Through the L.A.N.D.S. (Learning Across New Dimensions in Science) program, science teachers across the state have the opportunity to bring outdoor education models and natural resource education into their classrooms.
The following components make up the L.A.N.D.S. Program:
Discovery Trunks are filled with TEKS aligned, hands-on materials focusing on a variety of natural resource topics relevant to Texas wildlife and conservation. Each Discovery Trunk contains materials specific to its topic such as videos, books, puzzles, animal skulls, feathers, labs, and is mailed directly to classrooms to explore and utilize for two week periods. All lessons in these trunks tie in with lab and field opportunities.
Education Modules were developed by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and contain large classroom displays, multi-media presentations and lesson plans. Education Modules are geared to help fourth and fifth grade students understand urban wildlife and aquatic ecology.
Distance Learning offers students the opportunity to learn about, understand, and enjoy Texas wildlife, habitat, management, and conservation via live videoconferencing. Conservation Legacy (CL) staff facilitates this programming from an in-office studio from which CL staff broadcasts educational programs about various wildlife and natural resource topics, which are TEKS aligned, interactive, and include pre and/or post materials students.
Wildlife by Design is a teaching tool in which custom lesson plans are designed based on the educator’s requests and needs. These unique lesson plans are designed to cover the specific ecological principle wildlife topic. Presentations are grade specific and customized to meet the necessary TEKS standards and/or to correlate with a specific thematic unit. These programs are offered both in and out of the classroom.
L.A.N.D.S. Intensive offers seventh and eighth grade with an innovative combination of in-class lessons, distance learning lessons and hands-on field trips throughout the school year, all which are led by TWA staff and volunteers. Using bobwhite quail as the instruction species, the middle school science students study key ecological principals, such as food webs and adaptations, and natural resource issues, such as habitat fragmentation. L.A.N.D.S. Intensive informs future decision-makers about natural resource issues, while preparing them for annual state-mandated science testing.
Teacher Trainings are offered several times throughout the year and throughout the state targeting all teachers who are interested in introducing student to the natural wonders of Texas while using established curricula that is TEKS aligned. TWA is accredited by the State Board of Education to provide continuing education credits for teachers.
For more information, see this document from the Texas Wildlife Association.
