Discover Nature Schools: Nature Unhooked 6th-8th grade

The Discover Nature Schools (DNS) program, Nature Unhooked, is a curriculum of 6 units designed for 6th-8th grade students with hands-on, outdoor learning that focuses on water properties and Missouri aquatic ecosystems including weathering and erosion, food chains, organism roles and interactions, as well as macroinvertebrate sampling, water quality testing, and water pollution engineering. The curriculum is aligned with Missouri Learning Standards (MLS) in science, including life, physical, earth and space, and engineering practices. Summative assessments at the end of each unit are designed to the style of MAP testing with select response, supply response, and project response questions.

This curriculum also includes Project-Based Learning (PBL) opportunities written in easy-to-follow format, including 10 student graphic organizers to guide your learners through the solution process of a school or community-based water issue.

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 Unhooked curriculum includes the following free materials:

• Fully colored, illustrated student books
• Student science notebooks
• Lesson plans that include outdoor exploration and summative assessments
• An initial $1000 non-competitive school-wide grant for classroom materials and an annual travel reimbursement for field experience. A $500 non-competitive maintenance grant for classroom materials is available after every 3 years of participation in the Nature Unhooked program.