Kindergarten Bears Through The Seasons

This Discover Nature School (DNS) program Bears Through the Seasons is designed specifically for kindergarten students. This curriculum is aligned to all Missouri Learning Science (MLS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) including the four strands of Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, Life Science and Engineering and Technology Science. 

This curriculum follows the four seasons with 4 seasonal units and 23 lessons. All lessons are wrapped under the anchoring phenomena of Missouri Black Bears and their habitat. 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 lives in my schoolyard?”, “How do bears get their food using pushes and pulls?”, “Why do plants grow in different places?”. 

The teacher training introduces teachers to the free student guide and teacher guide as well as the MDC Teacher Portal and other resources. This certification workshop will prepare you to teach the lessons both indoors and outdoors and address any concerns with outdoor structured activities. Information about the DNS Kindergarten Teacher Kit and grant funding to transport students on field experiences will also be covered.

Teachers should come prepared for portions of this workshop which will take place outdoors, rain or shine.  All other materials will be provided.

Participating classroom teachers who are certified following training receive the DNS Kindergarten 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.