17 Activities

City Parks Foundation

City Parks Foundation is dedicated to invigorating and transforming parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through sports, arts, community building, and education programs for all New Yorkers. Their programs — located in more than 400 parks, recreation centers, and public schools across New York City — reach 285,000 people each year.

City Parks Foundation’s award-winning Green Girls program, Eco-Explorations, emphasizes teamwork and social-emotional learning while fostering deep, meaningful connections to the natural world. Explore dynamic resources that empower youth to become leaders and stewards of their local environments—whether in parks, playgrounds, forests, or along waterways.

Activities

Native and Invasive Species

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Native and Invasive Species

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour 15 Minutes

In this activity students will learn about the impact of invasive species on native fauna and flora. They will also learn about the different measures taken by community members and land conservation agencies to mitigate the impacts of invasives. With this context, students will put together species profiles on native and invasive species in their local regions which they will contribute to the development of their invasive species management proposals for Lesson 4 in the Invasive Species module.

This is activity 1 of 5 in the "Invasive Species" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Native and Invasive Species

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Take it Outside! Air Temperature Survey

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Take it Outside! Air Temperature Survey

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour 25 Minutes

This activity will introduce students to the powerful role of trees within our environment, especially how the role of the street tree in particular relates to the higher quality of life in our city, students adopt a different attitude.

This is activity 2 of 3 in the "Urban Forests" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Take it Outside! Air Temperature Survey

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Street Tree Care

Leadership and Teamwork, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Street Tree Care

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour 50 Minutes

A city tree must battle many urban hazards daily- from air pollution and bicycles, to dogs and people. In addition to above ground threats, tree roots also must contend with tough below-ground conditions. A tree pit or lawn strip provides limited space for these forest giants and this soil is a tree’s only source of nutrients. Because of this, it is essential to create as nurturing a tree pit as possible.

This is activity 3 of 3 in the "Urban Forests" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Street Tree Care

Leadership and Teamwork, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Invasive Species Management Poster

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Invasive Species Management Poster

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour 15 Minutes

Using their research and data from the previous lessons, in this module, students will put together a proposal for how to manage invasive species in their region. This lesson will strengthen their team building, research, and presentation skills all which are necessary to foster community advocacy towards a more environmentally conscious future.

This is activity 5 of 5 in the "Invasive Species" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Invasive Species Management Poster

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Building Sub-Irrigated Planters

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Building Sub-Irrigated Planters

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour 5 Minutes

Sub-irrigated planting systems are a more effective way of providing water to plants, especially as we battle intensified heat waves and prolonged periods of drought due to climate change. This lesson will walk students through the construction of sub-irrigated planters and how we can integrate them into urban green space planning to help support community development and ecosystem support.

This is activity 3 of 3 in the "Sustainable Cities" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Building Sub-Irrigated Planters

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Water Quality Testing

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Water Quality Testing

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour 10 Minutes

Understanding whether water is clean or polluted requires more than just what the naked eye can see and therefore gives educators like you the opportunity to dive into chemistry with students!

In this lesson students will learn about the way pollutants are introduced into the water cycle and how these pollutants can impact ecosystems and human health. They will then learn how to perform water quality testing on several water samples, identifying the sources of contamination. Students will also learn how green space, specifically street trees in urban areas can be used to reduce contamination events in local ecosystems.

This is activity 2 of 3 in the "Sustainable Cities" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Water Quality Testing

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Survey Our Lot

STEM, Social and Emotional Awareness, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Survey Our Lot

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour 15 Minutes

In this lesson, students will survey vacant lots in their area and consider how they may be transformed into a space that supports resistant and migratory wildlife and the needs of their community.

Green space is a necessary part of any community, especially in urban areas where plants are often thought of as ornamental. Thoughtful design of green space can help support native and migratory biodiversity, address food insecurity, benefit our mental and physical health, and create spaces for recreation and learning.

This is activity 2 of 3 in the "Design a Park" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Survey Our Lot

STEM, Social and Emotional Awareness, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Invasive Species Data Analysis

Leadership and Teamwork, STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Invasive Species Data Analysis

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour

In this lesson, students will learn to plot and analyze invasive species data. They will also collaborate with peers to determine the level of risk that invasive species pose to a habitat and consider ideas for intervention.

This is activity 3 of 5 in the "Invasive Species" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Invasive Species Data Analysis

Leadership and Teamwork, STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Erosion Experiment

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Erosion Experiment

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour 10 Minutes

This lesson aims to explore how sustainable landscaping can be used to strengthen vulnerable habitats.

Robust plant cover provided by parks and other green spaces provide a number of ecosystem services, including protection against soil erosion and stormwater capture. In thinking about ways to combat the effects of climate change, green infrastructure and sustainable landscaping should be at the top of everyone's list! In many places around the world, including New York, climate change effects include increased rainfall and storm surges.

This is activity 1 of 3 in the "Design a Park" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Erosion Experiment

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Dragonfly Biodiversity Calculations

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Dragonfly Biodiversity Calculations

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour

In this activity, students use previously collected field data to calculate the biodiversity of dragonflies. Using what they have learned about the dragonfly life cycle and habitat, students will begin to assess how climate change can affect dragonfly populations.

This is activity 3 of 3 in the "Indicator Species" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Dragonfly Biodiversity Calculations

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Invasive Species Management Proposal

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Invasive Species Management Proposal

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour

Using research and data from the previous lessons, students will put together a proposal for how to manage invasive species in their region. This lesson will strengthen their team building, research, and presentation skills all which are necessary to foster community activism towards a more environmentally conscious future.

This is activity 4 of 5 in the "Invasive Species" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Invasive Species Management Proposal

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Park Design Project

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Park Design Project

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

1 Hour 25 Minutes

In this lesson, students will combine their knowledge of how urban forests, biodiversity, and climate change influence themselves and their communities to create an action plan to improve or create green space. Students will be able to see that they can make change within their community through actively identifying a site to beautify, designing possible solutions to improve it. In this lesson, it will be key to take into account how climate change is affecting your city.

This is activity 3 of 3 in the "Design a Park" module from City Parks Foundation.

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Park Design Project

STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Grades 6 - 8

Featured in These Collections

Invasive Species

STEM, Social and Emotional Awareness, Nature and Wildlife

5 Activities

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Grades 6 - 8

Invasive Species

6 - 8

2 Hours

As our ecosystems continue to become more vulnerable through anthropogenic change, scientists are working hard to restore the resilience of green space. One of the major detractors from ecosystem resilience are invasive species. In this module, students will assess the impact of invasive species in their local ecosystems. They will work collaboratively with their peers to research effective pest management protocols, participate in field experiences to learn more about local native and invasive species, and analyze data to assess local biodiversity. This newly acquired knowledge and skills will set the foundation for a community outreach project in which students will educate their peers and community members about the importance of invasive species management.

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Indicator Species

STEM, Social and Emotional Awareness, Nature and Wildlife

3 Activities

●

Grades 6 - 8

Indicator Species

6 - 8

2 Hours

Indicator species are integral to evaluating the health of ecosystems. They are early indicators of changing environmental conditions that may prove detrimental to other species in the same region. Insects, including dragonflies, are climate sensitive species since much of their growth and development depends on temperature.

In this lesson, students will learn about dragonflies as indicators of climate change. They will become familiar with the life cycle of a dragonfly, learn to identify different species of dragonflies, and assess dragonfly biodiversity. At each of these learning milestones, students will engage in a discussion about how rapid changes in climate conditions can be detrimental not only to dragonflies but to the success and survival of wildlife around the world.

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Design a Park Project

3 Activities

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Grades 6 - 8

Design a Park Project

6 - 8

In urban environments, opportunity exists everywhere you look to revamp greenspace that supports local and migratory species and community members. For this module, students will be combining everything they have learned about urban forests, biodiversity, and climate change to create an action plan to improve or create a community green space. In this module, students will be able to see that they can make a change within their community by actively identifying a site to beautify, designing possible solutions to improve it, and to write a letter to local community leaders to gather support for their ideas.

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Caring for Urban Forests

Social and Emotional Awareness, STEM, Nature and Wildlife

3 Activities

●

Grades 6 - 8

Caring for Urban Forests

6 - 8

2 Hours

Our local ecosystems provide many ecosystem services that endow us with resources, opportunities for recreation and cultural expression, and support the safety quality of life for all living things, including humans. Street trees perform a number of ecosystem services for both humans and wildlife. They filter our air, provide passive cooling and heating, capture carbon, take up storm water (a vital aspect in cities prone to flooding due to climate change— see our Sustainable Cities module for more information on this topic), reduce noise, provide food, shelter, and provide abundant beauty.

In this module, students will learn about each type of ecosystem service: Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural, and Supporting, and research the ways they are being threatened in their local communities. They will also participate in air temperature to better understand the ecosystem services trees provide which are especially important in urban environments. This research will conclude with a service learning opportunity in which students will restore tree beds.

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Sustainable Cities

Social and Emotional Awareness, STEM, Nature and Wildlife

3 Activities

●

Grades 6 - 8

Sustainable Cities

6 - 8

2 Hours

With the effects of anthropogenic climate change becoming more evident in our day to day lives, those in urban areas are at high risk of detrimental damage from extreme flooding events. Everywhere you look in urban areas, you are faced with impervious surfaces which presents a challenge when it comes to avoiding floods. And in cities that use combined sewer systems, these floods open the gates of contaminated wastewater filled with everything from human waste to toxic chemicals entering our groundwater and surface water supply which are detrimental to all living organisms that rely on it, including humans.

In this module, students will learn the parameters for and conduct water quality testing on local water bodies, assess the role of local green space in mitigating damage from flooding events, and construct sub-irrigated planters as an example of water saving green infrastructure.

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