Resources Contributed by Into the Woods Participants
Aquatic and Pond Life
| Activities | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| Catch the Ocean for Teachers | In this investigation your students toss an inflatable globe to determine how much of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean. They will estimate, make predictions, do 2 trials (tests) and make a pie chart of their results. | Grades 3-6 | Nortica Hollochut, Spring 2014 |
| Freshwater Macro-invertebrate Protocol by GLOBE | Sample, identify and count macro-invertebrates at your study site. | Grades 3-12, adaptable | Peter Schmidt, Spring 2013 |
| NY Sea Grant – Youth Education | Teacher Resources, Readings and Student Activities on Coastal Communities of NY, Aquatic Life, Fish & Ecosystem Health | Grades K-12, Teachers | Nortica Hollochut, Spring 2014 |
| Reading Books | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| GLOBE – Discoveries at Willow Creek | A GLOBE story book about a group of students studying a sream. Printable. | Grades K-4 | Peter Schmidt, Spring 2013 |
| Citizen Science | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| Bronx River Organism Survey | Activity on collection of macro-invertebrates, observation and identification, characterization of collection study site and analysis of the ecological implications of species found, specialized for the Bronx River. | Grades 9-12, adaptable for grades 3-8 | Damian Griffin, 2012 |
| Jellywatch | Report sitings on jellyfish, red tide, squid, or other unusual marine life to help scientists better understand the ocean. | All | David Jakim, Fall 2014 |
| Odonata Central | Report sightings on dragonflies and damselflies to help scientists better understand species distributions and conservation efforts. | All | David Jakim, Fall 2014 |
| Reference Materials | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| “Pond Life” a Golden Guide | The best pocket-sized reference book for pond study and the identification of pond life. | Grades 2-12, Teachers | Peter Schmidt, Spring 2013 |
| “Life in a Pond” by Carol Lindeen | An introduction to ponds with text and photographs. | Grades K-2 | Hope Harris, Fall 2014 |
| Guide to Common Aquatic Macro-invertebrates of North America | A more extensive and in-depth resource to pond macro-invertebrates. | Adults | |
| NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Program | Information & Maps Regarding the health and future of the NY/NJ Harbor and Estuaries | Adults | Nortica Hollochut |
Birds
Bird Learning Resources
| Activities | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| Imagine Life as a Bird | A guided imagination exercise exploring life as a bird | Grades k-12, Teachers | ITW Participants, 12/6/14 |
| Birdsleuth K-12 – Cornell Ornithology | Selected online learning activities regarding birds. | Grades K-12 | Lindsay Glasner, 12/07/14 |
| Live Bird Web Cams | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| Live Bird Webcam – Cornell All About Birds | Live streaming footage of our region’s most magnificent birds: owls, ospreys, hawks, hummingbirds, and more. | Grades k-12 | David Jakim, 11/19/15 |
| Live Bird Webcam- NY Peregrine Falcon | Live streaming footage of a peregrine falcon nest near New York City. | Grades k-12 | David Jakim, 11/19/15 |
| Printable Poster | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| Common Feeder Birds of the Eastern United States | Identification poster | Reference | Peter Schmidt, 12/03/14 |
| Reading Books | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| The Boy Who Drew Birds | Story of Naturalist John James Audubon’s Life | Grades 2-4 | Cohort 1 teachers, 4/01/14 |
| Citizen Science | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| eBird | Record bird sightings that help scientists to track changes in bird populations, distribution, and abundance on a simple and easy to use interface. | K-12, Teachers | David Jakim, 12/07/14 |
| Birdsleuth Citizen Science – Cornell Ornithology | A diversity of citizen science programs listed here including: eBird, Project Feederwatch, Great Backyard Bird Count, Yardmap, Nestwatch, Celebrate Urban Birds | K-12 | Lindsay Glasner, 12/07/14 |
| Birdsleuth Investigator – Cornell Ornithology | Magazine publishing student work related to birds | K-12 | Lindsay Glasner, 12/07/14 |
| Audubon: Hummingbirds at Home | Hummingbird Sightings and behavior citizen science program | K-12 | Lindsay Glasner, 12/07/14 |
| Reference Materials | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| All About Birds – Cornell Ornithology | The most comprehensive source of natural history information, visuals, and calls for our region. | Grades 3-6, Teachers | David Jakim |
| Sibley’s Field Guide to Birds – Northeast | One of the two best pocket guide to birds for our region. | Teachers | David Jakim, 11/19/15 |
| Peterson’s Field Guide to Birds – Eastern and Central North America | The second of the two best pockekt guides to birds for our region | Teachers | David, Jakim, 11/19/15 |
| Peterson’s Birding by Ear – Northeast | A great three cd set to the bird calls and songs of our region | Teachers | David Jakim, 11/19/15 |
| Grants | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| Become a Birdsleuth Hero! – Cornell Lab of Ornithology | For mini-grants and schoolyard improvement | Teachers | Lindsay Glasner, 12/07/14 |
Geospatial NYC and Beyond
Geospatial NYC and Beyond
| Activites | Description | Contributed by |
| Geoliteracy, Geostem, Geohistory, Geography & Diverse Learners | Hundreds of lessons searchable by grade level k-12 | David Jakim, Winter 2015 |
| Service Learning | Description | Contributed by |
| GLOBE Visualization System | Visualize, map, graph, filter and export data collected by GLOBE from 1995 to present. | David Jakim, Winter 2015 |
| NYC OASIS | Versatile interactive mapping and search engine with a large database of service learning projects across NYC. | David Jakim, Spring 2014 |
| NY/NJ Harbor and Estuary Program Water Quality Mapping | Water Quality Studies that contribute to our knowledge of the health of the NY/NJ Harbor & Estuary | Nordica Hollochut, Winter 2013 |
| Online Resources | Description | Contributed by |
| Google Earth, Google OceanGoogle Moon, Google Mars, Google Sky | Google’s Interactive Geospatial Engine. Requires download. | David Jakim, Spring 2014 |
| Google Maps | Google Maps aerial photographs, topography, roads, parks, places and more | David Jakim, Spring 2014 |
| NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Program | Maps, Climate Change, | Nordica Hollochut, Winter 2013 |
| OASIS Map | Resource for diverse and versatile interactive maps of NYC. Search by location for maps: Env. Stewardship, Env. Characteristics, Env. Impacts, Clean-up, Community Maps, Gardens, Historical Land-use, Roads, Waters and Wetlands, | Nordica Hollochut, Winter 2013 |
| Visualizing Changing Coastlines – NYC | Educator Resources: Maps, Air Photos, Presentations | Nordica Hollochut, Winter 2013 |
| Books | Description | Contributed by |
| Manahatta: A Natural History of New York City | Stunning recreations of NYC before contact with Europeans juxtaposed against the present-day. | David Jakim, Spring 2014 |
| Mapmaking with Children: Sense of Place Education for the Elementary Years, by David Sobel | Maps and mapmaking focused on “local projects–projects that begin in students’ own backyards and communities, projects that provide a sense of place.” | ITW Workshop, Spring 2014 |
Monarch Butterfly Resources
| Citizen Science & Service Learning | Description | Intended Audience | Contributor |
| Ebutterfly Project | A collaborative effort to track and conserve butterflies across the globe. | Teachers | David Jakim, 2014 |
| Journey North | Join students and scientists across North America to track monarch migrations north from Mexico every year. | Teachers | Peter Schmidt, 2014 |
| Monarch Larva Monitoring Project | Join students and scientists across North America to monitor a milkweeds for monarch caterpillars to help us better understand how and why monarch populations vary in time and space. | Teachers | Peter Schmidt, 2014 |
| Monarch Nectar Resource Guide for Gardeners | A gardener’s guide to monarch nectar plants arranged by season for the New England region. | Teachers | David Jakim, 2014 |
| Monarch Watch | Information and resources to support monarch study and conservation in the classroom and garden. | Teachers | Peter Schmidt, 2014 |
| North American Butterfly Association | Information and resources for creating a butterfly garden. | Teachers | David Jakim, 2014 |
| Printable Resources | Description | Intended Audience | Contributor |
| Monarchs, Milkweed, Caterpillars and Host Plants Poster | A poster with pictures and information regarding a diversity of milkweed species, butterly larvae and host plants. | Grades 2-12, Teachers | Peter Schmidt, 2014 |
| Online Resources | Description | Intended Audience | Contributor |
| Journey North | A large compilation of monarch-related slideshows for presentation. | Grades K-12 | Peter Schmidt, 2014 |
| Monarch Joint Venture | A large and diverse compilation of resources pertaining to Monarchs. | Teachers | Peter Schmidt, 2014 |
| Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation | Information and resources regarding the biology and conservation of Monarch butterflies and other invertebrates. | Teachers | David Jakim, 2014 |
| Into the Woods Special Resources | Description | Intended Audience | Contributor |
| Great Migrations – National Geographic Reader | An illustrated reading on Monarchs and their migrations. Available upon request from Peter Schmidt. | Grades 2-4 | Peter Schmidt, 2014 |
Plants and Gardening
| Place-Based Learning | Description | Contributed by |
| Opportunities from NYC Million Trees | A great list of tree-related resources across NYC. | Kitty Azhar, Spring 2014 |
| Discovery Garden at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden | A guided interactive garden experience for children at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens | Ashley Gamell, Spring 2014 |
| Citizen Science & Service Learning | Description | Contributed by |
| Bumblebee Watch | A collaborative effort to track and conserve North America’s bumblebees. | David Jakim, Fall 2014 |
| Daffodil Project | Receive free Daffodil bulbs for planting around your school or neighborhood | David Jakim, Fall 2014 |
| eButterfly Project | A collaborative effort to track and conserve butterflies around the globe. | David Jakim, Fall 2014 |
| Great Sunflower Project | A collabarotive effort to track and conserve pollinators around the globe. | David Jakim, Fall 2014 |
| Greenthumb NYC | Start a Garden, Find a Local Garden, Garden Resources | Kitty Azhar, Spring 2014 |
| Grow NYC | Gardens, Greenmarkets, Recycling and Environmental Ed. | Kitty Azhar, Spring 2014 |
| Online Resources | Description | Contributed by |
| Gardening with NYC Native Plants.pdf | An introduction to gardening with native plant suggestions for a variety of habitats. | Peter Schmidt, Spring 2016 |
| OASIS: Gardening | List of Garden Resources | Kitty Azhar, Spring 2014 |
| Kids’ Garden Club | Planning, Planting, Caring and Reading, Writing, Math, Art, Nature Ed. | Jeanne Salchli, Fall 2014 |
| Kids’ Valley Garden | Information about Flowers, Veggies, Herbs, Shrubs, Planting, Caring and Much More | Jeanne Salchli, Fall 2014 |
Trees and Phenology
| Place-based Learning | Description | Intended Audience | Contributor |
| Million Trees NYC Educator Toolkit | Place-based learning resources for tree study around your school and around the city. | Teachers, K-8 | David Jakim, 2014 |
| Citizen Science & Service Learning | Description | Intended Audience | Contributor |
| GLOBE Budburst Protocol | To observe and monitor budburst on a designated phenology site. | K-12 | Peter Schmidt, 2012 |
| GLOBE Green-up Protocol | To observe green-up of selected trees, shrubs or grasses and report data to scientists that will be used to validate satellite imagery remote sensing of green-up. | K-12 | Peter Schmidt, 2012 |
| GLOBE Green-down Protocol | To observe plant green-down and to help to validate estimates of the end of the growing season. | K-12 | Peter Schmidt, 2012 |
| GLOBE Phenology | A list of phenological studies from trees and garden plants to hummingbirds and migrating birds. | K-12 | Peter Schmidt, 2012 |
| Activities | Description | Intended Audience | Contributor |
| The Colors of the Seasons | Students log the colors of the changing seasons throughout the year. At the end of the year, students compare their results and draw conclusions about variations in color both within the seasons and through the seasons. | K-4 | Peter Schmidt, 2012 |
| Springo | A scavenger hunt bingo designed for spring | 3-12 | David Jakim |
| Printable Resources | Description | Intended Audience | Contributor |
| Bronx River Forest Tree ID Guide | Identify select trees along the Bronx River by leaf shape, fruit and bark. | Grades 4-12, Teachers | David Jakim, 2015 |
| Books | Description | Intended AUdience | Contributor |
| New York City Trees: Field ID Guide | A fantastic field guide for learning tree identification and for identifying the hundred most common trees found in New York City. | 4-12, Teachers | David Jakim, 2015 |
| Into the Woods | Description | Intended Audience | Contributor |
| Trees of New York: Field ID Guide | A field guide for identifying common tree species of New York State. Available to Into the Woods participants upon request. | 4-12, Teachers | Peter Schmidt, 2014 |
Soils
|
Service Learning |
Description |
Intended Audience |
Contributed by |
| GLOBE Soil Protocols |
Contribute soil data from GLOBE protocols to a database used by scientists around the world. Protocols include soil characterization and soil temperature and moisture. |
All | David Jakim, Winter 2015 |
|
Activities |
Description |
Intended Audience |
Contributed by |
| GLOBE Activities | Diverse listed of activities. Includes “Just Passing Through” |
6-12, Teachers-12, Teachers |
David Jakim, Winter 2015 |
| Elementary GLOBE |
“Getting to Know Soil,” “Soil Treasure Hunt” and “We All Need Soil” |
K-5 |
David Jakim, Winter 2015 |
| Printable Resources |
Description |
Intended Audience |
Contributed by |
| Life in the Leaf Litter | Great read about organisms that live in soil. | Grades 5-12, Teachers | Peter Schmidt, 2013 |
| Soil Creature Cards | Printable soil organism cards for student use. | Grades K-12 | David Jakim, Fall 2014 |
| The Scoop on Soils | A story of soil exploration from Elementary GLOBE. | Grades K-4 | Peter Schmidt, 2013 |
| Online Resources | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| Soil Net | Soils, Soil Life and the Environment. Includes teacher resources, student resources & classroom resources. | Grades K-12, Teachers | Urban Park Rangers, Fall 2014 |
| Soil Biological Communities: Just for Kids | Interactive website walks students through life in the soil | Grades 4-6 | Urban Park Rangers, Fall 2014 |
| Project Learning Tree Soils Page | Diverse resources on soils.. | Pre-K-8 | Urban Park Rangers, Fall 2014 |
| Books | Description | Intended Audience | Contributed by |
| John Muir on Soil | Story of John Muir’s Boyhood and Youth as a Farmer | Grade 2 | Urban Park Rangers, Fall 2014 |
| There’s a Hair in my Dirt! by Gary Larson | A story about the life of a worm, soil and decomposition. | Grades K-12, (With discretion) | Peter Schmidt, Spring 2014 |
Environmental Design Lab
Equipment Library Loan
Equipment Library Loan Inventory – ITW
Available Upon Request at Peter Schmidt’s Office, Queens Hall – 258A
Publicizing Your Work
If you are working on a citizen science or service-learning project related to Into the Woods, we would like to feature your work. Mail a story about your work with or without photos to David.Jakim@gmail.com. Thank you!
Curriculum Developed by Participants of Into the Woods
Reading Highlights for Students
Reading Highlights for Teachers
- “Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification” by Thomas J. Elpel
- “New York City Trees – a Field Guide to the Metropolitan Area” by Edward Barnard
- Publications for Educators – Museum of Natural History
- “Life in the Leaf Litter” – Museum of Natural History
- “The Cloud Book” by Richard Hamblyn
- “Water: a Natural History” by Alice Outwater
Citizen Science Programs
- Project NOAH – Create or join a mission to explore and document wildlife diversity
- FrogWatch USA – Take part in auditory surveys for local frog and toad species
- eBird – Survey local bird diversity and abundance and document observations
- Hummingbirds Home – Take part in surveys of hummingbirds and document observations
- GLOBE – Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment
- Journey North – Monitor monarchs, other migratory species, and document observations
- The Lost Ladybug Project -Find, collect, and share photographs of ladybug diversity
- Project Squirrel – Assess squirrel habitats, monitor squirrel populations, and share findings
- Water Quality at the Hudson River – Monitor and study water quality on the Hudson River
Free Resources
NYC Urban Park Ranger Program: The Natural Classroom
A 1 ½ Visit different ecosystems of New York City with your class. Thirteen distinct programs are available for students in grades K-8 and can be customized to fit specific needs of each group. Contact Peter and Into the Woods will reimburse you for the $50 – $100 program fee. Contact Peter Schmidt for reimbursement.
Classroom Superhero Kits: Growing a Garden
Colorful wildflower seed balls, growing medium, and easy curriculum resources – “everythign your classroom needs to grow native wildflowers […] and to learn about plant life cycles, the importance of common pollinators, food security, and native habitat.” Only for teachers with or planning to create a school garden.
Grants for Teachers and School Projects
A list of Grants Selected by Into the Woods Participants and Affiliates
Roots and Shoots Mini-Grants
$200 or $400 to start, support, or celebrate service campaigns for people, animals, or the environment in your community.
2017 Grant Cycle due March 31st
Submitted by Mary Leou
Ezra Keats Foundation Mini-Grants
Up to $500 awarded for student projects that foster creative expression, working together, and interaction with a diverse community.
2017 Grant Cycle Due March 31st
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Teacher Development Grants with the McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
Up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of three years to support small teams of teachers to develop and implement groundbreaking k-12 classroom instruction.
2017 Grant Cycle accepted January 15 – April 15; closes after 350 submissions.
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Academic Enrichment Grants with the McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
Up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of three years to fund programs that “nuture the intellectual, artistic, and creative abilities of children from low-income households.”
2017 Grant Cycle accepted January 15 – April 15; closes after 350 submissions.
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Golden Apple Awards
Up to $10,000 awarded for exemplary and innovative programs in school gardening, cleanup, reclamation and beautification, recycling and waste prevention. The Golden Apple Awards have few applicants and are seeking more for this grant cycle.
2017 Grant Cycle Due June, 2017
Submitted by Into the Woods Participants
Caryola Creative Leadership Grants 2017
$2,500 and Crayole products valued at $1,000 to support “innovative, creative leadership team building within elementary/middle schools. “Several of you are working hard to rally other teachers to the idea of getting students out of the classroom. This grant may help. Developing a program of integrating outdoor experiences with required classroom expectations certainly qualifies as a new and creative initiative in your schools. Explaining what you are doing and giving examples of what you have done and your future plans go a long way to writing this proposal. That many of you have included drawing into your outdoor related experiences is also a big plus to Crayola.” – Peter Schmidt.
2017 Grant Cycle Due June 23rd, 2017
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Project Learning Tree Grant for Environmental Education Projects
Up to $1,000 to schools for “environmental service-learning projects that link classroom learning to the real world.” As a prerequite, teachers must have attended a project learning tree training (either online or in person).
2017 Grant Cycle due Sep. 30th, 2017
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Kids in Need Foundation
Up to $500 to educators in support of learning projects.
2017 Grant Cycle Due Sept. 30th, 2017
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Captain Planet Foundation Offers Multiple Grants:
Captain Planet Foundation Grants for Env. Education Activities
$500 – $2,500 for projects that promote hands-on environmental stewardship opportunities for youth; serve as a catalyst to getting environment-based education in schools; and inspire youth and communities to participate in community service through environmental stewardship activities.
2017 Grant Cycle due Sep. 30th, 2017
ecoTech Grants
$2,500 for “projects that leverage technology to achieve greater or innovative environmental outcomes.
2017 Grant Deadline March 15th, 2017
ecoSolution Grants
$500-$2,500 to support solution-oriented, youth-led projects that result in real environmental outcomes. ecoSolution Grants are available to educators working with youth in the United States (international projects are by invitation only).”
2017 Grants Presently Accepted. Grant Cycle Ends Sept. 30th, 2017.
ECOSTEM Resource Kit Grants
Curated kits of materials and activities organized into environmental themes (i.e. Renewable energy, water resources, pollination, soil & decomposition.)
Project Learning Garden
Up to $3,000 in support. This program provides schools with strategies for building effective and long-lasting garden-based learning programs. Teachers are provided with hands-on training, curriculum aligned to national standards, lesson kits filled with supplies, a schoolyard garden, fully-equipped garden cooking cart, and strategies for summer garden maintenance.
2018 Grants Accepted July 15th, 2017 through February 20th, 2018
Captain Planet Foundation Small Grants
$500 to 2,500 for hands-on environmental stewardship opportunities for youth; to serve as a catalyst to getting environment-based education in schools; and to inspire youth and communities to participate in community service through environmental stewardship activities.
2017 Grant Cycles Due Sep. 30th, 2017
Target Corporation K-12 Field Trip Grants
Up to $700 to support community service or civic projects; career-enrichment opportunities; field trips to art, science, and cultural museums; or other activities away from school.
2017 Grant Cycle Due Oct. 1st
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Lowe’s Charitable and Education Foundation RFP
“Raise up to $5,000 for your school in minutes. Aimed at supporting projects which encourage parent involvement in local schools and help build community spirit. One-year grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded in support of projects that have a permanent impact on a school community, such as a facility enhancement (indoor or outdoor) or landscaping/clean-up project.”
2017 Grant Cycle due Feb. 9th, 2017
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
National Weather Association Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants
Up to $750 to “support projects aimed at improving K-12 education in meteorology and related sciences.”
2017-2018 Grant Cycle to be Announced
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Greening STEM Integration Grant for Educators
$500 – $1,000 for teachers and after-school programs for “projects that support the integration of Greening STEM into current or new programming or curriculum.”
2017 Grant Cycle Due Date to be Announced, Probably April 2017
Seeds for Education Grant Program
Up to $500 for projects that involve students in developing and enhancing an appreciation for nature using native plants.
2017 Grant Cycle due Oct. 15th, 2017
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Whole Kids Foundation School Gardens Grant
$2,000 to support a new or existing edible school garden on school grounds.
2016 Grant Cycle Due Oct. 2017
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Nature Works Grants for K-12 Schools
$2,000 to support projects that implement green infrastructure to address local environmental challenges. These include access to healthy food, air quality, heat island effect, climate change, or storm water collection. Young people will work as social innovators to help their communities through project design and implementation.
Future Grant Cycles to be Announced
Submitted by Peter Schmid
Melinda Gray Ardia Env. Foundation Grants for Environmental Studies
Up to $1,500 to support the development of programs that empower student involvement in environmental and social problems.
2017 Grant Cycle TBA
Submitted by Peter Schmidt
Long Island Native Plant Initiative Grant
Requests for plant species native to Long Island.
Rolling Grant Cycle
Submitted by David Jakim