Nature Unfolds

This Discover Nature School (DNS) program, Nature Unfolds, is designed for Kindergarten through 2nd grade and includes 4 seasonal units that focus on seasonal changes, weather, lifecycles, and parent/offspring relationships. The curriculum supports Missouri Learning Standards (MLS) in science, particularly life science. The hands-on, inquiry-focused lessons provide outdoor learning opportunities where students can explore their own schoolyard. 

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 Unfolds 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 $500 non-competitive school-wide grant for classroom materials and an annual travel reimbursement for field experience. A $250 non-competitive maintenance grant for classroom materials is available after every 3 years of participation in the Nature Unfolds program[DVD1] .

 [DVD1]Since the curriculum contains units, it probably shouldn’t be referred to as a unit here.