Young Naturalist Educator
and
Library STEM Programming

This work occurred with The New York Academy of Sciences in conjunction with the SUNY-ESF Science Corps. During this time, I worked both individually and with a team to develop and implement STEM-related lesson plans for students at local libraries in and around Syracuse, New York. Additional duties involved tutoring in after-school programs and the design and procurement of materials for activities.

Individual work centered around the Petit Branch and White Branch libraries in Syracuse, NY. The Petit Branch Library is a local library in the Syracuse University campus neighborhood and the White Branch Library is near the North-Side of the city outside of the "university bubble". Group work centered around the development and implementation of lessons in the CNY Young Naturalist Program sponsored by The Izaak Walton League of America at libraries in Manlius, Cazenovia, and DeWitt, NY. I participated in the lessons held at the Manlius Library in Manlius, NY, a town outside of Syracuse, NY.

Lessons Topics and Synopses

There were two types of library programs that I participated in during the course of this work. One program was a weekly event in which any student could visit the library to participate in science activities. These were geared towards more hands-on, explorative topics that changed each week to expose students to a multitude of topics. This occurred at the Petit Branch and White Branch Libraries. Contrarily, the Young Naturalist Program focused on a specific set of environmentally-related topics throughout the various weeks of meetings. This occurred at libraries in Cazenovia, Manlius, and DeWitt, NY.

I took inspiration from the NGSS-related Project WET and Project Wild (Flying Wild) curricula, as well as age appropriate science lessons from websites like Education.com's Learning Library, to develop fun activities for students that engaged them in a variety of subjects. I also utilized materials from the Izaak Walton League and my past experience from my Vocational High School Degree to co-develop hands-on lessons for students to interact with the subject of Aquatic Ecology. For the Young Naturalist Program, Individual Service Plans (ISPs) were developed, as well as lesson handouts and presentations, depending upon the topic.

Lesson #1 ISP Example

Lesson #1 Handout Example

Activities held at the Petit Branch and White Branch Libraries covered a variety of topics, such as:

Bird Migration
Butterfly and Moth Camouflage and Mimicry
Immiscible Substances in Homemade "Lava" Lamps
Non-Newtonian Fluids with Oobleck
Chemical Reactions with Alka-Seltzer Rockets
Seeds Transportation and Egg Landing
Chemical Reactions with Taco Sauce and Penny Tarnish
Non-Newtonian Fluids with Slime

Activities held at the Manlius Library with the Young Naturalist Program included:

The Water Cycle
Watersheds and Wildlife
Macroinvertebrates and Aquatic Ecology

STEM Library Programming
(Click on the Photo for a Better Viewing Experience)

The Great (Bird) Migration Challenge

This lesson was adapted from the Project Flying Wild Series! Students started the lesson by drawing, coloring, naming, and describing their own type of bird! This is Steve, one of my coworker's birds.

The Great (Bird) Migration Challenge

This lesson was adapted from the Project Flying Wild Series! Students started the lesson by drawing, coloring, naming, and describing their own type of bird! This is Egberd, one of the student's birds.

Young Naturalist Programming
(Click on the Photo for a Better Viewing Experience)

The Water Cycle: An Incredible Journey

This activity was inspired by Project WET! In this activity, students take the journey of a water droplet through various stages of the water cycle, from rain to streams to even glaciers. At each station, students roll a die to see where they are going next. I utilized the makerspace at the Fayetteville Library and learned how to laser cut to make these wood dice for the activity to replace the old, worn out dice.

The Water Cycle: An Incredible Journey

This activity was inspired by Project WET! In this activity, students take the journey of a water droplet through various stages of the water cycle. This was setup as a practice area at one of the local libraries. Here, you can see the different stations labeled with a colored flag, a sign, and its respective die. The colors represent a bead that is added to a bracelet for each station that is visited. One bracelet can be seen on the table to the left. The students keep the bracelets as a visual indication of their water droplet's journey.

Young Naturalist Educator and Library STEM Programming

Lessons Topics and Synopses

STEM Library Programming (Click on the Photo for a Better Viewing Experience)

Young Naturalist Programming (Click on the Photo for a Better Viewing Experience)

Young Naturalist Educator
and
Library STEM Programming

STEM Library Programming
(Click on the Photo for a Better Viewing Experience)

Young Naturalist Programming
(Click on the Photo for a Better Viewing Experience)