Program Areas

Wildlife by Design Classroom Presentations

The Wildlife by Design program is an opportunity for teachers to work with Texas Wildlife Association’s educational staff to develop customized wildlife and natural resources conservation presentations for the classroom.  A member of Texas Wildlife Association’s Conservation Legacy team 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- Each program is designed for a classroom length period of time, 30-60 minutes and for a group of 20-45 students.

- Programs are designed for grades K-8.

- Each presentation date can include up to six (6) repeat programs.

- 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.

Wildlife by DesignThere are four (4) pre-designed programs from which a teacher can choose – Skins & Skulls CSI - Animal Adaptations, Let’s Talk Turkey, Where Is Our Water?, and Investigating Life Cycles. Or, you can work together with your regional TWA Educator to customize a natural resources based lesson and activity.

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 Jo Picken, jpicken@texas-wildlife.org, 254-749-4245
  • 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:

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 Phil Salonek, psalonek@texas-wildlife.org, 262-909-0097

 

Program Descriptions

 

Skins & Skulls CSI—Animal Adaptations is a prepared discussion of the identification and specialized adaptations of native Texas wildlife with animal skulls and skins.  Students will investigate the skulls of these animals and use field guides to identify their ‘mystery skulls’, all while learning about their animal’s habitat, food sources, and adaptations for survival.

Where Is Our Water? is an interactive program that covers a variety of water units, from the water cycle and water usage, to pollution and infiltration into our aquifers.  During the presentation, activities and investigations will allow students to understand the impact that our use of water has on Texas aquifers, lakes, rivers, the land, humans, and wildlife.  The main message is conservation!

Let’s Talk Turkey—A Bird Is A Bird is an overview of Wild Turkey ecology and conservation success efforts. By investigating the seven elements that make a turkey a bird, students will discover the unique adaptations of this historically symbolic bird.  Activities include exploring turkey anatomy, hands-on investigations of real turkey biofacts, and listening to the calls of the Wild Turkey.

Investigating Life Cycles is an inquiry-based program that allows students to investigate and compare life cycle models and record their observations. 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. Students will learn the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis in insects, as well as exploring the varied life cycles and interdependence of other members of the animal and plant kingdoms.

 

For more information about any of the Outreach Programs please contact Kassi Scheffer, kscheffer@texas-wildlife.org, 210-826-2904.

 

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