Classroom Climate Starter Kit

Gather: Scrap paper, pencils and a large sheet of paper.

1. In teams of four, choose an observer, recorder, materials helper and reporter. Swap roles next lesson; let students choose how to contribute.
2. Draw a plant, caterpillar, bird and decomposer, such as a mushroom. Together, connect food to the organism that eats or breaks it down.
3. Share each connection using words, drawings or models. Add sunlight and water as things plants need, not as living things.

Show what you learned: Finish: Our team changed its drawing when someone noticed…

Make it work for your class: Use picture cards and spoken answers, partner drawing or a shared tabletop model. No movement or reading aloud is required.

Gather: Two teacher-approved soil samples, trays, spoons, paper and optional magnifiers.

1. An adult puts a small amount of each sample in a labeled tray. Look without tasting, smelling closely or blowing dust.
2. Draw the colors, grain sizes and bits of leaves or roots you can see. Compare the samples with a partner.
3. Make two columns: I observed / I wonder. Tiny soil organisms may be present even when you cannot see them.

Show what you learned: Name one difference you observed and one question that needs more investigation.

Make it work for your class: Use teacher-described samples, securely sealed bags to feel, or the soil photo on this page for a no-contact activity. Wash hands after handling soil; avoid soil from roadsides or potentially contaminated sites.

Gather: Paper, pencils, a timer and a teacher-selected observation area or photos.

1. Observe a small patch for ten minutes. Draw, describe or model three details of a plant or animal, such as leaf shape, leg count or wing markings.
2. Compare descriptions, drawings or models. Which features are alike? Which are different? A species is a particular kind of living thing; a color alone is not enough to identify one.
3. Give uncertain finds a descriptive label, such as small striped insect. Use a teacher-selected field guide to investigate, not to force a guess.

Show what you learned: Show two features you would use to tell your find from another organism.

Make it work for your class: Observe from a seated, accessible spot, or use teacher-described photos and tactile models indoors. Leave plants and animals in place. No catching, touching or student accounts needed.

Gather: Two matching adult-prepared runoff trays with outlets, equal amounts of the same approved soil, clean fallen leaves, water, a measuring cup and two labeled collection containers.

1. An adult prepares the tray outlets and sets both trays at the same gentle slope, each draining into its own labeled container. Leave one soil surface bare; cover the other with leaves.
2. Predict the result. Pour the same small amount of water at the same speed onto each tray. Watch where water goes and whether soil moves.
3. Draw or measure the runoff collected. Repeat if practical. Discuss differences and what you kept the same.

Show what you learned: Complete: We changed… We kept… We observed…

Make it work for your class: An adult can pour while students direct, time, draw or report. Keep spills off walking routes. Do not drink the water; this model does not test drinking-water safety or predict a real storm.

Gather: A schoolyard photo or simple outline, pencils and observations from earlier lessons.

1. Mark sunny and shady places, existing plants, paths and where rainwater collects. Keep accessible routes clear.
2. Choose one small proposal: a locally native planting, a leaf-litter area away from paths, or a better observation spot. Explain which living things it could support.
3. Draw a before-and-after plan. Ask who would approve, fund and care for it, including during school breaks. Present options before anyone digs or plants.

Show what you learned: Point to one observation that supports your proposal and one thing you still need to check.

Make it work for your class: Offer drawing, a tactile model, dictation or a short audio explanation. A paper proposal is a complete project; no family purchases are required.