Being involved with Salmon in the Classroom allows me to stay in the loop with various programs Trout Unlimited has for the teachers and instructors to help keep the students interested and involved. Last week I received an email from a TU intern that I found relevant to pass along to you and your children or grandchildren. Most importantly, take them outdoors, go for a walk along the lake, beach or river and turn over a rock or two, teach them what a mayfly is and why it is so critical to have clean healthy water.
Here they are:
1) Project Noah – Project Noah allows kids to take pictures of species (plants and animals) they have seen around their area along with joining missions for specific species they’re interested in and earning patches when they’ve completed their goals. This app was my favorite because it gives kids a sense of purpose through the missions and a nice reward system with the patches.
http://www.projectnoah.org/mobile
2) Nature’s Notebook – This app allows kids to also photograph any plant or animal species they encounter in their surroundings, but it’s much more simplistic than Project Noah since the main point of it is to create a notebook out of their observations. I like the simplicity yet effectiveness of Nature Notebook to get kids to think more about the different kinds of species that are near them and their significance.
https://www.usanpn.org/nn/mobile-apps
3) CreekWatch – CreekWatch is a great app for kids who have a special interest in streams or watersheds. It’s another app that allows kids to take pictures, this time of a waterbody they find and allowing them to give specific information on it, such as the amount of trash found and water level. This will allow kids to realize how important it is to keep their rivers and streams clean by being able to browse the different observations found throughout the country in addition to personally contributing.
http://creekwatch.researchlabs.ibm.com
4) Google Earth – A lot of people are aware of this app, but it could be a great tool to show kids the interesting nature sites that are nearby them through the app’s satellite imagery and maps. This is more of a search tool than an interactive tool, but it could help kids explore the different terrains that surround them.
http://www.google.com/mobile/earth/
Hope you find these handy!
Carli
