroom as students observe living and non-living things in the outdoor classroom, learn about the differences between living and non-living things, and learn what living things need to survive.
Living or Non-Living Things
Field Investigation Worksheet (PDF | Word Doc) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students compare the differences between living and non-living things in a song and through observations in the outdoor classroom. AL Science Standard Kindergarten #3: Distinguish between living and nonliving things and verify what living things need to survive (food, water, sunlight, shelter, and air).
Basic Needs of Living Things
Field Investigation Worksheet (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students compare the needs of an animal and a plant found in the outdoor classroom to what they need to survive. AL Science Standard Kindergarten #3: Distinguish between living and nonliving things and verify what living things need to survive (food, water, sunlight, shelter, and air).
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
Comparing Animal Characteristics Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the whole outdoor classroom as students search for wildlife in the outdoor classroom, learn about the different features and characteristics different types of animals have, and how these features and characteristics help the animals survive.
Animal Features & Adaptations
Field Investigation Worksheet (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students will explore the outdoor classroom as they look for an animal, and then they record their observations about it and analyze which of its characteristics (adaptations) help it survive. AL Science Standard 1st Grade #5: Design a solution to a human problem by using materials to imitate how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs (e.g., outerwear imitating animal furs for insulation, gear mimicking tree bark or shells for protection).
Critter Characteristics & Habitats
Field Investigation Worksheet (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students look for a bird, insect, amphibian, reptile or mammal in the outdoor classroom, record its features, and then describe its habitat. AL Science Standard 2nd Grade #7: Obtain information from literature and other media to illustrate that there are many different kinds of living things and that they exist in different places on land and in water (e.g., woodland, tundra, desert, rainforest, ocean, river).
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
Analyzing the Weather Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with your weather station in your outdoor classroom.
Seasonal Weather Observations
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF)
Students record their seasonal weather observations in the outdoor classroom. AL Science Standards Kindergarten #9: Observe, record, and share findings of local weather patterns over a period of time (e.g., temperature changes throughout day, rain patterns from season to season). & 1st Grade #9: Observe seasonal patterns of sunrise and sunset to describe the relationship between the number of hours of daylight and the time of year (e.g., more hours of daylight during summer as compared to winter).
Evidence of the Water Cycle
Field Investigation Worksheets (Word Doc / PDF - students write answers) (Word Doc / PDF - students draw answers)
Students explore the outdoor classroom for evidence of the water cycle as they record their weather observations. AL Science Standard 2nd Grade #10: Collect and evaluate data to identify water found on Earth and determine whether it is a solid or a liquid (e.g., glaciers as solid forms of water; oceans, lakes, rivers, streams as liquid forms of water).
Weather Data Log
Field Investigation Worksheets (Word Doc / PDF)
Students record the weather forecast, and then log in real-time weather data from the Weather Station into a Weather Data Chart, examining temperature changes throughout the day using a line graph. AL Science Standard 3rd Grade #13: Display data graphically and in tables to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season (e.g., average temperature, precipitation, wind direction).
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
Investigating Pollination Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activity included in it can be used in conjunction with your pollinator and butterfly gardens as well as other gardens with flowering plants as students search for pollinators and pollen in flowers so they can investigate the process of pollination.
How Pollinators Pollinate
Field Investigation Worksheets (Word Doc / PDF) & Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students look for a pollinator in the outdoor classroom, record their observations about the pollinator, and then draw a model of the pollination process. AL Science Standard 2nd Grade #6: Design and construct models to simulate how animals disperse seeds or pollinate plants (e.g., animals brushing fur against seed pods and seeds falling off in other areas, birds and bees extracting nectar from flowers and transferring pollen from one plant to another).
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
Comparing Life Cycles Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the butterfly garden, frog habitat, and songbird sanctuary in the outdoor classroom as students observe wildlife, learn about the different features and characteristics adult animals and their offspring have, and learn about the different types of life cycles insects, amphibians, birds and mammals have.
Comparing Adult to Offspring
Field Investigation Worksheet (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) & Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students will explore the outdoor classroom as they look for animal offspring and adults of the same species, which they will compare and contrast as they record their observations. AL Science Standard 1st Grade #7: Make observations to identify the similarities and differences of offspring to their parents and to other members of the same species.
Comparing Life Cycles
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) & Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students will compare their life cycle (the life cycle of a human) with the life cycle of an animal that they find in the outdoor classroom. AL Science Standard 3rd Grade #6: Create representations to explain the unique and diverse life cycles of organisms other than humans (e.g., flowering plants, frogs, butterflies), including commonalities such as birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
Evaluating Habitat Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the butterfly garden, frog habitat, and songbird sanctuary in the outdoor classroom as students evaluate the habitat that is needed for butterflies, frogs and/or songbirds to survive.
Wildlife Habitat Checklist
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF)
Students explore the outdoor classroom to evaluate if it contains the habitat (food, water, shelter & a place to raise young) needed for local backyard wildlife. AL Science Standard Kindergarten #5. Construct a model of a natural habitat conducive to meeting the needs of plants and animals native to Alabama.
Critter Characteristics & Habitats
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students look for a bird, insect, amphibian, reptile or mammal in the outdoor classroom, record its features, and then describe its habitat. AL Science Standard 2nd Grade #7: Obtain information from literature and other media to illustrate that there are many different kinds of living things and that they exist in different places on land and in water (e.g., woodland, tundra, desert, rainforest, ocean, river).
Wildlife Habitat Checklist
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students will research the habitat needs of a specific wildlife species that they would like to see in the outdoor classroom, and then they will evaluate whether or not the outdoor classroom can provide habitat for that particular wildlife species. AL Science Standard 3rd Grade #11: Construct an argument from evidence to explain the likelihood of an organism's ability to survive when compared to the resources in a certain habitat.
Ecosystem Resources and Wildlife Populations
Field Investigation Worksheets (Word Doc / PDF)
Students explore the outdoor classroom to evaluate the habitat resources required for present species and their populations. AL Science Standard 7th Grade #6. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence regarding how resource availability impacts individual organisms as well as populations of organisms within an ecosystem.
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
Observing Songbirds Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activity included in it can be used in conjunction with the songbird sanctuary as well as the whole outdoor classroom as students search for songbirds to observe and record their adaptations including the different types of beaks, feathers and feet they have.
Birds & their Adaptations
Field Investigation Worksheet (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students learn first-hand how animals have adaptations to help them survive by observing and identifying a songbird in their outdoor classroom. AL Science Standard 4th Grade #9: Examine evidence to support an argument that the internal and external structures of animals (e.g., heart, stomach, lung, brain, skin) function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
Examining Plants Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the gardens throughout the outdoor classroom as students record their observations about the plant and learn about how the different parts of a plant work to help the plant survive.
Outdoor Classroom Field Investigation: Parts of a Plant
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) & Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students explore the outdoor classroom to find a plant with a flower, and then they draw it, label its parts, and answer questions about how its internal and external structures help the plant survive, grow, and reproduce. AL Science Standard 4th Grade #9: Examine evidence to support an argument that the internal and external structures of plants (e.g., thorns, leaves, stems, roots, colored petals, xylem, phloem) function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Plants, Plants, and More Plants
Field Investigation Worksheets (Word Doc / PDF)
Students explore the outdoor classroom to observe and document what animal behaviors and specialized plant structures lead to new plants growing. AL Science Standard 7th Grade #10. Use evidence and scientific reasoning to explain how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of both animals and plants.
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
Finding Food Webs Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the whole outdoor classroom as students search for evidence of a food chain or food web created by the plants and animals in the outdoor classroom.
Find a Food Chain
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students explore the outdoor classroom, recording plant/animal evidence of a food chain, and tracing the flow of energy through the food chain from the producer to the consumers. AL Science Standards 5th Grade #10 & #11: Construct and interpret models (e.g., diagrams, flow charts) to explain that energy in animals' food is used for body repair, growth, motion, and maintenance of body warmth and was once energy from the sun. & #11: Create a model to illustrate the transfer of matter among producers; consumers, including scavengers and decomposers; and the environment.
Create a Food Web
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students explore the outdoor classroom, recording plant/animal evidence of an “aquatic” food chain and “terrestrial” food chain that overlap in a food web. AL Science Standards 5th Grade #10 & #11: Construct and interpret models (e.g., diagrams, flow charts) to explain that energy in animals' food is used for body repair, growth, motion, and maintenance of body warmth and was once energy from the sun. & #11: Create a model to illustrate the transfer of matter among producers; consumers, including scavengers and decomposers; and the environment.
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
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Click on the links below each Activity Name to view and download the worksheets and/or lesson plans for the activity. Each activity worksheet is provided as a Word Document in case you would like to edit it or adapt it for a different grade level. Alabama Department of Education Science Standard correlations are referenced when applicable.
Learning about Living Things Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the whole outdoor classroom as students observe living and non-living things in the outdoor classroom, learn about the differences between living and non-living things, and learn what living things need to survive.
Living or Non-Living Things
Field Investigation Worksheet (PDF | Word Doc) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students compare the differences between living and non-living things in a song and through observations in the outdoor classroom. AL Science Standard Kindergarten #3: Distinguish between living and nonliving things and verify what living things need to survive (food, water, sunlight, shelter, and air).
Basic Needs of Living Things
Field Investigation Worksheet (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students compare the needs of an animal and a plant found in the outdoor classroom to what they need to survive. AL Science Standard Kindergarten #3: Distinguish between living and nonliving things and verify what living things need to survive (food, water, sunlight, shelter, and air).
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
- (1) Clear Plastic Storage Box with Lid to store handheld magnifiers, trade books and activity worksheets ($10-20)
- Laminated Activity Worksheets...OR...Activity Worksheets in sheet protectors that can be copied on the copier ($1)
- Classroom Set of 25 Clipboards for students to record their observations and data on the activity worksheets ($1 each x 25 = $25)
- Classroom Set of 25 4x-10x Handheld Magnifiers ($5-10 each x 25 = $125-250)
- (2) Dual Purpose Observation Bug Containers with 4X Magnification used for collecting and observing bugs ($5 x 2 = $10)
- Children’s trade book: What’s Alive? (Let's Read & Find Out Science Series Level 1) by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (ISBN: 978-0064451321) ($10)
- Children’s trade book: What Do Living Things Need? by Elizabeth Austen (ISBN: 978-1480745230) ($10)
Comparing Animal Characteristics Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the whole outdoor classroom as students search for wildlife in the outdoor classroom, learn about the different features and characteristics different types of animals have, and how these features and characteristics help the animals survive.
Animal Features & Adaptations
Field Investigation Worksheet (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students will explore the outdoor classroom as they look for an animal, and then they record their observations about it and analyze which of its characteristics (adaptations) help it survive. AL Science Standard 1st Grade #5: Design a solution to a human problem by using materials to imitate how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs (e.g., outerwear imitating animal furs for insulation, gear mimicking tree bark or shells for protection).
Critter Characteristics & Habitats
Field Investigation Worksheet (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students look for a bird, insect, amphibian, reptile or mammal in the outdoor classroom, record its features, and then describe its habitat. AL Science Standard 2nd Grade #7: Obtain information from literature and other media to illustrate that there are many different kinds of living things and that they exist in different places on land and in water (e.g., woodland, tundra, desert, rainforest, ocean, river).
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
- (1) Clear Plastic Storage Box with Lid to store activity kit materials ($10-20)
- Classroom Set of 25 Clipboards for students to record their observations and data on the activity worksheets ($1 each x 25 = $25)
- Laminated Activity Worksheets...OR...Activity Worksheets in sheet protectors that can be copied on the copier ($1)
- Classroom Set of 25 4x-10x Handheld Magnifiers ($5-10 each x 25 = $125-250)
- (8) Dual Purpose Observation Bug Containers with 4X Magnification used for collecting and observing bugs ($5 each x 8 = $40)
- (8) National Audubon Society Regional Field Guides to the Southeastern States (ISBN-10: 0679446834) ($20 each x 8 = $160)
- Children’s Trade Book: Creature Features: Twenty-five Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do by Steve Jenkins (ISBN: 978-0544233515) ($15)
- Children’s Trade Book: Animal Homes (Ranger Rick: Animal Fun for Young Children) by Jennifer Bove' (ISBN: 978-1630762247) ($10)
Analyzing the Weather Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with your weather station in your outdoor classroom.
Seasonal Weather Observations
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF)
Students record their seasonal weather observations in the outdoor classroom. AL Science Standards Kindergarten #9: Observe, record, and share findings of local weather patterns over a period of time (e.g., temperature changes throughout day, rain patterns from season to season). & 1st Grade #9: Observe seasonal patterns of sunrise and sunset to describe the relationship between the number of hours of daylight and the time of year (e.g., more hours of daylight during summer as compared to winter).
Evidence of the Water Cycle
Field Investigation Worksheets (Word Doc / PDF - students write answers) (Word Doc / PDF - students draw answers)
Students explore the outdoor classroom for evidence of the water cycle as they record their weather observations. AL Science Standard 2nd Grade #10: Collect and evaluate data to identify water found on Earth and determine whether it is a solid or a liquid (e.g., glaciers as solid forms of water; oceans, lakes, rivers, streams as liquid forms of water).
Weather Data Log
Field Investigation Worksheets (Word Doc / PDF)
Students record the weather forecast, and then log in real-time weather data from the Weather Station into a Weather Data Chart, examining temperature changes throughout the day using a line graph. AL Science Standard 3rd Grade #13: Display data graphically and in tables to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season (e.g., average temperature, precipitation, wind direction).
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
- (1) Clear Plastic Storage Box with Lid to store activity kit materials ($10-20)
- Classroom Set of 25 Clipboards for students to record their observations and data on the activity worksheets ($1 each x 25 = $25)
- Laminated Activity Worksheets...OR...Activity Worksheets in sheet protectors that can be copied on the copier ($1)
- Classroom Set of 25 Peterson’s Field Guide for Clouds and Weather – (ISBN-10: 0395906636) - Contains easy-to-understand answers to questions about the weather, such as why the sky is blue, what makes it rain, and what causes rainbows; along with color photographs to identify clouds. ($7 ea x 25 = $175)
Investigating Pollination Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activity included in it can be used in conjunction with your pollinator and butterfly gardens as well as other gardens with flowering plants as students search for pollinators and pollen in flowers so they can investigate the process of pollination.
How Pollinators Pollinate
Field Investigation Worksheets (Word Doc / PDF) & Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students look for a pollinator in the outdoor classroom, record their observations about the pollinator, and then draw a model of the pollination process. AL Science Standard 2nd Grade #6: Design and construct models to simulate how animals disperse seeds or pollinate plants (e.g., animals brushing fur against seed pods and seeds falling off in other areas, birds and bees extracting nectar from flowers and transferring pollen from one plant to another).
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
- (1) Clear Plastic Storage Box with Lid to store activity kit materials ($10-20)
- Classroom Set of 25 Clipboards for worksheets...OR...Set of 10 Clipboards if students work in groups of 3 ($1 each x 10/25 = $10-25)
- Laminated Activity Worksheets...OR...Activity Worksheets in sheet protectors that can be copied on the copier ($1)
- Classroom Set of 25 4x-10x Handheld Magnifiers...OR...Set of 10 Magnifiers if students work in groups of 3 ($5-10 each x 10/25 = $50-250)
- (2) Dual Purpose Observation Bug Containers with 4X Magnification used for collecting and observing bugs ($5 each x 2 = $10)
- (1) Box of 500 Q-tips for collecting samples of pollen ($10)
- (1) Box of 280 Ziploc Snack Bags to hold the q-tips' pollen samples ($10)
- (8) National Audubon Society Regional Field Guides to the Southeastern States (ISBN-10: 0679446834) ($20 each x 8 = $160)
- (8) Bees & Other Pollinators: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species by James Kavanaugh (ISBN -13: 978-1620051870) ($8 each x 8 - $64)
- Children's Trade Book: What is Pollination? (Big Science Ideas) by Bobbie Kalman (ISBN: 978-0778733065) ($10)
- Children's Trade Book: The Reason for a Flower: A Book about Flowers, Pollen & Seeds by Ruth Heller (ISBN: 978-0698115590) ($10)
Comparing Life Cycles Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the butterfly garden, frog habitat, and songbird sanctuary in the outdoor classroom as students observe wildlife, learn about the different features and characteristics adult animals and their offspring have, and learn about the different types of life cycles insects, amphibians, birds and mammals have.
Comparing Adult to Offspring
Field Investigation Worksheet (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) & Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students will explore the outdoor classroom as they look for animal offspring and adults of the same species, which they will compare and contrast as they record their observations. AL Science Standard 1st Grade #7: Make observations to identify the similarities and differences of offspring to their parents and to other members of the same species.
Comparing Life Cycles
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) & Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students will compare their life cycle (the life cycle of a human) with the life cycle of an animal that they find in the outdoor classroom. AL Science Standard 3rd Grade #6: Create representations to explain the unique and diverse life cycles of organisms other than humans (e.g., flowering plants, frogs, butterflies), including commonalities such as birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
- (1) Clear Plastic Storage Box with Lid to store activity kit materials ($10-20)
- Classroom Set of 25 Clipboards for worksheets...OR...Set of 10 Clipboards if students work in groups of 3 ($1 each x 10/25 = $10-25)
- Laminated Activity Worksheets...OR...Activity Worksheets in sheet protectors that can be copied on the copier ($1)
- Classroom Set of 25 4x-10x Handheld Magnifiers...OR...Set of 10 Magnifiers if students work in groups of 3 ($5-10 each x 10/25 = $50-250)
- (8) Dual Purpose Observation Containers with 4X Magnification that can hold water and be used to collect and observe caterpillars, butterflies, tadpoles and frogs ($10 each x 8 = $80)
- (1) Children's 8x21mm / 10x25mm Shockproof Binoculars for students to share while observing songbirds and their nests ($25)
- (2) National Audubon Society Regional Field Guides to the Southeastern States for the students to share to help them identify and learn about the wildlife they observed (ISBN-10: 0679446834) ($20 each x 2 = $40)
- (2) Birds of Alabama field guides by Stan Tekiela for the students to share to help them identify and learn about the birds they observed (ISBN-10: 1591931517) ($15 each x 2 = $30)
- (2) National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America for the students to share to help them identify and learn about the wildlife they observed (ISBN-10: 9781402741531) ($20 each x 2 = $40)
- Children’s Trade Book: From Tadpole to Frog (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science 1) by Wendy Pfeffer (ISBN-978-0062381866) ($10)
- Children’s Trade Book: From Caterpillar to Butterfly (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science 1) by Deborah Heiligman (ISBN-978-0062381835) ($10)
- Children's Trade Book: Frogs by Gail Gibbons (ISBN: 978-0823411344) ($10)
- Children's Trade Book: Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons (ISBN: 978-0823409099) ($10)
Evaluating Habitat Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the butterfly garden, frog habitat, and songbird sanctuary in the outdoor classroom as students evaluate the habitat that is needed for butterflies, frogs and/or songbirds to survive.
Wildlife Habitat Checklist
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF)
Students explore the outdoor classroom to evaluate if it contains the habitat (food, water, shelter & a place to raise young) needed for local backyard wildlife. AL Science Standard Kindergarten #5. Construct a model of a natural habitat conducive to meeting the needs of plants and animals native to Alabama.
Critter Characteristics & Habitats
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students look for a bird, insect, amphibian, reptile or mammal in the outdoor classroom, record its features, and then describe its habitat. AL Science Standard 2nd Grade #7: Obtain information from literature and other media to illustrate that there are many different kinds of living things and that they exist in different places on land and in water (e.g., woodland, tundra, desert, rainforest, ocean, river).
Wildlife Habitat Checklist
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students will research the habitat needs of a specific wildlife species that they would like to see in the outdoor classroom, and then they will evaluate whether or not the outdoor classroom can provide habitat for that particular wildlife species. AL Science Standard 3rd Grade #11: Construct an argument from evidence to explain the likelihood of an organism's ability to survive when compared to the resources in a certain habitat.
Ecosystem Resources and Wildlife Populations
Field Investigation Worksheets (Word Doc / PDF)
Students explore the outdoor classroom to evaluate the habitat resources required for present species and their populations. AL Science Standard 7th Grade #6. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence regarding how resource availability impacts individual organisms as well as populations of organisms within an ecosystem.
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
- (1) Clear Plastic Storage Box with Lid to store activity kit materials ($10-20)
- Classroom Set of 25 Clipboards for worksheets...OR...Set of 10 Clipboards if students work in groups of 3 ($1 each x 10/25 = $10-25)
- Laminated Activity Worksheets...OR...Activity Worksheets in sheet protectors that can be copied on the copier ($1)
- Classroom Set of 25 4x-10x Handheld Magnifiers...OR...Set of 10 Magnifiers if students work in groups of 3 ($5-10 each x 10/25 = $50-250)
- (6) National Audubon Society Regional Field Guides to the Southeastern States for the students to share to help them identify and learn about the wildlife they observed (ISBN-10: 0679446834) ($20 each x 6 = $60)
- (2) Birds of Alabama field guides by Stan Tekiela for the students to share to help them identify and learn about the birds they observed (ISBN-10: 1591931517) ($15 each x 2 = $30)
- (2) National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America for the students to share to help them identify and learn about the wildlife they observed (ISBN-10: 9781402741531) ($20 each x 2 = $40)
- (1) Turtles of Alabama (Gosse Nature Guides) by Dr. Craig Guyer Ph.D., Mark A. Bailey, Robert H. Mount (ISBN: 978-0817358068) ($30)
- (1) Lizards & Snakes of Alabama (Gosse Nature Guides) by Dr. Craig Guyer Ph.D., Mark A. Bailey, Robert H. Mount (ISBN-13: 978-0817359164) ($30)
- (1) Butterflies of Alabama: Glimpses into Their Lives (Gosse Nature Guides) by Paulette Haywood Ogard and Sara Cunningham Bright (ISBN: 978-0817355951) ($30)
- (1) Mammals of Alabama (Gosse Nature Guides) by Dr. Troy L. Best Ph.D. and Dr. Julian L. Dusi Ph.D. (ISBN: 978-0817357498) ($30)
- Children's Tradebook: Backyard Habitats by Bobbie Kalman (ISBN: 978-0778729853) ($10)
Observing Songbirds Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activity included in it can be used in conjunction with the songbird sanctuary as well as the whole outdoor classroom as students search for songbirds to observe and record their adaptations including the different types of beaks, feathers and feet they have.
Birds & their Adaptations
Field Investigation Worksheet (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students learn first-hand how animals have adaptations to help them survive by observing and identifying a songbird in their outdoor classroom. AL Science Standard 4th Grade #9: Examine evidence to support an argument that the internal and external structures of animals (e.g., heart, stomach, lung, brain, skin) function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
- (1) Clear Plastic Storage Box with Lid to store activity kit materials ($10-20)
- Classroom Set of 25 Clipboards for worksheets...OR...Set of 10 Clipboards if students work in groups of 3 ($1 each x 10/25 = $10-25)
- Laminated Activity Worksheets...OR...Activity Worksheets in sheet protectors that can be copied on the copier ($1)
- Set of 8-10 Children's 8x21mm / 10x25mm Shockproof Binoculars for students to share while observing songbirds ($25 each x 8/10 = $200-250)
- (6) National Audubon Society Regional Field Guides to the Southeastern States to help students identify the songbirds they observed (ISBN-10: 0679446834) ($20 each x 6 = $60)
- (4) Birds of Alabama field guides by Stan Tekiela to help students identify the songbirds they observed (ISBN-10: 1591931517) ($15 each x 4 = $60)
- Children's Tradebook: A Backyard Birding Adventure: What's in Your Yard? by Kermit Cummings (ISBN-13: 978-1612542362) ($20)
- Children's Tradebook: The Burgess Bird Book (in color) by Thornton S Burgess (ISBN-13: 978-1925729245) ($20)
- Children's Tradebook: The Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs by Adrea Pinnington (ISBN-13: 978-1770857445) ($15)
- Children's Tradebook: Feathers: Not Just For Flying by Melissa Stewart (ISBN: 978-1-58089-431-9)
Examining Plants Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the gardens throughout the outdoor classroom as students record their observations about the plant and learn about how the different parts of a plant work to help the plant survive.
Outdoor Classroom Field Investigation: Parts of a Plant
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) & Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students explore the outdoor classroom to find a plant with a flower, and then they draw it, label its parts, and answer questions about how its internal and external structures help the plant survive, grow, and reproduce. AL Science Standard 4th Grade #9: Examine evidence to support an argument that the internal and external structures of plants (e.g., thorns, leaves, stems, roots, colored petals, xylem, phloem) function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
Plants, Plants, and More Plants
Field Investigation Worksheets (Word Doc / PDF)
Students explore the outdoor classroom to observe and document what animal behaviors and specialized plant structures lead to new plants growing. AL Science Standard 7th Grade #10. Use evidence and scientific reasoning to explain how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of both animals and plants.
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
- (1) Clear Plastic Storage Box with Lid to store activity kit materials ($10-20)
- Classroom Set of 25 Clipboards for worksheets...OR...Set of 10 Clipboards if students work in groups of 3 ($1 each x 10/25 = $10-25)
- Laminated Activity Worksheets...OR...Activity Worksheets in sheet protectors that can be copied on the copier ($1)
- Classroom Set of 25 4x-10x Handheld Magnifiers...OR...Set of 10 Magnifiers if students work in groups of 3 ($5-10 each x 10/25 = $50-250)
- Children's Trade Book: From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons (ISBN: 978-0823410255) ($10)
Finding Food Webs Activity Kit
This activity kit and the activities included in it can be used in conjunction with the whole outdoor classroom as students search for evidence of a food chain or food web created by the plants and animals in the outdoor classroom.
Find a Food Chain
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students explore the outdoor classroom, recording plant/animal evidence of a food chain, and tracing the flow of energy through the food chain from the producer to the consumers. AL Science Standards 5th Grade #10 & #11: Construct and interpret models (e.g., diagrams, flow charts) to explain that energy in animals' food is used for body repair, growth, motion, and maintenance of body warmth and was once energy from the sun. & #11: Create a model to illustrate the transfer of matter among producers; consumers, including scavengers and decomposers; and the environment.
Create a Food Web
Field Investigation Worksheets (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) | Online Interactive Lesson Plans
Students explore the outdoor classroom, recording plant/animal evidence of an “aquatic” food chain and “terrestrial” food chain that overlap in a food web. AL Science Standards 5th Grade #10 & #11: Construct and interpret models (e.g., diagrams, flow charts) to explain that energy in animals' food is used for body repair, growth, motion, and maintenance of body warmth and was once energy from the sun. & #11: Create a model to illustrate the transfer of matter among producers; consumers, including scavengers and decomposers; and the environment.
Suggested Activity Kit Materials & Resources:
- (1) Clear Plastic Storage Box with Lid to store activity kit materials ($10-20)
- (10) Clipboards so students can work in groups of 3 ($1 each x 10 = $10)
- Laminated Activity Worksheets...OR...Activity Worksheets in sheet protectors that can be copied on the copier ($1)
- (10) Sets of Laminated Mystery Science Food Chain Cards ($1 each x 10 = $10) **CLICK HERE to download a PDF of the Food Chain Cards**
- (10) Handheld Magnifing Glasses so students can work in groups of 3 ($5-10 each x 10/25 = $50-250)
- (2) Dual Purpose Observation Bug Containers with 4X Magnification used for collecting and observing bugs ($5 each x 2 = $10)
- (8-10) National Audubon Society Regional Field Guides to the Southeastern States for the students to share to help them identify the wildlife they observed (ISBN-10: 0679446834) ($20 each x 8/10 = $160-200)
- Children’s Trade Book: Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfelds (ISBN: 978-0385753647) ($10)
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