Subject Based Resources

Animals

Animal Behavior

  • Animal Biology: The Electronic Zoo – from birds to insects to all kinds of wildlife, you’ll find it here on this great site for animal biology
  • Animal Communication – Dragonfly Pond page on wolf communication
  • Animal Conservation: AZA’S Website – the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s website for kids
  • Migration: Journey North – a fantastic site on phenology and migration of all kinds of critters, from insects to birds, observe seasonal changes and record your own class’ observations

Mammals

Birds

  • Project FeederWatch – a project of Cornell University that involves classes from all over the country in learning about bird ecology and behavior, and the scientific method
  • Humming Birds: Operation Rubythroat – initiative for studying the behavior and habitat distribution of the Rubythroated Hummingbird
  • Owl Cam

Reptiles and Amphibians

  • Madison Area Herpetological Society: list of native reptiles and amphibians. A great local group all about conservation and education. They have a kids club as well.
  • Turtles: DNR’s Eek! webpage all about the behavior and biology of Wisconsin’s turtles
  • Know Your Frogs: DNR’s Eek! webpage all about frog identification and biology. very helpful and informative
  • Lizards of Wisdom: DNR’s Eek! webpage all about the 4 species of lizards found here in Wisconsin
  • 8 Ways to Appreciate Snakes: Wildlife Fun 4 Kids dispels common misunderstandings about snakes and works to cultivate respect, not fear, for these fascinating animals

Insects

Other

Plants and Fungi

  • Fungi: Fun Facts About Fungi – Facts, games and puzzles to help you learn about fungi
  • Garlic Mustard – Nature Net’s one information source for middle school science activities pertaining to student led research and eradication of garlic mustard
  • Plants: UW-Wisconsin Vascular Plants/ Wisconsin State Herbarium
  • Phrenology Web Links – A great intro to phenology with some great links
  • Plantwatch – great source of info about phenology and plant diversity at this web site, joint sponsored by the Canadian Nature Federation and Environment Canada’s Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network Coordinating Office (EMANCO)
  • Trees: Wisconsin Champion Tree Program – information about the biggest trees in the state, including techniques for measuring your own champion trees
  • Trees – activities and information about coniferous trees. Learn about shapes, seed dispersal and more from Real trees 4 Kids
  • Trees – Outsource Solutions – offers education-grade tree rounds, cross sections and tree cookies. Large rounds are ideal as an educational resource
  • The Life of A Tree – a fun interactive look at trees from the Arbor Day Foundation

Ecology

  • Ecosystems – from the Environmental Literacy Council
  • Camouflaged Animals – camouflage as a tool for survival
  • Mars Millennium Project – challenges students and teachers to imagine and create the first community for 100 earthlings on Mars in the year 2030. Interdisciplinary learning that encourages kids to think about community… a neat educational opportunity!

Biodiversity

Habitats

Forest

Prairie

Urban/School Yard

  • Garden For Wildlife – all the info you need to turn your school yard into a wonderful habitat for birds, butterflies and more
  • Schoolyard Habitat Restoration: Earth Partnership for Schools – UW-Arboretum program for supporting teachers in schoolyard restoration projects

Wetlands/Aquatic

Other

  • Animal Houses – information on the ways animals make houses for themselves

Climate

Geology

Geography

  • Navigation – learn about some of the tools people and animals use to navigate their physical environment
  • Peace Corps – interdisciplinary curricula available for kids to explore the geography, culture and environmental issues of countries all over the world

Space

  • Astronomy – the Science Education Gateway offers lesson plans for learning about our solar system and beyond. Sponsored by the U.C. Berkeley Space Sciences Lab. Mostly for Middle and High School students.
  • Space – space links and activities from Dragonfly Pond

Water

General

Aquatic Habitats

  • Lake Habitats – information about lake life from the DNR
  • Lakes: UW-Extension Lakes Program – information about lake ecology, human impacts on lakes, and the Adopt-a-Lake program for students

Groundwater and Watersheds

  • Groundwater: The Goundwater foundation – educating and motivating people to care for and about groundwater
  • Groundwater Information – Wisconsin DNR provides information, worksheets, an online quiz and other resources for learning about Wisconsin’s groundwater
  • Groundwater: Portage County Groundwater – Portage County, WI has developed a website with groundwater curricula and fun activities
  • Groundwater and Drinking Water – from the EPA, a kids’ and teachers’ page with lesson plans and cool activities for kids to learn about where their water comes from

Water Quality and Protection

  • Community Water Education – neatly compiled DNR list and description of water-related programs around the state, including groundwater, wetland, lake, stream/river, and general programs
  • Give Water a Hand – information for getting youths involved in the improvement of local water quality
  • Water Action Volunteers – Wisconsin statewide program providing guidelines for citizen-based water related volunteer activities and information about the importance of and methods of assessing water quality

Water: UW Extension Program

People and the Environment

Conservation 

  • Earth Day Every Day
  • Jane Goodall Institute – founded by the famous scientist, this institute has the mission of equipping people to make informed, compassionate action to improve the environment
  • National Environmental Education Week – the largest organized environmental education event in U.S. history
  • Orion Society, The – organization with the mission of promoting the nature and community
  • Protecting the Planet – Dragonfly Pond unit on things people can do to protect the environment
  • Public Lands Day – the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands American’s enjoy.
  • Recycling and Waste Reduction – the UW-Extension’s faculty provide accurate information on their Infosource website about recycling procedures around Wisconsin and information for reducing consumer waste.
  • Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative -A main objective of the NABCI was to link bird conservation efforts in the United States with similar efforts in Canada and Mexico

Culture

  • Peace Corps World Wise School Program – interdisciplinary curricula available for kids to explore the geography, culture and environmental issues of countries all over the world
  • People and Plants – information on how indigenous cultures have traditionally made use of plants for survival

Energy

  • Energy – The US Dept. of Energy’s Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy network (EREN) for kids!
  • Energy – from the Environmental Literacy Council
  • K-12 Energy Education Program KEEP
  • Solar Energy – connect to solar energy companies, search for other s.e. links and use this informative guide to the world of solar energy

Waste/Pollution

  • Air: What’s Our Air – DNR created CD-Rom on Air Quality
  • Garbage – find out how to improve next year’s environmental record, how waste is handled and test your knowledge on hazardous waste we generate in our homes and try to shrink a landfill
  • Pollution Prevention – Information from the UW-Extension Environmental Resources Center
  • Recycling and Waste Reduction – the UW-Extension’s faculty provide accurate information on their Infosource website about recycling procedures around Wisconsin and information for reducing consumer waste.
  • Sold and Hazardous Waste Education – from UW Extension
  • Waste Management – from the Environmental Literacy Council

Other

Art and the Environment

Music

  • Walkin’ Jim – an environmentally concerned musician who shares his close relationship with nature to others through his art

Writing

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