Discover Nature Schools Kindergarten Unit Certification

This Discover Nature School (DNS) program Kindergarten: Bears Through the Season is designed specifically for Kindergarten students. This curriculum is aligned to all Missouri Learning Science (MLS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) including the four components of Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, Life Science and Engineering and Technology Science.  

This curriculum follows the four seasons with 4 seasonal units and 23 lessons. All lessons are wrapped under the anchoring phenomena of Missouri Black Bears and their habitat. All lessons use the 5E instruction model beginning with Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate and tie into Missouri-focused phenomena and investigative questions such as “What lives in my schoolyard?”, “How do bears get their food using pushes and pulls?”, “Why do plants grow in different places?”.  

The teacher training introduces teachers to the free student guide and teacher guide as well as the MDC Teacher Portal and other resources. The MDC Conservation Educator will prepare you to teach the lessons both indoors and outdoors and address any concerns with outdoor structured activities. Participating classroom teachers who are certified following training receive the DNS Kindergarten Teacher Kit and funding to transport students on their field experience outside of school grounds. 

• Fully colored, illustrated student guide which incorporates a student reader along with student science notebooks 

• Lesson plans that include outdoor exploration, cross-curricular extensions and “Take-It Home Letters.” 

• Completion of long-term loan agreement allow teachers to have a kindergarten teacher kit with 14 essential reading books, hands-on science materials and bear related artifacts.  

• An annual travel reimbursement grant up to $7/student for field experience, covering actual bus transportation costs.