Nature Lab
Nature Lab is The Nature Conservancy's youth curriculum platform.
- Email: naturelab@tnc.org
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Nature is the fantastic factory that makes the building blocks of all our lives—food, drinking water, the stuff we own and the air we breathe. That’s why The Nature Conservancy and its 1000+ scientists have created Nature Lab: to help students learn the science behind how nature works for us and how we can help keep it running strong. Explore lesson plans, family guides, and other teaching tools below.
Nature Lab has been recognized with an Anthem Award and a Telly Award for video content and teaching tools that raise awareness about the challenges facing the natural world—and what young learners can do to help solve them.
Tiny Creatures, Big Jobs: The Bugs That Make Food Possible
Ages 5-10 | Buzz, crawl and flutter along on a virtual adventure all about bugs and the important jobs they do to help our food grow. From worms to ladybugs to dragonflies, small creatures play big roles.
Virtual Field Trip
A virtual field trip with fun animations and close-up looks at real bugs shows kids how the tiniest creatures play a big part in putting food on our plate.
Teacher's Guide
A classroom guide for grades K-5 helps little learners understand what roles bugs play in the health of our soil and the food we eat.
Activity Guide
Hands-on activities will introduce your entire family to these incredible critters and how they help grow the food we eat.
New Video Series: The Incredible Power of Forests
Borneo Forest
Some say that forests “eat” carbon dioxide. How does that super appetite affect our fight against climate change?
(5:02)
Appalachian Forest
Forests need the right conditions to survive and when their environment changes, this not only affects tree species, but also wildlife that depend on them.
(4:25)
Maya Forest
What if people had the ability to know exactly what forests need to survive? Learn firsthand from Indigenous communities how they have protected forests for thousands of years through sustainable forestry.
(3:24)
The Power of Forests: Teacher's Guide
Grades 6-8 | This three-part learning guide takes students on a journey to some of the world’s most vital and diverse forest ecosystems to learn how they support the health of our planet. From the lush rainforests of Borneo, to the temperate deciduous forests of Appalachia, to the ancient Mayan Forests of Central America, each landscape reveals how forests regulate the global climate, sustain biodiversity and help people and wildlife thrive.
Download Guide
Special Resources
Discover the Emerald Edge
Discover how Indigenous Peoples have stewarded the Emerald Edge—the world’s largest coastal temperate rainforest—since time immemorial. Students will explore the region’s rich culture and history while reflecting on their own connection to nature.
Educating Youth for Climate Action
Climate change is here. We can limit further warming and the dangers it poses—if we act now. Those who will be the most affected–the next generation—have an essential role to play in driving change.
Resources for Building a School Garden
Want to start a school garden? Our lesson plans cover planning, building, and caring for your garden, plus a video on overcoming common student fears.
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