MDC to host free Discover Nature Schools training for second grade teachers Aug. 26 in Jefferson City

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites second grade teachers to attend a Discover Nature Schools (DNS) teacher workshop that will focus on MDC’s curriculum, Second Grade: Life and Land in Missouri, Aug. 26 from 5-8 p.m. at Runge Conservation Nature Center in Jefferson City. 

Second Grade: Life and Land in Missouri is a curriculum produced by MDC that is aligned to all second grade Missouri Learning Science (MLS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) including the four components of Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, Life Science and Engineering and Technology Science.  

This curriculum follows the school year with 6 units and 21 lessons. All lessons use the 5E instruction model beginning with Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate and tie into Missouri-focused phenomena and guiding questions such as “How do insects and birds help plants?,” “How and why do seeds disperse and scatter?,” “Where would a sunflower grow best in your schoolyard?,” and “How do landforms shape Missouri and the world?” Each lesson concludes with a Claim, Evidence, Reasoning student page where students revisit the investigative questions and provide evidence from their learning to support their claim and reasoning.

This teacher training will introduce teachers to the free student guide and teacher guide as well as the MDC Teacher Portal and other resources. Participants will learn how to instruct the lessons both indoors and outdoors and become certified to receive the related Second Grade Teacher Kit and a funding grant to transport students for a field experience outside of school grounds.  

Registration for this training is required and can be done at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4tH. Please note that interested parties will need to create an MDC Teacher Portal account before accessing the registration page. Accounts can be created at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4bf. Learn more about all DNS programs at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4bg.

Runge Conservation Nature Center is located at 330 Commerce Drive in Jefferson City. Questions about this workshop can be sent to Ashley Edwards at Ashley.edwards@mdc.mo.gov.