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Environment-based Learning Resources
Acorn Naturalists offers a comprehensive selection of resources for environment-based learning including activity guides, DVD's, educational kits and curricula, outdoor education activities, science and nature games and more.
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Interpretation of Cultural and Natural History
Included in this section are interpretive methods books, trail planning guides, docent training resources and nature center planning books.
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Cultivating Environmental Literacy
Increasingly, individuals and the communities in which they live are aware of the relationship between quality of life issues and environmental literacy. Included in this section are resources that help educators make those links in both the community and in the classroom.
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Nurturing a Sense of Place
Included in this section are a number of resources to help children and adults connect with their local environment, in other words to develop a sense of place. In so doing, individuals often come to understand that their efforts really do make a difference and that their interactions with both natural and built communities influence their emotional and intellectual growth in a positive manner.
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Outdoor Education
Included in this section are resources that bring learning outside: engaging activity books, useful orienteering tools, practical science and nature field guides, observation equipment and hard-to-find outdoor learning materials for use in both formal and non-formal learning environments.
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Observing and Contemplating Nature
Contained in this section are a number of resources to help students and teachers observe nature more closely, including the writings and suggestions of Joseph Cornell, author of the well known resource Sharing Nature with Children.
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Voices of Environmental Stewardship
Throughout history, individuals have appeared who made environmental stewardship their life work. For example, treasures such as Yosemite and the Grand Canyon became national parks through the efforts of a handful of passionate conservationists. Children and adults alike will be inspired by the lives and efforts of these rugged individualists.
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Environmental Education DVDs and Videos
Acorn Naturalists offers a wide array of environmental education DVDs and videos. In this section you will find these resources conveniently categorized by title and subject area.
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Environmental Education in Action
Understanding that individuals can and do make a difference, students often ask how they can combine their interest in environmental issues with a career. This section offers resources for providing guidance to those who want to make a difference.
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Energy Education
This section contains a seletion of books, kits, and other resources geared toward teaching about both traditional and alternative energy sources.
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Acorn Naturalists Science and Nature Kits
Acorn Naturalists has developed a wide array of activity kits and other high quality educational resources for teachers, outdoor educators and others interested in science and nature. In this section you will find a selection of some of our most popular items, resources that are developed by and available exclusively from Acorn Naturalists.
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Science and Nature Book Series
Included in this section are science and nature books series that are found throughout this website, all conveniently categorized here by subject and title.
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Center for Gifted Education Resources
The Center for Gifted Education at The College of William and Mary was established in 1988 to provide services to educators, policy makers, graduate students, researchers, parents, and students in support of the needs of gifted and talented individuals. Their science and nature publications are found in this section.
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Bioregional Approaches to Science Education
The first step in understanding global issues is to become aware of the natural and built elements within one's bioregion. Mapping activities, for example, can form the core of such understanding while teaching geography, biology, mathematics, reading, and orienteering.
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Promoting Recycling and Waste Reduction
Recycling has now become a universal goal of cities, industries and environmentalists. One major reason for this is that recycling not only conserves valuable resources, but also when done right, pays off financially. In this section a wide range of activity books, curriculum guides, card games, and musical resources are offered, all in the name of recycling and reducing waste.
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Global Perspectives on the Environment
The boundaries of earth's diverse ecosystems have little to do with political delineations. Environmental awareness, therefore, must extend past political boundaries. Air pollution, for example, readily moves across entire land masses - thus if a neighboring country has weak controls over pollution, it affects countries that have careful controls over pollution. This section contains resources that help students understand this concept.
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Teaching about Biodiversity
This section includes specific biodiversity resources for teachers and students of all ages. Included are hands-on activity guides, curricula, posters and multimedia resources that are specifically designed to increase awareness of the importance of biodiversity.
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Learning about World Biomes
Includes Introduction to Ecosystems Series, a colorful, informative series that helps readers explore the varied ecosystems of our planet, from deserts to rainforests, grasslands to oceans, wetlands to temperate forests. Each book in this series explains land formations, vegetation, climate, and describes the plants and animals that have adapted to these varied environments. Descriptive maps show the major locations of these ecosystems. Also in this section, the Ecosystems of North America Series, a series of hardcover books provide up-to-date information on north American biomes. Dramatic photographs and engaging text make this series perfect for students in grades 4-9.
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Life Cycles - Plant and Animal Activities
This section contains a wealth of resources for teaching children about plant and animal life cycles. Included are readers, references and activity books, all designed to enhance learning about life cycles.
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Service-learning
Increasingly, schools are developing service-learning programs, to help students connect classroom learning with the "real world." Such connections help students understand the relevancy of their studies, thus increasing student focus on academics. This section documents success stories and provides resources designed to help schools implement their own service-learning programs.
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Wildlife Conservation Society Resources
Acorn Naturalists is proud to help distribute the resources offered by The Wildlife Conservation Society. This organization "saves wildlife and wild lands through careful science, international conservation, education, and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks. Their activities change attitudes toward nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in sustainable interaction on both a local and a global scale."
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