In our project with middle schoolers at Wheatley Education Campus, we learned outdoors using lessons and activities that you can do at home. Here are a few you can try with your classroom or community: 

Understanding our Tree Canopy 
What You'll Need:

• Thermometer
• Pencil and paper

Getting Started:
This is a perfect activity to help give a further understanding of what  trees can provide to your neighborhood. The idea is that you are simply comparing the temperature of a surface under the shade of a tree vs. the temperature of that surface without shade. This can be a one-day, short-term activity, or you can compare surface temperature over a longer period of time to get a fuller comparison of the temperatures in your neighborhoods.

Calculating the Age of a Tree 
What You'll Need:

• Tape measure 
• A way to identify the type of tree you find (iNaturalist app, Google Photo, a tree identification guide) 
• pencil and paper
• calculator

Getting Started:

1. Find a tree!
2. Identify the type of tree you found (Squad tip: we usually start with the leaves and work our way from there, if you find several trees that match then move onto the bark, seed, flowers, etc.)
3. Once you identify the tree, you'll need to find the growth factor of the tree. The growth factor is the rate at which a tree grows every year. You can use this growth factor sheet or search the Internet for "what is the growth factor of a ________(name of tree here)"
4. Measure and make note of the circumference of the tree and calculate the circumference Diameter (circumference divided by 3.14 (pi))
5. Use this equation to calculate the age of your tree Diameter in inches x growth factor = tree age

Geocaching 
What You'll Need:

• A smartphone with the free Geocaching app downloaded
• A neighborhood that you feel comfortable exploring

Getting Started:
Geocaching is a wonderful way to explore the area you live in or where you're visiting. It's essentially an in-app scavenger hunt. Open the app, create an account, and find a Geocache that you want to go find. The green dots are geocaches and the blue dot is you. Happy Geocaching!

Birding 
What You'll Need:

• Your eye and ears
• Someway to Identify Birds (I-Naturalist app,Google Photo, UAS bridging info cards)
• Binoculars (optional)

Getting Started:

1. Go outside or look outside the window
2. Wait patiently! It might be helpful to find a place by a tree to sit. Sit silently for the wildlife to adjust to your presence.
3. once you see a bird look at the colors, where it located, is it eating anything, what size is it you can use google or th UAS bridging cards

*NOTE* If you would like to participate in some citizen science you can download the eBird app to chart the amount of birds that you see and submit your data to the Cornell Ornithology lab through the app.

​Storm Drain Marking 
Do you know where the closest storm drain, or sewer, closest to your home is. Do you know what body of water that storm drain leads to? 

One great way to learn more about your block, your neighborhood, and your city it to learn where rainwater--and the pollutants, like leaking oil from cars, pesticides from lawns, and litter that are carried by the water--travels, and which local waterways are affected by that runoff.    

​Storm drain marking involves identifying storm drains and placing informative stickers on them. These stickers remind community members that storm drains can carry pollution further down our waterways, and gives people a number to call if they notice a high level of pollution going into the drain.

This website from the DC Department of Energy and the Environment provides a detailed explanation of this activity, including an interactive map showing which drains in DC have already been marked.

You can order a FREE marking kit through the website, and get out in your neighborhood to share in this important work!

---