On the North Carolina Science Trail, we spend a lot of time looking into science education resources that are valuable and worth the effort for both formal and informal educators to pursue. One of our new partners, Find Outdoors, just introduced us to the Natural Inquirer, and love is in the air! If you’re not familiar with the Natural Inquirer, the entire website has a host of free science materials for PreK-12 students. That in itself is a big win for educators looking to get students excited about both science and nature.
Want more details? I thought so. Read below for the range of resources offered through the Natural Inquirer and if we can help put you in touch, let us know.
High School Students
The Natural Inquirer journal was originally published in 1998 as a free journal for teens to allow scientists to share their research with students. In my opinion, this is such an ideal product because it allows older kids to have a better understanding of the types of scientific questions being asked, the types of research being done, and the types of scientists who are interested in this work. If it’s our goal to encourage high school students to pursue science occupations when they enter college, they need to know what their options are.
TIP: We love the “Meet the Scientists!” write ups that tell who the scientists are, what their favorite scientific activities are, how they do their research, etc. It’s great insight into the scientific realm of solving real-world problems and answering real-world questions.
Middle School Students
Middle school resources include some of the same monograph and journal write ups as the high school resources, but also include some additional stories and activities for younger kids. Middle school students also have access to a resources called NSI: Nature Science Investigator, which is a self-guided activity book for ages 8-14. Eleven forest scientists are highlighted in the NSI activity book, as well as more than 20 activities for kids.
TIP: Both middle and high school journals follow the same format as scientific journal articles, reinforcing your teaching of the scientific method, and providing hands-on experience for understanding why science writings are formatted this way.
Upper Elementary
Resources for Upper Elementary students include the NSI investigator in both English and Spanish, as well as other investigator articles on subjects such as agriculture, insects, climate change, and streams. Games are included to help bring home the science for young learners. You may also consider some of the virtual resources in the FSNatireLIVE series and the Woodsy Owl Series.
*TIP: There is an entire series of stories, virtual resources, and activities based around the Moon Trees that were flown to the moon and back with NASA’s Apollo 14 mission in 1971. Many of these trees are growing strongly across the United States, and there is even a database to show students which trees are still alive and where they are growing today. The Forest Service/USDA has included additional scientific information for distance learning here.
Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd Grade
The resources provided for our youngest scientists are just as fun to engage with while remaining super robust learning tools. Easy readers, engaging activities, coloring books, and more help spark the love of science that want kids to embrace from the beginning of the their education.
Why We Love Natural Inquirer
If you’re looking for an easy way to introduce real science and nature learning into your classroom, this site has great content/material, guidance, and umph! If you want a bit more support, Learning Modules provide additional information beyond initial learning opportunities for classes. An educator guide with objectives and activities can help guide you through the unit so that your students get the most out of their learning experience. There are also additional opportunities to connect with Citizen Science Projects and to better understand the history of a particular project being discussed. An educator blog is also available to help get your creative juices flowing!