Environmental Education Resources
Audubon Materials
The Champaign County Forest Preserve District serves as the Champaign County Audubon Society Loan Center. We have a selection of slides, videos and curriculum materials on a variety of birds, insects, mammals and nature-related topics. The materials will be delivered to your Champaign County classroom and are available for one month at no cost. Visit www.champaigncountyaudubon.org for a list of available materials.
Discovery Backpacks
These backpacks are available to provide you with assistance on the trails. Each pack contains activities to complete along the trail as well as educational equipment (binoculars, pond dipping tools, identification books, magnifiers and more!). These packs require a refundable deposit. for information, call (217) 896-2455.
Insect Backpacks
Do you want to look for insects but don't know how or don't have the tools? Well, come out to a forest preserve and borrow an insect backpack! Each backpack contains a how-to guide, insect nets, bug boxes, insect guides and much more. They are available at the Environmental Education Center at Homer Lake, Early American Museum and our Headquarters office at Lake of the Woods. These packs require a refundable deposit. For more information, call (217) 896-2455.
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Early American Museum Resources
Traveling Discovery Kits
These kits contain hands-on, reproduction artifacts along with supplementary literature and suggestions for teachers. All kits are free with a refundable deposit of $50. Let us introduce our kits to your school. Schedule a "show and tell" with Early American Museum staff. We will bring several kits to share with administrators, teachers and students.
Gone for a Soldier
This kit includes some of the personal belongings of a Union soldier in the Civil War, excerpts from letters of Champaign County soldiers, and our Champaign County During the Civil War video.
The Illinois Country
Actual furs and reproductions of trade goods along with literature about the interaction between the French and Native Americans in 18th-century Illinois, are included in this kit.
History from the Heart
This outreach kit is based on the publication of the Illinois Quilt Research Project, History from the HEart: Quilt Paths Across Illinois. It includes a copy of the book, study questions, suggested activities, quilt blocks and story books.
Dressed for Work and Play
This kit contains accurate reproductions of everyday clothing worn by boys and girls in the 1840s. It includes background information for teachers. Color slides of paintings and photographs illustrating 19th-century children accompany the kit. A complete set of boys and girls clothing is included, which smaller students may try on. All students many handle the clothing items. Good for grades K through 5.
Illiniwek Discovery Kit
Touch a braintanned hide and a bison bone, learn what wampum is and more! This Discovery Kit focuses on the history and culture of Native Americans who once lived throughout East Central Illinois. Information on the Kaskaskia, Peoria, Cahokia, Mascouten and other members of the Illiniwek Confederation from 1650 to 1800 is included. The kit contains complete lesson plans, maps, a variety of hands-on materials and Illiniwek language tapes. This kit was put together by Dan Hechenberger of the educational nonprofit group Nipundikan and uses the Goals and Standards for Social Science, Science, Arts and Music, Language Arts and Math. Funding for this kit was provided by the Ida Haack Trust Fund established by Otto Haack.
Lights, Camera, Action!
Use a stereoscope! Make a phantasmascope! Learn to distinguish between a daguerreotype and a cabinet card. Hands-on reproductions of different types of photographs as well as persistence of motion devices are included. Teach science and social science at the same time!
Your Choice!
The Early American Museum has a large inventory of hands-on reproduction items, representing any eras, occupations and life styles. We can work together to create a tub of selected items for your specific needs.
African American History Newsletter
Also available on the webpage and distributed to all school libraries in Champaign County is Through the Years, a newsletter on African Amerian history. For nearly eight years, the Early American Museum and local businesses have been helping to publish the newsletter. Through the Years highlights the accomplishments of many individual African Americans in Champaign County and features articles on area churches, businesses, schools and social groups.
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Resource Binders
Challenges, Choices and Changes for Champaign County
This handbook covers local history from 1850 to 1870. Sections on general county history, the railroad, African American history, political campaigns and Champaign County's involvement in the Civil War are all part of the binder. While these materials are geared toward secondary students, teachers of younger students will likely find portions of them useful. All Champaign County middle and high schools and Champaign County public libraries were supplied with a set of these materials in 1994.
Champaign County: Settlement of the Prairie, 1825 to 1860
This handbook incudes transcripts of primary sources, suggestions for teachers and a special timeline, which integrates events into national, state and local history. Although this is geared to a fifth grade level, teachers of younger and older students should still find segments of the handbook useful. All Champaign County elementary schools received a copy of these materials in 1997.
Now Offering Continuing Development Credit
The Museum and Environmental Education Departments offer content-based workshops for Continuing Professional Development Unit (CPDU) credit. Please let us know if you are interested in such a workshop and/or would like to be included on our CPDU mailing list.
E-Mail sosborne@ccfpd.org or call (217) 586-2612 to receive materials from the Early American Museum.
E-Mail sclementz@ccfpd.org or call (217) 896-2455 to reach the Environmental Education Department.
Interdisciplinary Full-Day Field Trips
For a well-rounded education experience, schedule two programs for your class in one day. Choose one program from two of our departments (Historical, Environmental or Horticultural Education). Up to two classrooms (60 students) can be accommodated. For example, in the morning, one class could attend a Historical Education program while the other attends a Horticultural Education program. Both classes eat lunch, then switch programs in the afternoon. (We call this a Flip Day.)
Interdisciplinary full-day field trips are offered only at Lake of the Woods and may be scheduled through any of the education departments. Participants must bring their own sack lunches. Fees are per student per program; for example, the fee for two programs for a Champaign County school is a total of $3 per student. Time slots are limited, so please call early.
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