Teacher Workshops

Receive practical tools to incorporate nature into your daily lesson plans. Enroll in our classes led by Arboretum expert educators. All workshops count toward CPDUs.

For a full schedule of classes and to register, please click here! http://www.mortonarb.org/education/adults.html

Illinois State Learning Standards:

• State Goal 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems
• State Goal 12:  Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences

Local Flora: Spring, Summer, Fall

Learn to recognize and identify native and introduced plants in our forests, prairies, and wetlands. Study plant characteristics, names, and habitat. Only one course in this series is required; the others are available for elective credit.
N315, N316, N317. 15 hours. Spring, Summer, Fall. 15 CPDUs.

Illinois State Learning Standards:

• State Goal 12:  Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences

Introduction to Natural Areas Management (Natural Areas Track)

Visit local prairies, savannas, woodlands, and wetlands to learn about the complexities facing land managers, and the innovative approaches they are applying to restoration and management.
N400. 12 hours. Summer, Fall. 12 CPDUs.

Illinois State Learning Standards:

• State Goal 12:  Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences
• State Goal 13: Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts

Tree Identification and Ecology (Natural Areas Track)

Deepen your understanding of the trees you see every day. You will examine 70 - 80 native and introduced trees, studying leaves, fruit, bark, and tree silhouettes to learn the skills to identify them while developing an understanding of their habitats and ecology.
N242. 16 hours. Summer, Fall. 16 CPDUs.

Illinois State Learning Standards:

• State Goal 12:  Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences

Introduction to Botany

Study life cycles, structures, and functions of plants. Class includes both lectures to introduce concepts and lab sessions in which you explore the science of plants.
N234. 18 hours. Fall, Winter.18 CPDUs.

Illinois State Learning Standards:

• State Goal 12:  Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences

Natural History of Birds: Evolution, Classification, and Distribution

Examine the evolutionary relationships of birds and the theories behind their scientific classification. Topics will include the origin and geographic distribution of birds, how they diversified, and how relationships between birds are determined, including DNA analysis. Observation in local habitats will link bird distribution with the common bird families in the region. Exploring the relationships in selected bird families will illustrate the role of ornithologists in describing bird relationships.
O630. 15 hours. Fall. 15 CPDUs.

Illinois State Learning Standards:

• State Goal 12:  Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences

Natural History of Birds: Conservation

Explore the issues surrounding the preservation of bird life and diversity in northern Illinois. Investigate how bird populations are naturally affected by habitat, competition, and predation and apply those basics of population dynamics to conservation threats. Field work observing neotropical migrants as well as the birds nesting in local grasslands, savannas, and wetlands will focus on regional management and restoration plans. The plans are developed to increase nesting and reproductive success for endangered, threatened, and at-risk species.
O640. 15 hours. Spring/Summer. 15 CPDUs.

Illinois State Learning Standards:

• State Goal 12:  Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences
• State Goal 13: Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts