Celebrate National STEM Day with TurfMutt’s Free Curriculum

National STEM Day, celebrated on November 8, was founded in 2015 to encourage youth to get involved in STEM and STEAM fields. To celebrate, the TurfMutt Foundation reminds teachers, parents and guardians about its free educational lesson plans for kids in grades K-8.

The complementary curriculum collection includes:

Environmental Superpowers: Investigating carbon sequestration, oxygen production and how urban green spaces mitigate the "heat island" effect.

Bio-Mapping & NeighborhoodEcosystems: Conducting outdoor biodiversity audits by identifying, charting and tracking local flora and fauna.

Rain Gauging & Hydrology: Tracking local precipitation patterns to analyze watershed health, drought conditions and water conservation strategies.

Ecosystem & Pollinator Support: Examining how managed landscapes and backyard biodiversity provide critical food and shelter for essential local pollinators.

To increase student engagement, lessons feature a cast of "Outdoor Power" superheroes, including Green Ranger, Professor Botany and Water Warrior as they battle environmental “bad guys” Carbon Creep, Dust Demon, Dr. Run-off and Heat Freak. Educators can also integrate the arts into the science curriculum with an original classroom drama script that allows students to act out the roles of plants, trees and environmental forces.

Additionally, lessons can be paired with the Foundation's "Mulligan Minute" video segments that feature the Foundation’s spokesdog, Mulligan, and originally air on CBS Lucky Dog. Educators can access these multimedia elements at turfmutt.com/education/videos.

To learn more about the many ways TurfMutt touts the benefits of the green space around us, go to TurfMutt.com.