Sparks and Embers

  • Schoolyard Explorations - What Color is Fall?

    When we think of fall, we usually think of reds, oranges, and yellows. We will see what is happening to plants this time of year and discover that fall is also pink earthworms, gray pill bugs, brown earth, green buds, and many other colors.

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  • Schoolyard Explorations - BEES!

    When many people think about bees, they picture a honey bee. But our native bees are so much more fascinating, valuable, and imperiled. Through place-based project learning and participatory science projects, your students can explore nearby nature and meet the wild bees in their schoolyards and beyond. 

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  • Schoolyard Explorations - BIRDS!

    Wherever we live, we share our spaces with birds. Brian Collins (Teacher of the Year and birder extraordinaire) and Naomi Hadley (Natural Resources Foundation Birdathon Coordinator) will explore how to introduce your students to these fascinating wild neighbors. 

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Articles

Inquiry for Equity

How can building learning experiences from the rich cultural backgrounds and life experiences students bring to our classrooms address equity, increase engagement, and close achievement gaps?
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Phenomena, Provocations, and Passion
How can we hold fast to the innate curiosity and wonder often present in young children? When do you feel that child-like excitement as a learner? Consider how phenomena and provocations support passion.
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Developing Relationships to Support Inquiry
Bringing student-centered inquiry into the classroom is an important part of the implementation of standards for science, social studies, and environmental literacy and sustainability. Before we can Get Started with Inquiry, we need to first know our learners.  
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Getting Started with Inquiry
Wisconsin Standards for Environmental Literacy & Sustainability state that “students engage in experiences to develop stewardship for the sustainability of natural and cultural systems” (ELS.EN7). Take a closer look at the learning priorities in this standard and you will find that s...
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