Looking to connect with a Madison Audubon Educator?
Start here!
Madison Audubon's education team has created and curated a selection of lesson plans, stand-alone activities, and more for you to use in your home, classroom, library, or community center! We strive to get kids excited about nature in their neighborhood, and reinforce the idea that you don't need to travel to find wildlife. All programming is FREE for students and teachers- so contact us today! If you use our activities, we'd love to hear from you.
Our educators come to your school or community center and bring our free, kid-tested nature based education programming with us. We make one-time visits to classrooms or centers (usually Birding 101 followed by a nature walk with binoculars around your neighborhood), and can bring one of our lesson kits along with us. We can also form long-term partnerships with you too: sometimes making weekly visits! A third options is to visit monthly or just a few times during a school year.
For all of our programming, we work with teachers to ensure that our lessons meet classroom goals and build off of material that kids are already learning. Many of our lessons incorporate STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) themes.
Keep reading to find out more, or contact us at education@madisonaudubon.org.
A group of kids has found a bumble bee! They know they have nothing to fear, since they’ve learned all about pollinators in their Outdoor Education lessons.
Madison Audubon Lesson Sampler
This specially curated list of lessons is guaranteed to delight your kids. If you want to jump right into Outdoor Education and Environmental Education without all of the lesson planning, this is the place for you.
Choose from our list of lessons, pick your date, and our educators will come to you.
We’re currently scheduling lessons for Spring 2020. Check back later or email us for Summer or Fall partnerships: education@madisonaudubon.org
Lessons for Educators
A teacher helps her student identify leaf parts in their outdoor classroom.
Are you an educator who wants to take your kids outside, but is unsure where to begin? Have you tried an outdoor lesson, but weren’t satisfied with the results? We’re here for you!
Getting Started Teaching Outdoors will give you a great foundation for taking your kids outside safely, comfortably, and will ensure everyone has a good time.
A Lesson on Lesson Planning will set you up for a year of outdoor education success!
A student holds his nature journal while outside on a scavenger hunt.
Curricula for in-school programs
While we're able to work with you to create programming that fits your classroom perfectly, we do have a few lessons that are ready for you to start using now!
These lessons work best in a classroom setting, and teachers would ideally have access to a smartboard or laptop & projector.
Middle school teachers*: check out our Climate Curriculum below! Have Madison Audubon teach these monthly lessons in your classroom, or receive all of the support you need to teach them yourself.
*these lessons can be adapted to grades 4-12
After-School Offerings
Students at Vera Court Neighborhood Center explore the nature just outside their doors during Madison Audubon's nature education programming.
Madison Audubon's after school programs are six to twelve-week long curricula sets that can be adapted for students in a variety of grade levels, in any location in south-central Wisconsin.
Topics include Nature Art, Service Learning, Science Inquiry, and General Nature Programming.
Many of these hands-on, nature-based programs are available free for download; additionally, if you are interested in contracting a Madison Audubon educator for these programs, just contact us at education@madisonaudubon.org . We will visit your community center or school for FREE!
Lesson & Activity Kit Library
FREE for educators to borrow!
Get your students excited about learning with real, hands on activities! Our education activity kits include lessons on scat, tracks, birding, and more. Our lesson and activity kits have everything you need for each interactive learning experience, and are FREE to borrow. We usually lend them out for one week at a time. If you would like to borrow a kit, just download our request form below and contact us at education@madisonaudubon.org .
Mammal Scat!
Binoculars & Field Guides
Bird Beak Buffet
Mammal Furs
The Climate Initiative: Young Ambassadors in the face of climate change
Students at Madison's Lincoln Elementary School learn first-hand how climate change will affect a variety of Wisconsin's bird species through an interactive game called Habitat Scramble.
Climate change is one of the most important issues that humans (and wildlife) will face in the next 100 years. Today's kids must be connected to their local environments, and be thinking globally about our earth.
This curriculum set of 10 lessons examines climate change and Wisconsin's birds. The curriculum is classroom-tested, engaging, interactive, and ready to help get kids thinking critically about their world. Lesson materials are available to download below, and lesson kits are available to borrow - all for free!
Have Madison Audubon teach these monthly lessons in your classroom, or receive all of the support you need to teach them yourself.
Students at Goodman Community Center's after school programs learned about birds and art through a partnership with Madison Audubon Society.
Stand alone lessons & activities
Madison Audubon's education team has developed a variety of active, engaging, and artistic activities and projects for students to learn about the environment, wildlife, and birds! Use any of these single lessons to get your students excited about nature!
Click the button below for indoor activities, things to get your kids active, and art projects.
Eastern gray tree frog. Photo by USFW Service.
Wisconsin Frog & Toad Guide
Together with the University of Wisconsin - Steven's Point, Madison Audubon has created an audio guide to Wisconsin's frogs and toads.
Banner photo: students at Goodman Community Center on a field trip with Madison Audubon. Photo by Rebecca Ressl.
