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Environmental Education

The ESER team is committed to furthering education outreach relating to the environmental surveillance and wildlife use at the INL.  

The ESER Educational Outreach program's mission is to:

• Increase public awareness of the INL Offsite Environmental Surveillance Program and ESER ecological and radioecological research.
• Increase public understanding of surveillance and research results.
• Provide an education resource for local schools

Classroom or Group Presentations

ESER staff members are available for presentations to groups and classrooms in southeastern Idaho.   Presentations are adapted to grade-level and are free of charge.  Presentations are limited to two per class per year due to increased demand. 

Request a presentation

Plants and Animals of Southeastern Idaho

·         Birds of Southeastern Idaho - Learn what makes a bird a bird! A fun slide presentation with lots of pictures illustrating what makes a bird different from other animals. Learn basic bird characteristics and about specific birds living in southeastern Idaho's desert.

·         Reptiles of Southeastern Idaho - Students will enjoy discovering what reptiles are, what makes them different from birds and mammals, and how important they are in our environment.  The presentation also includes general characteristics, adaptation, and reptile importance in the food chain.

·         Plant and Animal Desert Adaptations -  The desert is a harsh environment. For plants and animals who live there, adapting is necessary for survival.  Discover habits and coping techniques of the animals and plants of the desert in this one-hour slideshow presentation geared to grade level. 

·         Lewis and Clark and Plants and Animals of the Sagebrush Steppe  -  Lewis and Clark were naturalists and wrote about the animals they encountered on their trek.  Students will discover the native plants and animals Lewis and Clark studied and what we have learned about these native species since their expedition.

·         Insects of Southeastern Idaho - From butterflies to bugs, there are more insects on our planet than any other kind of creature.  This presentation introduces the anatomy and life cycles of insects in general and highlights some of southeastern Idaho's more interesting creepy-crawlies. 

·         Winter Adaptations of Southeastern Idaho Animals - When winter comes animals work in many ways to prepare for the cold weather just as we do. Learn about migration, hibernation and specific adaptations of local animals.

·         Life Cycles of Southeastern Idaho Animals - The life cycle of an organism refers to the sequence of developmental stages that it passes through on its way to adulthood. Learn about the amazing variety of life cycles within the animal world.

·         Optical Illusion and Camouflage - Are things always what they seem? Students will give their brains a workout in this presentation as they try to make sense of optical illusions. Volunteers from the audience participate in demonstrations that reveal how the brain can be tricked and how animals use optical illusion to protect themselves.

Physical Science

·         Geology of the Snake River Plain - Southeastern Idaho is a area of diverse geologic features and a fascinating geological history.  Students will learn of the region's past and be introduced to basic geological terms. 

·         Basic Radiation and Environmental Surveillance - This introduction to radioactivity and radiation will cover the basics of radioactivity, sources of radioactivity and the basics of environmental surveillance.  This presentation includes a slideshow and hands-on activities geared to grade level.

·         How Nuclear Reactors Work - During this one-hour presentation, students will learn how a nuclear reactor works and about the different kinds of reactors used in the United States.  An overview of INL's nuclear reactor history will be included.

·         Comparison of Energy Sources and INL's role in the future of nuclear power - Students will learn to distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy and to investigate a variety of renewable energy resources and compare the benefits and disadvantages of each. 

·         Water Cycle -   This is a hands-on unit which introduces the students to the continuous re-cycling of water that occurs all around us, all the time. The students will observe the changing state of water by the use of models, simulations, and experiments.

·         Weather Basics - Students will have fun while learning some basics about weather and climate.  Topics covered will include heat, temperature, convection, clouds, water cycle, winds, precipitation, air pressure, and climate

·         All About Air - Students will have fun while learning some basics about air.  Students will explore the properties of air and discover that air occupies space, has weight, and exerts pressure.

·         All About Water - This presentation helps students to learn about the physical and chemical properties of water, surface tension, osmosis, and how water can be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen.

Ecology

·         Biodiversity and Threatened Species - Endangered species occur everywhere, and although the specific creatures change from place to place, the processes and biology contributing to endangered species are universal.  Students will learn about a locally threatened species, as well as universal problems threatening biodiversity. 

·         Paper or Plastic -  This presentation will lead students through an established format for environmental investigation, one that is used in many types of research. The process involves four basic tasks:  1) Brainstorm pros and cons, 2) Research as many of the pros and cons as possible, 3) Construct a balanced argument for and against either side, and 4)  Present your findings and conclusions. By modeling this process, the students will learn how to evaluate other environmental questions and come up with their own opinions.

·         Animal Classification System and Scientific Names – Students are introduced to the concept of classification and its uses.  They learn how to make a simple branching key and the methods used by scientists to classify and name organisms.

Miscellaneous

·         The Language of Science - Science contains a language all its own that looks difficult. Actually, scientific vocabulary is a collection of roots, prefixes, and suffixes put together to describe events, body parts, or functions, etc. In this presentation, participants will learn the  more common roots, prefixes and suffixes used in science and their meaning(s).

·         Basic GPS - ESER will provide a curriculum and classroom instruction on the Global Position System (GPS).   In this presentation the student will learn what GPS is and how it works.  Students will receive training and hands-on experiences in using GPS.

·         Careers in Environmental Science - Environmental science is the study of our surroundings, including how our actions alter our surroundings. There are many fields of study which make up the environmental sciences. This presentation focuses on various jobs in environmental science and presents some real-life ESER projects that involve these different disciplines.

·         Scientific Method - This presentation covers the reason scientists use the scientific method and the steps of the scientific method.  Students then practice using the scientific by using an experiment on surface tension.

Request a presentation.  For questions or comments, please contact Alana Jensen, or 525-9358.