Now you can find curriculum materials quickly and easily, with a new website built especially for K-12 teachers and forestry educators.

LearnForests.org provides educators with information and materials that align with state standards and benchmarks for social science and science. The website was developed by OFRI to better serve K-12 teachers and forestry educators.

The website saves time by placing all the information you need in one easy-to-find place.

The site is based on OFRI's Oregon Forest Literacy Program. The OFLP offers educators guidance for developing classroom and field-based lessons related to forests and natural resources. OFLP also includes examples of service-learning projects that connect to Oregon forests.

The website provides a three-step filtering tool, so you can search for materials by grade level, standard and concept. After you select the filters, the website sorts through the data and produces a list of OFLP concepts correlated with Oregon content standards. It also builds a customized list of related resources, including field programs, in-class programs, teacher workshops, publications, service-learning guides and related links.

By pressing just three buttons, you get all the concepts and resources you need to teach your topic, all presented on one Web page.

A workshop this summer will help you energize your science curriculum through service-learning.

This one-day workshop on June 25 at the Bauman Family Tree Farm west of Eugene will supply you with tools, techniques and tips to incorporate science inquiry and engineering design standards into service-learning projects. You'll discover more about this dynamic teaching and learning strategy, which can help you make more connections between the classroom and the natural world.

Preregistration is required.

The free workshop also will provide you with:

• ideas for and examples of partnerships with local community resources
• networking opportunities with colleagues who are interested in service-learning and forestry education
• examples of service-learning instructional strategies with School-to-Work and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) 

Lunch will be served, and refreshments will be available throughout the day.

Space is limited, so register immediately if you're interested in attending. To register, email Kathy Storm at storm@ofri.org. In your email, include your name, school, summer phone number and any dietary restrictions (for lunch).

For more information, contact Norie Dimeo-Ediger, OFRI director of K-12 education programs, at dimeo-ediger@ofri.org or 971-673-2956.

Summer 2012 Service-Learning Workshop:

June 25 - Bauman Family Tree Farm 

Eugene 

9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

The training is underwritten by funding from the Oregon Community Foundation/Gray Family Fund and OFRI, with the assistance of Oregon Department of Education Learn and Serve, Oregon Natural Resources Education Program (ONREP), Tillamook School District, SOLV and Forests Today and Forever, Inc.

A free professional development workshop in late June will help K-8 teachers find new ways to engage students in science learning.

Sponsored by OFRI and the Oregon Natural Resources Education Program, and held at the beautiful Rediscovery Forest at The Oregon Garden in Silverton, the Summer Ecology workshop explores the role of forests and wildlife in students' lives. The two-day event will introduce teachers to two award-winning environmental education programs, Project WILD and Project Learning Tree.

It's an opportunity for teachers to learn and recharge in a dynamic outdoor setting.

Teachers will discover how to involve their students in critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills - proficiencies that map with Oregon science standards. There will be time for collaboration on lesson planning, plus educators will leave with loads of materials and resources for the classroom.

Lunch and snacks are provided, and one PSU credit is available for $55.

The workshop takes place June 26-27 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register by June 13 at http://onrep.forestry.oregonstate.edu/upcoming-workshops

Forest Fact Breaks are 90-second Flash animations that simplify complex topics - such as photosynthesis, forest fires and wildlife - into fun, educational and engaging quick-takes. Using graphics, movement, sound effects and narration, Forest Fact Breaks offer students a way to learn important forest information in less than two minutes while being entertained at the same time.

A new DVD containing a Fact Break on 10 different topics - reforestation, forest fire, wildlife, clearcutting, photosynthesis, water, forest management, carbon capture, green building and tree biology - is now available free at OregonForests.org. You can also watch the breaks online in OFRI's video library, or OFRI's YouTube channel. When used by a teacher along with the Oregon Forest Literacy Program, these Forest Fact Breaks can help students meet state standards for science and social science. 

A Guide to Priority Plant and Animal Species in Oregon Forests is now available. This new publication is designed to assist students and educators in understanding how forests provide habitat for different wildlife and plant species. It describes specific habitat requirements of selected species found in forests across all ecoregions in Oregon. It provides teachers and students a way to learn more about wildlife species and the forest habitats they use. It includes color photos, ecoregion and range maps, habitat descriptions and other information on 124 plant and animal species.

To accommodate expected demand, we suggest ordering no more than 12 per classroom for reference purposes. The books may be ordered for free at Oregonforests.org.

Resources

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