Mastin Native Forests
This course will introduce teachers in grades K-5 to native Ohio forest communities and all the plants and animals that lie within.
Participants will learn how to teach these concepts in order to meet the state life science standards in elementary school. Holden’s instructors and staff in our conservation department will conduct field experiments with teachers and relate their findings to the forest community as a whole. Teachers will receive content and classroom activities that they can integrate into their curriculum on several different levels. Concepts covered will range from the basics of plant and animal life cycles to food webs, nutrient cycling, soil components, decomposition and interdependent relationships.
Participants will build their own knowledge base and take part in activities and experiments that are appropriate for their students. A large part of the class time will be spent in outdoor field studies to provide first-hand experiences with the science concepts being covered. What better place to study forests than at an arboretum with more 3,000 acres of them.
The Holden Arboretum will cover the cost of one graduate credit from Lake Erie College upon successful completion of the course. Teachers may opt to pay for an additional credit on their own. Teachers will receive activity handouts as well as science reference and curriculum texts for use in their classroom. There is no fee for this course.
