Nature in the Classroom

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Bring the rich biodiversity of the Pacific Northwest into your classroom! Nature in the Classroom is a free multidisciplinary science-based curriculum created for 4th and 5th graders (but adaptable for use with all ages) that allows students to explore the biodiversity of the Puget Sound using real-life museum specimens. With these kits, students will learn to hone their observation skills through nature journaling, answer questions about structure, form, function, adaptations, and interspecies interactions, and gain an appreciation for the natural world!

About the Kits

The full Nature in the Classroom curriculum consists of three lessons, each packed into its own kit. These three kits: Wild Things: Naturalists-in-Trianing, Urban Bird Diversity: Birdiversity!, and Tooth Sleuth, contain unique sets of museum specimens and can be taught as their own individual lesson or used together to create a comprehensive biodiversity curriculum. Lesson plans and teaching materials are provided with each kit, and while we do offer additional support if needed, teachers are responsible for teaching the lessons themselves.

Lesson 1: Wild Things Nature Journals — Naturalists-in-Training

Students will practice their naturalist skills and learn how to generate hypotheses, check their answers, and compare & contrast objects.

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Lesson 2: Urban Bird Diversity — Birdiversity!

Students will compare the beaks and feet of different bird species to understand how adaptations allow birds to get different foods and live in a variety of habitats.

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Lesson 3: Tooth Sleuth — Tacoma Mammal Puzzler

Students will learn to use a dichotomous key to identify mammal skulls while also learning about how teeth provide clues about the diet and lifestyle of an animal.

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Leaves of Change

In addition to our Nature in the Classroom kits, we also offer a fossil-based curriculum called Leaves of Change: a Lesson in Paleobotany.

This "field trip back in time" is a free resource for local educators that combines hands-on learning with the wonders of the fossil record to discover how the climate of Washington has changed in the past 100 million years. Students will examine modern leaves to determine how leaf shape is influenced by climate, and compare their findings with fossilized leaves.

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Quotes from Teachers & Students

“My students were much more observant and their close observation skills were much better after doing Nature in the Classroom."
- Heidi Barabe, 4th/5th grade teacher, Washington-Hoyt Elementary

"Thank you very much teaching me these wonderful things about nature!"
- McKinley Elementary student

"Not only the kids are fascinated by the birds, but so are my fellow staff members. As I was teaching on Wednesday, every staff member who walked by came in to see the lesson. Thanks for sharing this fabulous resource!"
- Colette Babson, 5th grade teacher, Reed Elementary

Resources for Educators

Borrow a Kit!

Want to bring the biodiversity of the Puget Sound into your classroom? Simply email us at pugetsoundmuseum@pugetsound.edu with the following information to request a kit loan, and we will be in contact within two business days.

Teacher Name
School or Organization you're borrowing the kits for
Which kit you're looking to borrow
What age group will be receiving the lesson?
# of classes that will receive the lesson
# of students per class
Rental Period: please tell us how long you would like the kits as well as a desired pick-up and drop-off date. Please note that pick-up and drop-off is only available during weekdays (10 - 4 p.m.).

Because the specimens in our kits are delicate and invaluable, we request that you allow an extra 15 minutes during your kit pick-up time to be trained in proper specimen handling form one of our museum employees.