This Discover Nature School (DNS) program, Nature Revealed, is a curriculum designed for preschool students and includes engaging, hands-on outdoor learning divided into 4 seasonal units. This curriculum focuses on Missouri’s flora, fauna, and ecosystems, which can be separated by 20 different themes such as mammals, insects, trees and forests, birds, energy, and weather. It encourages discovery and a child’s natural sense of wonder. It is correlated to both the Missouri Project Construct and the Missouri Early Learning Goals and is designed to work with teacher's needs by providing developmentally appropriate learning experiences.
This training introduces teachers to the free teacher and student materials as well as the MDC Teacher Portal and other resources. It prepares participants to teach the lessons and address concerns with structured outdoor activities. Participating teachers become certified to receive the DNS grant funding for classroom materials and field experiences.
The Nature Revealed curriculum includes the following free materials:
• Fully colored, illustrated teacher guide lesson plans that include outdoor exploration, storyboard characters, puzzles, and a family calendar
• Fully colored Missouri animal cards
We will take some time to look at the Discovery Trunks and enrichment opportunities available through our center for field trips as well.