Nature Night At Southwest High School on April 30th from 5:30 to 8:00pm

Nature Night NRD has provided an event called “nature night” at various elementary schools last year Out of 5 schools they had over 1000 in attendance Community organizations set up booths at previous nature nights LSW students participated (Mr. Bittle’s classes) in a couple of the nature nights

What’s in it for YOUR STUDENTS? April 30th provides an opportunity to move the classroom curriculum into the areas of Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation in an interactive and unique way Provides a connection with the community beyond the standard curriculum Helps foster life long learning and encourages students to challenge themselves academically Allows students to work beside professionals from the community

What is in place right now? Currently, there will be over 25 different booths from various organizations around Lincoln Over 400 items will be given away at the entrance to the first 400 attendees Rousseau, Hill, Adams, Cavett, and Holmes elementary school will be invited (Holmes elementary is invited due to their temporary location near LSW) Precedence has been set for the format and interest in the Nature Nights in Lincoln

How can this be a part of your curriculum? Provide an alternative assessment or project for students to choose Target students who need or enjoy a challenge Recognize the impact of such an event to your students and integrate Nature Night into your existing curriculum Give the opportunity to impact students’ lives in a proven forum: community service

What would a presentation look like? Presentations should be interactive to engage kids ALL booths must be designed with an OUTDOOR theme HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS should be the creators of the booths, NOT TEACHERS As educators, we should facilitate and guide the process of creating a presentation

…Presentation look like (cont) Teachers may create a booth themselves if you want, but the focus is getting students involved in community service (we do enough of that by BEING educators) Presentations can be either inside or outside depending on your subject area and creativity

What about supplies????? The Science Department has a Learn and Serve America grant that will reimburse each department up to $75 in supplies Families which attend Nature Night are expecting an experience, not a bunch of free trinkets With families struggling economically, it is important that presentations which involve consumables emphasize the use of common household items (low cost, mass availability)

Why is Bittle promoting this thing? The Grant obtained for last year and this year allows use to focus on more community service learning One avenue for this focus is the Nature Night, which has been expanded to include all interested students and teachers Professionally I feel that community involvement will provide our students with the broad perspective needed to enhance our curriculum and challenge their abilities

How do I get started? Pick up the provided handouts before you leave SPEAK to your students if you will promote this on a volunteer basis Speak to your department colleagues and decide who wants to be involved Make a commitment to the number of booths or groups of students who will be involved Keep Mr. Bittle informed of your intent to participate and any developments prior to the event occuring

Ideas for different subject areas! Band (create wind chimes, trashcan marching band, rubber band guitar, etc.) FCS (how to plan a picnic, campfire foods, cooking with insects, etc.) Art (field sketches, photo-sensitive paper fun, nature art, grass woven bracelets, etc.) English (sidewalk chalk poems, nature journal writing, fence sentences, etc.)

Ideas continued… Theater (how to hold an outdoor play, how to imitate or act like an animal, etc.) Choir (camp songs, work songs, using the sounds of nature in songs, etc.) Industrial Tech (how to build a backyard fort, construct the perfect paper airplane, build a car out of household materials, etc. Many, many more ideas but not enough time

Recap Event is on April 30th, 5:30 - 8:00 evening Students will run the booths they create either all night OR in shifts of 1 hour blocks to maximize student involvement $75 in supplies to each participating department Anyone may participate in any class or subject area AS LONG AS THE PRESENTATION IS FOCUSED ON GETTING KIDS OUTSIDE It is critical that all booths have an outdoor or nature theme to them

Thank You!! Lois Brown will speak to you about her daughter’s involvement in the nature night as a presenter. PLEASE me with questions I will be sending all staff s asking for commitments in order to accurately supply the commons with enough tables and chairs