Natural Resources and Conservation Education Programs available from the
LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation District

• 2nd Grade Activity Day
• 4th Grade Fall Nature Days
• Powerpoint Soils Lessons
• Outdoor Education Areas
• Education Programs
• Scholarships
• Education Committee Meetings

2nd Grade Activity Day -
An activity day for second graders is tentatively scheduled for September 16, 2010 at Shabbona Park. (Download the event announcement flier.)

3rd Grade Spring Nature Days -
Teachers may choose to bring their students on April 28, 2010 or April 29, 2010.  Registration forms and information will be sent to all schools with 3rd grade students closer to the date. (Download the reservation form.)

4th Grade Students - Fall Nature Days -
Registration forms and information will be sent to all schools with 4th grade students closer to the date. 
Tentatively scheduled for October 5, 2010. (Download the event announcement flier.)

PowerPoint Soils Lessons

Attention Educators: Visit the Soil Science Society of America  Soils Lessons Website for soil facts, lessons, links, activities and experiments. Just posted to the site are two Power Point presentations to help teach the Soil Color Lesson and the Soil Texture Lesson. The site focuses on educational resources for K-12 teachers.

Outdoor Education Areas

The LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation District owns and manages two properties for educational purposes. The property, known as the Costello Nature Preserve, is located in the Illinois River Bluff area between Marseilles and Seneca and was donated to the district in the fall of 2004 by the Costello and Vignola families. The Rasmusen Nature Area is an outdoor education area in Northville Township that was donated to the District in the early 90's by the Rasmusen family.

Educational Programs

Our educators can visit your classrooms and present the programs listed below. If you'd like a program on a different, but related subject area, please don't hesitate to ask - if we don't have something suitable we may be able to make some suggestions.

Linda Roberts, Natural Resource Education
University of Illinois Extension and LaSalle County Soil and Water Conservation District
email: lrobert@illinois.edu
phone: 815-433-0707
fax: 815-433-5454

Kindergarten- Trees
This program will share the importance of trees with the students and will help them realize what role trees play in our everyday lives.  The program will also help students understand basic parts of a tree and differences in trees. The students will create a tree craft to conclude the lesson.
One 45 minute lesson.
State Goal12.B1a:  Describe and compare characteristics of living things in relationship to their environments.

Kindergarten – Butterflies
The students will learn about the four stages in the butterfly’s life cycle, and practice remembering those stages in the correct order.  They will also understand that there are many different species of butterflies. They will end the program by making a butterfly craft.
One 45 minute lesson.
State Goal 12.A:  Know and apply concepts that explain how living things function, adapt and change.

1st Grade - Circle of Earth
This introductory conservation program touches on the basic principles of cycles on the Earth:  soil, water, air, humans  and animals, and plants.  As an activity, students make a simple “Circle of Earth” bracelet from beads, with each color representing a different requirement for life on our planet.  As the students make their bracelets, they will discuss how each component repeats or creates a circle.
One 45 minute lesson.
State Goal 12B.  Know and apply concepts that describe how living things interact with each other and with their environment.

1st Grade - Bats
This program introduces students to bat characteristics and habitats with an age appropriate video.  (VCR needed, please) Students will learn the importance of these mammals and why we should help protect them.  The program will end with a demonstration of bat echolocation, and coloring and reading a small booklet about bats.
One 45 minute lesson.
State Goal 12B.  Know and apply concepts that describe how living things interact with each other and with their environment.

2nd Grade -The Incredible Edible Landfill
Students will learn about landfills as well as recycling to reduce the amount of waste that we send to landfills. The children will build their own “landfill” from edible components as we discuss how a sanitary landfill is constructed.  At the end, they get to eat their creations!
One 45 minute lesson.
State Goal:  13B.  Know and apply concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology, and society.

2nd Grade - Birds
This program will share the wonder of birds with the students. The students will learn more about the backyard birds of Illinois, and how beaks, feet, feathers and the food they require varies.  The students will learn what they can do to help our feathery friends and will be making bird “snacks” to take home and hang outside for them.
One 45 minute lesson.
State Goal 12B.  Know and apply concepts that describe how living things interact with each other and with their environment.

 3rd Grade - Animal Tracks
This program will introduce students to Arthur Dorros’s book Animal Tracks.  Participants will be better able to match an animal with its track. The students will participate at activity stations that will enable students to see the tracks that animals make  and create animal track imprints that they can keep.
One 45 minute lesson.
State Goal 12.B2b Identify physical features of plants and animals that help them live in different environments.

3rd Grade - Just a Dream
This program will introduce students to Chris Van Allsburg’s book, Just a Dream.  After the story is read, students will discuss the problems in our environment that are presented in Mr. Van Allsburg’s book.  The children will then create drawings to emphasize the importance of taking care of our environment now to make their “dreams” of a beautiful future come true.
One 45 minute lesson.
State Goal:  13.B.2f Analyze how specific personal and societal choices that humans make affect local or regional ecosystems.

4th Grade – Illinois Prairie
The children will learn about how the Illinois prairie was formed, and the plants and animals found on our prairie lands.  Students will learn the names and information about a number of our native plants and animals by engaging in learning games.  The concepts of carnivore, herbivore, and omnivore will be used in the animal discussion, and forbs and grasses in the plant portion.
One 50 minute lesson
State Goal: 12.B2b. Identify physical features of plants and animals that help them live in different environments.

4th Grade – Illinois State Symbols
Students will learn the symbols of our state, facts about each, and the environments in Illinois where they are found.  The lesson will conclude with a game to review the symbols.
One 45 minute lesson
State Goal:  12B.2a Describe relationships among various organisms in their environments.

3rd, 4th, or 5th Grade – Soil (As the topic fits in your Science curriculum)
Students will learn about the important role soil plays in our lives.  Soil formation, and differences in soil will be discussed, as well as the three components of soil:  sand, silt, and clay.  The lesson will conclude with children creating their own edible soil horizon.
One 45 minute lesson
State Goal: 12.E. Describe and explain short term and long term interactions of Earth’s components.

5th Grade - Enviroscape Model
The Enviroscape demonstrates a watershed containing houses, roads, a factory, golf course, and a farm.  Students add “pollutants” to these areas and are able to see how one’s actions on the land can affect the water of a community.  Possible solutions for the problems created are discussed and the activity is repeated to demonstrate a cleaner environment.
One 50 minute lesson.
State Goal:  13B.  Know and apply concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology, and society.

6th Grade - Trash Crisis
Students will see how much trash is being thrown away and the problem trash has become.  Solutions to the problem, such as source reduction, recycling, composting, waste-to-energy, and sanitary landfills will be discussed.  Students will work in small groups to create a poster to further explain one of those solutions and its advantages and disadvantages.  Group posters will be shown to the rest of the class, and if time permits, a class discussion will follow the presentations to help to determine if one method is better then all of the rest, or if they all need to be used to help keep our communities clean.
One 60 minute lesson.
State Goal:  13.B. 3e  Identify advantages and disadvantages of natural resource conservation and management programs.

 6th Grade – Career Critters
Problems in our environment are presented, as well as a selection of plants, animals, and insects which might be able to solve those problems in a more environmentally friendly way.  Students will work in small groups to determine which plants, animals, and/or insects can help with several different environmental problems presented to the students.  Their conclusions will be discussed to end the lesson. Through a small group activity, students evaluate how wild animals and plants can be used to manage some environmental problems.
One 45 minute lesson.
State Goal 12B.  Know and apply concepts that describe how living things interact with each other and with their environment.

.pdf listing of available programs.
Letter to Principals

Scholarships

• Krenz  Memorial Scholarship -  A $1,000 scholarship is available to a LaSalle high school senior or current college freshman, sophomore, or junior who is pursuing a degree in agriculture, environmental sciences, or natural resource management.  The scholarship is awarded in May each year.  Applications must be received in the District Office by deadline line date, April 9, 2010. Application Form
   
• Section VII FFA Scholarships – LaSalle County SWCD will award $500 scholarships to each winner of the Section VII Land Judging Contest, Ag Mechanics Contest, and Crop Contest.  These career development contest scholarships will be paid out to each winner when he or she graduates from high school and completes the first semester in a university, junior college, or technical school.
   
  
• George McKibben Scholarship. - This scholarship has been established by the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation District (AISWCD) to assist outstanding agriculture students in the completion of their education at any Illinois state college (University of Illinois, Eastern, Western, Southern and Illinois State). The student awarded the scholarship should demonstrate superior agriculture academic achievement, commitment to soil and water conservation and potential for innovation and/or leadership ability. The AISWCD Scholarship is awarded in the fall semester of the academic year. Application Form

Education Committee

• Education Committee Agenda for 6/7/10 meeting
• Education Committee Minutes from 4/5/10 meeting

 

 

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