Wildlife by Design Classroom Presentations

Skins & Skulls is a prepared discussion of the identification and specialized adaptations of native Texas wildlife using animal skulls and skins. Students will investigate the skulls of these animals to identify their ‘mystery mammal,’ all while learning about their animal’s habitat, food sources, and adaptations for survival. The concept and importance of land stewardship, including its wildlife, is introduced and reinforced throughout the presentation.  
K: 5C-G, 11, 12B, 13B | 1: 5C-G, 11C, 12A-C, 13A | 2: 5C-G, 11A-B, 12A-B | 3: 5C-G, 11B, 12B-C, 13A | 4: 5C-G, 11A-B, 12B | 5: C-G, 11, 12A-C, 13A | 6: 5C-G, 11B, 12A-B | 7: 5C- G | 8: C-G, 12C

Where Is Our Water? is an interactive program that covers a variety of water topics, from the water cycle to sources and usage of water to pollution and infiltration of groundwater into our aquifers. Hands-on activities and demonstrations will allow students to investigate and understand the human impact on water and how it affects our land and wildlife. The concept and importance of land and water stewardship is introduced and reinforced throughout the presentation. The main message is conservation!  
K: 5C-D & F-G, 6, 9B, 11, 12B | 1: 5C-D & F-G, 6A-B, 10B-C, 11A-C, 12A | 2: 5C-D & F-G, 6A, 10A, 11-B, 12A | 3: 5C-D & 5F-G, 6B-C, 11A-B, 11C, 12C | 4: 5C-D & F-G, 6A, 10A, 11A-B | 5: 5C-D & F-G, 6A, 10A, 11A, 12A-12C | 6: 5D & F-G, 11B, 12A |7: 5-D & F-G, 11A-B | 8: 5D & F-G, 8.12C

Birds of a Feather is an overview of bird adaptations. By investigating skulls and feet of different species of bird, students will discover what makes a bird a bird and how different birds use their adaptations to survive in their environments. Activities may include exploring bird anatomy, identifying a bird based on its skull and foot, experimenting with different bird beaks and how a bird might use a specific beak to get its food, measuring wingspan, and listening to bird vocalizations. The concept and importance of land stewardship, including native Texas birds, is introduced and reinforced throughout the presentation.  
K: 5C-D & F-G, 11, 12B, 13B & D | 1: 5C-D & F-G, 11B-C, 13A-C |2: C-D & F-G, 11A-B, 13B | 3: C-D & F-G, 11B-C, 13A-B | 4: 5C-D & F-G, 11A-B, 13B | 5: 5C-D
& F-G, 11, 12A & C, 13A-B | 6: 5C-D, F-G, 12A-B | 7: C-D & F-G | 8: 5C-D & F-G, 12C

Investigating Life Cycles is an inquiry-based program that allows students to investigate and understand each stage of various life cycles using biofacts, kinesthetic activities, and trivia games, for a better understanding of the cycle as a whole. Students will learn the characteristics that allow a plant or animal to grow into a mature adult and how each stage affects its habitat and other plant and animal populations.  
K: 5D & F-G, 11, 12A-B, 13A & C-D | 1: 5D & F-G, 11A-C, 12A, 13A-C | 2: 5D & F-G, 11A-B, 12A-C, 13A-B & D | 3: 5D & F-G, 11B-C, 13A-B | 4: 5D & F-G, 11A-B, 13A | 5: 5D & F-G, 11, 12A & C, 13A

Stewarding Soil is a series of hands-on activities that allows students to dig in and investigate! Students will learn how soil is formed; the characteristics of sand, silt, and clay; how soil health affects living and nonliving things; and what products come from soil. Throughout the program, students will gain a better understanding of why soil is so important to wildlife and people and how they can be stewards of this natural resource. The concept and importance of land stewardship, including soils, is introduced and reinforced throughout the presentation.  
K: 5C-G, 6, 11, 12A-B | 1: 5C-G, 6A, 10A, 11 & C, 12A | 2: 5C-G, 6A, 11A-B, 12A | 3: 5C-D & F-G, 6B, 10-B, 11A-C | 4: 5C-D & F-G, 6A, 11A-B | 5: C-D & F-G, 6A-B, 11, 12A-C | 6: 5C-D & F-G, 6B, 11B, 12A | 7: 5C-D & F-G | 8: C-D & F-G, 6A, 12C

Outdoor Scavenger Hunt is a facilitated outside experience that encompasses the ecosystem located within your schoolyard. Students will explore and investigate the physical characteristics of the schoolyard environment, as they discover evidence of interdependence between organisms to connect interactions that occur between living things (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) things, including the flow of energy within food chains/webs.  
4: 5C-G, 11A-B, 12B | 5: 5C-G, 11, 12A-C, 13A | 6: 5C-G, 11B, 12A-B | 7: 5C-G, 12A | 8: 5C-G, 12A & C
Note: The Outdoor Scavenger Hunt is available to teachers that meet the following criteria:
 – Your TWA Conservation Educator has already visited your students this school year
 – Limit of one class per presentation/period