Earth Alive - Your link to the world of phenology and nature observations.

Seasons Challenge Program
Earth Alive invites you to join a unique community of nature observers!  Track, compare, sort and store your outdoor observations on Nature Net's Earth Alive website. Can you meet the weekly challenge?  Will you be the first to notice the geese migrating south, ice in the ditches, the first tulip bloom or the return of 90-degree days?  Find out with Earth Alive!
Nature observation and record-keeping



Earth Alive
What did you see at recess today?

Have your students seen their first spring robin?

Do the geese always migrate the same week of fall?

Looking for a way to kick off your classroom day?


Nature Net presents Earth Alive, an on-line site where you and your students can contribute your outdoor observations to a scientific database. In collaboration with the MMSD Science Department, the Jackson School Forest, and the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Nature Net brings you this exciting program which supports MMSD Science Scope and Sequence, as well as outdoor activities for FOSS.

Earth Alive invites your classroom to enter events you see in nature - out the classroom window, on recess, at home, on field trips, anywhere! - then compare with other classrooms across the district (and across the state). Or, compare your input geographically and historically, using Earth Alive's city and state maps or nature observations recorded by famous scientist, Aldo Leopold! Visit Earth Alive today and take a tour.

Earth Alive's goal is to create "citizen scientists" among teachers, students and families by encouraging you to observe the world around us, embrace the scientific method, make science inquiry a part of everyday life, and come to love science in a nurturing environment.

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How it Works
The Earth Alive Challenge program is designed to keep teachers and students tuned to the world around us with weekly challenges geared to the seasons. Each week of the school year, teachers who are enrolled in the program receive an email with a phenological event for students to watch for. Supplemental materials, including a Classroom Poster with other events to note, and links to more information on each topic are included in the program. And as an added bonus, the classroom with the most Earth Alive entries is eligible to win a free field experience at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

Who Can Enter
Any Wisconsin classroom grades Kindergarten through 8.

How to Join the Fun
  1. Register on-line or, fill out and fax or mail a paper application to Nature Net.
  2. Confirm that you have received or established a classroom Earth Alive Identity.
  3. Check your email each week for a new Weekly Challenge.
  4. Enter your outdoor observations on Earth Alive.

    All observation entries should be true and accurate to the best of each participant's knowledge. Questionable student observations should be verified by an adult.

  5. Check out weekly winners featured on the Earth Alive Challenge webpage!
  6. If your classroom enters the most data in to Earth Alive, prepare for your free field trip to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center!!
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Incentives

Your classroom may be eligible to win a free field trip to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center!

ALNC - where your classroom can explore the land and enjoy the many wonders of the outdoor world. Where the mission is to teach love, respect, and admiration for the land in the spirit of Wisconsin's premier conservationist, Aldo Leopold.

Your field trip topic can be tailor-made to fit your classroom activities and curricula, with an emphasis on phenology and the seasons.

And don't forget, we'll help pay for the transportation!  With Nature Net's Nature Express bus funding, the ride is on us! 

Grand Prize redemption is subject to date and time available at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

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Sign Up

After completing the below Entry Form, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with following information:

  • Your Earth Alive Identity (to be used in entering observations).

  • Instructions on how to enter observation data.

  • A link to the Earth Alive Classroom Poster with events to be watching for this season!

Then, keep an eye on your inbox for your weekly Earth Alive Challenge e-mail.

Earth Alive Entry Form

Teacher Name:

School: Address:
City: Zip:

Room Number:

Grade:

Phone:

Number of students in your classroom:

Regularly checked e-mail address:

If you are NOT a Madison Elementary classroom, please indicate the user name you would like to use for your "Nature Nut Name":

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Classroom Posters

Download and print these posters to place on your classroom wall as a reminder of what to keep an eye out for this season:

     * Fall-Winter
     * Spring

Or, request a copy on-line.

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Sample Observation Challenges
Can your classroom accomplish the following?

First classroom to observe:

  • Skunk smell

  • Redwing Black Bird

  • Geese migrating

  • Ice thaw on lakes

  • Frog calls

  • Firefly flashing

  • Trillium blooming

  • Mosquito bite

  • Lilac blooming

Get another classroom to register and participate

Most observation entries in two-week time period

Specific temperature observation

Most outdoor hours (combined classroom number) of outdoor time

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Frequently Asked Questions
Who can participate in the Earth Alive Challenge?
Any Wisconsin classroom teacher teaching grades K-8 can sign up to receive the Earth Alive Weekly Challenges and enter outdoor observations on Earth Alive.

What name, identity or "Nature Nut Name" should I use when entering an observation?
If you have participated in the Earth Alive Challenge in the past, you already have an Earth Alive Identity. (Let us know if you would like to change this identity).
If you are a new participant and a Madison Elementary teacher, check your email for your Earth Alive Identity (or click here).
If you are a new participant and not from a Madison Elementary School, you should log in through the General Public link and choose your own "Nature Nut Name". Please remember to let us know your chosen name so we can track your observations and use your entries toward the Grand Prize.

Do I have to participate in the Challenge program to use Earth Alive?
No, you, other teachers and the general public are invited to use Earth Alive to record outdoor observations at any time and throughout the year.

Is there a fee for participating in the Earth Alive Challenge?
No, this program is made possible, in part, with support from the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation, American Girl Fund For Children, State Farm Insurance, and the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

Is there a deadline to sign up?
No, you may sign up and begin participating anytime before the end of the school year. However, the sooner you sign up and start entering your observations, the more likely you'll be eligible for the free field trip to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center!

What if my classroom observes something occurring in nature after or before the weekly challenge - should I still enter the observation?
Yes, the goal of Earth Alive is to get you, your students and the community at large to notice and appreciate the natural world around us. If you observe something, enter it! :)

Should my classroom enter a single observation or should the students enter the data individually?
This is up to you and your classroom structure. If you would like all of your students to have the experience individually, your classroom can enter the same observation multiple times. Some classrooms have students enter individual observations through the "General Public" website and create their own on-line identity.

Can I or my students enter observations from home?
Yes, and we encourage you and your students to use the Earth Alive identity we've provided so your entries work towards the free trip to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center. For location, use the school closest to you.

Can my students enter observations they've seen at home (or somewhere not in the drop down list of observations)?
Yes. Since Earth Alive is a state-wide program, entry points are not a pin-pointed location (or exact address), but a general location. So, if you see something while away from school (or a Nature Net site), just use the school closest to you as your observation location.

What if the location is outside of Madison?
In this case you can enter Earth Alive through the "General Public" link. Choose a user name follow all the steps as before - when you're asked to enter the location, enter as much information as you can, especially the zip code.

What if we see something that's not on the drop down list?
We've created "write-in" section to acknowledge your excellent and varied observations. However, we also suggest starting and maintaining a classroom phenology journal.

Other questions? Write to us!

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How to Enter your Observations

Once your classroom has made a nature observation, here's what to do:

  1. Log on to Earth Alive: www.naturenet.com/EarthAlive
  2. Madison Elementary Teachers: Click on "Madison Metro School District”
    All other users: Click on "General Public"
  3. Click "Enter an Observation”
  4. Madison Elementary Teachers: Under "Choose your Classroom”, please use your Earth Alive Identity. Forgot your Identity?
    All other users: Create or use your selected Nature Nut Name.
  5. Use the drop down list (or the FOSS connection icons) to click on the event your classroom observed - and click "go”.
  6. Tell Earth Alive where and when the observation was made and what the weather was like at the time.
  7. You're done!
You may enter another observation at this point or compare your data to others.

Print this information.
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2007-08 Winners!
Challenge Date Observed Winners
Geese Migrating South 11/7/2007 Ms. Hill's Kindergarteners at Thoreau Elementary
Colored Oak Leaves 10/22/2007 Thoreau 4th graders
Ice in ditches, potholes and birdbaths 11/30/07 Mr. Swift's 1st graders at Lapham
Cardinal at feeder 2/1/08 Ms. Hobart's 5th graders at Lake View
February Thaw 2/10/08 Ms. Vieth's Middle Schoolers at Sennett Middle School
First Robin 3/1/08 Ms. Vieth's Middle Schoolers at Sennett Middle School
Earthworm Surfacing 3/1/08 Ms. Vieth's Middle Schoolers at Sennett Middle School
Squirrel Nest 3/4/08 Ms. Vieth's Middle Schoolers at Sennett Middle School
Animal Tracks 3/5/08 Ms. Feutz's Middle Schoolers at Sennett Middle School
Geese Returning North 3/25/08 Ms. Feutz's Middle Schoolers at Sennett Middle School
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Earth Alive Identities
Teacher School Identity
Andersen Falk Elementary School Falk-4-2
Bach  Stephens Elementary School Stephens-4-1
Bartholow Mendota Elementary School Mendota-4-1
Boyd  Midvale Elementary School Midvale-2-1
Danley Allis Elementary School Allis-2-1
Davis Noah's Ark Prep. School Godislove
Feutz Sennett Middle School FizVie2
Fitzpatrick Allis Elementary School Allis-3-1
Fuller Stephens Elementary School Stephens-4-2
George  Midvale Elementary School Midvale-1-1
Godding Sandburg Elementary School Sandburg-1-1
Greenwalt Falk Elementary School Falk-4-3
Hall Lincoln Elementary School Lincoln-3-1
Hill Thoreau Elementary School Thoreau-K-1
Hobart Lake View Elementary School LakeView-5-1
Hohf Black Hawk Middle School BlackHawk-Music
Ishikawa  Chavez Elementary Chavez-5-1
Kennedy Franklin Elementary School Franklin-1-2
Keith  Muir Elementary School Muir-4-1
Kolashinski Leopold Elementary School Leopold-3-2
Lawrence-Holder  Falk Elementary School Falk-4-1
Lee-Wahl Huegel Elementary School Huegel-4-1
Lenoch  Crestwood Elementary School Crestwood-3-1
Lewandoski  Lake View Elementary School LakeView-1-2
Malloy Midvale Elementary School Midvale-1-2
Muraski Randall Elementary School Randall-3-1
Musser  Lindbergh Elementary School Lindbergh-3-1
Nielsen  Thoreau Elementary School Thoreau-3-1
Nordness  Muir Elementary School Muir-3-1
Palmer  Crestwood Elementary School Crestwood-K-1
Panek Schenk Elementary School Schenk-1-1
Peterson  Franklin Elementary School Franklin-1-1
Peterson Huegel Elementary School Huegel-3-1
Pietz Lapham Elementary School Lapham-2-1
Rueckert  Shorewood Elementary School Shorewood-3-1
Swift Lapham Elementary School Lapham-1-1
Tully  Hawthorne Elementary School Hawthorne-5-1
Vieth Sennett Middle School FizVie
Walsh  Leopold Elementary School Leopold-3-1
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Special Thanks
Nature Net's Earth Alive program is made possible thanks to the generosity of several community contributors, including the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation, American Girl Fund For Children, State Farm Insurance, and the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.
Fund for Children logo Aldo Leopold Nature Center logo State Farm Insurance logo
 
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