ANIMALS
Build A Bird Feeder
ALL AGES
Not seeing many birds at your doorstep? It's easier than you think to attract your bird neighbors to pay you a visit. In this video, Cliff shows us how to make two different bird feeders from common household materials.
Video Length: 05:00
Note: May require adult support
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Backyard Birding
POETRY/ RELAXATION
30 Minute Yoga Session with Paige From Camp Cooper
ALL AGES
Enjoy a 30 minute guided yoga session this weekend with Camp Cooper educator Paige (aka Herb). In addition to helping to lead our child education programs, Paige is a trained yoga instructor.
Video Length: 33:16
Note: 1st and up
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: The Earth Speaks Reading Series
DESERT
In The Desert
PRE-K
Come along as Butterfly and her friends Cliff and Herb find out how they know they are in the desert!
Video Length: 5:03
Note:
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Wildflower Scavenger Hunt
PLANTS
Wildflower Scavenger Hunt
PRE-K KINDERGARTEN 1ST GRADE
Come along with Cliff as she discovers the colors of the rainbow in the springtime flowers in her neighborhood. A great springtime activity that involves an easy stroll and lots of observation for early elementary-aged kids!
Video Length: 2:44
Note:
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: In The Desert
WEATHER/ROCKS
Adopt A Rock
PRE-K KINDERGARTEN 1ST GRADE
A classic by Arizona resident writer Byrd Baylor.With unforgettable illustrations by Peter Parnall, Camp Cooper educator Mariah (aka Butterfly) reads "Everybody Needs A Rock" with permission from the author.
Video Length: 6:45
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Adopt A Rock
WEATHER/ROCKS
Adopt A Rock - Worksheet Introduction
KINDERGARTEN 1ST GRADE
With your rock in hand, download and print the worksheet and let's get to know our rocks a little better!
Video Length: :44
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Adopt A Rock
ANIMALS
Desert Detectives Animal Evidence
KINDERGARTEN 1ST GRADE 2ND GRADE
Animal evidence is all around us. This video will show you animal evidence that may often go overlooked - evidence you can find in your backyard, in the alley behind your house, at a park, or on a walk around your neighborhood. Join Butterfly as we uncover evidence of all kinds of Sonoran Desert animals
Video Length: 3:40
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Desert Detectives
WEATHER/ROCKS
Rock Identification - Worksheet Introduction
2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE
Instructions on how to complete a rock identification worksheet - download the worksheet at the Related Activities link below.
Video Length: 1:03
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Adopt A Rock
ANIMALS
Butterflies! Part 1. featuring Butterfly
1ST GRADE 2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE
How many species of butterfly exist? What does their Latin name mean? What is a host plant? All of this in more in this high energy, fun video suitable for kids of all ages.
Video Length: 3:33
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Butterflies Part 2
ANIMALS
Part 2 Butterflies & Moths!
2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE
Back by popular demand, Butterfly (aka Mariah) reveals the similarities and differences between moths and butterflies.
Video Length: 6:16
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Butterflies Part 1
PLANTS
Botany 1
1ST GRADE 2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE
Did you know, there are over 2000 unique plant species in the Sonoran Desert. Learn how to tell plants apart from plant 'posers' - organisms that look like plants but in fact are not! Join Camp Cooper educator Herb as they share with us what makes a plants unique. Come with us and get your degree in Basic Botany!
Video Length: 5:47
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Basic Botany
PLANTS
Botany 2
1ST GRADE 2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE
Why are most plants green? How do plants grow without eating 'food' like you and me? Herb is here to share a love for plants that will really grow on you.
Video Length: 3:19
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Basic Botany
PLANTS
Saguaro Story
2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE
Help a saguaro survive and thrive for its entire life cycle in the Sonoran desert. Along the way, you'll meet some desert characters - including birds, mammals and more!
Video Length:
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Cactus Corner
ANIMALS
Animal Spotlight | Packrat
2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE
Pack Rats are very common in the Sonoran Desert. Cooper educator Quail gives us more info in his series: Animal Spotlight. Can you find evidence of these neighbors around your home?
Video Length: 3:01
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Sonoran Desert Animal Spotlight
ANIMALS
Cryptic Critters
2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
Have you ever been out in the desert and thought you were all alone, when suddenly you look closer and there's all these creatures around you? The animal world is full of trickery and concealment. Often to hide from predators or sneak up on prey, animals have to camouflage.
Video Length:
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Cryptic Critters
An interactive experience with audio files (to assist early readers), animated gifs, Q & A and more.
POETRY/ LANGUAGE ARTS
Desert Poetry 1
2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE
While we love science and ecology and learning about our environment, as living creatures we also really just love nature! Poetry is one way that we can connect with and express our feelings about the natural world.Learn about poetry forms in two related videos from our resident desert poet, Herb! We recommend watching these two videos in order!
Video Length: 3:08
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Desert Poetry
POETRY/ LANGUAGE ARTS
Desert Poetry 2
2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
While we love science and ecology and learning about our environment, as living creatures we also really just love nature! Poetry is one way that we can connect with and express our feelings about the natural world.Learn about poetry forms in two related videos from our resident desert poet, Herb! We recommend watching these two videos in order!
Video Length: 5:54
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Desert Poetry
WEATHER/ROCKS
Building a Raingauge
2ND GRADE 3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
It's surprisingly fun to monitor how much rain you receive through the Tucson summer. In this video, Quail (aka Ryan Biggs) shows you how to make a rain gauge out of common materials - a plastic bottle, a marker, and some scissors. Let a grown up help you with the cutting part!
Video Length: 2:24
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Weather Wise
ANIMALS
Gila Woodpecker | Herb's Backyard Birding
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
Camp Cooper educator Herb has put together a video on a common Tucson bird- the Gila Woodpecker. Have a look!
Video Length: 1:27
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Backyard Birding
ANIMALS
Backyard Birding
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
We may not all have backyards, but birds are all around us. In the trees, in the sky, nesting outside our windows or pecking around at the park (or the parking lot!). Tucson is a unique place to find a wide variety of birds - this video features our educator Cliff, and will help you learn how to identify birds and how their traits can tell you about how they live.
Video Length: 4:28
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Backyard Birding
ANIMALS
Animal Spotlight | Javelina
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
Quail from the Cooper Center for Environmental Learning in Tucson Arizona discusses the unique Javelina - often mistaken for a wild pig, they are in fact a unique species known as a Collared Peccary - found throughout the Americas. Learn about herd behavior, traits and more in this short but informative video.
Video Length: 3:01
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Sonoran Desert Animal Spotlight
ANIMALS
Animal Spotlight | Coyote
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
Coyotes are found here in the Sonoran Desert. Cooper educator quail gives us more info about them
Video Length: 2:15
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Sonoran Desert Animal Spotlight
ANIMALS
Animal Spotlight | Beaver
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
Did you know that the American Beaver still inhabits parts of the southwest? Camp Cooper educator Ryan Biggs (aka Quail) offers a fun and informative summary in this all ages video about the largest rodent in North America
Video Length: 3:15
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Sonoran Desert Animal Spotlight
ANIMALS
Animal Spotlight | North American Black Bear
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
In this Animal Spotlight, Cooper Center education staff member Ryan Biggs (aka Quail) highlights the North American Black Bear, including behaviors, diet, where it can be found in southern Arizona, as well as how to easily identify a predator vs. prey. Aimed at 3rd - 6th graders.
Video Length: 3:10
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Sonoran Desert Animal Spotlight
ANIMALS
Curve Billed Thrasher | Herb's Backyard Birding
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
Camp Cooper educator Herb has put together a video on a common Tucson bird- the curve billed thrasher. Have a look!
Video Length: 1:29
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Backyard Birding
PLANTS
Plant Adaptations
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE
Surviving the desert requires each of us to make adaptations. What is an adaptation? It's how we adjust how we live to survive in our environment. When summer arrives in Tucson, people will change the kind of clothes they wear, drink more water, go for a swim, or look for shade. Plants make changes too - some shed their leaves, some store water, others hide out until water arrives. Come along with Butterfly as she shows us all kinds of desert plants and how they adapt to survive in the desert.
Video Length: 5:32
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Desert Detectives
PLANTS
Plant Flash Cards
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
These interactive flash cards will teach you about a variety of "nurse plants" that support the growth of cacti in the desert, and what purpose cactus thorns serve.
Video Length:
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Cactus Corner
WEATHER/ROCKS
Weather Wise
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
What is the difference between weather and climate? What are greenhouse gasses? What is global warming? Join Camp Cooper educator Cliff in exploring these and other questions as we become 'weather wise'.
Video Length: 6:18
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Weather Wise
WEATHER/ROCKS
Cooper Projects | Solar Oven Cookie Baking
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE 6TH GRADE
Follow along with Cliff as she walks you through a recipe for mesquite flour based cookies - baked by the sun! Special appearance by Cliff's sidekick and fellow Cooper educator Herb.
Video Length: 4:01
Note: Good math activity with measuring amounts
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Sun Fun
WEATHER/ROCKS
Build Your Own Solar Oven
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
The Sun is a powerful energy source on the Earth, and one thing we love to do with solar energy here at Camp Cooper is to use it to cook food! In this fun exercise suitable for older students, Ryan Biggs (aka Quail) leads us through an activity you can do at home with basic materials.
Video Length: 4:03
Note: May require adult support
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Sun Fun
WEATHER/ROCKS
All About Shadows
3RD GRADE 4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE
Shadows are all around us. But what creates shadows? Have you ever thought about how shadows change throughout the day? Can shadows actually help us tell time? Camp Cooper educator Ryan Biggs (aka Quail) reviews some shadow basics, and fun exercises for younger students follow.
Video Length: 1:24
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Sun Fun
WEATHER/ROCKS
Sun Fun! The Visible Light Spectrum
4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE 6TH GRADE
Learn about how a prism can separate visible light from the sun (or a flashlight) into unique wavelengths of light that we see as colors. In this video, Camp Cooper educator Ryan Biggs (aka Quail) shows us how to create a prism from simple items you will find at home.
Video Length: 2:32
Larger Lesson/Related Activities: Sun Fun