Captain Planet Foundation’s ecoSTEM® PolliNation Kit

Quick Start Guide • How do animals pollinate plants?• Are there other ways of pollinating plants?• What plants do animals pollinate – and why?• What threats do pollinators face?• What fruits come from pollinated plants?• What can we do to protect pollinators?

Exploring

Where am I headed?

Hook Interest

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE BECOMING CURIOUS

ENVIRONMENTALSTEWARDSHIP ENGAGE

Create Pollinator habitatPlanet Monarch way stations

Collect Smaples for Monarch HealthDemonstrate integrated pest MGMT

Observe PollinatorsGenerate Questions

Predict which plants attract particular polinatos based on plant and pol-linator characteristics, observe to verify predictions and argue from evidence regarding adaptations.

UNDERSTANDING

Investigate PollinatorsConduct Experiments Research Native Plants for eco-regionCollect and report Data to citizens science projects

EXPLAINEXPLORE &ENGINEER

With the exciting supplies in the ecoSTEM® PolliNation Kit, students can:• Observe the phenomenon of pollination• Collect and report data about pollinators (citizen science)• Generate testable questions about pollinators• Identify types of pollinators and their ideal habitats• Predict which plants are pollinated by which animals

• Make models based on pollinator syndromes• Argue from evidence re: complementary characteristics

• Find out about the decline in pollinator populations• Select a pollinator to protect and research its needs• Assess the schoolyard for its potential to provide habitat• Identify threats to pollinators and their habitats• Research and implement pollinator-friendly practices

• Demonstrate integrated pest management• Demonstrate organic pest control strategies• Create habitat for juvenile (larval) and adult pollinators

• Design and install a pollinator habitat or monarch waystation• Select host plants for larval and adult forms of pollinator• Extend the pollinator habitat into a corridor through the community, including students’ backyards

• Prepare and taste-test foods that are pollinated by animals

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 1

Captain Planet Foundation’s ecoSTEM® PolliNation KitDear Educator,Captain Planet Foundation has curated this ecoSTEM® Kit to provide you with learning experiences that demonstrate best practices in environmental education and engage students in authentic science and engineering investigations. All ecoSTEM® Kits include materials for an inquiry investigation, an en-gineering design challenge, a citizen science project, and an environmental stewardship activity. After you’ve used this ecoSTEM® Kit with your class please rate and review this kit to receive BONUS content. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/My_Feedback_on_the_EcoSTEM_PolliNation_Kit

How to Use the EcoSTEM PolliNation KitVendor and Item Grades Learning Experiences and Investigations Lessons Links & Protocols

Engaging Activity

Mammoth Sunflower Seeds Vivitar Binoculars Magnifying Bug Viewers

K-12 Observe the phenomenon of pollinators in actionGenerate questions; i.d. pollinators for future studyAssess schoolyard for pollinator-friendly habitat

The Great Sunflower ProjectPollinator Friendly Plants ProjectThe Silence of the Bees film EBird Project Feeder Watch

Inquiry Investigation

Insect Lore Butterfly Garden K-12 Raise butterflies from caterpillar or from eggTrack monarch butterfly or hummingbird migration Design and conduct investigations about pollinators

Monarch Larval MonitoringMonarch Watch TaggingMonarch Size and Mass; Monarch Flight Vectors

Citizen Science Projects

UGA Monarch Health Monitoring Kit K-12 Collect and contribute data to a citizen science project Monarch butterflies Bats and birds Beetles and ladybugs Collect samples to contribute data to Monarch Health

Bat DetectiveHummingbirds at HomeBee Spotter / Bumble Bee WatcheButterfly / Lost Ladybug ProjectProject MonarchHealth

Engineering Design Challenge

Seeds for larval and adult host plants Cargo wagon Gloves and Trowels Gift card for raised bed kit and compost

K-12 Design/install pollinator habitat or Monarch WaystationResearch/select/install larval and host plants in habitatDesign/build/refine a hummingbird feederDesign/build/refine bug catcher 4 Lost Ladybug Project

The Great Pollinator Habitat Challenge Habitat Assessment or YardMapPollinator Habitat Certification Garden Wars lessonProjects that Improve Pollinator Habitat

Environmental Stewardship Activity

Milkweed seed packs for students in class K-12 Create a monarch corridor from school to communityTag monarchs butterflies for researchBuild nesting boxes for bats, mason beesEmploy best practices for pollinator-friendly gardening

Take the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Monarch Watch Tagging Program 5 Things Kids Can Do to Help Pollinators Best practices

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 2

Observe Pollinators and Pollination• Plant Mammoth or Lemon Queen Sunflowers

for next year• A sunflower planted in late May will start blooming in late July to mid-August (8 – 10 weeks after planting) and have a seed-head ready to harvest 4 – 6 weeks after it flowers (12 – 16 wks. after planting)

• Observe the phenomenon of animals that are pollinators by watching, filming and taking photos of the pollinators

• Report pollinator observations to Great Sunflower Project• Generate questions for further investigation• Research how pollination works• Dissect different flowers; become expert in pollen• Contribute data to Citizen Science Projects about

pollinators• Vanishing Firefly• Monarch Health Project• Bumble Bee Watch app and project• Journey North migration studies (monarchs, etc.)• Monarch Tagging Project• Bat Detective• Hummingbirds at Home• EBird

Create a Schoolyard Pollinator Habitat and Community Corridor• Assess the schoolyard for pollinator-friendly

habitats• Identify pollinator-friendly features as well as missing elements (food, water, shelter, nesting space)

• Identify threatened or endangered pollinators in your area

• Bees in decline - articles• Butterflies in decline - Menace to Monarchs

• Find out which native plants in your region make good habitat by consulting the Pollinator-Friendly Planting Guides

• Design and install • Pollinator Habitat, suited to your eco-region• Monarch Waystation at school and Monarch Corridor that extends to students’ backyards

Register and show your pollinator habitat on the map of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Prepare a Pollinated Feast• Identify which animals pollinate which plants and prepare a class feast made entirely of pollinated foods including foods that would not exist without bees

Investigate and Research Pollinators and Pollination• Raise butterflies from caterpillar or from egg• Design an investigation to learn about pollinator behavior,

such as food preferences of birds in Project Feeder Watch• Track monarch butterfly or hummingbird migration • Explore and learn about pollinators online • Design and conduct investigations about pollinators

• Nature’s Partners curriculum – grades 3-6• The Teaching Bee curriculum - • Bee Basics Book• Beneficial Insects ppt• Pollinators in Peril curriculum – middle and high

• Research the decline in pollinator populations and causes • Observe patterns and predict which plants are pollinated by

which animals based on plant characteristics such shape (nectar tubes), color, and fragrance (Pollinator Syndromes)

• Experiment with hand-pollinating flowers using cotton swabs or paint brushes and compare rate of fruit production to a plant pollinated naturally

Design and Implement Environmental Stewardship Projects• Take action to protect pollinators from threats

they face• Install bird feeders and fill them in winter• Add a water feature or another habitat need• Remove and replace invasive non-native plants

• Set up a What’s Invasive? site for your area• Demonstrate integrated pest management or organic

practices (deploy beneficial insects, make scarecrows, hand-remove pests from plants, rotate crops to different places each year) as in this Garden Wars lesson from Project Learning Garden

• Catch Monarch butterflies; remove parasites from their abdomens; send samples to Monarch Health Project

Engineer Solutions to Protect PollinatorsUse the iterative design process to design, build prototypes, and redesign solutions to problems

• Build a Better Bat House• Build a Better Hummingbird Feeder• Build a Better Ladybug Catcher and use it for the Lost Ladybug Project• Build a Bee Hotel for solitary bees

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 3

Supplies• Sunflower seeds to

plant• Bug viewers• Binoculars• Pocket microscopes

Bring your own:• Cameras

Supplies• Journey North • Bumble Bee Watch• Lost Ladybug • Vanishing Firefly

Supplies• Butterfly Rearing

Garden• Redeem coupon

for caterpillars, in advance

Bring your own:• Cotton swabs• Paint brushes• Scissors to dissect

plants• Flowers

Supplies• Monarch Health Kit

Bring your own:• Monarch butterflies

found in your habitat• Supplies for other

stewarship projects

Supplies• Milkweed seeds

(class pack)• Milkweed seeds

(student packs)• Native plant seeds• Trowels• Gloves• Wagon• Habitat garden

Bring your own:• Additional native

seeds, as needed

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 4

ecoSTEM® PolliNation Kit Alignment to Next Generation Science Standards Disciplinary Core Ideas

NGSS Standard Grades 3-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12

LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience

By the end of grade 2. The places where plants and animals live often change, sometimes slowly and sometimes rapidly. When animals and plants get too hot or too cold, they may die. If they cannot find enough food, water, or air, they may die.

By the end of grade 5. When the environment changes in ways that affect a place’s physical characteristics, temperature, or availability of resources, some organisms survive and reproduce, others move to new locations, yet others move into the transformed environment, and some die.

Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations. (MS-LS2-4)

Biodiversity describes the variety of species found in Earth’s terrestrial and oceanic ecosystems. The completeness or integrity of an ecosystem’s biodiversity is often used as a measure of its health. (MS-LS2-5)

A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a very different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any population, however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat availability. Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment—including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change—can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species.

ESS3.ANatural resources

Energy and fuels humans use are derived from natural sources and their use affects the environment. Some resources are renewable over time, others are not.

Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for different resources, many of which are limited or not renewable. Resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes.

Resource availability has guided the development of human society and use of natural resources has associated costs, risks, and benefits.

ESS3.CHuman impacts on Earth systems

Societal activities have had major effects on the land, ocean, atmosphere, and even outer space. Societal activities can also help pro-tect Earth’s resources and environments.

Human activities have altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging it, although changes to environments can have different impacts for different living things. Activities and technologies can be engineered to reduce people’s impacts on Earth.

Sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources, including the development of technologies.

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 5

ecoSTEM® PolliNation Kit Alignment to Next Generation Science Standards Performance ExpectationsNGSS Standard LS1 LS2 LS4 ESS3 Sample Learning Activity

Kindergarten K-LS1-1 Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive. K-LS1-1Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Great Sunflower ProjectProject Feeder Watch

1st grade 1-LS1.1 Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs. 1-LS1-1 Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Make Plant Costumes with adaptations for protection and survival (see Pollinator Syndromes for ideas about how flower colors and shapes attract pollinators)

2nd grade 2-LS2-1 Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants. 2-LS2-2 Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Captain Planet Foundation SAGES Pollinator Lesson: engineer a hand-pollinator

3rd grade Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. 3-LS4-3Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

3-LS4-4 Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change. 3-LS4-4 Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Engineer solutions to provide habitat for vulnerable species of pollinators:• Build a Better Bat House• Build a Better Hummingbird

Feeder• Build a Better Ladybug

Catcher and use it for the Lost Ladybug Project

• Build a Bee Hotel

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 6

ecoSTEM® PolliNation Kit Alignment to Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations

NGSS Standard LS1 LS2 LS4 ESS3 Sample Learning Activity

4th grade 4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. 4-LS1-1Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Make a model that demonstrates pollinator syndromes and argue from evidence about how a particular pairing of plant and animal structures is suited to promote pollination

5th grade 5-LS2-1 Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the envi-ronment. 5-LS2-1Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

5-ESS3-1 Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment. 5-ESS3-1 Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Taste-test food pollinated by animals and make models to show that matter which is not initially food is converted by plants into food, including how soil nutrients, air, water and sunlight (conceptually) make plant material and how flowers become fruits. • List of Pollinated Foods• Pollinator Friendly Meals• Chocolate & Pollinators

MS 6th grade / EARTH

Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment. MS-ESS3-3 Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Identify an imperiled pollinator species in your area; collect and report data on it through a citizen science project; then design and implement a project to enhance schoolyard habitat for that species.

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 7

ecoSTEM® PolliNation Kit Alignment to Next Generation Science Standards Performance ExpectationsNGSS Standard LS1 LS2 LS4 ESS3 Sample Learning Activity

MS 7th grade / LIFE

Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems. MS-LS2-2Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. MS-LS2-5 Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Observe and photograph the phenomenon of animal-facilitated pollination in two locations for a citizen science project and identify patterns in: structure and function, interactions among organisms, and in different ecosystems.

Identify an imperiled pollinator species in your area; implement a project to enhance schoolyard hab-itat for that species or to implement pollinator-friendly practices (such as pest control) and assess effective-ness of solution.

MS 8th grade / PHYSICAL

HS Life LS1.A: Structure and FunctionSystems of specialized cells within organisms help them perform the essential functions of life. (HS-LS1-1)

HS-LS2-2 Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales. HS-LS2-2Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

HS LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable condi-tions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem. HS-LS2-6Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

HS-LS4-6 Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity. HS-LS4-6 Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Conduct a citizen science project such as Project Monarch Health or a bio-blitz to assess biodiversity in the schoolyard; create an explana-tion for factors affecting biodiversity using your data to support the claim; and design and implement a project to mitigate adverse human impacts on pollinator species.

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 8

ecoSTEM® PolliNation Kit Alignment to Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations

NGSS Standard LS1 LS2 LS4 ESS3 Sample Learning Activity

HS Earth Evaluate or refine a techno-logical solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems. HS-ESS3-4 Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Identify and define a problem related to human impact on pollination or on pollinator species; then design and implement a solution to the problem.

HS Engineering Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering. HS-ETS1-2 Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

Identify an imperiled pollinator species in your area; implement a project to enhance schoolyard habitat for that species or to implement pollinator-friendly practices (such as pest control)

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 9

Engaging students in authentic science with Captain Planet Foundation’s ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit Not sure how to engage your students in STEM-related inquiry investigations, Next Generation science practices and engineering design challenges? No time for reviewing online lessons to sort the good from the bad? Tired of writing grant proposals to obtain materials? This Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® Kit provides simple-to-use solutions that are proven and effective. Find out about the instructional strategies here:

Best Practices in Environmental EducationOver the past 24 years, Captain Planet Foundation has funded ~2,000 projects that involved more than a million students in active learning and resulted in tangible benefits for the environment. That dual focus: engaging students in inquiry investigations while giving them a chance to make measurable differences in the world, is the hallmark of effective environmental education. We searched our archives to find the best examples from non-profit organizations and teachers who won Captain Planet Foundation grants, and packaged them for ease of replication. We hope you’ll find it easy and effective to engage your students in these learning experiences in your classroom or schoolyard.

Inquiry InvestigationsThe primary instructional strategy featured in each ecoSTEM® Kit is inquiry. Inquiry-style learning introduces students to a new topic not through reading, vocabulary review, or lecture, but by immersing students in an activity that sparks curiosity and generates questions. Thus primed for learning, students are then engaged in explorations that may include observation, investigation, model-making, or an engineering design challenge, coupled with research, data collection, and making sense of their findings.

Next Generation Science and Engineering PracticesEngaging students in authentic science and engineering practices and performance-based learning can be effective whether your state has adopted Next Generation Science Standards or not. The Next Gen science and engineering practices that students will use with the ecoSTEM® Kit include: Asking Questions and Defining Problems; Developing and Using Models; Planning and Carrying Out Investigations; Analyzing and Interpreting Data; Using Mathe-matics and Computational Thinking; Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions; Engaging in Argument from Evidence; and Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information.

STEM Learning and Environmental EducationThe significance of STEM learning is that it integrates the study of science, technology, engineering, and math in a way that is intended to prepare students for real world collaborative problem-solving, college, careers, and citizenship. The environment can provide an important context for STEM learning, and transform pointless project-based learning into more relevant, deeper understanding.

Citizen ScienceCitizen science projects involves students in authentic scientific research and allows them to contribute data to a study that is larger in scope and geographic area than the principal investigator could have otherwise undertaken.

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 10

Engineering Design ChallengesEngineering design challenges are an essential part of STEM learning because they integrate science, technology and math in an open-ended problem-solving process that results in a product or project.

Just because students build something doesn’t mean they have successfully engineered it. An engineering design challenge typically entails students working in small groups (four is an ideal number) to tackle a problem, taking into account any number of constraints such as limited time, money or materials, conducting research that will inform their design, brainstorming possible solutions, narrowing the options down to one approach, planning how to create a testable model or prototype, building it, collecting data to evaluate the prototype, going “back to the drawing board” to repeat the process as many times as necessary to produce an acceptable solution, and then arguing from evidence (including data) to defend that solution as sound and effective.

Environmental StewardshipResearch shows that students who study the environment as children are LESS likely to grow up to adopt eco-friendly attitudes and behaviors than their peers who never studied the environment. Three factors contribute to this unexpected result:1) lack of “wild play” and affinity for nature during childhood; 2) a focus on negative effects of human actions on the environment, leading to feelings of hopelessness; and 3) indoctrination and politicizing of environmental issues without investigation of the underlying scientific phenomena. Captain Planet Foundation’s environmental stewardship projects are designed to empower students by providing opportunities to apply knowledge gained from inquiry investigations, explore nature with a sense of wonder and discovery, use critical thinking skills, and collaborate to solve problems that make a difference in the real world.

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 11

Tips and Techniques for Teaching OutsideEffective environmental education requires students to have some opportunities for field investigations and stewardship projects outdoors. This may be an unfamiliar practice in your school, but it is worth overcoming whatever barriers may exist so that students can gain experience using authentic science and engineering practices. Check out these tips from nationally acclaimed environmental educators, Petey Giroux and Jerry Hightower, for effective teaching outdoors:

TIP #1: Organize students into Discovery Teams Give each team member an assignment in preparation for an outdoor learning activity. For instance, one student can check on the weather forecast and make sure everyone knows to bring the right clothing. Another team member can be responsible for clipboard organization, and others can make sure supplies are gathered and packed.

TIP #2: Use sensory exercises to quiet students before an outdoor lesson Remind students that the primary tools they will use outdoors are their eyes, ears, nose, and sense of touch. Gather students in a circle and try this ‘listen and share’ activity. Ask each person to listen quietly and choose a particular sound. Then have each student take a turn sharing information about the sound s/he chose, without repeating any other student exactly. If one student says, “I heard a bird singing,” the next student who heard a bird will have to say it differently, such as, “I heard a bird that sounds like this ...” This exercise helps sharpen students’ listening skills and allows time to become calm and focused.

TIP #3: Use Nature Journals every time the class goes outdoorsThese journals can be entirely hand-made or simple store-bought report folders, but each should have a student-created cover that relates to the natural world and a way to add pages. Require student observations, measurements, sketches, lab sheets, and so forth in the journals.

TIP #4: Clipboards are desks; trash bags are seats Prepare a classroom set of clipboards and have them ready to go. Attach the papers you will need ahead of time and have each student carry his or her own clipboard. Light-weight, rain-resistant clipboards can be made from foam core and pinch clips. Students can sit on folded trash bags, which are light and reusable.

TIP #5: Your vest pockets or fanny pack are drawers for teaching tools Aprons can be as effective as fishing vests, since both have many pockets. Get a crow or owl call whistle from a sporting goods store to use as a signal for gathering or ending an activity. A cell phone is a good idea for safety, especially if you are the only leader with your students. Be sure to carry a first aid kit, magnifying lenses, blindfolds, lesson props, field guides, wipes, etc.

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 12

TIP #6: You are the leader - be a role modelThis is important for outdoor learning safety. If your students crowd you and get ahead of you, you can’t stop the group when you need to explain or point out something. Position parent helpers at the back of the line for support. If you are enthusiastic about being outdoors and making discoveries, demonstrate respect for life, enjoy a walk in the rain, your students will do the same. But if you are annoyed, fearful, and uncomfortable, so will your students be. Demonstrate respect for the site and leave it like you found it. Be careful what you collect. Encourage releasing study items back to the environment.

TIP #7: Use soccer or traffic cones to mark boundaries for field work Keep students on the trail unless you are doing an activity that requires work in another area. Make sure students know where they should be during an activity, using cones as boundaries.

TIP #8: Recruit “Earth Parents” These Earth Parents can help you with field investigations and classroom field trips, providing support whenever students are outdoors. A good time of year to recruit grandparents, aunts, and uncles for this purpose is at the beginning of fall, at the same time you recruit Room Parents. Ask for help setting up and cleaning up activities so you can maximize instructional time.

TIP #9: Dress in proper clothes, including shoes, rain gear, and outerwear Encourage students to be prepared for outdoor learning. You can lead by example. Keep an extra pair of outdoor shoes at school for outdoor exploration. Collect clothes needed for the outdoors from unclaimed Lost and Found, for students who come unprepared. Teach students the importance of layering clothes so they can remove a layer when they get too warm or add a layer when the weather is cool. Send young children home wearing a paper leaf necklace the day before you plan to take the class outside, so parents can be reminded and dress children accordingly.

TIP #10: Be respectful of plants and animalsPoisonous Plants - Leaves of three, let ‘em be! Teach students to recognize poison ivy and avoid touching it. Poison ivy is a common plant and contact with skin can produce an annoying, itchy rash. The plant tissues are loaded with “urushiol,” a poisonous oil which takes about 3 hours to get going so washing with soap and water will help. A cloth soaked in apple cider vinegar will help blisters that have been opened. The vinegar dries up the itch in hours. Poison ivy does produce food for birds and deer. Animals aren’t allergic.

Petey Giroux was an award-winning and engaging environmental educator in Georgia whose legacy continues through the Dragonfly Grant program. Jerry Hightower is an environmental educator and Ranger with the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service in Atlanta, GA. Petey and Jerry were early leaders of the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia, Project WET facilitators, and advocates for engaging students in schoolyard habitat management and environmental stewardship projects. Jerry is still leading walks and paddle trips, engaging students in field investigations, training teachers to teach outdoors, inspiring people to appreciate nature in all its glory, and rangering.

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Please complete this survey to let us know what you thought about the kit. Bonus supplies will be sent to the

first ten people who rate and review each type of kit. Bonus content will be made available to all who respond.

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FEATURED CAPTAIN PLANET FOUNDATION PARTNER:

The Million Pollinator Garden Challenge /National Pollinator Garden Network

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FEATURED CAPTAIN PLANET FOUNDATION PARTNER: h

Project Monarch Health

Why should I participate?Through Monarch Health, citizen scientists help to shed light on how animal migrations influence infectious diseases. Citizen scientists also contribute to more specific knowledge about monarchs. In fact, much of what the scienitific world knows about monarch ecology and conservation is because of citizen scientists! Citizen scientists have been collecting data on monarchs for over 60 years through many different programs. In our Monarch Health program, citizen scientists have helped to identify important patterns of OE in monarchs. To see some of these findings, check out our Project Results.

What exactly will I do as a participant?The most essential activity is capturing and sampling wild monarchs. Either capture monarch butterflies as adults or raise the caterpillars in separate containers until they become adult butterflies. In either case, you will gently tape each butterfly’s abdomen with a sticker to collect the OE spores (helpful instructional videos). Next, you will send the sample, along with a simple data sheet for each butterfly, back to the scientists at the Altizer lab where they will analyze the sample. After the data are compiled, we will send you the results of your sampling contribution as well as post them on our results page for the public to see.

Captain Planet Foundation ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit | For more information contact Karan Wood at karan@captainplanetfdn.org 16

If you liked the ecoSTEM® POLLINATION Kit, you may like these other kits at www.captainplanetfoundation.org/ecostemkit/

ecoSTEM® WATER KitImproving Water Quality

This amazing collection of hands-on learning tools will leave kids awash in knowledge of how their choices impact the health of the local watershed. A water cycle kit enables students to model evaporation and precipitation. Students will use the water quality monitoring kit to investigate stream health by testing physical and chemical parameters or searching for pollution-sensitive macro-invertebrates. Actual samples from the Pacific Garbage Patch will let students explore how plastic pollution affects our oceans and wildlife. Students can then design and conduct a community education project, marking storm drains to prevent dumping into local waterways.

ecoSTEM® EARTH KitImproving Water Quality

Let’s break it down for you: Mini-stream tables and soil test kits provide the tools for students to observe erosion and analyze soil composition. A drip irrigation kit offers a chance to engineer solutions in the school garden. Students can investigate decomposition with a see-through composter and minimize cafeteria waste by feeding lunch scraps to worms. Reusable snack cozies will help limit use of disposable plastics. Students will design a stewardship project to recycle, reduce waste, refuse disposables, repurpose used materials, or create compost to improve soil health.

ecoSTEM® ENERGY KitRenewable Energy

Knowledge is power and this kit sizzles with hands-on learning opportunities. Students will investigate electrical circuits by building snap-together electronic projects that demonstrate renewable energy. Invention kits provide opportunities to design and build wind, water, and solar powered devices. Students can test variables using multi-meters to measure the electricitygenerated by their inventions, and then refine the designs. As a class project, students will assemble a solar-powered room light and phone charger, to be shipped to students in a community without regular electrical service or with extensive outages.