Teacher Resources

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Escape Boxes | Agricultural themed | Ogle County

Ag in the Classroom will present or loan Escape Boxes to be teacher-led. Escape Boxes are puzzles or games, often resembling mini escape rooms, that players solve to unlock secrets or compartments, offering a fun and engaging experience for individuals or teams. Contact Program Coordinator Melinda Colbert at 815-732-2191 or email charbm@illinois.edu.

Topics include:

  • Careers
  • Christmas Trees
  • Corn
  • Earth Day
  • Illinois
  • Pizza
  • Pork
  • Soil
  • Soybeans
  • Turkeys
     

Learn more about: Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom

Available for loan to instructors

An Artifact Speaks

Instructors can bring An Artifact Speaks into their classrooms, libraries, organizational meetings, home schools, etc., by using artifacts, games, folktales, and hands-on activities. An Artifact Speaks helps program participants gain knowledge and appreciation for ancient cultures and an understanding of the processes historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists use to learn about the lives of ancient people. Kits available for loan include Rome, Greece, Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and India. Call the Ogle County 4-H office at 815-732-2191 for more information. 

 

A collaboration between Illinois Extension and the Spurlock Museum.
Learn more

Dig It | K-5th grade | About Trees

Explore Dig It Activity Books

These free horticulture classroom materials for elementary-age to junior-high students are available to teachers, parents, childcare professionals, and anyone interested in bringing the garden into the classroom. Explore a variety of topics that the art of gardening brings to life through Dig It activity books. Activities compiled by Extension horticulture educators for youth grades K-5 to explore six pages of fun through activities, photos, art, and plant information.

Trees are essential and greatly impact our daily lives. Youth will learn new facts about the trees they see around them. Activities are both great for days in the classroom or to take along on an outdoor exploration on a sunny day to learn:

  • How water moves through a tree
  • Parts of a tree
  • What items come from trees?
  • Four seasons of a tree
  • Where do leaf colors come from? 
     

Dig it is available for use in both digital and print-friendly PDF versions.

IDNR Resource Trunks/Field Packs

Resource trunks/field packs from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Education are Illinois-specific units on 14 topics. Available for loan statewide, they are filled with items for hands-on learning. See the topics and descriptions below, which are available to loan through the Ogle County Extension office. Teachers, homeschooling educators, scout and youth group leaders, nature center personnel, librarians, daycare center staff, and families are among the people who can successfully use these resources. A two-week loan period is suggested. There is no charge to borrow the trunks/field packs. Lessons are correlated to the Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core Standards, and Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards, as appropriate. Suggested grade levels are provided, but modifications can be made for other grade levels. Contact Melinda Colbert at 815-732-2191 or email charbm@illinois.edu.

Available at the Ogle County Extension office
IDNR Field Trip pack

The Field Trip Pack contains many items to assist your early childhood students as they explore nature. Hands-on equipment will encourage self-initiated learning. Ideas for incorporating natural resources activities into your lessons are also included. Suggested grades: preK - 3.

Amphibians and reptiles field pack

Illinois' Amphibians and Reptiles Field Pack's educational tools will help you learn about and observe these animals in their natural environment. Suggested grades: K - High School.

Invasive species trunk

Illinois Invasive Species- Invasive species cause tremendous ecological problems. With the Illinois Invasive Species resources trunk, you and your students can learn why they are detrimental, how they arrived in Illinois, and what actions can be taken to control them. Field guides, books, lessons, DVDs, specimens, replicas, and other items are included. Targeted Grades: 7-12.

Illinois trees trunk

Illinois Trees- Want to learn more about the forest? Grab an Illinois Trees resources trunk! The trunks include many items teachers can use to instruct students about trees, forests, forestry careers, and the forestry industry. Targeted Grades: preK-10.

Wild mammals trunk

Illinois Wild Mammals- Are you teaching about mammals? Borrow an Illinois Wild Mammals resources trunk to supplement your lessons. Each trunk is filled with field guides, CD-ROMs, a DVD, fur samples, skulls, track and scat replicas, lessons, activity sheets, posters, and other items. Suggested grades: K - middle school.