Putting the A in STEAM: Nature-Inspired Learning with Project WILD & PLT
Join us to explore how trees, wildlife, and the arts can bring science and math to life using Project WILD and PLT’s Trees & Me!
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
Science helps us understand the world. Art helps us wonder about it, interpret it, and share what we discover.
Join us on Saturday, November 14 at the OSU Botanic Garden in Stillwater for Putting the A in STEAM, a hands-on professional development experience designed for PreK–6 educators. This unique workshop combines Project WILD Terrestrial and Project Learning Tree’s Trees & Me to explore how nature-inspired art, storytelling, music, movement, and creative expression can deepen learning in science and mathematics.
Combining Project WILD Terrestrial and Project Learning Tree’s Trees & Me, this hands-on workshop will explore how the arts can be a powerful pathway into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Educators will experience how drawing, storytelling, music, movement, observation, and creative expression can help students investigate wildlife, trees, habitats, and ecosystems while making sense of scientific ideas. Through indoor and outdoor exploration, participants will discover strategies for using creativity to encourage students to ask questions, identify patterns, communicate evidence, model their thinking, and approach problems from multiple perspectives. Grounded in Project WILD’s experiential approach to wildlife education and PLT’s emphasis on exploring nature through the senses, this workshop will give PreK–6 educators practical ways to put the “A” in STEAM and create engaging, interdisciplinary learning experiences where science and creativity grow together.
Educators will also explore how arts-integrated environmental education supports Oklahoma Academic Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through authentic investigations of local phenomena and place-based learning experiences.
Special Field Experience
The beautiful grounds of the OSU Botanic Garden will serve as our outdoor classroom. Participants will engage in guided explorations that encourage close observation, sensory discovery, sketching, storytelling, and creative interpretation of the natural world. Along the way, we’ll investigate how outdoor learning experiences can support both scientific understanding and artistic expression.
What to Expect
- Interactive Project WILD and PLT Lessons: Experience engaging activities from Project WILD Terrestrial and Project Learning Tree’s Trees & Me.
- Arts-Integrated Learning: Explore practical ways to incorporate visual arts, storytelling, music, movement, and design into environmental education.
- Outdoor Exploration: Investigate trees, wildlife, and seasonal changes using the OSU Botanic Garden as a living laboratory.
- Curriculum Guides: Receive Project WILD and Project Learning Tree curriculum resources to support continued learning.
- Cross-Curricular Connections: Discover strategies for integrating science, math, literacy, and the arts through nature-based learning.
Workshop Details
- Date: Saturday, November 14
- Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Location: OSU Botanic Garden, Stillwater
- Audience: PreK–6 formal and nonformal educators
- Cost: $10
- Lunch: Please bring a sack lunch.
- Provided: Breakfast, snacks, curriculum materials, and hands-on activities.
We are committed to making professional learning accessible to all educators. Scholarships are available for participants for whom the registration fee creates a financial burden. Please contact the state coordinators for scholarship information.
Why Attend?
This workshop is designed to help educators:
- Integrate arts-based strategies into environmental and STEM education.
- Engage students in observing, describing, modeling, and communicating about the natural world.
- Connect trees, wildlife, and ecosystems to science, math, literacy, and the arts.
- Foster creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking through hands-on outdoor learning.
- Leave with ready-to-use activities, curriculum resources, and fresh ideas for bringing STEAM learning to life.
Discover how trees, wildlife, and creative expression can transform your teaching—and learn how to put the “A” in STEAM through the power of nature-based education.
Questions? Contact Us!
Jack Hilgert, jack.hilgert@conservation.ok.gov, (405) 613-3835, Oklahoma Project WET and Project WILD
Tony Pascall, Anthony.Pascall@ag.ok.gov, (405)317-8322, Oklahoma Project Learning Tree
ABOUT THE CURRICULUM:
Project WILD’s mission is to provide wildlife-based conservation and environmental education that fosters responsible actions toward wildlife and related natural resources. All curriculum materials are backed by sound educational practices and theory, and represent the work of many professionals within the fields of education and natural resource management from across the country.
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) provides educators with high-quality professional development, hands-on activities, and multi-disciplinary supplemental curriculum that can be easily integrated into lesson plans for all grades and subject areas to help teach youth about trees, forests, and the environment.