Most Popular Tools & Resources
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Dragonflies and damselflies are large-winged insects that are usually found in the vicinity of water. Impressive fliers – they can fly forward, backward, glide and hover -they feed on insects they capture on their wing. Despite their large size and prominent jaws, they are harmless to humans and do not bite. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 70 familiar and unique species and includes information on their life cycle and features illustrations of common caterpillars and pupae. This guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by naturalists of all ages. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by educators and learners. Ethical Elements: Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: We have used these guides for decades with students of all ages. And a few years ago we worked with our partners in British Columbia to get these out to test them with 200 classes, and had great reviews! -
A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar & Unusual Species of Spiders! Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by educators and learners. Ethical Elements: Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: We have used these guides for decades with students of all ages. And a few years ago we worked with our partners in British Columbia to get these out to test them with 200 classes, and had great reviews! -
Join Alfred Joseph and Mara Nelson for 12 weeks of Foundational Ktunaxa Language Learning. Learn the sounds, words and some history of the Ktunaxa Language. This course is designed for you to garner skills that will enable you to carry Ktunaxa Language forward to your classrooms, in schools and on the land.- 12 x 90 minute language learning sessions on zoom
- Recorded and shared in case you can’t make all of the sessions
- Dates: Sept 18, 25 / Oct 2, 16, 23, 30 / Nov 6, 13, 20, 27 / Dec 4, 11
- $315 for all 12 sessions (includes GST)
- $252 for CBEEN Members (includes GST) - Use this code at checkout: CBEENKtunaxa2023
- $0 for Ktunaxa Nation Members - Use this code at checkout: Ktunaxa2023
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NEW! Walking Together: Two-Eyed Seeing children’s book is now available!
This innovative picture book introduces readers to the concept of Etuaptmumk—or Two-Eyed Seeing, the gift of multiple perspectives in the Mi’kmaw language—as we follow a group of young children connecting to nature as their teacher.
A poetic, joyful celebration of the Lands and Waters as spring unfolds: we watch for Robin's return, listen for Frog's croaking, and wonder at Maple tree's gift of sap. Grounded in Etuaptmumk, also known as Two-Eyed Seeing—which braids together the strengths of Indigenous and non-Indigenous ways of knowing—and the Mi’kmaq concept of Netukulimk—meaning to protect Mother Earth for the ancestors, present, and future generations—Walking Together nurtures respectful, reciprocal, responsible relationships with the Land and Water, plant-life, animals and other-than-human beings for the benefit of all. ELDER DR. ALBERT D. MARSHALL is from the Moose Clan of the Mi'kmaw Nation, Eskasoni First Nation in Unama'ki-Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. A fluent speaker of Mi'kmaw, he has brought forth the concept of Etuaptmumk / Two-Eyed Seeing which honors the strengths of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing for the benefit of all. LOUISE ZIMANYI, who is of French-Canadian and Hungarian descent, lives as a guest in Tkaronto/Toronto, Treaty 13 territory. As a professor and researcher, she is co-learning from and with the Land and wise teachers, co-transforming early childhood pedagogy and practice. EMILY KEWAGESHIG is an Anishnaabe artist and visual storyteller whose work captures the interconnection of life forms using both traditional and contemporary materials and methods. She creates artwork that highlights Indigenous knowledge and culture. Emily is from Saugeen First Nation in Ontario, Canada. -
In this beautifully illustrated book, a determined young Anishnaabe girl in search of adventure goes on a transformative journey into a forest on her traditional territory. She is joined by a chorus of her ancestors in red dresses, who tell her they remember what it was like to be carefree and wild, too. Soon, though, the girl is challenged by a monster named Hate, who envelops her in a cloud of darkness. She climbs a mountain to evade the monster, and, with the help of her matriarchs and the power of Thunderbird, the monster is held at bay. Together the young girl and her ancestors beat their drums in song and support, giving the girl the confidence she needs to become a changemaker in the future, capable of fending off any monster in her way. Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One is a moving and powerful book about Indigenous resistance and ancestral connection. Author Willie Poll is a proud Metis from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, who who has spent the last ten years working in Indigenous education. She is very passionate about supporting Indigenous youth to reach their dreams and reclaim their power. Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One is her first book. Willie is presenting as part of our Every Child Matters - 4 Seasons of Reconciliation learning initiative. Illustrator Chief Lady Bird is an Anishinaabe artist/illustrator from Rama First Nation. She graduated from OCADU in 2015 with a BFA in Drawing and Painting and a minor in Indigenous Visual Culture. She is the illustrator of Nibi's Water Song by Sunshine Tenesco and has illustrated for Audible, Vice, and Twitter, among others. -
31 hands-on field activities to connect art, science, math, and critical thinking, while encouraging students and mentors alike to recognize and record the wonder and beauty in the natural world.
Expanding on the philosophy and methods of The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren have developed the first-ever comprehensive book devoted to helping educators use nature journaling as an inspiring teaching tool to engage young people with wild places. In their workshops Laws and Lygren are often asked the how-tos of teaching nature journaling: how to manage student groups in the outdoors, teach drawing skills (especially from those who profess to have none), connect journaling to educational standards, and incorporate journaling into longer lessons. This book puts together curriculum plans, advice, and in-the-field experience so that educators of all stripes can leap into journaling with their students. The approaches are designed to work in a range of ecosystems and settings, and are suitable for classroom teachers, outdoor educators, camp counselors, and homeschooling parents. Full-color illustrations and sample journal pages from notable naturalists show how to put each lesson into practice. Field-tested by over a hundred educators, this book includes dozens of activities that easily support The Common Core and The Next Generation Science Standards—and, just as important, that will show kids and mentors alike how to recognize the wonder and intrigue in their midst. -
As young readers journey into the natural world, they will discover that numbers, patterns, shapes — and much more! — can be found in everyday plants and animals. In this series, nature comes to life to help children grasp concepts of geometry, symmetry, and spatial sense. Titles include:- Counting on Fall
- Sizing Up Winter
- Sorting through Spring
- Shaping Up Summer
-
This is a beautiful collection of 4 resources by authors and educators, Gillian Judson, Heidi Wood and Adelle Caunce. Use these books to enhance your engagement, creativity, connectivity and curiosity in learning outside! -
192 pages. For educators of learners 3-8 years old. Published in 2022. Recommended by our Accessibility and Inclusion Consultant, Karen Lai. PLEASE NOTE: Due to high demand it will take us 2-3 weeks to get this title out to you. Young children with special needs often face physical, emotional, or social barriers to deep engagement with the natural world. These challenges need not prevent them from enjoying the many benefits nature has to offer. Nature is a necessity. Research tells us that we are happier, healthier, more socially engaged, and more creative when it is part of our daily lives. These benefits apply to people of all ages and abilities. In this inspiring book, Dr. Ruth Wilson explores the great potential of connecting young children with special needs to the natural world. Drawing on her knowledge of research and her decades of work with children in nature, she weaves together advice, real-life examples, and testimonies from educators and families on the healing, nurturing power of nature in the lives of young children with diverse abilities. In addition to exploring the role of nature in our lives, chapters include information on:- Nature as a teacher and play partner
- Nature for holistic development
- Nature as a healer
- The importance of risk-taking
- Horticultural therapies
- Animal-assisted therapies
- Nurturing connections between children and animals, plants, and habitats
-
A Game of Hope and Action for the Climate
Solutions was designed with educators in mind. Each solution card played requires students to actively engage with the solution, thinking critically and discussing it with their peers. Students will be having so much fun, they won’t realize they’re learning! Solutions is more than just a game: it is a learning experience for your students. After playing, students can pick their favorite solution and turn it into a real-world project. Our sample curriculum will guide you through using the game in your classroom, or provide inspiration for crafting the experience as you see fit. The curriculum includes a lesson plan and sample projects to give your students a starting point.
Each copy of Solutions can be played by more than 8 players if needed. However, we recommend keeping games to 8 to encourage participation by all students. The sweet spot for student engagement is 4-6 players. This is a great number to keep each student maximally engaged in every discussion and reduces the likelihood that shy students feel left out.
How many games do I need for my classroom?
Ages 12+. The discussions that different age groups have while playing Solutions vary in complexity, but the value in sparking discussions and creativity remains the same. We have successfully tested the game with elementary, high school, bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD students. What age students can play the game?
We’ve designed a ‘Short Mode’ specifically for teachers with tight schedules and short classes, which generally takes 30-45 minutes if students have read the rulebook as homework. If you have a longer class, the normal game takes 60-90 minutes, which lets students see more solutions and have more discussions. Please note that these time estimates are based on the average group. Because this is a discussion-based game, playing time can vary depending on how much time your students take for discussion. If students are engrossed in having long discussions, it is up to your discretion whether or not you hurry them along. However, in our experience, allowing these deep discussions can be more valuable than finishing the game. If time is running out, you can instruct students that the game will end on an earlier turn. How long does it take to play?
There are some wonderful educator resources included, developed with ClimateScience. This lesson plan will:
Includes a FREE Lesson Plan!- Guide you on integrating the game into your classroom
- Help you teach students the minimum background knowledge required to play the game
- Inspire you to use the game as a starting point for homework, class projects, and extracurricular activities
Most Recently Added Tools & Resources
-
Dragonflies and damselflies are large-winged insects that are usually found in the vicinity of water. Impressive fliers – they can fly forward, backward, glide and hover -they feed on insects they capture on their wing. Despite their large size and prominent jaws, they are harmless to humans and do not bite. This beautifully illustrated guide highlights over 70 familiar and unique species and includes information on their life cycle and features illustrations of common caterpillars and pupae. This guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by naturalists of all ages. Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by educators and learners. Ethical Elements: Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: We have used these guides for decades with students of all ages. And a few years ago we worked with our partners in British Columbia to get these out to test them with 200 classes, and had great reviews!
-
A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar & Unusual Species of Spiders! Laminated for durability, this lightweight, pocket-sized folding guide is an excellent source of portable information and ideal for field use by educators and learners. Ethical Elements: Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Read more about our ethical policies & practices. The Inside Scoop: We have used these guides for decades with students of all ages. And a few years ago we worked with our partners in British Columbia to get these out to test them with 200 classes, and had great reviews!
-
Join Alfred Joseph and Mara Nelson for 12 weeks of Foundational Ktunaxa Language Learning. Learn the sounds, words and some history of the Ktunaxa Language. This course is designed for you to garner skills that will enable you to carry Ktunaxa Language forward to your classrooms, in schools and on the land.
- 12 x 90 minute language learning sessions on zoom
- Recorded and shared in case you can’t make all of the sessions
- Dates: Sept 18, 25 / Oct 2, 16, 23, 30 / Nov 6, 13, 20, 27 / Dec 4, 11
- $315 for all 12 sessions (includes GST)
- $252 for CBEEN Members (includes GST) - Use this code at checkout: CBEENKtunaxa2023
- $0 for Ktunaxa Nation Members - Use this code at checkout: Ktunaxa2023
-
NEW! Walking Together: Two-Eyed Seeing children’s book is now available!
This innovative picture book introduces readers to the concept of Etuaptmumk—or Two-Eyed Seeing, the gift of multiple perspectives in the Mi’kmaw language—as we follow a group of young children connecting to nature as their teacher.
A poetic, joyful celebration of the Lands and Waters as spring unfolds: we watch for Robin's return, listen for Frog's croaking, and wonder at Maple tree's gift of sap. Grounded in Etuaptmumk, also known as Two-Eyed Seeing—which braids together the strengths of Indigenous and non-Indigenous ways of knowing—and the Mi’kmaq concept of Netukulimk—meaning to protect Mother Earth for the ancestors, present, and future generations—Walking Together nurtures respectful, reciprocal, responsible relationships with the Land and Water, plant-life, animals and other-than-human beings for the benefit of all. ELDER DR. ALBERT D. MARSHALL is from the Moose Clan of the Mi'kmaw Nation, Eskasoni First Nation in Unama'ki-Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. A fluent speaker of Mi'kmaw, he has brought forth the concept of Etuaptmumk / Two-Eyed Seeing which honors the strengths of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledges and ways of knowing for the benefit of all. LOUISE ZIMANYI, who is of French-Canadian and Hungarian descent, lives as a guest in Tkaronto/Toronto, Treaty 13 territory. As a professor and researcher, she is co-learning from and with the Land and wise teachers, co-transforming early childhood pedagogy and practice. EMILY KEWAGESHIG is an Anishnaabe artist and visual storyteller whose work captures the interconnection of life forms using both traditional and contemporary materials and methods. She creates artwork that highlights Indigenous knowledge and culture. Emily is from Saugeen First Nation in Ontario, Canada. -
In this beautifully illustrated book, a determined young Anishnaabe girl in search of adventure goes on a transformative journey into a forest on her traditional territory. She is joined by a chorus of her ancestors in red dresses, who tell her they remember what it was like to be carefree and wild, too. Soon, though, the girl is challenged by a monster named Hate, who envelops her in a cloud of darkness. She climbs a mountain to evade the monster, and, with the help of her matriarchs and the power of Thunderbird, the monster is held at bay. Together the young girl and her ancestors beat their drums in song and support, giving the girl the confidence she needs to become a changemaker in the future, capable of fending off any monster in her way. Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One is a moving and powerful book about Indigenous resistance and ancestral connection. Author Willie Poll is a proud Metis from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, who who has spent the last ten years working in Indigenous education. She is very passionate about supporting Indigenous youth to reach their dreams and reclaim their power. Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One is her first book. Willie is presenting as part of our Every Child Matters - 4 Seasons of Reconciliation learning initiative. Illustrator Chief Lady Bird is an Anishinaabe artist/illustrator from Rama First Nation. She graduated from OCADU in 2015 with a BFA in Drawing and Painting and a minor in Indigenous Visual Culture. She is the illustrator of Nibi's Water Song by Sunshine Tenesco and has illustrated for Audible, Vice, and Twitter, among others.
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31 hands-on field activities to connect art, science, math, and critical thinking, while encouraging students and mentors alike to recognize and record the wonder and beauty in the natural world.
Expanding on the philosophy and methods of The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren have developed the first-ever comprehensive book devoted to helping educators use nature journaling as an inspiring teaching tool to engage young people with wild places. In their workshops Laws and Lygren are often asked the how-tos of teaching nature journaling: how to manage student groups in the outdoors, teach drawing skills (especially from those who profess to have none), connect journaling to educational standards, and incorporate journaling into longer lessons. This book puts together curriculum plans, advice, and in-the-field experience so that educators of all stripes can leap into journaling with their students. The approaches are designed to work in a range of ecosystems and settings, and are suitable for classroom teachers, outdoor educators, camp counselors, and homeschooling parents. Full-color illustrations and sample journal pages from notable naturalists show how to put each lesson into practice. Field-tested by over a hundred educators, this book includes dozens of activities that easily support The Common Core and The Next Generation Science Standards—and, just as important, that will show kids and mentors alike how to recognize the wonder and intrigue in their midst. -
As young readers journey into the natural world, they will discover that numbers, patterns, shapes — and much more! — can be found in everyday plants and animals. In this series, nature comes to life to help children grasp concepts of geometry, symmetry, and spatial sense. Titles include:
- Counting on Fall
- Sizing Up Winter
- Sorting through Spring
- Shaping Up Summer
-
This is a beautiful collection of 4 resources by authors and educators, Gillian Judson, Heidi Wood and Adelle Caunce. Use these books to enhance your engagement, creativity, connectivity and curiosity in learning outside!
-
192 pages. For educators of learners 3-8 years old. Published in 2022. Recommended by our Accessibility and Inclusion Consultant, Karen Lai. PLEASE NOTE: Due to high demand it will take us 2-3 weeks to get this title out to you. Young children with special needs often face physical, emotional, or social barriers to deep engagement with the natural world. These challenges need not prevent them from enjoying the many benefits nature has to offer. Nature is a necessity. Research tells us that we are happier, healthier, more socially engaged, and more creative when it is part of our daily lives. These benefits apply to people of all ages and abilities. In this inspiring book, Dr. Ruth Wilson explores the great potential of connecting young children with special needs to the natural world. Drawing on her knowledge of research and her decades of work with children in nature, she weaves together advice, real-life examples, and testimonies from educators and families on the healing, nurturing power of nature in the lives of young children with diverse abilities. In addition to exploring the role of nature in our lives, chapters include information on:
- Nature as a teacher and play partner
- Nature for holistic development
- Nature as a healer
- The importance of risk-taking
- Horticultural therapies
- Animal-assisted therapies
- Nurturing connections between children and animals, plants, and habitats
-
A Game of Hope and Action for the Climate
Solutions was designed with educators in mind. Each solution card played requires students to actively engage with the solution, thinking critically and discussing it with their peers. Students will be having so much fun, they won’t realize they’re learning! Solutions is more than just a game: it is a learning experience for your students. After playing, students can pick their favorite solution and turn it into a real-world project. Our sample curriculum will guide you through using the game in your classroom, or provide inspiration for crafting the experience as you see fit. The curriculum includes a lesson plan and sample projects to give your students a starting point.
Each copy of Solutions can be played by more than 8 players if needed. However, we recommend keeping games to 8 to encourage participation by all students. The sweet spot for student engagement is 4-6 players. This is a great number to keep each student maximally engaged in every discussion and reduces the likelihood that shy students feel left out. How many games do I need for my classroom?
Ages 12+. The discussions that different age groups have while playing Solutions vary in complexity, but the value in sparking discussions and creativity remains the same. We have successfully tested the game with elementary, high school, bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD students. What age students can play the game?
We’ve designed a ‘Short Mode’ specifically for teachers with tight schedules and short classes, which generally takes 30-45 minutes if students have read the rulebook as homework. If you have a longer class, the normal game takes 60-90 minutes, which lets students see more solutions and have more discussions. Please note that these time estimates are based on the average group. Because this is a discussion-based game, playing time can vary depending on how much time your students take for discussion. If students are engrossed in having long discussions, it is up to your discretion whether or not you hurry them along. However, in our experience, allowing these deep discussions can be more valuable than finishing the game. If time is running out, you can instruct students that the game will end on an earlier turn. How long does it take to play?
There are some wonderful educator resources included, developed with ClimateScience. This lesson plan will: Includes a FREE Lesson Plan!- Guide you on integrating the game into your classroom
- Help you teach students the minimum background knowledge required to play the game
- Inspire you to use the game as a starting point for homework, class projects, and extracurricular activities
