Educator Resources

  1. Ward Museum
  2. Learn & Explore
  3. Education
  4. Educator Resources

Growing Up WILD and Flying WILD kits terms of use:

• Kits are available to trained Growing Up WILD educators or facilitators only
• Kits can be borrowed for a maximum of two weeks at a time
• More than one kit may be borrowed at the same time
• You are responsible for timely pickup and return
• If more than one educator uses the kit(s) at one site, the teacher that signed the kit(s) out is responsible for the condition and return of the kit(s)
• If an item is missing and/or damaged upon pickup please verify this with the Ward Museum’s Education Department before Kit leaves the Museum
• You are responsible for replacing lost or broken materials

All educators who borrow a kit must complete, sign and bring in a Contract provided by the Ward Museum’s Education Department to ensure all educators understand the terms of use.

Please contact the Ward Museum’s Education Department to check out kits. Call 410-742-4988 or email wardeducation@salisbury.edu for more information.

Growing Up WILD Kits:

The Ward Museum now offers 9 Growing Up WILD educator kits, each filled with materials that support a few chosen activities out of the Growing Up WILD curriculum guides. Use of the kits is Free of charge! The kits are available for two weeks at a time and can only be checked out to trained Growing Up WILD educators or facilitators. Please read the Terms of Use at the top of this page for the Contract and other details about borrowing these wonderful toolkits.

Flying WILD Kits:

The Ward Museum now offers 6 Flying WILD Educator Kits, each filled with material that supports an activity from the Flying WILD guide. The kits are available for two weeks at a time to trained Flying WILD educators for no cost. After borrowing a Flying WILD Educator Kit we ask that you fill out our evaluation survey so we can better accommodate your needs.

Growing Up WILD kits Include:

  • A copy of the Growing Up WILD curriculum guide
  • Approximately six age appropriate books that highlight the lessons theme
  • Materials needed to perform some activities chosen from the lessons
  • Binders with all copy and take-home pages as well as other resources
  • Wild Wonderful Word flash cards

Here is a sneak peak at what materials are in the kits. For a full list of kit materials just click the name of lesson.

The Flying WILD kits include:

  • ALL materials needed to perform a Flying WILD activity
  • Directions for each activity
  • Flying WILD Student Pages on a CD
  • A wheelbase plastic container for easy transport
  • Copy of Bird Sleuth Game Cards

Kit #1: Spider Web Wonders
Objective: Children learn about spiders and spider webs.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Spider Replicas
  • Spider Finger Puppet
  • Bug Replicas (show spider prey)
  • Bug Boxes
  • Magnifying glasses
  • Craft Materials for making spiders and spider webs

Kit #2: Looking At Leaves
Objective: Children practice their observation skills by comparing leaves.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Tote Bag
  • Magnifying glasses
  • Big Magnifying Tri-Lenses
  • Leaf Rubbing Plates
  • Leaf and Seed Displays
  • Craft materials to make leaf rubbings

Kit #3: The Deep Blue Sea
Objective: Children develop an awareness of oceans and ocean life.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Shell Collection & Star Fish
  • Sea Otter Puppet
  • Ocean Game Cards
  • Inflatable Globe
  • Craft materials to paint and make sea life art

Kit #4: Who Lives In A Tree
Objective: Children develop an awareness of trees and some of the animals that call them “home”.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Felt Tree & Pieces
  • Magnifying glasses
  • Tree Animal Puppets
  • Tree Animal Figurines
  • Tree Blocks
  • Craft Materials for building nests

Kit #5: Fishing Fun!
Objective: Children engage in a fishing game and learn about fish.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Fishing Pole
  • Fish with Magnets
  • Lures
  • Tackle Box
  • Fish for Printing
  • Craft materials to fish print

Kit #6: Tracks!
Objective: Children explore animal tracks and make and compare tracks of their own.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Track Plates
  • Track Stamps & Pads
  • Animal Puppets
  • Animal Figurines
  • Craft materials to make tracks

Kit #7: Grow As We Go
Objective: Children explore the life cycles of familiar wildlife and understand that living things grow and change.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Inflatable Frog Life Stages
  • Butterfly Life Stages Figurines
  • Hole Puncher
  • Craft materials to make butterfly chrysalis and butterflies

Kit #8: Bird Beak Buffet
Objective: Children learn about the special functions of bird beaks.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Replicas of Bird Skulls
  • Parrot Finger Puppet
  • Beak Tools: Baster, pliers, craft sticks, tongs
  • Bird Model Food: Glass Jar (humming bird), Styrofoam Piece (Fish), Rubber Worms, Beads
  • Craft materials to create your own bird

Kit #9: Owl Pellets
Objective: Children dissect owl pellets and learn what owls eat.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Owl Pellets
  • Animal Tubes
  • Bone and Pellet Display
  • Owl Head Replica
  • Owl Puppet
  • Craft materials to build owls

Kit #1: Bird Behavior Scavenger Hunt
Objective: Students will learn to identify different behavior patterns of birds and explain their function.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Field Guides & Beginner Field Guides including one in Spanish
  • Notebooks
  • Pencils
  • Binoculars

Kit #2: Adaptation Artistry
Objective: Students will be able to identify and describe the advantages of bird adaptations and discuss the importance of adaptations to birds.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Build-A-Bird and Adaptation Chart worksheet copies
  • Drawing supplies
  • Painting supplies
  • Clay sculpture
  • Paper mache supplies
  • Construction paper and glue
  • Pipe cleaners, feathers
  • Birds: Nature’s Magnificent Flying Machines by: Caroline Arnold

Kit #3: The Great Migration Challenge
Objective: Students and/or festival participants will define migration and summarize factors affecting migration for many bird species.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Migration activity results chart
  • Laminated activity cards
  • Large dice
  • Flagging
  • Scissors/ hole puncher
  • Stakes
  • How Do Birds Find Their Way? by Roma Gans

Kit #4: Fill the Bill
Objective: Students and/or festival participants will discover that bird beaks are adapted for specific types of food; describe how adaptations work; and give two examples.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Fill the Bill worksheets
  • Pencils
  • Eyedroppers, chopsticks and nutcrackers
  • Large slotted spoons and saucepan
  • Strainer and small fishnets
  • Tweezers and tongs
  • Small log
  • Containers and a tall, narrow vase
  • Fake worms
  • Dried macaroni and rice
  • String
  • BEAKS! by Sneed B. Collard
  • Bird Skull Replicas

Kit #5: Bird Olympics
bjective: Students and/or festival participants will describe the physical attributes of birds that help them fly, find food, and migrate long distances.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Laminated station pages and 20-yard dash conversion chart
  • Clipboards, paper and pencils
  • Tape measures
  • Stopwatch for multiple leaders
  • Orange stake flags
  • Film canisters containing scented items
  • Calculators
  • BONUS PRIZES INCLUDED

Kit #6: Food for the Brood
Obective: This relay race gets participants up and running as they gain an appreciation for the parent’s seemingly impossible task of satisfying the appetites of their impatient nestlings.
Kit Materials Include:

  • Banners
  • Flamingo straws
  • Plastic cups
  • Buckets
  • Timers
  • Notebooks
  • Fake worms
  • A Nest Full of Eggs by Priscilla Belz Jenkins
  • An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Aston & Sylvia Long
  • Egg Replicas