Camp Cooper Online Content Library

 

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

Column 2 content

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

saguaro

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

cryptic critters thumbnail

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

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

plant flash cards

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