Earth Partnership for Schools Summer Institute
Monday, June 4 through Friday, June 8 - at the Dyck Arboretum in Hesston

Learn to engage your students in the process of prairie gardening on school grounds, earn three hours of graduate credit, take home an extensive curriculum, eat good food for a week, and have a fun and meaningful experience at the Dyck Arboretum! This 40-hour institute for school teachers and staff will train you in the award-winning Earth Partnership for Schools (EPS) Program that you can share with your students and colleagues for years to come.
For more information, or to request enrollment materials, contact Brad Guhr at 620-327-8127 or bradg@hesston.edu or visit the Dyck Arboretum website.

Great Plains Ecology for Teachers:
Learning and Teaching Strategies for Great Plains Naturalists
Instructor: Dr. Tom Eddy
Dates: June 4-7 Time: 8:00am-Noon
Course #: 4 different numbers, depending on graduate or undergraduate; 1 or 2 hours credit
Tuition: varies from $197.00 to $722.00 depending on whether you are seeking undergraduate or graduate credit, whether or not you are a Kansas resident, and whether you are seeking one or two hours of credit.  TO REGISTER, visit the Emporia State Unversity website.

   With the GPNC as our base for field expeditions, we will explore South Central Kansas landscapes to identify plants and animals and learn their ecological relationships within the prairie ecosystem.
   An emphasis will be on interpreting prairie ecology to students and the general public. A strong interest in nature is the primary prerequisite for the course.
Schedule of topics:
Monday - Finding the prairie's treasures
Tuesday - From Tilden to Martinez (interpretation in Theory & Practice)
Wednesday - Reading the prairie (a primer)
Thursday - The prairie as a teacher

Water, Water, Everywhere
Instructor: John Richardson
Dates: June 4-5 Time: 9:00am-4:30pm
Course #: SCIE 2270-07
Grade Level: Elem-MS
Tuition: $145.00 Credit: 1  TO REGISTER, visit the Friends University website.

   The availability of an ample, consistent supply of fresh water has a pronounced influence on the flora and fauna of a region. The workshop will focus on the physical characteristics, forms and distribution of water, with an emphasis on the influence of water on life in Kansas and the Wichita area. Related topics will include the water cycle, plate tectonics, air and water currents, climate, and geographic regions. Participants should bring a flash drive or lap top computer for the purpose of downloading the course content and copies of the activities presented. The second day will include a field trip involving some walking.

Bees and Pollination
Instructors: Jim Mason & Michael Leck
Dates: June 12-13 Time: 9:00am-4:30pm
Course #: SCIE 2409-01
Grade Level: Elem-MS
Tuition: $145.00 Credit: 1  TO REGISTER, visit the Friends University website.

   This workshop will review the biology of pollination, five pollinators, and ecological hazards to pollination. Discussion will include management of bees, aids to study bees, and the economic risks that may exist if bee populations are significantly reduced.
$23 material fee due to the instructor the first morning.

Why Here? Not There!
Instructor: John Richardson
Dates: June 18-19 Time: 9:00am-4:30pm
Course #: SCIE 2209-09
Grade Level: Upper Elem-MS
Tuition: $145.00 Credit: 1  TO REGISTER, visit the Friends University website.

   Why do groups of people live where they do? The workshop will focus on social, political, economic and philosophical patterns developed by groups of people in response to life in geographic regions. Participants will examine geographic influences on the Wichita area from the establishment of the city to the present. Related topics will include the solar system, plate tectonics, air and water currents, climate, ecosystems, and geographic regions. Participants should bring a flash drive or lap top computer for the purpose of downloading the course content and copies of the activities presented.

Prehistoric Kansans: Living off the Land
Instructor: Terry Powell
Dates: July 9-10 Time: 9:00am-4:30pm
Course #: SCIE 2402-02
Grade Level: ALL
Tuition: $145.00 Credit: 1  TO REGISTER, visit the Friends University website.

   Imagine that stones become knives and axes; trees become bowls; deer bones become hair ornaments; willow bark becomes string. That was reality for prehistoric Kansans. During this workshop learn about the intersection of prehistoric people and their environment. Try your hand at using prehistoric tools they used for hunting, fishing, cooking, and building houses. In addition, you will make your own tool to take home.