How to Enter

The Natural Classrooms Challenge is an opportunity for your school to show the world what you have done to use nature as your classroom.

Entries should address one of the following:

Field Investigation: Demonstrate how they have used the garden as a classroom
Stewardship: Creation of a school wildlife habitat
Leadership: Development of student-driven events that celebrate nature: Earth Day, National Trails Day, Clean-up events, etc.; Youth and students take the initiative to enhance and implement habitat projects and learning activities.
Nature Curricula: Demonstrate what the students learned as part of a nature field trip or how nature examples and natural settings were used as learning opportunities in core subjects.

Goals of the Challenge:

  • Increase awareness of, and integration of, nature into the classroom
  • Heighten awareness of K-12 school garden and nature programs

Judging Criteria:

Submissions will be judged by the Bee Authentic team based on:

  • Quality of published activity (Tells a story of what/how was accomplished; Pictures/video help bring the activity to life; Helpful to those who might be interested in implementing a similar initiative; Illustrates results)
  • Number of students and/or community members involved
  • Success of program

Rules:

  • Submissions must be made by teachers and students in grades K-12
  • Activities must be published in the Natural Classrooms Cornerstone under the appropriate Category.
  • When starting your activity on the Green Ribbon Schools website, in the KEYWORDS blank you must put the following words: Earth Month, Natural Classrooms Challenge (If you've already published an activity and need to add these keywords please see the FAQ page).
  • Published activities must include text AND media (photo, video and/or audio) or it will NOT be considered (If you've already published an activity and need to add these keywords please see the FAQ page).
  • Activities must be published by May 15, 2012.

Prizes:

kidz sort recycle bin
Two winners will be chosen to receive 60 Natural Garden Kits from Bee Authentic, valued at $480. Winners will have their choice of four different garden kits:

Bee Healthy: your own vegetable garden
Bee Tasty: your savory herb garden
Bee Happy: a cheerful sunflower garden
Bee American: a red, white and blue flower garden

Garden Kits are easy to use and the results are beautiful and delicious. Sow your seeds inside and then transplant them outdoors, when the seedlings are ready. Each kit includes: 5 seed packets, 5 dirt pellets, 5 biodegradable cups and growing instructions.


Resources:

http://www.kidsgardening.org/
http://www.naturenet.com/subject_resources.html
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/nonpwdpubs/media/field_investigation_guide.pdf
http://www.fws.gov/cno/pdf/HabitatGuideColor.pdf