Educator Resources

Teacher Totes

Can’t make it to the parks? No worries – bring park activities to you! Specifically designed with state standards and nature fun in mind, we currently have two great options for you to choose from! Any educator in Portage County is able to reserve these free-to-borrow totes, which contain engaging activities, the materials needed to complete them, student worksheets, and more.

  • Ecology Tote
    • This tote is packed with activities that will allow students to explore the natural resources of Portage County. All activities have been aligned with the 7th grade life science standards.
    • Activities include:
      • Energy transfer stations
        • Students will travel through a local food chain in the form of energy being transferred between organisms. After analyzing their travels, students will have an opportunity to write a creative narrative about their adventure. 
      • Symbiotic relationships recall
        • This is an ecological twist on an old memory game! Students flip cards, using descriptions to match organisms paired in a symbiotic relationship. 
      • Web of Life
        • Students become part of the food web as they take on the role of an organism in a meadow habitat. Passing a string from producers to consumers, students watch the energy move up the tropic levels and create a 3D food web. 
      • Oh Deer!
        • Modified from the Project WILD activity, students become deer in search of habitat components necessary for survival. We've taken the simulation game and turned it into a card game. 
      • Stream Quality Monitoring. 
        • Macroinvertebrates are great indicators of the health of our water systems. Students will analyze data to identify problems and generate solutions to improve the health of a local stream. 
      • aquatic habitats lab, healthy soil lab, and more! 
  • Geology Tote
    • Kent State University geology students from Dr. Schweitzer’s lab have created an exceptional tote perfectly aligned with 6th grade Earth and Space standards. The kits contain examples of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, fossils, and hands-on labs that will help students learn about Ohio’s geology! We are grateful to the KSU Geology Students and Dr. Schweitzer for sharing their time, creativity, and expertise in creating another tote to benefit Portage County learners! 
    • The tote includes:
      • activities on how to identify rocks and minerals complete with rock samples, dichotomous keys, and teacher notes.
      • experiments on weathering and erosion, lake effect snow, sediment deposition, crystals, glaciers, and density with worksheets and associated MSDS.
      • a fossil kit and 3D printed Dunkleosteus terrelli - Ohio's state fossil fish!
      • crossword puzzles and word searches 
      • resources and maps from the Ohio Geological Survey to extend your learning!   

The Portage Park District Education Team loves sharing nature education, and these totes allow us to extend our reach when we are not able to be there in person. We’d love to see these totes used in all educational settings. If you are a classroom teacher, home school group, 4H advisor, or any other type of educator and you are interested in this resource, then click this link to request a teacher tote! 

Bring your students to the park! 

What better way to learn about Portage County’s natural resources and ecology than by visiting the parks? Teachers are encouraged to contact the Park District to set up a visit. We will meet you at the park of your choosing for a one-hour program that is jam-packed with nature education and fun activities. We can cover any nature or environmental science topic or align it to specific standards you’d like to reinforce.  

If interested, please email hstoneberg@portageparkdistrict.org to schedule your visit!