The Nature Museum offers a variety of professional development ranging from content-based graduate credit courses to science inquiry and pedagogy workshops.
All workshops are designed to help teachers deepen their science content knowledge and address STEM learning, NGSS, and Common Core Standards.
For questions, please email teacherprograms@naturemuseum.org.
Jump To: Illinois Urban Wildlife | Illinois Biodiversity 101 | Partner Teacher Conference
Illinois Urban Wildlife
May 13, 2023
9am-3pm
Program: ENTICE
Wildlife is all around us, even in downtown Chicago! Educators of grades prekindergarten through four are invited to participate as we learn where to look for urban wildlife, what you can expect to find, how to identify species and how to improve urban wildlife habitat at your school. Natural resources professionals and educators will instruct about these topics and more, including how species adapt to the urban environment, how humans affect urban wildlife and how to use urban wildlife topics as the foundation for locally relevant, place-based teaching. Receive supplemental educational materials to enhance your teaching. This workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Teachers of other grade levels are welcome to register and attend the workshop but may need to adapt the materials as appropriate. Professional Development Hours are available.
Illinois Biodiversity 101
September 30, 2023
9am-3pm
Program: ENTICE
What is biodiversity? Does Illinois have much biodiversity? How are plants and animals adapted for survival in the four major habitat types in the state? Can some species live in all of these habitats? We will answer these questions and provide much more information about aquatic, woodland, wetland and urban habitats and their inhabitants in this introduction to the natural resources of our state. Numerous supplemental educational items will be provided. Although targeted to educators of grades kindergarten and three, educators of other grade levels are welcome to register but may need to adapt the materials as appropriate. Professional Development Hours are available. Sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, this workshop is part of the ENTICE (Environment and Nature Training Institute for Conservation Education) program.
Partner Teacher Conference
January 2024
Click here to learn more about our annual Partner Teacher Conference where you will engage with museum scientists and educators through tailored breakout sessions centered around natural phenomena, urban ecology, and best practices in science education including the Next Generation Science Standards.
