Free activities for littles foster understanding of apex predators and the natural world
Tigers United’s Team Up For Tigers curriculum has a new companion curriculum developed by Clemson University’s Nature as Teacher Education Director, Leoncia Cruz, called Team Up for Conservation with outdoor activities that connect tiger conservation and environmental stewardship themes in South Carolina.
Photos of summer campers at The Nature As Teacher Preserve for Education in Camden, SC utilizing the new Team Up for Conservation curriculum in the field.
Our own back yards are often the best place to create meaningful connections and profound understandings about local habitats. For students in the midlands of South Carolina, they may have the opportunity to visit The Nature As Teacher Preserve for Education to explore the nearly 800 acres and 10 miles of trail along the Wateree River. Students can often be found turning over rocks in Camp Creek to learn about indicator species, identifying plants in a variety of habitats, tracking pawprints in the mud or simply skipping stones in the river with their homeschool group during a school field trip or summer camp. The experiences at The Nature as Teacher Preserve are place-based, meaning activities are centered around understanding the habitats and ecology around where the students live. One of the founding principles of place-based education is that when students nurture connections to their local environment, they better understand how to be stewards of the natural world. But, what happens when students are ready to learn about far-away places?
“Sister-scapes,” or the idea that some likenesses can be drawn from different conservation landscapes, may be able to springboard students from a place-based foundation to understandings about global spaces. Team Up for Conservation is a curriculum that uses this idea to guide students from learning about familiar faces in South Carolina, like the Bobcat, to exploring exotic creatures, like the wild tigers of the world. The lessons are centered around three main themes that bring students on a journey from sandhills to jungles: “Understanding Apex Predators” investigates food webs and trophic levels; “Where is Wildlife” highlights habitats near and far; and “Culture & Conservation” provides crosscutting activities in science and the arts. After playing, creating, inquiring and exploring through all three sections, students will have strengthened their understanding of South Carolina ecology while being connected to global conservation efforts of Clemson’s charismatic mascot!
From the forests of South Carolina to the forests of India
Meanwhile, in the wild tiger’s native landscape, another place-based curriculum is in the making! Many townspeople in India share their back yards with wild tigers. The same active, fun and foundational ecology lessons found in Team up for Conservation are being adapted to serve students who share their landscape with tigers. These activities will explore the roles and careers of local tiger conservationists, the importance of Indian National Parks, and the niche of the wild tiger using local stories, Indian visual arts and ecology games that explore school yards. Often, education and empowerment are some of the most powerful tools in conservation efforts to save global species and habitats. Learning helps us ‘team up’ and overcome challenges facing some of the world’s most captivating animals and their homes.
Whether you’re planning a trip to The Nature as Teacher Preserve, practicing observations in your own back yard, preparing your classroom curriculum or just looking for fun activities, you can dive into one or both of the established Tigers United curriculums with basic, easy-to-find materials. “Team Up” with your favorite students and tell us all about it by tagging The Nature as Teacher or Tigers United Instagrams – @Nature.As.Teacher and @TigersUnited.
Tips for Teachers
- The activities can be broken up across three or more days.
- Many of the activities can be done indoors or out, and none require classroom access to Wi-Fi/electricity.
- Almost any game can be made into a tiger game- Sharks & Minnows can become any predator & prey!
- Any of these activities can be used to reinforce regular classroom science and/or social studies standards.
- Any of these activities could stand alone.
If you are looking for less active or more research-orientated activities great for the classroom setting, try out the Team Up for Tigers curriculum at www.tigersunited.org.
Learn more about The Nature as Teacher Preserve for Education or request your next trip: https://natureasteacher.myportfolio.com/
