Q: What grade level(s) is the Conservation Science course designed for?
The Conservation Science course could be taken by any high school student, but it is recommended for 11th or 12th grade students.
Q: Is this a semester or full-year course?
This is a full-year course, but it could be offered as a one-semester course with less content covered.
Q: When would this course be available to offer to students?
This course will be available for students starting in fall 2021.
Q: Does this course have to be approved by the state department of education?
No, it is up to each school district to approve each course. The state recognizes the need to offer each school district the ability to best serve its student population, and therefore allows each district to use its own discretion when choosing course offerings.
Q: How do I get a new course approved by my school and included in the course list for scheduling?
This will vary by district but, in most cases, it will require the approval of your administrator and/or the district curriculum committee. The timeline that must be followed also varies by district, so you will need to inquire about when new courses must be submitted for consideration. In all cases, the course will need to be submitted for approval prior to student scheduling, which usually happens during the spring. Our team will be happy to help you navigate the curriculum approval process.
Q: Does the teacher need experience in outdoor recreation?
Although helpful, it is not necessary. The provided curriculum and additional resources will make it very practical for an teacher inexperienced in outdoor recreation to be a confident and capable instructor.
Q: How much freedom does the teacher have in choosing what the course includes?
The curriculum will provide many opportunities to structure the course based on student interest, duration of the course and interest of the instructor.
Q: Is the school expected to take students hunting, fishing, etc. as part of the course?
This course uses activities related to outdoor recreational to teach state standards for each subject, but it is up to each school and instructor to decide which activities will be offered. It is not expected that any school offer actual outdoor recreational activities as part of the course, but we can provide students with opportunities and resources if they are interested in participating in these activities.
Q: Why is course only offered to a limited number of schools?
This is brand new class that we are offering for the 2021 school year. There is an inherent risk in growing any program too quickly, and it is very important to us that we are able to provide ample, individualized, and responsive support and resources to the initial schools to carry the class. Additionally, we are hoping to receive feedback from instructors as we launch these classes that will help us improve the offering for subsequent years.
Q: How much will it cost to offer this course at our school?
This course was designed to be affordable for both the school system and the individual student. Rather than paying a large sum for a textbook and resources, we will sell low-cost, consumable workbooks designed to be used and retained by each student every year. The school will simply order workbooks each year once student scheduling is completed. Request a quote now!
Q: Can this course be used as a distance learning option?
This course could be taught very effectively as a distance-learning option since each student will have their own workbook. Assignments and assessment could be completed online or on paper and turned in physically or electronically. Many of the labs, projects and activities could also be completed at home if the instructor provided the necessary materials in advance.
Q: Is this course practical to teach and pedagogically sound?
This course was designed and created by experience science teachers in conjunction with conservation professionals from various state wildlife and natural resource agencies. The course uses sound pedagogical practices to provide an affective and engaging course related to science and conservation for today’s learners.
Q: When will the materials be available?
The curriculum and workbooks will be completed by June of 2021. We will contact the schools that will be offering this course with updates on pricing and the actual availability date as we know more.
Q: We want to offer this class in our school, how do we sign up?
There are a few steps needed to get this course started at your school.
- Since we are only offering this class to the first 35 schools, it is very important to let us know so we can reserve your place on the list. Please contact us and let us know you want to offer the Conservation Science course, be sure to include the school, administrator and teacher(s) contact information so we can keep you informed.
- You will need to get the course approved based on your local school’s course approval procedures. Typically this means submitting the course description to the curriculum committee or written approval from an administrator. Be sure to know when new course proposals are due, this varies by district but most have a due date during October-December.
- Send us an email letting us know that the course has been approved by your district and will be available as an option for student scheduling for the 2021-2022 school year.
- Books will be available for ordering during June 2021. We will communicate a more specific date when the time approaches so the correct number of student workbooks can be ordered.