Curriculum and Lessons for Self-Guided Visits to Wild Basin
Our curriculum guides for educators serve as an introduction and guide to exploring Wild Basin with students. Each guide offers information about the preserve, suggested questions and critical thinking strategies, a vocabulary list, TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) correlations, sample activities, literature connections, and links to outdoor learning resources.
Wild Basin Curriculum Guides
Grades K-2: Insects, Seeds, and Patterns, .pdf, 4 MB.
Grades 3-5: Food Chains, Animal Evidence, and Fossils, .pdf, 9 MB.
Grades 3-5: Animal Environments, Seasons, and Aquifers, .pdf, 2.6 MB.
Grades 6 - 8: Animal Traits, Watersheds, and Rocks, .pdf, 1 MB
Lessons
Supplement your school visit to Wild Basin with these natural science lessons for the classroom. Each lesson includes: lesson objectives, TEKS correlations, materials, procedures, and extension suggestions.
Elementary School
- K-1 - Nuts About Squirrels - downloadable .pdf, 400 KB; Squirrels video copyright Britannica School Edition.
- 2nd - Slithering & Swimming Snakes of Wild Basin - downloadable .pdf, 280 KB; Snake images, free for use.
- 4th - A Myriad of Arthropods at Wild Basin - downloadable .pdf, 740 KB.
- 5th - Tree-mendous Assets: Ashe juniper and Golden-cheeked Warblers at Wild Basin - downloadable .pdf, 1.9 MB.
Middle School
- 6th/7th - To Plant or Not to Plant, Native vs. Invasive Species - downloadable .pdf, 216 KB.
- 7th/8th - Plains, Prairies & Plateaus, Oh My! Biodiversity in Texas Ecoregions - downloadable .pdf, 220 KB.
High School
- 9th/10th - Taxonomy and Dichotomous Keys - downloadable .pdf, 194 KB. Dichotomous Key from Wild Basin - downloadable .pdf, 2.1 MB.
- 11th/12th - Saving Urban Wildlife Preserves - downloadable .pdf, 190 KB.
Video Programs for Science Learning
Science Live! at Wild Basin is a series of six videos showcasing real field research conducted at Wild Basin and other Balcones Canyonlands Preserve lands. Recommended for 4th-8th grade.
EPISODE 1: High Flying Science
Can robots help save birds? What does a field biologist do? Join Wild Basin staff for a program about Austin birds and some ways that biologists using technology to study them.
Part 1 - "Banding Birds", with City of Austin Biologist Dr. Laurel Moulton, 7 min.
Part 2 - "Mapping the Soundscape", 8 min.
Part 3 - "Spy in the Sky", 5 min.
Full program - Science Live! at Wild Basin, High Flying Science, 55 min.
Full Science Live! playlist on YouTube - all episodes and videos
EPISODE 2: Biodiversity Detectives
Which animals roam Wild Basin? What is it like to work at a nature preserve? Join us for this program featuring three field science projects that help gauge biodiversity on the preserve. We’ll connect wildfire prevention, invasive species removal, and wildlife camera studies in a packed hour-long program.
Part 1 - "Unexpected Consequences", with St. Edward's University professor Dr. Amy Concilio, 7 min.
Part 2 - "Chasing Invasives", 8 min.
Part 3 - "Spy in the Wild", 8 min.
Full Science Live! playlist on YouTube - all episodes and videos
Environmental Justice Videos and Curriculum
Environmental Justice: Making a Difference in Austin; 14:20min.
Environmental Justine at Wild Basin: Now or Never; 10min.
Grades 3rd-5th: Environmental Justice Now or Never, .pdf, 5MB
Grades 6th-8th: Environmental Justice Now or Never, .pdf, 9MB