DNS Kindergarten and First Grade Teacher Training
This Discover Nature School (DNS) program Kindergarten: Bears Through the Seasons and First Grade: Exploring Missouri is designed specifically for elementary 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. 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.
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. Participating classroom teachers who are certified following training receive the DNS Kindergarten and First Grade Teacher Kit and funding to transport students on their field experience outside of school grounds.
- Fully colored, illustrated student guide which incorporates a student reader along with student science notebooks
- Lesson plans that include outdoor exploration, cross-curricular extensions and “Take-It Home Letters.”
- Completion of long-term loan agreement allow teachers to have a first grade teacher kit with hands-on science materials.
- An annual travel reimbursement grant up to $7/student for field experience, covering actual bus transportation costs.