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Pennsylvania State Parks
2024 Autumn Edition Educator E-Blast
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We're back! My goodness, we missed you! We are now deep into Pumpkin 🎃 Spice season, and those cool mornings tell us that Peppermint🍬Mocha season is almost upon us!
We have curated lots of GOOD STUFF & added some FUN seasonal activities. Here's to a slow roll into the shorter, darker autumn days. May you discover something new and interesting to help illuminate your days ahead. 🌟
November provides some prime ⭐ gazing!
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DCNR is currently accepting applications for a spring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Intern (college) to assist the agency with our Mosaic Initiative. The application period closes November 14, 2024.
Check out other available PAID Internships with Commonwealth of PA agencies. More coming soon! Learn more about internships, fellowships, & more.
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PA State Parks Educator E-Blast Contents -
- Section 1: Fall, Thanksgiving, & More Teaching Ideas!
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Section 2: Virtual & In-Person Educator Professional Development Workshops
- Section 3: Trainings, Grants, & Upcoming Conferences
- Section 4: Explore the Outdoors!
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Section 5: Striving Towards Inclusion - Native American Heritage Month! Resources in Spanish!
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Capstone: PA State Park Info. & Updates - Burn 🔥 ban
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Reminder: Take the Environmental Literacy Survey
The Environmental Literacy Indicator Tool (ELIT) is a federally-directed effort to collect information from all public school districts in the Mid-Atlantic region every two years to monitor the status of environmental literacy efforts at a district level. The results help the Chesapeake Bay Program Education Workgroup to most effectively support local efforts to improve students’ environmental literacy.
An invitation to complete the ELIT was sent to your district level staff. Please encourage your district level staff to complete the ELIT by November 30, 2024. Only one person per district should complete the ELIT. The best respondent is someone who works at the district-level & is most familiar with environmental education activities across the district. View a preview of the ELIT questions (PDF).
If your district participated in the ELIT in the past, you can review those responses by searching for documents labeled “PA: Response Summaries” via -https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/publications-archive/education_workgroup Thank you for encouraging your district’s participation in the ELIT!
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Section 1: Fall, Thanksgiving, & More Teaching Ideas! | |
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🍁 Explore Acorns 🌱! 24 Simple & fun science-based acorn activity ideas & crafts! Acorns are the wonderful seed bearing, dry fruits produced by oak trees, and they are great fun to collect on nature walks. Each one contains a single seed (consisting of an oak embryo & stored food) that is encased in the tough, green shell that forms the nut. A single oak tree can produce an incredible 2000 acorns a year! - from ChildsPlayABC
🍁 Get your students moving!
🦃 Do the Turkey Hokey Pokey! via YouTube (2:25 min.)
🦃Do the TurkeyHop! via YouTube (1:45 min.)
🦃Gobble Gobble Turkey Wobble via YouTube (3:13 min.) This one is hysterical & perfect for kids!
🍁 Sticky Leaf Scavenger Hunt (free) - from Little Pine Learners
🍁 Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable Packet (low $) - these are excellent scavenger hunts -- you even add a real magnifying glass IN the hunt! Included hunts: nature, summer & spring flowers, garden, leaf, seed, insect, color, gratitude, tally mark, cloud, mushroom, animal tracks, alphabet, & signs of...spring, summer, fall, & winter - from Little Pine Learners
🍁 Fall Leaf 🍁 Turkey 🦃 Craft for Thanksgiving - from Little Pine Learners
🍁 Got Extra Pumpkins? Try STEM Pumpkin🎃Activities for Kids - make pumpkin bubbles, pumpkin slime, pumpkin elephant toothpaste, & more 🎃. - from Run Wild My Child
🍁 We are so very sad (esp. Carissa) to have missed our Halloween E-blast edition. 😥 We had to include at least ONE Bat 🦇 Nature Craft in this edition! - from Little Pine Learners
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Veterans Day Teachers Resource Guide
Monday, November 11, 2024
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Day National Committee are pleased to provide you with this easily downloadable Veterans Day Teacher Resource Guide (PDF, 28 pgs. 6.4 MB).
If you are interested in heading out to a PA State Park for Veterans Day, check out related public programs. Learn more about the history of Veterans Day.
Thank you to all who are serving and have served our country!
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Bring Your Dead ☠ Online Training for Educators
Wednesday, November 20, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm EST on Zoom
Act 48: 2 hrs.
Fee: $15.00 suggested donation is requested to benefit CCEEC
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Donation payable via PayPal or Check BY the start of the webinar
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CCEEC PayPal Link: paypal.me/carboneec OR
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Pay via check: Send a $15.00 check made out to CCEEC to: CCEEC, 151 E White Bear Dr. , Summit Hill, PA 18250
Good hands-on environmental education places something real in a student’s hands. Teachers may use taxidermy or plastic replicas, but expanding an education toolkit beyond yellowed skulls, random bones, & fragile mounts can be tricky. With a little bit of guidance, educators can build inexpensive yet useful natural history collections.
Virtually join Carissa Longo, DCNR - PA State Parks & Susan Gallagher, Carbon County EEC, for a webinar to gain the skills needed to safely and legally curate, preserve, & care for natural history items in your educator’s toolkit. Discover the magic of using simple household items to preserve plant and animal specimens, learn about embedding items in acrylic, hear tips on cleaning feathers and bones, & much more.
This webinar is open to all educators including classroom teachers, naturalists, youth group leaders, homeschoolers, pre-service teachers, & more. It includes innovative ideas for putting collections to use in inquiry-based teaching & making natural phenomena come to life utilizing hands-on specimens. The session will not include making any of your own specimens, but paid attendees will receive special access to a comprehensive Google Drive folder filled with extensive files & resources. Register NOW!
PA Songbirds🐦Educator Workshop
Tuesday, November 12, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
In-Person at Little Buffalo State Park, 1579 State Park Road, Newport, PA 17074
Act 48: 5.5 hrs.
Fee: $15.00
Teachers & non-formal educators! Join us for a fun-filled educator workshop that focuses on teaching environmental science through birds! Pennsylvania Songbirds is curriculum developed by PA State Parks, PA Game Commission, & Audubon Mid-Atlantic. Within it are dozens of lessons that include music, art, math, science, social studies, & more. Lessons also address STEELS. It is designed for ages K-8, though many lessons can be adapted to broader audiences. Participants will receive a K-8 Pennsylvania Songbirds Teacher's Guide + other resources. To register, contact the Little Buffalo State Park office at 717-567-9255 or email Mindy Wilt, EES at mewilt@pa.gov.
Pennsylvania Land Choices🐦MWEE/STEELS Educator Workshop
Tuesday, November 19, 8:45 am - 3:30 pm
In-Person at Jacobsburg Envi. Education Center, 400 Belfast Rd, Nazareth, PA 18064
Act 48: 5.5 hrs.
Fee: free; pre-registration is required. Lunch provided + Substitute Stipends!
Pennsylvania Land Choices is an educational curriculum developed by the PA Bureau of State Parks as a tool for teachers to educate students in grades 6-12 about land use, land conservation, and sustainable communities. This workshop will focus on how PA Land Choices can be used to support Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) & address Pennsylvania’s new environmental literacy standards (PA STEELS). Earn 5.5 Act 48 hours while learning about land use, community investigations, and environmental action projects. Each participant will receive the DCNR PA Land Choices Educational Guide, maps, & other resources. Registration required by 11/11/24. Register NOW! Questions? Contact Lauren Forster, EESS at laforster@pa.gov or 610 746-2801.
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Section 3:
Grants, Conferences, & Trainings for Educators
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STEM Learning Journeys for Afterschool Programs Powered by Verizon STEM Next -- FREE!
In partnership with Verizon™, STEM Next has curated bundles of STEM lessons & activities from the Verizon Innovative Learning HQ to help afterschool educators.
Access STEM Learning Journeys
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Each learning journey is packed with activities, lessons, & facilitation guides aimed at making STEM education accessible, engaging, & impactful. Topics include:
- Climate Action: AI & the Ocean -- Grades: 6-8
- Earth Learning: Plesiosaur Encounter -- Grades: 3-8
- Next-Level Technology: Game Design -- Grades: 5-12
- Next-Level Technology: Design & Code -- Grades 6-8
🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀
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STEELS Symposium for Teachers - Pittsburgh Area
November 16, 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
In-Person at Grove City College, 100 Campus Drive, Grove City, PA 16127
Fees: PSTA Member – $25.00, non member – $35.00, student member – $15.00; includes lunch
Join the PA Science Teacher's Asso. (PSTA) for a dynamic one-day workshop designed for K-12 educators eager to develop an understanding of the science practices that reflect the 3 dimensional STEELS standards. This workshop will provide a foundational overview of the STEELS standards, followed by the Everest immersive experience that gives participants the opportunity to engage in the shift in pedagogy as both learners and teachers.
All participants will have access to digital resources to support their understanding of the STEELS standards elements, the implementation of the standards across all grade levels, the shift in pedagogy, assessment, & more. Register NOW!
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DEP’s 2025 Environmental Education (EE) Grants applications are due by November 15, 2024!
Projects must be implemented during the period July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026. Funding priority given to EE projects that engage people living, working, &/or attending school within Environmental Justice (EJ) areas related to Climate Change &/or Water. Use DEP's PennEnviroScreen to determine if your project will engage audiences within designated EJ areas. Download the 2025 Environmental Education Grants Manual. Questions? Contact RA‑epEEgrants@pa.gov
DEP EE Grant Funding Levels - Funding provided via reimbursement
- Mini-Grants awarded up to $5,000 for local projects.
- General Grants Level I awarded up to $30,000 for regional or statewide initiatives.
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General Grant Level II may be awarded up to $65,000. Requirements - engage students & teachers from at least 60 PA counties at 3 levels (local, state, & national); AND at least 30% of the audience lives, works, or attends school within an EJ area.
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Get Solar ☀ at Your School -- Solar 4 Schools 🌞!
Applications are open now and are due by January 31, 2025. This program seeks to reduce the cost of implementing solar energy systems into schools across the Commonwealth. Check out the guidelines.
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2025 Pennsylvania Association for Environmental Educators (PAEE) Conference:
Waves 🌊 of Connection
March 10 - 12, 2025
Bayfront Convention Center, Erie, PA
https://www.paee.net/conference/
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Section 4:
Explore the Outdoors!
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Outdoor Education & Your Health
Whether you are planning a class outing to one of Pennsylvania’s State Parks or want to move your classroom session outdoors on your school campus, knowing the facts about ticks & Lyme disease can increase your confidence with outdoor learning sessions.
If the thought of getting sick after being bitten by a tick puts a damper on your classroom’s outdoor activities, read on to separate facts from myths to keep you & your students free from tickborne diseases.
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Resources are available:
Check out & print the Tick Prevention 2025 Calendar -- it features award-winning artwork from PA’s elementary school students.
Or, request your free printed calendars!
Email RA-DHLYMECONTEST@pa.gov with quantities desired + your shipping address.
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Scavenger Hunt: Celebrate National Forest Products Week
National Forest Products Week was October 20-26, 2024. A forest product is any item or material derived from forests for commercial use, such as paper & pencils to housing materials & furniture to bioenergy & packaging materials. Forests provide both physical products & benefits that we rely on every day, including clean water, clean air, & improved human well-being.
Forest Products Scavenger Hunt & Match-Up Activity -- Don’t forget to download the corresponding Answer Key! Made possible by PLT/SFI & the USDA Forest Service Eastern Region..
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Diwali Recognized as Official State Holiday in PA 🕯
"Diwali, known as the "Festival of Lights," is one of the most significant festivals in South Asian culture. It symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, & knowledge over ignorance. The festival lasts 5 days, with the main celebration occurring on the 3rd day, which is marked by family gatherings, the lighting of lamps, & fireworks. This year, Diwali was celebrated from October 29 to November 3, with the main festival day falling on October 31."
To learn more about Diwali & PA's bipartisan Senate Bill 402 visit here.
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Color-Correcting Viewfinders Unveiled at PA State Parks 👓🍂
Governor Josh Shapiro and First Lady Lori Shapiro joined DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn at Black Moshannon State Park to unveil new viewfinders installed at 9 state parks that help visitors who are colorblind to see the vibrant colors of PA’s spectacular fall foliage!
Color-correcting viewfinders are in place at:
- Bald Eagle State Park, Centre County
- Black Moshannon State Park, Centre County
- Colton Point State Park, Tioga County
- Cook Forest State Park, Clarion County
- Hyner View State Park, Clinton County
- Kettle Creek State Park, Clinton County
- Little Pine State Park, Lycoming County
- Leonard Harrison State Park, Tioga County
- Sinnemahoning State Park, Cameron & Potter Counties
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A 10th viewfinder will be installed in the Tiadaghton State Forest in Lycoming County.
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DCNR just released a new Spanish-Language Recreation Guide (state map) for the Commonwealth's 124 state parks & 2.2 million acres of state forestlands! We want every Pennsylvanian to enjoy – and feel welcome at – our incredible state parks and this new guide will allow Spanish-speaking visitors to take advantage of everything Pennsylvania's great outdoors have to offer. Check out the new guide online or pick one up in English or Spanish at your local state park or forest.
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PA State Parks are YOURS!
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ALERT: On 11/5/2024 DCNR announced that it is prohibiting campfires 🔥 on ALL state park and forest lands until further notice & is encouraging Pennsylvanians to avoid burning on all lands amid extremely dry conditions across the Commonwealth. State park & forest visitors with overnight reservations are being notified that campfires will not be allowed until conditions improve. Learn more about the Burn Ban. 🚒
PA has experienced 100 reported wildfires in the past week, with many more unreported. Stay up to date with the latest information using DCNR’s Wildfire Danger Forecast Map. 🧯
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Book your virtual, in-person programs, and field experiences with PA State Park Educators! Find a PA State Park. Need help connecting to a PA State Park with an Educator on staff? Reach out to Carissa Longo at calongo@pa.gov.
DCNR facilities and Programs are OPEN to ALL👐
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Many Environmental Education programs require pre-registration. Explore the DCNR events calendar for details & to register.
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Plan your outing before you leave. Learn about facilities, download a park map on your phone or print it, & review regulations here: Find A Park
- Take care of & respect the resource. Park, picnic, hike, hunt, explore, & more only in designated areas.
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Check the weather before you depart, dress in layers, wear proper footwear, and bring water. Wear orange if hiking in designated hunting areas. Please clean up after pets 🐕.
- Do not litter 🚮.
- Alcohol is not allowed in PA State Parks.
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Make a Reservation (up to 11-months in advance) at a PA State Park Campground, Camping Cottage, Cabin, Yurt, or Pavilion.
You can help keep state parks safe for all by following these practices:
- Use the restroom before you leave your house 🏡
- Bring a bag and either carry out your trash or dispose of it properly
- Continue to practice social distancing, take hand sanitizer with you & use it
- If you are sick or have been exposed to someone who is sick, stay home
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🍁 We are Thankful for YOU! 🦃
Carissa Longo, Natural Resource Program Specialist
(Coordinating Project WILD & Pennsylvania Songbirds Curricula for all of PA)
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Christine Ticehurst, Natural Resource Program Specialist
(Coordinating PLT & DCNR's GO Teach Curricula for PA State Parks)
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Kim Lott, Natural Resource Program Specialist
(Coordinating DCNR's Watershed Education, PA Land Choices, and Project WET Curricula for PA State Parks)
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