Wildlife by Design Classroom Presentations

Wildlife by Design brings wildlife and natural resources conservation presentations into the classroom via 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.

• Available statewide at no cost!
• Presentations are available virtually and in person - scheduling is dependent on educator availability and current ISD and regional guidelines
• Presentations are designed for grades K-8 (Science TEKS-aligned)
• 5 program options – Skins & Skulls, Birds of a Feather, Where Is Our Water?,  Investigating Life Cycles, and Stewarding Soil

In-person Presentation Specifics:

• Presentations last up to 60 minutes
• Groups of 20-45 students per presentation 
• Each visit includes three to six (3-6) repeat presentations that day
• Each school is allowed two (2) Wildlife by Design presentations per school year - please communicate your presentation date with your team/team lead
• Program reservations are handled on a semester-by-semester basis and scheduled first come, first served

If your school is in the Greater Houston, DFW, South Texas and West Texas areas, find your TWA Educator below.

Don't see your county listed below?  Click here for our virtual statewide schedule!

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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