Goals

Questions to consider

1. How will the Audubon Adventures After School Club incorporate the Audubon Education Experience?

2. What knowledge areas (themes, concepts, facts, theories, etc.) are essential to teach so that students can make informed decisions in selecting and carrying out a project? What will excite and intrigue club members?

3. What resources (people, places, equipment, etc.) will provide students direct knowledge- and skill-building experiences in the chosen areas?

4. What skills will students need to learn and practice? Focus on skills they will they need to identify an environmental problem and implement their project. Skills can be broadly described (such as "observation skills") or more specifically described (such as "learn to identify 25 local bird species").

Our experience

When planning our goals, our instructors referred repeatedly to the Audubon Education Experience document as our guide.

The skill sets we wanted the children to develop included the following:

• An understanding of how birds can be indicators of nature’s health through studying ecosystem concepts.

• Field observation, through the use of field equipment

• Data collection, through journaling and the recording of field data

• Data recording, through wildlife art sketching

• Multiple sensory awareness, through performance activities

• An understanding of nature’s needs and how we affect nature

• An understanding of the connection between nature observation and conservation

• Identification and assessment of environmental problems in their area

• A survey of existing wildlife habitats and associated wildlife on public lands

• Map reading

• Leaving no trace, helping nature through our day-to-day actions