First Grade: Exploring Missouri Teacher Certification Training for Webster Groves School District

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) including the four components of Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, Life Science and Engineering and Technology Science. 

This curriculum follows the school year with 8 units and 21 lessons. 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 causes something to get warmer?”, “How do crickets make sound?”, “How does weather change over time?”, and “How does a bird use its beak to survive?”. 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. Each unit concludes with a Unit Review and a Putting It All Together student assessment task.

This training introduces teachers to the free student guide and teacher guide as well as the MDC Teacher Portal and other resources. The MDC Conservation Educators will prepare you to teach the lessons both indoors and outdoors and address any concerns with outdoor structured activities. Participating classroom teachers will receive the DNS First Grade Teacher Kit, a set of student books, be eligible to apply for funding to transport students on a field experience outside of school grounds.

Parts of this training will take place outdoors, rain or shine, so please dress for the weather. Hat, sunscreen, insect repellent and water bottle is recommended.  Light snacks that can be eaten discreetly and mobile technological devices are permitted.