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The Wonders in Nature-Wonders in Neighborhoods (W.I.N.-W.I.N.) Program
The Wonders In Nature - Wonders In Neighborhoods (W.I.N.-W.I.N.) Program was developed by the Denver Zoo and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. It is truly a partnership of many organizations, people, and foundations. Currently, the W.I.N. - W.I.N. program services approximately 7,000 students in 19 urban, socioeconomically diverse schools in the Denver metro area.
All components of the program are provided at no cost to participating schools. A bilingual Program Educator is provided to the school if necessary. All student pages, worksheets and parent communications are available in Spanish and
and English.
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| Mission Statement |
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| The mission of W.I.N.-W.I.N. is to foster an appreciation of wildlife and its habitats and the conservation of these natural resources through a variety of wildlife-related learning experiences. |
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| COMPONENTS |
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1. In-Class Visits
During the school year, each class receives four to seven classroom lessons provided by a W.I.N.-W.I.N. Program Educator.
The content of each lesson correlates with Colorado Model Content standards requirements. These hands-on, inter-disciplinary lessons include science resources not always available to the classroom teacher. Many lessons taught by W.I.N.-W.I.N. include student interaction with live animals and plants. After every lesson, students reflect on the day's W.I.N.-W.I.N. activities through writing or drawing in a journal assignment. Program curriculum varies by grade level. Each grade level chooses the W.I.N.-W.I.N. unit which best supports the school curriculum. The program curriculum focuses on a specific theme taught throughout the year. Current themes and topics for W.I.N.-W.I.N. curriculum are:
Unit Early Childhood
Education Theme: Sensing the Wonder of Nature
Lesson Topics: colors, shapes, numbers in nature and how animals use their five senses to survive.
Unit Kindergarten
Theme: Survival
Lesson Topics: Living and non-living, importance of senses, color, and habitat to plants and animals.
Unit One
Theme: What's Wild?
Lesson Topics: uses of plants, diversity of animals, wild and domesticated plants and animals, native and non-native wildlife, recycling, and animals and their young.
Unit Two
Theme: Variety and Change in the Natural World
Lesson Topics: animal locomotion, seed dispersal, animal and plant relationships, habitat, seasons, and people's effect on nature.
Unit Three
Theme: Life Cycles
Lesson Topics: plant and animal life cycles, pollination, vertebrates and invertebrates, predators and prey, and food chains.
Unit Four
Theme: Relationships
Lesson Topics: plant and animal classification, adaptations of plants and animals, photosynthesis, and people's relationship to the environment.
Unit Five
Theme: Ecosystems of Colorado
Lesson Topics: nine ecosystems in Colorado: urban, grasslands, semi-desert shrublands, montane shrubland, piñon-juniper woodland, montane forest, sub-alpine forest, alpine tundra, and wetland/aquatic.
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2. Pre-Visit, Post-Visit, Journal Activities and Hands-On Science
Guidebooks are provided for every class. Pre-visit, journal, and hands-on science activities are contained in the guidebooks. These activities are designed to compliment the W.I.N.-W.I.N. instructor-led lessons. In addition, Units ECE and K include post-visit activities. All materials and supplies needed for the hands-on science activity are provided upon request by the W.I.N.-W.I.N. program at no cost to the school. |
3. Field Site Visits
W.I.N.-W.I.N. also provides each student with one field site visit.
The site visits are designed to take students to various natural settings, state parks and museums in and around the front range. Field site curriculum supplements what students learn during the in-class lessons. Field site availability differs for each W.I.N. - W.I.N. unit. A list of field sites available to each W.I.N.-W.I.N. unit is given to schools (The italicized partner organizations listed below are W.I.N.-W.I.N. field sites.) |
4. Family Day
Family Day is a free event that takes place at the Denver Zoo each year. The goal of the event is to provide a fun atmosphere for families of W.I.N.-W.I.N. students to learn about the W.I.N.-W.I.N. program. Each Family Day involves a show at the Wildlife Theater featuring the animal stars and our staff delivering a conservation message. After the show, families visit displays to learn more about Colorado wildlife and sites close by where they can see wildlife. There are also opportunities to see live animal demonstrations and learn about ways people can help the environment. After our event is over, families are free to spend the rest of the day enjoying the Zoo at their own speed. |
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| W.I.N. - W.I.N. Awards |
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W.I.N - W.I.N has been recognized by several organizations for excellence in service and programming. W.I.N.-W.I.N. has received the following recognition:
- The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), (2005), Diversity Award. The award recognizes significant achievement in work-force and audience diversity by an Institution or Related Organization member.
- Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (2001), Government Partnership Award. The award recognizes a government organization that has partnered with others to achieve an environmental education goal.
- El Pomar Award for Excellence (2001), Henry McAllister Award for Special Projects (finalist). The award recognizes excellence in organizations that strive to conduct unique and appropriate work vital to a community and its citizens.
- American Zoo and Aquarium Association (1998), Significiant Achievement Award in Education. This award recognized W.I.N. - W.I.N for overall program design and implementation.
- National Association for Interpretation (1997) Interpretive Media Award in the category of Interpretive Program Curriculum (3rd place). The award specifically recognized Unit 2 of the W.I.N - W.I.N program.
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| W.I.N.-W.I.N. Partner Organizations |
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Anderson Farms, Audubon Society of Greater Denver, Barr Lake State Park, Bear Creek Lake Park, Bluff Lake Nature Center, Butterfly Pavilion, Cal-Wood Education Center, Castlewood Canyon State Park, Chatfield State Park, The Children's Museum of Denver, Clear Creek History Park, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Colorado Foundation for Agriculture, The Colorado Mountain Club, Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado Wildlife Federation, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver Zoo, Downtown Aquarium, Friends of Dinosaur Ridge, Keystone Science School, Littleton Historical Museum, Lookout Mountain Nature Center, Jefferson County Open Space, Morrison Natural History Museum, National Wildlife Federation, Plains Conservation Center, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, Rocky Mountain National Park, Roxborough State Park, South Suburban Parks and Recreation District, Carson Nature Center, The Wildlife Experience, Two Ponds National Wildlife Refuge, University of Colorado Natural History Museum. For information on becoming a W.I.N. - W.I.N. partner site, please contact Lisa Stauffer Mayen, W.I.N.-W.I.N. Program Coordinator.
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| W.I.N. - W.I.N. Partner Schools |
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Alsup (Adams County 14), Brown (Denver County 1), Colfax (Denver County 1), Escuela de Guadalupe (Denver County), Fort Logan (Sheridan 2), Foster (Jefferson County R-1), Greenlee/Metro Lab (Denver County 1), Johnson (Denver County 1), Katherine L. Gust (Denver County 1), Kemp (Adams County 14), Loyola Catholic Grade School (Denver County , Maddox (Englewood 1), Marrama (Denver County 1), McKinley Thatcher (Denver County 1), Monaco (Adams County 14), Park Lane (Adams-Arapahoe 28J), Saint Francis de Sales (Denver County), Saint Rose of Lima (Denver County), Schenck (Denver County 1).
For information on becoming a W.I.N. - W.I.N. partner school, please contact Lisa Stauffer Mayen, W.I.N.-W.I.N. Program Coordinator.
Denver Zoo and
Colorado Division of Wildlife
would like to thank the sponsors of W.I.N.-W.I.N.
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