1. PLT: Spider-Inspired Classroom Activities for Halloween
 | Description: October is the month of all things spooky! Bats, jack-o-lanterns, and artificial spider webs set the stage for fall harvest parties and Halloween. In reality, spider webs adorn our porches, garages, and patios all year long, not just in the fall. However, autumn is the time of year when a few noticeable species like orb-weavers and giant house spiders find a mate and lay eggs before winter arrives. These types of spiders are much more active and visible in the fall, which may be one reason we associate spiders and their webs with the fall months. Project Learning Tree provides a variety of resources for educators to use to study spiders. Which will be your favorite? |
2. The Invisible Mammal
 | Description: The Invisible Mammal is a feature-length documentary film about bats, infectious disease, and women in science. In this intensely cinematic film, bats are rendered poetically visible: spectacularly streaming out of caves or bridges, or cradled in a gloved hand, wings extended. Wonder is the overriding emotion. Adventure is a key mood, along with mind-expanding discovery in the company of some of the most prominent human faces in bat conservation. Watch the trailer HERE. Check out the list of screenings coming up in California or book a screening yourself. |
3. Edutopia: Fall-Themed Activities that Combine Academics and Fun
 | Description: Elementary students get moving, get outside, and get creative with these activities, all while practicing academic skills. Activities include: Leaf Scavenger Hunt Challenge, Mystery Sensory Harvest, Pumpkin Seed Guessitmation Challenge, Apple Taste Test Graphing, Autumn-themed Word Relay Race, Pumpkin Pie Baking Challenge, Leaf Composition Prediction, and Mini Pumpkin Catapult. These activities will make learning fun! |
4. Audubon Adventures: Teacher’s Lounge
 | Description: Autumn is time for fall bird migration. Audubon Adventures introduces young people to the world of nature and wildlife through colorful magazines, online features and interactive games and puzzles, plus activities, guidance, and resources for educators. Designed for classrooms and other educational settings as well as for enjoyment at home, Audubon Adventures opens children’s hearts and minds to the wonders of birds, other wildlife, and the fascinating and complex natural world that is Planet Earth. Developed by professional educators and scientists, Audubon Adventures is designed to be integrated easily into any curriculum area: science, mathematics, language arts, social studies, and the creative arts. It has been used in classrooms, home-school settings, after-school programs, camp programs, ESL classes, and more. Since its inception in 1984, more than 7 million students have participated in the program. |
5. NAAEE Podcast The World We Want: Creating New Spaces for Learning About the World Around Us with Margie Vandeven and Roger Still
 | Description: A conversation about the connections between education, nature, community, food, health, childhood, and the places that give us room to pay attention. Their conversation moves from childhood memories of staring at the night sky and sitting on a grandparents’ porch to the experiences being created for young people today. Along the way, they explore stillness and boredom, access to nature, environmental learning, community connection, and what it might mean to create more welcoming spaces where people can learn from the world around them. And an unexpected question emerges: Do we need to build more porches? |
6. Sitting with Nature: An Educator’s Guide to Sit Spots by Lauren MacLean
 | Description: This handy resource book for primary and intermediate level educators includes 20 weeks’ worth of themed sit spot activities for students of all ages. It also includes additional downloadable resources – to explore outdoor learning with students all year-long and in all weather conditions. This handy field guide begins by introducing The Framework beneath sit spot pedagogy, grounding this work in the literature. It then builds on this foundation, blending theory with practice in a step-by-step Getting Started process to set up successful sit spot experiences with a wide-variety of learners. Lauren MacLean is a certified teacher and accomplished author, known for her children’s picture books. |