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Welcome!
The Spring & Fall Happenings interactive, on-line curriculum will encourage kids to go outside to explore the natural world, and will connect experiences students have at Wolf Ridge to what they see happening in their home communities. Together we will watch, record, and share our observations as the seasons progress across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. For more background and ideas about tying the Spring & Fall Happenings project to your curriculum, please read on . . .
It's Simple . . . . All you really need to do (once you have joined Spring or Fall Happenings) is ask your students to watch for the listed events. When someone sees the event at home or school, fill in the brief on-line form, and your school will appear on our web pages. Introductory level participation option: Schools who don't attend Wolf Ridge can choose to participate off-line by purchasing a poster, looking for events, and watching the event pages. This option does not included access to lesson plans or the ability to contribute student observations on-line. Cost (includes full on-line participation, 2'x4' poster, lesson plan access, and supporting materials)
How to participate . . . .
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How to participate - more details . . . .
Why
Spring and Fall Happenings is a chance for kids to observe how animals and plants respond to the changing seasons. To do this, kids are encouraged to go outside and explore the natural world. They develop new skills for observing their world and think critically about why the things they see, hear, and feel might be happening. They can follow their own curiosity in order to discover and learn more. They are really beginning to learn about “phenology”, which studies the timing of how animals and plants respond to changes in climate and weather.
At a time in history when over half of the human population lives in urban areas, it is imperative that we set aside time to observe and learn about the earth that sustains us. Phenology is an old science which is drawing renewed interest. It is helping scientists learn about how our climate is changing. When students participate in Spring and Fall Happenings, they are contributing to a body of knowledge which can help us better understand our changing world.
If they choose, teachers can extend their use of Spring and Fall Happenings by making phenology a unifying theme to help tie together their studies over the school year. The individual activities can serve as pre and post Wolf Ridge trip curricula, preparing students for their classes here, or exploring more about what they learned on their trip. The on-line component of this project can also help students meet the school’s technology goals in a meaningful way.
What
Students will look for 7-9 specific signs of fall and/or spring around school or near their homes (such as the first leaf-free sugar maple in fall). When students observe the event, they report it to their teacher(s). The students writes the event date on the school Spring or Fall Happenings poster and the teacher shares their observation on-line with Wolf Ridge. Students can follow the progression of fall & spring by visiting the Wolf Ridge website, where they can see the observations they and other schools contributed and learn more about the animals, plants, or weather events they are observing as they read, follow the kid-friendly links, and do the optional activities you choose to present.
Who
All schools who attend Wolf Ridge are invited to participate. The entire school, or individual classes or grade levels may choose to be a part of Spring and/or Fall Happenings. Non-Wolf Ridge schools may participate for a fee (see above).
When
Fall Happenings takes place in September, October, and early November.
Calendar: "When does fall come to my part of Minnesota"?Spring Happenings takes place in March, April, and May.
Calendar: "When does spring come to my part of Minnesota"?What will students do?
- Be introduced to the Spring and Fall Happenings events they will be watching for
- Make observations over the season
- Optional - complete a 30 – 40 minute activity introducing the science of phenology and/or other activities available on-line.
Sample observation cycle
1. The teacher looks at the calendar and sees that the maple leaves can be expected to all be on the ground in the next week or two. S/he sets aside 5-10 minutes that day to review specifically what students will be looking for. Teachers can refer to the poster or website if they wish. They ask students to keep their eyes and ears open and when they see a maple with all the leaves on the ground, to report it to the class.2. A few days later, a student reports seeing a maple with all the leaves on the ground in their lawn. The student shares what s/he saw and heard with the class, then records the event by writing the date on the poster and putting a star for their town on the poster’s map. (5+ minutes)
3. The teacher (student can assist) goes on-line to the Wolf Ridge website to inform us that the sugar maples are free of leaves in your town. (Wolf Ridge will post the sighting on the sugar maple page of the Fall Happenings website within a day or two.) (5+ minutes)
4. At some point, the class, a student, or the teacher checks the website to see what is happening around the state. The class can see their contribution and update the poster’s map with the other places leaf-free maples have been seen. (5-10 minutes)
What will teachers do?
- Introduce the project to the class or school.
- Set aside short periods of time in the classroom to prepare for, record, and compare the location of each fall and/or spring event.
- Submit event dates to Wolf Ridge on-line
Classroom, Grade Level, or Whole School?
A range of ages can participate in this project, potentially from K – 12 - college. In some schools, one classroom or grade level will choose to do the project, while in others, the whole school will be involved. For whole school applications, you might want to find a central place for the poster (away from water!) There are opportunities for students of different grades to work together. If you are interested in being on a list of schools interested in partnering with another school from a different location, you can e-mail Wolf Ridge and we will put your name on the “Happenings Sister School” page on the website. Some schools include Spring and Fall Happenings updates in the school announcements and student-created newsletters.
How does Spring & Fall Happenings work on a day-to-day basis? Choose your level . . . .
The Minimum: One class watches for the listed events at school or home, writes them on the poster, and reports them to Wolf Ridge.
A Bit More: The class does the “PhenoloWhat” introductory activity, checks the Spring and Fall Happenings website once a week to see what is new, and updates the poster maps to reflect the changes across the state.
Sky’s the Limit: The whole grade or school participates. Kids use the website to research events on-line, and classes do some of the activities from the “Teacher Resources” web pages. . . . more or less as it works for you and your school.
