The Wild World maps are designed to help you bring into your classroom the wonders of biodiversity and the urgency of conserving it. The Educator’s Guide that accompanies the maps offers lesson plans and activities on subjects like map fundamentals, biodiversity, and ecoregions.
Download the Educator’s Guide (PDF)
(Requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in.)
RELATED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
Windows on the Wild Materials | Environmental Education Programs | Educator’s Guides | Books for Students
World Wildlife Fund’s Windows on the Wild Materials
All Windows on the Wild materials are available from Acorn Naturalists
(http://www.acornnaturalists.com)
17300 East 17th St. #J-236
Tustin, CA 92780
phone: 800 422 8886 (U.S. and Canada only)
WOW!—A Biodiversity Primer
More than a dozen stories and articles in a full-color, magazine-style primer for middle school students to help them understand biodiversity and appreciate the amazing diversity of life on Earth.
WOW!—A Biodiversity Primer Educator’s Guide
The educator’s guide features a variety of activity ideas for using WOW!—A Biodiversity Primer in schools, nature centers, museums, and zoos.
Biodiversity Basics—An Educator’s Guide to Exploring the Web of Life
This is the introductory module of the Windows on the Wild core curriculum. This comprehensive biodiversity module features an Educator’s Guide, the student book, a copy of WOW!—A Biodiversity Primer, and a full-color poster map of the Global 200 ecoregions—the richest, rarest, and most threatened natural areas on the planet.
Wildlife for Sale—An Educator’s Guide to Wildlife Trade
This interdisciplinary module is designed to educate middle school students about international trade in wildlife and wildlife products. Through 15 interdisciplinary activities, Wildlife for Sale teaches students about the nature of wildlife trade, how wildlife trade can become a problem, and ways that wildlife trade is managed and regulated. Included free is a slide show that highlights the issues in the activities.
Wild Spaces, Wild Species—A Biodiversity Journey Slide Show
Join World Wildlife Fund on a stunning photographic journey across the planet to explore Earth’s incredible diversity of life. From the frosty reaches of the Bering Sea to the steamy rain forests of the Congo Basin, this slide show takes viewers to some of the most spectacular ecoregions on the planet—all part of WWF’s Global 200.
The Biodiversity Collection: A Review of Biodiversity Resources for Educators (produced in collaboration with NAAEE)
This compendium of education resources that focus on biodiversity highlights 47 of the best supplementary curricula for grades K-12. It is designed to help educators find outstanding materials that can enhance biodiversity teaching in a variety of settings. It also contains a general overview of biodiversity and the review criteria.
Biodiversity! Exploring the Web of Life Education Kit
A half-hour video explores what biodiversity is all about, why it’s important, and what people can do to help protect it. An educator’s guide to the kit and a copy of WOW!—A Biodiversity Primer are also included.
Going, Going, Almost Gone! Animals in Danger Education Kit
Biodiversity, poaching, habitat loss, and other issues are explored in a video designed for elementary students. The accompanying educator’s guide includes key concepts, hands-on activities, and resources to help parents and teachers explore environmental issues with students.
Biodiversity—From Sea to Shining Sea Poster Kit
This kit contains a two-sided poster that provides a colorful introduction to Windows on the Wild and biodiversity. The front features 12 striking plant and animal images celebrating the amazing diversity of life on Earth, and the back features a map of the most threatened ecoregions in the United States. An educator’s guide is included.
The Global 200: A Blueprint for Saving Life on Earth (map)
This two-sided, full-color poster highlights more than 200 of the richest, rarest, and most endangered natural areas on the planet.
The Biodiversity Debate: Exploring the Issue (produced in collaboration with NAAEE)
This guide shows how to approach local land-use debates through the development of environmental issues forums designed to bring citizens together in locally initiated, nonpartisan discussions. This 43-page guide provides civic and educational organizations, high schools and colleges, service organizations, religious groups, governmental agencies, and others with a place to start, all with a common goal of finding solutions at the community level.
Taking Action: An Educator’s Guide to Involving Students in Environmental Action Projects (produced with Project WILD)
This guide helps educators plan, implement, and evaluate environmental education projects and includes examples of more than two dozen successful action projects throughout the United States, as well as a step-by-step planning process and a comprehensive bibliography.
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Environmental Education Programs
Project Learning Tree
(http://www.plt.org)
An award-winning, interdisciplinary environmental education program designed to educate young people about the environment.
Project WILD
http://www.projectwild.org
A national environmental education program for educators that emphasizes wildlife conservation, ecology, and interdisciplinary teaching.
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Educator’s Guides
Eco-Inquiry: A Guide to Ecological Learning Experiences
A set of three modules that focus on food webs, decomposition, and nutrient recycling. It includes hands-on science within thematic, multidimensional learning experiences. Available from Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 4050 Westmark Dr., Dubuque, IA 52002-1840. 800 228 0810.
Ecology for All Ages: Discovering Nature Through Activities for Children and Adults
Emphasizes how habitats, natural systems, and species are linked through a variety of activities. It presents examples of environmental problems and what people can do to help solve the problems. Available from The Globe Pequot Press, 6 Business Park Rd., Old Saybrook, CT 06475. 800 395 0440.
Ranger Rick’s NatureScope Series
Consists of a series of curriculum guides designed to help educators incorporate science and environmental education into their teaching. Each guide focuses on a particular topic and provides educators with a comprehensive, flexible teaching kit. Titles include Rain Forests: Tropical Treasures; Diving into Oceans; and Endangered Species. Available from McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 11 West 19th St., New York, NY 10011-4285.
Science Is Elementary
A resource magazine that provides activities, background information, extensions, and suggestions for authentic assessment congruent with national benchmarks. Volume seven includes four issues: Biodiversity, Habitats and Ecosystems, Our Changing World, and Populations. Available from MITS, 79 Milk St., Ste. 210, Boston, MA 01929-3903. +1 617 695 9771.
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Books for Students
Biodiversity by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Discusses the interconnectedness of all living things and tells why it’s important to preserve biodiversity. (Clarion Books, 1996).
A Child’s Place in the Environment
A series designed to provide elementary teachers with examples of an interdisciplinary, thematic environmental education program. Each grade-level unit is activity-based and is designed around four major themes: Valuing the Environment, Systems and Interactions, Patterns of Change, and Conservation. Available from Department of Education, Bureau of Publications, P.O. Box 271, Sacramento, CA 95812-0271. 800 995 4099 (U.S. and Canada only).
Earth’s Endangered Creatures by Jill Baily
A series of illustrated storybooks that are based on the plights of several endangered species. Book subjects include rhinos, gorillas, elephants, dolphins, turtles, whales, and tigers. (Steck-Vaughn Library, 1990-1992).
Global Issues in the Middle School
A set of activities focusing on the local and global environment and designed to help students see the world as an integrated, interdependent system. Available from Social Science Education Consortium, P.O. Box 21270, Boulder, CO 80308-4270. +1 303 492 8154.
The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
Describes how resident creatures of the rain forest save their kapok tree home from being chopped down. (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990).
Zoobooks: Exploring Ocean Ecosystems
Eight books of articles, photographs, illustrations, facts, games, and activities about animals, along with a curriculum guide. Each takes a thematic approach to teaching about science and the scientific process and encourages learning across the curriculum. Titles include Dolphins and Porpoises, Penguins, and Whales. Available from Wildlife Education, Ltd., 9820 Willow Creek Rd., Ste. 300, San Diego, CA 92131-1112. 800 477 5034.
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