A Forest Preserve District expert will meet your students via a 30-minute online session to explore their questions. Questions should be prepared in advance of the session. Ask an Expert requests require a three-week advance reservation and have no fee.

Academic Year
Monday – Friday

View the available areas of expertise. Then, click the green button to request a 30-minute Ask an Expert session.  Do you have a topic that requires expert advice but don't see it here? Note it on the request form and we will do our best to accommodate.

Topics
Aquatic Invasive Species
Climate Change
Endangered & Threatened Species
Farm Heritage
Geology
Habitat Restoration
Honeybees
Invasive Species
Issues Facing Aquatic Wildlife
Issues Facing Local Wildlife
Mammoths & Mastodons
Maple Syrup
Native Plants
Pollinators
Water

Forest Preserve experts will meet your students during your online career day/fair event. After a brief presentation, students can ask questions and learn about the different career opportunities at the Forest Preserve District. This thirty-minute online program is for 10 – 30 students and has no fee.

Academic Year
Monday – Friday

Careers
Ecologist
Farming
Forest Preserve Ranger
History & Museum
Naturalist
Natural Resources Management
Outdoors STEM Careers
Wildlife Rehabilitation

Students explore the role of water and what plants need to grow; learn what lambs need to grow and develop; learn how honeybees help pollinate our crops; investigate how food is produced and how transportation changed how people are supplied with food; and learn how farmers changed the land to grow food more efficiently. This forty-five minute online program is for 10 – 30 students. $1 per student.

Academic Year
Monday – Friday

Standards Explored
Common Core
ELA/Literacy

•  SL.2.1 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• SL.2.3 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• SL.3.1 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• SL.3.3 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration

Social Studies

• SS.H.1.2 History: Change, Continuity, and Context
• SS.EC.1.3 Economics and Financial Literacy: Economic Decision Making
• SS.G.2.3 Geography: Human-Environment Interaction: Place, Regions, and Culture
• SS.EC.3.2 Economics and Financial Literacy: Exchange and Markets
• SS.G.3.2 Geography: Human Population
• SS.G.3.3 Geography: Global Interconnections 

NGSS

• 2-LS2.A Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
• 3-LS1.B Growth and Development of Organisms
• 3-LS3.B Variation of Traits

Pre-Activity Sheets
Suggested Reading List (PDF)
Baby Farm Animals (PDF)
Vocabulary List (PDF)

Students are introduced to the scientific concept that animals are grouped by shared characteristics. This program focuses on reptiles and how they differ from other terrestrial vertebrates through activities, discussions, and presentation of live reptiles. This forty-five minute online program is for 10 – 30 students. $1 per student.

Academic Year
Monday – Friday

Standards Explored
Common Core
ELA/Literacy

• SL.2.1 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• SL.2.3 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• SL.3.1 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• SL.3.3 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration

NGSS

• 2-LS4-1 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
• 3-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
• 3-LS4-2 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
• 3-LS4-3 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Loan Box Links
Illinois' Amphibians and Reptiles

Pre-Activity Sheets
Reptile Groups (PDF)
Vocabulary List (PDF)
Suggested Reading List (PDF)

Students explore the characteristics that make a raptor different from other birds and identify the different groups of raptors. While examining real biofacts such as skulls, wings and feet, students learn about the adaptations these birds have to help them in their role in the food chain. This one-hour online program is for 10 – 30 students. $1 per student.

Academic Year
Monday – Friday

Standards Explored
Common Core
ELA/Literacy

• RI.4.1 Reading Standards For Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
• RI.4.2 Reading Standards For Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
• SL.4.1 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• SL.4.3 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• L.4.6 Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
• RI.5.1 Reading Standards For Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
• RI.5.2 Reading Standards For Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details
• SL.5.1 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• SL.5.2 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• SL.5.3 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration

NGSS

• 4-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Loan Box Links
Feathers
Owls

Pre-Activity Sheets
Crossword (PDF)
Vocabulary List (PDF)
Suggested Reading List (PDF)

Students discover what factors have led to the decline in Blanding's turtle populations, then explore the different management techniques that have gone into the recovery effort of this endangered species. This one-hour online program is for 10 – 30 students. $1 per student.

Academic Year
Monday – Friday

Standards Met
Common Core

• SL.9-10.1 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration
• SL.11-12.1 Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration

NGSS

• HS-LS2-2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
• HS-LS2-7 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
• HS-LS2-8 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
• HS-LS4-5 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Loan Box Links

Illinois' Amphibians and Reptiles

Students investigate and discuss crucial changes in farming technology over the past 125 years including transportation, expanding markets, the development of agri-business, and modern issues such as genetic engineering, feed additives, consumer safety, and environmental effects. This one-hour online program is for 10 – 30 students. $1 per student.

Academic Year
Monday – Friday

Standards Explored
Common Core
Social Studies Standards

• SS.G.3.9-12 Geography: Human Population
• SS.G.6.9-12 Geography: Geographic Representations, Human-Environment Interaction, Population
• SS.G.8.9-12 Geography: Geographic Representations, Human-Environment Interaction, Population
• SS.EC.8.9-12 Economics and Financial Literacy: National and Global Economy
• SS.H.4.9-12 History: Perspectives

NGSS

• HS-LS2-7 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Pre-Activity Sheets
Vocabulary List (PDF)

Students discover what factors have led to the decline in Blanding's turtle populations, then explore the different management techniques that have gone into the recovery effort of this endangered species. This ninety-minute online program is for 10 – 30 students. $1 per student.

Academic Year
Monday – Friday

Loan Box Links
Illinois Amphibians and Reptiles