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ST. CHARLES, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites teachers to attend an upcoming Discover Nature Schools teacher workshop for Nature Unhooked, the brand-new instructional unit for grades 6-8. These workshops provide free training for teachers interested in using Nature Unhooked to connect authentic learning experiences and aquatic education in their Missouri classroom, home-school class, or youth group. The upcoming workshops will take place at the MDC St. Louis Regional Office, 2360 Hwy D in St. Charles from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following dates:
“The Discover Nature Schools program is an excellent way to get students of all ages outside and to provide a place-based, experiential approach to student learning while focusing on Missouri plants, animals and natural systems,” said MDC Conservation Education Consultant Kim Cole.
These hands-on workshops will prepare educators to teach Nature Unhooked, the new aquatic unit from the Discover Nature Schools program. Nature Unhooked, which is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards and Missouri Learning Expectations for 6th through 8th grade science, focuses on the properties of water, the water cycle, and biodiversity in relation to aquatic ecosystems in Missouri. Nature Unhooked also includes a Project Based Learning component to encourage student-centered and collaborative investigations. Teacher’s guides and classroom sets of student guides and science notebooks are provided for free, and eligible schools can receive non-competitive grants for field experiences and equipment that support the curriculum units.
“Nature Unhooked is our newest middle school aquatic unit and we are so excited to provide teachers with an opportunity to gain maximum benefit of this program with their students,” Cole said. “These are some of the first workshops to certify educators in the new unit, so don’t miss your chance to get on board with Nature Unhooked!”
MDC’s Discover Nature Schools program provides no-cost curriculum units to teachers and schools in the state of Missouri. Curriculum units are available for preschool through 12th grade and are aligned with Missouri Learning Expectations to help teachers and students meet required learning standards. The Discover Nature Schools program continues to be very popular and is being used within every school district in Missouri.
Space is limited, and participants must register to attend the workshop. To register for the workshops, visit the Teacher Portal at https://tinyurl.com/ydz6q5fo, create an account and complete the online registration form.
For questions, contact Kim at Kim.Cole@mdc.mo.gov or 636-300-1953, ext. 4126.
For more information about MDC’s Discover Nature Schools program, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/education.
