Naturally Teaching Elementary: A Podcast for Teachers and Homeschool Families

July is the month of butterflies thanks to the heat of the summer and the North American Butterfly Count! Butterflies are a high-interest topic that many adults and children get really engaged with. So this month I'll be focusing on butterflies and all their mystique. Books are a great way to introduce butterflies, their characteristics, adaptations, and interesting life cycles. In this episode, I...

This is a topic I've been excited to dive into for some time, and summer seemed like the perfect opportunity to introduce it. If you've never thought about how teaching with actual photographs can help your learners in science, this episode is a must-listen. I'm an avid collector of nature photos because you just never know when you'll need that random pic of a raccoon track in the mud. In this ep...

Summer has begun! And with it is a wonderful opportunity to explore water and where it can be found. Now is a great time to suggest to your learners' caregivers to enjoy the local waterways and help prevent that summer slide. Press play to hear descriptions for tracking local water visits for 2nd graders and a local waterway clean up for 5th graders, both aligned with Next Generation Science Stand...

The summer solstice is coming up next week! Which brings with it signs of summer including warmer temps and longer hours of daylight. So let's give your learners some fun games they can enjoy with their families to extend their learning as well as prevent the dreaded summer slide! Press play to hear descriptions for hours of sunlight hopscotch for 1st graders and a flashlight hide-and-seek game fo...

June is the beginning of summer which brings a nice break for you the educator, and family time for your learners. So let's give your learners hands-on experiences they can enjoy with their families to extend their learning as well as prevent the dreaded summer slide! Press play to hear descriptions for a summer scavenger hunt for kindergarteners and collecting summer weather data for 3rd graders,...

Summer is on the horizon, so now is a good time to start scoping out books for summer to help you and your learners' caregivers teach seasonal concepts. Picture books are a great way to explore the changing of the seasons in words and pictures! In this episode I cover 6 books for summer that introduce the signs of the season, ways people can explore nature in summer, and crops that can be harveste...

Reptiles and amphibians are a high-interest topic for children (and adults) of all ages. Let's use a reptiles and amphibians list to help us engage our elementary learners! May is a fantastic time to do this since the reptiles and amphibians have come out of their winter sleep and are starting to lay eggs. Press play to hear descriptions for a turtle study for 2nd graders and an energy transfer fl...

Let's continue to take advantage of the emerging reptiles and amphibians in connection to 1st and 4th grade NGSS. 1st and 4th grade standards have animal heredity in common and looking closely at the characteristics that make reptiles and amphibians unique can help your learners distinguish them from each other and other animal groups as well. Press play to hear descriptions for a reptile and amph...

May is a time when your learners are able to see reptiles and amphibians again before the end of the school year slips away. So let's take advantage of the return of our herps and get your learners some quality experiences! Press play to hear descriptions for a Massasauga rattlesnake wetland tag game for kindergarteners and an amphibian wetland tag game for 3rd graders, both aligned with Next Gene...

May is a wonderful time to get outside and look for amphibians and reptiles. Now that they are out and about, you can work with your learners to figure out what makes each group special. Books are a great way to introduce the differences of reptiles and amphibians. In this episode, I give you a brief summary of books about characteristics of amphibians and reptiles and my thoughts on how they can...

Pollination of flowers is a partnership worth celebrating! Flowers and animals giving each other what they need...the whole concept can lend itself well to teach many different standards in elementary school. And April is a great time to investigate it first-hand with your 2nd and 5th graders as both flowers and pollinators wake from their winter sleep! Press play to hear descriptions for an intro...

Let's continue to take advantage of the flowers and pollinators returning in April and focus on plant and pollinator partnerships in connection to 1st and 4th grade NGSS. 1st and 4th grade standards have plant and animal heredity in common and pollination can help us investigate that concept. Press play to hear descriptions for an activity where 1st graders visit five different pollinator and flow...

April is the first full month of spring and flowers, which also means those pollinators that were missing all winter long are slowly returning. So let's take advantage of the return of our pollination partners and get your learners some quality experiences! Press play to hear descriptions for a seasonal plant study for kindergarteners and a pollinator life stage BioBlitz for 3rd graders, both alig...

April is a great time to look for flowers and early pollinators as everything awakens from its winter sleep. Adults and kids alike look forward to the return of the sprouts that signal spring and now is the time to get outside and find that early green! It's also a great time to study how flowers and pollinators interact. Books are a great way to introduce pollination and those that make it happen...

By listener request: frogs vs toads and other herps in spring! Spring is a fantastic time to investigate reptiles and amphibians and today I'm sharing three interactive and engaging activities to hook your learners on these early spring risers! Tune in to hear descriptions for 3 frogs vs toads activities aligned with Next Generation Science Standards for grades K-5. During the episode I share the...

Water is a critical part of weather; without water, we wouldn't have most of our different weather conditions! Whether it's clouds, rain, thunderstorms, humidity, wind...it's all related to water in weather. And March and November are great times to study weather and the role water plays in it! Press play to hear descriptions for maple sugaring with 2nd graders and mapping vernal pools with 5th gr...

Let's continue to take advantage of the variable weather March brings and focus on weather and illumination in connection to 1st and 4th grade NGSS. 1st and 4th grade standards have light and its role in seeing objects in common and weather can help us investigate that concept. Press play to hear descriptions for an activity where 1st graders match colors to natural objects in different weather co...

Weather is an inherently interesting concept to elementary-aged learners and March is one of the best times to experience a variety of weather conditions in a short time. Fog, rain, snow, frost, dew, sun, clouds...March has it all. So let's take advantage of this weather-rich month and get your learners some quality experiences. Press play to hear descriptions for a weather movement cube for kinde...

March is a time of varied weather which gives you the chance to explore lots of weather conditions in a short amount of time. Snow, fog, frost, dew, rain, clouds, sunshine...it all comes together in the month of March. Your learners will be so happy to see winter give way to spring, so let's celebrate with weather-related opportunities. Books are a great way to introduce weather conditions. In thi...

Water is a critical part of animal survival, yet it's so scarce during the winter! With freezing temperatures, water is trapped as snow or ice and it makes winter a really hard time for animals to fulfill all of their needs. Now is a great time to study winter animals and the role water plays in their survival! Press play to hear descriptions for a states of matter water experiment for 2nd graders...

Winter is a time of scarcity for both animals as well as teachers and homeschool parents trying to find engaging and experiential activities for their learners. Let me help you out with these two activities for 1st and 4th graders inspired by winter animals and hibernation! Press play to hear descriptions for a hibernation animal sort and hike for 1st graders and a predator role playing experience...

Sometimes winter seems so lifeless and dull. However, it can actually be a really beneficial time of the year to study animal needs and the components of habitats. Think about it: during a time of scarcity, there are still animals that are active and surviving. Why not investigate what they're finding that keeps them alive? Press play to hear descriptions for an animal signs hike for kindergartene...

The extreme weather of winter makes you wonder what animals are crazy enough to endure and survive it. Animals are active in winter, whether we see them or not, and the animals that are awake leave behind traces and clues that can be found. These little gems can be just the hook your learners need to pursue amazing inquiry driven studies. Books are a great way to introduce animal signs in winter a...

Urban schools and outdoor education don't seem to go hand-in-hand, but outdoor education has its place in every.single.school! If you teach in an urban school and you don't think you have what you need to take your kids outside for learning, this is the episode for you! Press play to hear about three different ways you can access nature in urban settings near you. Give your students the gift of le...

Are you hesitant to take your students outside for learning because of possible distractions? Do you worry about how you'll give your students the opportunity to pursue their interests while also giving your lesson the time it needs? Tune in to hear descriptions for 5 strategies for classroom management to use when nature grabs your students' attention. These "nature moments" are valuable and can...