Runge Nature Center

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.

This curriculum is just for Missouri kindergarten students! Educators will appreciate this curriculum being STEM focused and aligned to the Missouri Learning Standards (MLS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) including Life Science, Engineering and Technology.

DNS Unfolds Workshop held at RCNC for Prairie Home K-2nd grade teachers

Teacher Training

Teacher Workshop 

The Discover Nature Schools (DNS) program, Nature Unleashed, is a curriculum of 8 units designed for 3rd-5th grade students to promote understanding of Missouri habitats by exploring food chains and the roles of producers and consumers as well as specialized structures and biotic and abiotic factors. The curriculum supports Missouri Learning Standards (MLS) in science, particularly life science.

The Discover Nature Schools (DNS) program, Nature Unbound, is a curriculum of 9 lessons designed for 9th-12th grade students with engaging, hands-on outdoor learning that focuses on wildlife management, ecology, adaptations, populations, interactions, and biodiversity. The curriculum supports Missouri Learning Standards (MLS) in science, particularly life science. Summative assessments follow each unit.

Please join Missouri Department of Conservation Staff for an adventure exploring ecosystems with our Discover Nature Schools Unhooked Curriculum and a kayaking trip to implement lessons learned with our Discover Nature Fishing Program. Nature Unhooked is a middle school aquatic unit and is aligned to the Missouri Learning Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Nature Unhooked is student-centered and has collaborative investigations on the properties of water, water cycle, biotic energy flow, biodiversity, and human impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

Nature Unhooked is the middle school level aquatic unit of the Discover Nature Schools program and is aligned with the Missouri Learning Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. Emphasis of this unit is on student-centered and collaborative investigations of the properties of water, water cycle, biotic energy flow, biodiversity, and human impacts on aquatic ecosystems. A Project Based Learning component is also included in this unit. This workshop will cover lessons and activities from the unit as well as an outdoor, experiential approach to student learning.