Table Of Content

DOCUMENT RESUME SE 064 215 ED 448 026 Woodsy Owl Activity Guide. TITLE INSTITUTION Forest Service (USDA), Washington, DC. 1997-00-00 PUB DATE NOTE 45p. Guides Non-Classroom (055) PUB TYPE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. EDRS PRICE *After School Programs; *Conservation Education; Curriculum DESCRIPTORS Guides; *Ecology; Elementary Education; *Environment; Environmental Education; Hands on Science; *Science Activities; Standards *National Science Education Standards IDENTIFIERS ABSTRACT This guide offers teachers and after-school group leaders 12 fun and engaging activities. Activities feature lessons on trees, water, wind, the earth, food, and waste. The activities are designed to help children aged 5-8 become more aware of the natural environment and fundamental conservation principles. Titles of children's books are embedded in the activities in order to help stimulate discussions. The Teacher Training Opportunities can serve as excellent resources to help teachers feel comfortable leading discussions and activities on the environment. The Teacher's Guide At-A-Glance, which includes an activity correlation to the National Science Education Standards, is designed to help incorporate the activities into the classroom curriculum. Reproducible Woodsy Owl and Woodsy Owl Badges are also included. (SPY) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Tyypq... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 rt. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01 LA U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) document has been reproduced as tkityre received from the person or organization originating it. - 41- 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. .re 1oot. r)iom° (651wciR Taha7 gPe:020 awdl9G. aQ The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA Office of Communications at 202-720-2791. To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250 or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or 202-720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer. 3 Participating Agreement. dayda2PUM USDA-Forest alceSsof Cf11620 01997 Children's Television Workshop (CTW). Woodsy OwlUSDA Forest Service. Protected under 16 U.S.C. 580 p-4 and 18 U.S.C. 711a. 4 Contents t 0 0 4sb, 0 Woodsy Owl Activity duicle 0 Questions and Answers 0 3 b r4 0 'Teacher 'Training Opportunities 8 0 0 'Teacher's &aide itt-A-dlance 9 Woodsy's Wonderful World! 3 1 Woodsy's World Scavenger Hunt 12 3 2 3 Meet the Trees 14 3 C 3 0 Water, Water, Water 16 3 3 4 A Single Patch of Earth 18 3 3 ' Catch the Wind 20 3 6 Explore Woodsy's Food Connections 22 3 3 0 Watch for Waste C 7 Water Watching 24 C in Woodsy's Paper Caper 26 Join Woodsy's 'ream 9 A Great Recipe for Garbage 28 C xcii Team Trash Crafts 30 C 11 Deliver Woodsy's Message 32 Fly Woodsy, Fly! 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . "Pr -.1111,yw 0 WOODSY OWL ACTIVITY GUIDE duicle Caw)" 2Actaility Woo( 107 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS O 000000000000000000000000000 0 o Who LI Woodoy 6w31? 0 In 1970, a fanciful creature named Woodsy Owl entered 0 the lives of children all around the country. This outdoorsy new friend from the forest invited them to help him spread the O o word on protecting the environment"Give a Hoot. Don't Pollute." of o As years passed, more children became Woodsy's allies by developing an awareness o their local environment and a desire to use its resources in appropriate ways. Today, 0 Woodsy has a new motto, "Lend a HandCare for the Land!" With this motto, this 0 Forest Service symbol befriends another generation of children and motivates them to 0 form healthy, lasting relationships with nature. Caring, friendly, outdoorsy, and wise, Woodsy is a good friend and partner. What the Voce loy 2Activity druld.e? This guide offers teachers and after-school group leaders 12 fun and engaging activities. The activities are designed to help children ages 5 to 8 become more aware 0 of the natural environment and fundamental conservation principles. You'll find titles 0 of children's books embedded in the activities that can help stimulate discussions. The 0 Teacher Training Opportunities can serve as excellent resources that will help you feel comfortable leading discussions and activities about the environment. The Teacher's Guide At-A-Glance, which includes an activity correlation to the National Science Education Standards, are designed to help you incorporate the activities into your classroom curriculum. Finally, look for the reproducible Woodsy Owl and Woodsy Owl Badges at the end of the guide. Be creativeuse the Woodsy Owl to help decorate a Woodsy's World activity area in your room. What are the goal% of the W000loy 6%1, duiple? Children need a solid foundation of active, hands-on, and positive encounters with the natural world. Adults cannot expect very young children to instantly care about the complex issues behind such problems as acid rain and crowded landfills. All of these problems are too far removed from a child's immediate experience. As their awareness and appreciation grows, a sense of responsibility and respect for their local environment will ultimately follow. The order of the activities in the Woodsy Owl Activity Guide reflects this philosophy. They are grouped into the following three sections: Woodsy's Wonderful World! EXPLORE the environment and develop a sense of respect and appreciation for it. Watch for Waste REALIZE that you have a responsibility and the ability to use natural resources wisely. Join Woodsy's Team APPLY what you have learned and make a difference where you live. O QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 6 1.) Sf®w ao uze the activitiez? Each activity has a similar format to make your planning easier: What You Need This is what you'll need to do the activity. Activities usually require common items such as markers, paper, tape, and string. keeping with Woodsy's message, try to reuse or recycle the materials you In use in each activity. This recycling icon will appear when it is especially appropriate to reuse and/or recycle what you we. Tune The time clock shows the average time it takes to complete the activity. Most activities have one or two parts that each take between 20 and 30 minutes. There is a separate clock to indicate each part and each clock is shaded to represent the time span. For activities that take several days or weeks (such as Activity 9: A Great Recipe for Garbage), the time clock will indicate how long it takes to set up and begin the activity. Use the time clock as a general guide since the time may vary depending on how you choose to adapt the activity to your group's needs. Get Ready! This section reminds you of things you need to do to prepare for the activity. Often, it will simply involve gathering materials or cutting paper for younger children. Activity This section takes you carefully through each step of the activity. The section always includes a "Get Started" step designed to activate children's interest in the subject and a "Close" step designed to help children reaffirm what they've learned. In this section you may also find titles of books that relate to the activity. Tips These are suggestions that may make you more effective and your job easier and safer. Activity Extensions Look for an activity extension at the end of each activity. This section suggests ways to take the activities further by having children do fun, related projects. Often, these projects will make an activity more challenging for older children or will simply help you build on a topic. Look for the Take it Home iconthis indicates an activity extension that youngsters can do at home with their families. Words To Know These are selected words that children can learn as they complete the activity. Woodsy In many activities, you'll find a picture of Woodsy giving helpful tips to teachers and interesting facts about the environment for children. Iq WOODSY OWL ACTIVITY GUIDE Whcat agcy group will benefit mort from th,eos nctivitie%? The Woodsy Owl Activity Guide has been developed for children ages 5 to 8. As you do the activities, you may find that some activities seem too challenging for the younger children. Likewise, some may not challenge older children enough. We have provided tips on how to modify an activity for younger children and included extension activities that can be used to challenge older children. i may groupz? Vow do '2' ze You may find that reading a book, exploring the outdoors, and making an art project are all included in a single activity. Each part of the activity may require a different way of organizing the children into groups. Reading a book could be a whole-group activitydrawing projects might be done in pairs. In most cases a specific grouping is recommended. Many after-school programs will have a wider age range in a given group. In such situations, you may find it helpful to pair an older child (who can write) with a younger child (who can help observe and draw pictures). activitiez work in both clginroo2no bind. 61fter-%chool progmanz? Every activity is designed to work well in a wide range of settings. Each type of setting may offer some advantage to the activity. After-school programs may offer more opportunities to spend time outside exploring nature. Classrooms may have access to a broader selection of resources. In any setting, try to find a quiet room or space where your groups can meet to read and discuss the activity. These activities are also designed to be used by groups in urban, suburban, small town, or rural environments. As always, the guide will be most valuable when you adapt an activity to make it best meet the needs of your group. flow do IC prepgire for the cactivitiel? Many activities require just 10 to 15 minutes of preparation. For some activities you may need to gather materials in advance, plan a short walking trip, or look for suggested resources. While the activities are designed to be user-friendly, it is always a good idea to read them before you begin and to plan ahead for possible trouble spots. Lave to Flo e v er y activity? No. Each activity is independent of the others. However, you might want to group activities that deal with similar topics or build a sequence by selecting an activity from each of the three sections. Sequences Suggested g,c).Mw.AV Activity 4: A Single Patch of Earth Activity 1: Woodsy's World Scavenger Hunt Follow with: Follow with: 9: A Great Recipe for Trash 4: A Single Patch of Earth 5: Catch the Wind 6: Explore Woodsy's . '''" ,0i-o-- Food Connec Connections -, i . , 42- t f.'' -, ( i ,.-- -_,:70! Activity 2: Meet the Trees Activity 7: Water Watching Follow with: Follow with: B: Woodsy's Paper Caper 11: Deliver Woodsy's ----..:2 10: Team Trash Crafts Message Activity 3: Water, Water, Water Activity B: Woodsy's Paper Caper Follow with: Follow with: 7: Water Watching 11: Deliver Woodsy's Message Activity 9: A Great Recipe Activity 5: Catch the Wind for Garbage Follow with: Follow with: 1: Woodsy's World Scavenger Hunt 4: A Single Patch of Earth 6: Explore Woodsy's Food Connections 10: Team Trash Crafts Fly Woodsy, Fly!, page 34, is a great game to play after any activity. 0 WOODSY OWL ACTIVITY GUIDE Vow cgz, g involve chilelren°% When children get enthusiastic about the environment, they're likely to carry that enthusiasm home to their families. There are a number of ways to help get the whole family involvedestablishing contact, however brief, is the key. Here are a few ideas: Send home a letter describing what activities the children will be doing. Including parts of this introductory section will help parents understand why their children are doing the activities. If it's appropriate, schedule a few parents, grandparents, or older brothers and sisters to help with some of the walking field trips. Find out if any family member's job involves working with nature or environmental issues. You might turn to a family member as a resource on the topics you're exploring, and even have him or her lead an activity. Encourage your budding conservationists to take home some of the projects, especially Fly, Woodsy, Fly!. Always be open to new ideasopportunities to involve, parents may arise once you begin a particular activity. Despite your best efforts it's still often hard to get busy families involved; don't worry if only some families respond. flow can Ifood%7 help? Most children will gravitate to Woodsy because they like animals and cartoon characters. Use Woodsy as often as you can to motivate children and capture their interest. Nearly every page of the Activity Guide features illustrations of Woodsy engaged in environmentally-friendly activities. Always share these pictures with your group. Woodsy is featured at the back of the guide in a form that you can photocopy and give to children to color. Give a name like "Woodsy's Hour" to the period of time each day that your group spends doing Woodsy's activities. You can talk about Woodsy as if he were present, for instance, "Woodsy is here because he loves to learn about creatures that live outdoors." Finally, encourage children to learn more about owls and their habitats. Let them know that many national forests are homes to several species of owls. You may even want to create your own "Getting to Know Woodsy" activity. For more information about the USDA Forest Service and its Woodsy program, contact The Smokey Bear-Woodsy Owl Center of Excellence, 402 S.E. 11th Street, Grand Rapids, MN 55744. 0 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS