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For questions regarding this program or to schedule your own class Q&A with MetroPark staff, contact Education Staff at FRMP_Education@metroparks.org

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Watch MetroParks' staff with Nature Cat through our local PBS partnership

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ThinkTV Kids & Family
Season 4 Episode 6 | 35m 52s |

Today we are going to meet some of the animals that live in our forests, learn ways they communicate, and get to see many of them up close! We'll take a virtual tour of the Ohio Wildlife Center where wild animals are rescued and rehabilitated, and we will talk about bird watching and camping as ways to observe wildlife up close.

Aired: 08/15/20

Rating: TV-G

Problems Playing Video? Report a Problem |

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ThinkTV Kids & Family | Animal Ambassadors | Season 4 | Episode 6

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ThinkTV Kids & Family Season 4 Episode 6 | 35m 52s | Today we are going to meet some of the animals that live in our forests, learn ways they communicate, and get to see many of them up close!

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Nature is the best place to discover who you are, and how you see the world.

After watching this video, get outdoors with a piece of paper and pencil. Sit, relax, and see what comes to you. Draw, write a story, build a poem, or note observations.

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Forests can be excellent places to play in! You can build forts, play hide and seek, create fairy houses, make artwork, and many other fun things.

After watching this video, go out into a forest and play, either by yourself, or with your family.

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The tallest tree had to start somewhere: Our trees come from seeds, similar to the seeds you would plant in a garden. From acorns, tasty walnuts, fun helicopter maple seeds, and many others, tree seeds are fun to explore.

After watching this video, go outdoors, look carefully, and see if you can find seeds!

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Trees are home to many animals, including owls, frogs, and many types of insects.

After watching this video, go outside, find a tree, and explore the animals that live in and around it. You can use these field guides to help you identify the animals you find.

TEACHERS: The Nature ID section above contains resources to share with your students so they can get experience identifying what they find during their forest hike.

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Kindergarten:

Life Science (LS)

K.LS.1; K.LS.2

Social Studies:

Geography:

Content Statement: 7. Humans depend on and impact the physical environment in order to supply food, clothing and shelter.

Government:

Content Statement: 9. Individuals have shared responsibilities toward the achievement of common goals in homes, schools and communities.

First Grade:

Life Science (LS)

Topic: Basic Needs of Living Things

1.LS.1- Living things have basic needs, which are met by obtaining materials from the physical environment.

1.LS.2- Living things survive only in environments that meet their needs.

Social Studies:

Geography:

Content Statement: 5. Places are distinctive because of their physical characteristics (landforms and bodies of water) and human characteristics (structures built by people).

Second Grade:

Life Science (LS)

2.LS.1

Social Studies:

Geography:

Content Statement: 7. Human activities alter the physical environment, both positively and negatively.

Government:

Content Statement: 10. Personal accountability includes making responsible choices, taking responsibility for personal actions and respecting others.

Third Grade:

Life Science (LS)

3.LS.2; 3.LS.3

Social Studies:

Geography:

Content Statement: 6. Evidence of positive and negative human modification of the environment can be observed in the local community.

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Watch MetroParks' staff with Nature Cat through our local PBS partnership

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ThinkTV Kids & Family | Exploring the Forest | Season 4 | Episode 3

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Come explore with us and see what we can find in the forest!

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Plants can be a lot of fun to identify: Once you know the name of a plant, you can research more about it! You just don't want to touch some plants like Stinging Nettles or Poison Ivy. Field guides can be useful tools to identify plants in the nature around you.

After watching this video, use the online field guides below to identify a plant outside!

TEACHERS: The Nature ID section above contains resources to share with your students so they can get experience identifying what they find during their forest hike.

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There are many kinds of forests, and you might even be living in one! Urban forests are common throughout Dayton.

After watching this video, go outdoors and find a local tree.

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This document will provide everything you need for the virtual fieldtrip.

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Hike in a Forest: Recognizing harmful plants

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Hike in a Forest: Recognizing harmful plants

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Nature ID Resources - Ohio Division of Wildlife Field Guides

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Nature ID Resources - Ohio Division of Wildlife Field Guides

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Please fill out a quick evaluation if you've used our content so we can continue to grow

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This website has a variety of food web resources organized by grade level

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Find lessons on Food Webs for all grades. Free interactive resources and activities for the classroom and home.

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This citizen science project is a great way for students to contribute to the larger body of science knowledge, while asking their own questions about local plants and collecting data to try and answer them.

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Over the next several months, we will be making changes to the Budburst website. Please note, changes made during fall and spring school semesters will be minor. The first of these changes is that Budburst 'Classrooms' are now called 'Groups'. Teacher accounts are now 'manager' accounts, and student accounts are now 'member' accounts.

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This is a list of Project Learning Tree activities your students can do with you or with their families while walking in the forest!

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Walking in the Forest - Project Learning Tree

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A collection of easy-to-do, outdoor activities for families to help intoduce children to nature.

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This activity from Project Learning Tree is a great way to explore the cross section of a tree, and what it can tell us!

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One way to learn about tree growth is to look at annual rings. Tree rings show patterns of change in a tree's life as well as changes in the area where it grows.

In this activity, you can trace environmental and historical changes using a cross section of a tree, or "tree cookie."

Doing the Activity

Have you ever counted tree rings?

Every growth season, a tree adds a new layer of wood to its trunk and limbs. This means you can determine the age of a tree by counting its layers, or rings.

Have children learn more about a tree's life by examining a tree cookie and asking:

How old was this part of the tree when the tree cookie was cut?

Can you see different markings? Evidence of scars or narrow, misshapen rings?

What might have happened to the tree to cause these different markings?

Use a hand lens to get a closer look at the tree cookie's texture.

Can you see any holes or channels that might allow water and nutrients to travel up the tree?

Finally, ask children to draw a tree cookie the same age as themselves.

What can they do to show when important events in their lives took place?

Resources

Outside and Inside Trees by Sandra Markel, ISBN: 0027623130
A children's book that describes the various parts of trees and their functions.

Get the Full Activity

This family activity is adapted from Project Learning Tree's PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide which can be obtained through an in-person professional development workshop or online course.

All PLT activities are copyright protected. Please remember to reproduce responsibly.
Click here for our Content Reprint and Adaptation Policy.

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One way to learn about tree growth is to look at annual rings. Tree rings show patterns of change in a tree's life as well as changes in the area where it grows. In this activity, you can trace environmental and historical changes using a cross section of a tree, or "tree cookie."

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In this game, every student is a tree and has to race for resources to help them grow!

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Have your students build different forest food chains by answering questions.