Nature is Our Classroom: Connecting Science to Early Learning

Previously the site of Denver’s Stapleton Airport, Bluff Lake was once riddled with chemical runoff due to the de-icing of airplanes. In 1994 the city of Denver invested in the revitalization and restoration of this remarkable, 123-acre piece of land. Today the Nature Center features an abundance of wildlife, an interpretive trail system and outdoor classrooms for youth and adults alike. 

 
DMNS Presents Guiding Curiosity & Scientific Discovery: 
Designed to help educators move beyond fact-based instruction, this hands-on session focuses on building a vibrant, inquiry-driven environment that empowers students to think like scientists. Participants explore the NGSS shift toward inquiry and learn to sustain curiosity using a Question, Prompt, Cue technique, which can also be applied to math and literacy. The workshop highlights the importance of the "effortful struggle" in learning, teaching educators how to guide students through discoveries without simply giving them the answers.

Bluff Lake Presents Cultivating Curiosity and Independence Through Forest School:
Join Bluff Lake Nature Center to explore how curiosity fuels learning and development both outdoors and in the classroom. Bluff Lake’s Forest Preschool is entirely outdoors, allowing students to take charge in their own learning, take risks, and explore the natural world around them. In this training, we will explore the wide-reaching impacts of curiosity, how to ask intentional questions, and how to implement all this within your classroom. You will walk away with a new perspective, and ready to use tools!