Explore Armored Animals with DNS First Grade

Take a deep dive into specialized structures and how Missouri’s animals protect themselves with armor.  Then apply engineering methods and use knowledge about armored animals to solve a human problem.  

This Discover Nature School (DNS) program First Grade: Exploring Missouri is designed specifically for First Grade students. This curriculum is aligned to all Missouri Learning Science (MLS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

This curriculums 5E lessons follow the school year with 8 units and 21 lessons using Missouri-focused phenomena. Each lesson concludes with a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning student page where students revisit the investigative questions and provide evidence from their learning to support their claim and reasoning. 

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. 

Learn about the following opportunities during training:

• Fully colored, illustrated student guide
• Lesson plans that include outdoor exploration, cross-curricular extensions
• Long-term loan agreement for first-grade teacher kit 
• Annual travel reimbursement grant up to $7/student for field experience