Education

Teacher Programs

Winter 2012 Programs

New! Natural History & Cultural Connections
January 21, 2012, at the Chicago Botanic Garden
January 28, 2012, at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $140 ($112 for Educator Members)

Grade level: K – 12
CPDU credit: 15, CPS Lane credit: 1, Graduate credit: 1
An additional fee for graduate credit ($100 per credit though Aurora University and $140 per credit through National Louis University) will be collected on the first day of the workshop.

Study the natural history of the Chicago region and the interaction of people and plants in Illinois and across the Midwest. Explore local connections to the land and cultural uses of plants while enjoying hands-on activities. Investigate multiple perspectives and environmentalism through children’s literature and explore the Garden’s plant collections and the Nature Museum’s exhibits.

New! Art and Science with Found Objects: A Workshop for Preschool Teachers
February 18, 2012, at the Chicago Botanic Garden
February 25, 2012, at Kohl Children's Museum
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $150 ($120 for Educator Members)

Grade level: PreK – 2
CPDU credit: 15, CPS Lane credit: 1, Graduate credit: 1
An additional fee for graduate credit ($100 per credit though Aurora University and $140 per credit through National Louis University) will be collected on the first day of the workshop.

The Chicago Botanic Garden and Kohl Children's Museum are excited to partner for the first time to offer this workshop for preschool teachers. This workshop will focus on creating art using re-purposed materials and incorporating science using natural materials into your classroom. This class is designed for preK educators but is adaptable for preK – 2.

Citizen Science in Chicago Wilderness: A Workshop for Educators
Monday, February 20
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Burnstein Hall, Regenstein Center
Workshop Fee: $40 per person
Exhibitor Fee: $65 per person (includes lunch and exhibit space)
Exhibitor registration deadline – February 13, 2012

CPDU credit: 6

Sponsoring Agencies: Chicago Wilderness, Chicago Botanic Garden, Audubon Chicago Region, Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Citizen science projects provide authentic learning opportunities for students and classrooms to explore wildlife conservation and biodiversity recovery efforts within the Chicago Wilderness region. This workshop is designed to introduce teachers and non-formal educators to local, regional, and national citizen-science data collection programs taking place within our region's living landscapes, and provide opportunities for your students to become citizen scientists. Featured programs include "The Habitat Project" of Chicago Wilderness, "Project BudBurst" of the National Ecological Observation Network, "eBird" and other projects of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and model citizen science projects taking place in Chicago Wilderness.

Workshop Agenda:

9 a.m. Registration and Refreshments

9:30 a.m. Why Citizen Science? Citizen Science in the Living Landscape

The Chicago Wilderness Habitat Project
Connections to STEM and 21ST Century Learning

10:30 a.m. Making it Count! Design Specs for Effective Citizen Science Platforms

Cornell Lab of Ornithology (eBird and other projects)
National Ecological Observation Network (Project BudBurst)

11:30 a.m. What's New? Citizen Science in Chicago Wilderness Posters and Exhibits

Citizen Science Projects in Chicago Wilderness

1 – 4 p.m. Get Involved! Model Citizen Science Project Break-Out Sessions

New! Year Round School Gardening
March 17, 2012, at the Chicago Botanic Garden
March 24, 2012, at Arturo Velasquez Institute
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $150 ($120 for Educator Members)

Grade level: PreK – 12
CPDU credit: 15, CPS Lane credit: 1, Graduate credit: 1
An additional fee for graduate credit ($100 per credit though Aurora University and $140 per credit through National Louis University) will be collected on the first day of the workshop.

Greenhouses and cold frames help you extend your fruit and vegetable growing season past the summer months in your school garden. Gain the resources to restore greenhouses or build simple low tunnels, hoophouses, or cold frames for your school garden. Outcomes include developing a crop plan, learning about organic gardening techniques, and observing successful working models at Dyett/Washington Park Green Youth Farm.