Wildlife by Design Classroom Presentations
The Wildlife by Design program brings wildlife and natural resources conservation presentations into the classroom. A TWA Educator will come to the classroom with interactive wildlife-based lessons, activities and demonstrations. All presentations are designed to be grade specific and customized to meet the necessary science TEKS standards and/or to correlate with a specific thematic unit.
Wildlife by Design Programming:
- Each program is designed for a classroom length period of time, up to 60 minutes, and for a group of 20-45 students.
- Programs are designed for grades K-8.
- Each visit can include between three to six (3-6) repeat presentations.
- Each school is allowed to receive two (2) Wildlife by Design presentations per school year, so please communicate with your team and team lead/coordinator and let them know of your program reservation date.
- Program reservations are handled on a semester-by-semester basis and dates are scheduled first come, first served.
There are five (5) pre-designed programs from which a teacher can choose – Skins & Skulls, Birds of a Feather (formerly Let’s Talk Turkey), Where Is Our Water?, Investigating Life Cycles, and Stewarding Soil..
These programs are being offered as a means of promoting critical thinking skills while encouraging today’s youth to connect with the natural world through our L.A.N.D.S. (Learning Across New Dimensions in Science) youth stewardship initiative.
For more information about Wildlife by Design:
Harris & Surrounding Counties:
- Schools located in Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Liberty and Eastern Harris County ISDs (Channelview, Crosby, Deer Park, Galena Park, Goose Creek, Houston, Huffman, Sheldon, La Porte, and Pasadena) - Contact Ali Kuehn, akuehn@texas-wildlife.org, 360-870-7477
- Schools located in Fort Bend, Montgomery, Waller, and Western Harris County ISDs (Aldine, Alief, Cypress-Fairbanks, Humble, Katy, Klein, Spring Branch, Spring, and Tomball) - Contact Adrienne Paquette, apaquette@texas-wildlife.org, 972-743-2956
Tarrant & Surrounding Counties:
- Schools located in Collin, Dallas, Ellis, and Johnson, Counties - Contact Gwen Eishen, geishen@texas-wildlife.org, 214-288-7043
- Schools located in Denton, Parker, Tarrant, and Wise Counties - Contact Anna SoRelle, asorelle@texas-wildlife.org, 478-731-2137
South Texas Counties:
- Schools located in Cameron, Hidalgo, Kenedy, Starr, and Willacy Counties - Contact Elisa Velador, evelador@texas-wildlife.org, 956-266-3583
- Schools located in Brooks, Dimmit, Duval, Jim Hogg, La Salle, Webb, and Zapata Counties - Contact Masi Mejia, mmejia@EastFoundation.net, 956-312-0550
West Texas
- Schools located in Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Culberson, Ector, Glasscock, Howard, Jeff Davis, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward, Winkler - Contact Brittani Dafft, bdafft@texas-wildlife.org, 210-826-2904
Program Descriptions
Skins & Skulls is a prepared discussion of the identification and specialized adaptations of native Texas wildlife using animal skulls and skins. Students will investigate the skulls of these animals to identify their ‘mystery mammal,’ all while learning about their animal’s habitat, food sources, and adaptations for survival. The concept and importance of land stewardship, including its wildlife, is introduced and reinforced throughout the presentation.
K.9B | 1.10A | 2.9A 2.10A | 3.9A 3.10A | 4.7C 4.10A | 5. 9A 5.10A | 6.12E 6.12F | 7.10A 7.10B 7.11B 7.12A | 8.11A 8.11B
Where Is Our Water? is an interactive program that covers a variety of water topics, from the water cycle to sources and usage of water to pollution and infiltration of groundwater into our aquifers. Hands-on activities and demonstrations will allow students to investigate and understand the human impact on water and how it affects our land and wildlife. The concept and importance of land and water stewardship is introduced and reinforced throughout the presentation. The main message is conservation!
K.7C | 1.7C | 2.7C 2.8C | 3.5B 3.7C 3.7D 3.8B | 4.5A 4.5B 4.7A 4.7C 4.8B | 5.5A | 5.7B 5.8B | 6.5A 6.5B | 7.8B 7.8C | 8.5D
Birds of a Feather is an overview of bird adaptations. By investigating skulls and feet of different species of bird, students will discover what makes a bird a bird and how different birds use their adaptations to survive in their environments. Activities may include exploring bird anatomy, identifying a bird based on its skull and foot, experimenting with different bird beaks and how a bird might use a specific beak to get its food, measuring wingspan, and listening to bird vocalizations. The concept and importance of land stewardship, including native Texas birds, is introduced and reinforced throughout the presentation.
K.9B K.10B | 1.10A 1.10C | 2.9A 2.10A | 3.9A 3.10A 3.10B 3.10C | 4.7C 4.10A 4.10B 4.10C | 5.9A 5.10A 5.10B | 6.12E 6.12F | 7.10A 7.11B 7.12A 7.13A 7.14A | 8.11A 8.11B
Investigating Life Cycles is an inquiry-based program that allows students to investigate and understand each stage of various life cycles using biofacts, kinesthetic activities, and trivia games, for a better understanding of the cycle as a whole. Students will learn the characteristics that allow a plant or animal to grow into a mature adult and how each stage affects its habitat and other plant and animal populations.
K.9B K.10C K.10D | 1.10A 1.10B 1.10C 1.10D | 2.9A 2.10A 2.10B 2.10C | 3.9A 3.10A 3.10B 3.10C | 4. 10A 4.10B 4.10C | 5.9A 5.10A 5.10B 5.10C | 6.12C 6.12E | 7.10A 7.10B 7.12A | 8.11A 8.11B
Stewarding Soil is a series of hands-on activities that allows students to dig in and investigate! Students will learn how soil is formed; the characteristics of sand, silt, and clay; how soil health affects living and nonliving things; and what products come from soil. Throughout the program, students will gain a better understanding of why soil is so important to wildlife and people and how they can be stewards of this natural resource. The concept and importance of land stewardship, including soils, is introduced and reinforced throughout the presentation.
K.5A K.7C K.9A K.9B | 1.5A 1.7A 1.7C 1.9A | 2.5A 2.7C 2.9A | 3.5B 3.7A 3.7C 3.9A | 4.7A 4.7C | 5 .9A | 6.12E | 7.10A | 8.11B
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