Fish and Game Goes WILD about Early Learners

By Sue Nass - Idaho Department of Fish and Game There seems to be a natural connection between kids and wildlife. What small child doesn't delight in chasing a frog or discovering a nest? So then, what could be more natural than combining children and nature to create a learning tool for teachers? Project WILD is an international program to teach teachers how to be wild in the classroom. It's actually a college credit course designed to give educators tools to teach wildlife concepts to school children through science, math, social studies and reading. Project WILD has been around since 1983, but Idaho Fish and Game has taken it further, creating an Early Learner version. It involves a 15 hour workshop and a colorful teacher's guide that educators are, well, WILD about. "This is wonderful," Linda Fields, an elementary school reading specialist, said as she paged through the book. "This is going to be so user friendly for me. I'm really excited about it." The book combines all the things that early-learner teachers require into a single resource-lesson plans, music and movement, art projects, snack ideas and even copy masters that correlate to the activities. "It has them touching things, it has them reading things, it has them chanting things, so they're using all their senses; they're hearing, they're touching, they're feeling, they're really experiencing life," said Karen Harshman, a first grade teacher in Boise. "And whenever a child experiences life, they learn." The new Early Learner program came about because of demand. Teachers approached Lori Adams, Idaho Fish and Game Project WILD coordinator, and asked for wildlife activities for younger kids; pre-school, first- and second-graders. Adams formed an advisory committee, and the idea took off. "The excitement was there and the ball was rolling and we finally had to say enough is enough," Adams said. "This is how many activities we're going to have in the book. And the teachers were so excited. They had so much knowledge about what should be in this book." The book was 1 in 2006, and the first workshop was held in Boise. Since then teachers have spread the word, and the workshops have filled rapidly. "Every teacher tells me how easy it is to incorporate it into the curriculum and how it's been a lifesaver because of the time they don't have to spend finding the song, finding the activity, finding a book that goes with the particular activity. It's all here," Adams said. At the end of the fifteen hour workshop, the teachers are required either to do an activity from the book with their students and evaluate it, or to create their own activity and send it to Fish and Game. "And the response has been just incredible that I get from the teachers. We're ready to make another book," Adams said, laughing. Teachers may register for the April 20th & 21st workshop in Lewiston by going to http://fishandgame.idaho.gov and filling out the Early Learner registration form or by contacting Lori Adams, Project WILD coordinator, at (208) 287-2889. Sue Nass is a television specialist for Idaho Fish and Game.