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 The Wonders in Nature-Wonders in Neighborhoods
(W.I.N.-W.I.N.) Program
The Wonders In Nature -
Wonders In Neighborhoods (W.I.N.-W.I.N.) Program was developed
by the Denver Zoo and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. It is
truly a partnership of many organizations, people, and
foundations. Currently, the W.I.N. - W.I.N. program services
approximately 7,000 students in 19 urban, socioeconomically
diverse schools in the Denver metro area.
All
components of the program are provided at no cost to
participating schools. A bilingual Program Educator is
provided to the school if necessary. All student pages,
worksheets and parent communications are available in Spanish
and and English.
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| Mission Statement
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| The mission of W.I.N.-W.I.N. is to
foster an appreciation of wildlife and its habitats and the
conservation of these natural resources through a variety of
wildlife-related learning experiences. |
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| COMPONENTS
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1. In-Class Visits
During the school year, each
class receives four to seven classroom lessons provided by a
W.I.N.-W.I.N. Program Educator.
The content of each lesson
correlates with Colorado Model Content standards requirements.
These hands-on, inter-disciplinary lessons include science
resources not always available to the classroom teacher. Many
lessons taught by W.I.N.-W.I.N. include student interaction
with live animals and plants. After every lesson, students
reflect on the day's W.I.N.-W.I.N. activities through writing
or drawing in a journal assignment. Program curriculum varies
by grade level. Each grade level chooses the W.I.N.-W.I.N.
unit which best supports the school curriculum. The program
curriculum focuses on a specific theme taught throughout the
year. Current themes and topics for W.I.N.-W.I.N. curriculum
are:
Unit Early Childhood
Education Theme: Sensing the Wonder of Nature
Lesson Topics: colors, shapes, numbers in nature and how
animals use their five senses to survive.
Unit
Kindergarten
Theme: Survival
Lesson Topics:
Living and non-living, importance of senses, color, and
habitat to plants and animals.
Unit One
Theme:
What's Wild?
Lesson Topics: uses of plants, diversity of
animals, wild and domesticated plants and animals, native
and non-native wildlife, recycling, and animals and their
young.
Unit Two
Theme: Variety and Change in
the Natural World
Lesson Topics: animal locomotion, seed
dispersal, animal and plant relationships, habitat, seasons,
and people's effect on nature.
Unit Three
Theme: Life Cycles
Lesson Topics: plant and animal
life cycles, pollination, vertebrates and invertebrates,
predators and prey, and food chains.
Unit Four
Theme: Relationships
Lesson Topics: plant and animal
classification, adaptations of plants and animals,
photosynthesis, and people's relationship to the
environment.
Unit Five
Theme: Ecosystems of
Colorado
Lesson Topics: nine ecosystems in Colorado:
urban, grasslands, semi-desert shrublands, montane
shrubland, piñon-juniper woodland, montane forest,
sub-alpine forest, alpine tundra, and wetland/aquatic.
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2. Pre-Visit, Post-Visit,
Journal Activities and Hands-On Science
Guidebooks
are provided for every class. Pre-visit, journal, and hands-on
science activities are contained in the guidebooks. These
activities are designed to compliment the W.I.N.-W.I.N.
instructor-led lessons. In addition, Units ECE and K include
post-visit activities. All materials and supplies needed for
the hands-on science activity are provided upon request by the
W.I.N.-W.I.N. program at no cost to the school. |
3. Field Site
Visits
W.I.N.-W.I.N. also provides each student
with one field site visit.
The site visits are
designed to take students to various natural settings, state
parks and museums in and around the front range. Field site
curriculum supplements what students learn during the in-class
lessons. Field site availability differs for each W.I.N. -
W.I.N. unit. A list of field sites available to each
W.I.N.-W.I.N. unit is given to schools (The italicized partner
organizations listed below are W.I.N.-W.I.N. field sites.)
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4. Family Day
Family Day is a free event that takes place at the Denver
Zoo each year. The goal of the event is to provide a fun
atmosphere for families of W.I.N.-W.I.N. students to learn
about the W.I.N.-W.I.N. program. Each Family Day involves a
show at the Wildlife Theater featuring the animal stars and
our staff delivering a conservation message. After the show,
families visit displays to learn more about Colorado wildlife
and sites close by where they can see wildlife. There are also
opportunities to see live animal demonstrations and learn
about ways people can help the environment. After our event is
over, families are free to spend the rest of the day enjoying
the Zoo at their own speed. |
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| W.I.N. - W.I.N.
Awards |
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W.I.N - W.I.N has been recognized by several organizations
for excellence in service and programming. W.I.N.-W.I.N. has
received the following recognition:
- The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), (2005),
Diversity Award. The award recognizes significant
achievement in work-force and audience diversity by an
Institution or Related Organization member.
- Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (2001),
Government Partnership Award. The award recognizes a
government organization that has partnered with others to
achieve an environmental education goal.
- El Pomar Award for Excellence (2001), Henry McAllister
Award for Special Projects (finalist). The award recognizes
excellence in organizations that strive to conduct unique
and appropriate work vital to a community and its citizens.
- American Zoo and Aquarium Association (1998),
Significiant Achievement Award in Education. This award
recognized W.I.N. - W.I.N for overall program design and
implementation.
- National Association for Interpretation (1997)
Interpretive Media Award in the category of Interpretive
Program Curriculum (3rd place). The award specifically
recognized Unit 2 of the W.I.N - W.I.N program.
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| W.I.N.-W.I.N. Partner
Organizations |
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Anderson Farms, Audubon
Society of Greater Denver, Barr Lake State Park, Bear Creek
Lake Park, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Butterfly Pavilion,
Cal-Wood Education Center, Castlewood Canyon State Park,
Chatfield State Park, The Children's Museum of Denver, Clear
Creek History Park, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado
Division of Wildlife, Colorado Foundation for Agriculture, The
Colorado Mountain Club, Colorado State Forest Service,
Colorado Wildlife Federation, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver
Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, Denver Museum of Nature and
Science, Denver Zoo, Downtown Aquarium, Friends of Dinosaur
Ridge, Keystone Science School, Littleton Historical Museum,
Lookout Mountain Nature Center, Jefferson County Open
Space, Morrison Natural History Museum, National Wildlife
Federation, Plains Conservation Center, Rocky Mountain Bird
Observatory, Rocky Mountain National Park, Roxborough State
Park, South Suburban Parks and Recreation District, Carson
Nature Center, The Wildlife Experience, Two Ponds National
Wildlife Refuge, University of Colorado Natural History
Museum. For information on becoming a W.I.N. - W.I.N.
partner site, please contact Lisa Stauffer Mayen,
W.I.N.-W.I.N. Program Coordinator. |
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| W.I.N. - W.I.N. Partner
Schools |
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Alsup (Adams
County 14), Brown (Denver County 1), Colfax (Denver County 1),
Escuela de Guadalupe (Denver County), Fort Logan (Sheridan 2),
Foster (Jefferson County R-1), Greenlee/Metro Lab (Denver
County 1), Johnson (Denver County 1), Katherine L. Gust
(Denver County 1), Kemp (Adams County 14), Loyola Catholic
Grade School (Denver County , Maddox (Englewood 1), Marrama
(Denver County 1), McKinley Thatcher (Denver County 1), Monaco
(Adams County 14), Park Lane (Adams-Arapahoe 28J), Saint
Francis de Sales (Denver County), Saint Rose of Lima (Denver
County), Schenck (Denver County 1).
For
information on becoming a W.I.N. - W.I.N. partner school,
please contact Lisa Stauffer
Mayen, W.I.N.-W.I.N. Program Coordinator.
Denver Zoo and
Colorado Division
of Wildlife
would like to thank the sponsors of
W.I.N.-W.I.N.
 
Falkenberg
Foundation | |
