Students imagine that they are visitors from outer space, viewing life on Earth for the first time. By describing in minute detail all the life they find in a small plot of land, they will become more aware of the diversity and abundance of life.
In dying, a tree plays an essential role in sustaining life around it. Here are some classroom activities to explore decomposition and how a fallen tree provides for other life in the forest.
Colorado PLT Coordinator Danielle Ardrey shares how to adapt the PLT Activity “The Closer You Look” for remote instruction. Students will go outdoors or view pictures to take a closer look at trees and their parts.
Students explore their sense of smell and discover why smell is important to animals, including beetles and humans.
Learn how to adapt our “Sounds Around” student activity for remote instruction, allowing students to tune in to the everyday sounds of nature from home or a nearby outdoor space.
Are you ready to add some spooky science to your fall lesson plans? We have gathered a whole cauldron of creepy, crawly spider science activities to enhance your lessons. Try these 11 Halloween activities inspired by our eight-legged friends. Examine spider webs outdoors, build a spider habitat, consider how a spider would adapt to life in space, and more!
Decisions about community land use are complex and often involve many people in many ways. In this activity, students use trees as a backdrop to develop a land-use plan.
Many PLT activities are easily adapted to virtual learning, as we illustrate in this new monthly feature in the Branch. Check out this adaptation for Looking at Leaves from Colorado’s PLT Coordinator
You don’t need a schoolyard or backyard garden to observe plants grow—you can do it inside your classroom or kitchen. Growing plants indoors, even in small spaces, is much easier than you may think.
Spending time outside is one way we can boost our resiliency while quarantining at home to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Bookmark a few of these free PLT family activities to try in your backyard, at a local park or trail, or another nearby safe space outdoors.