Ideas for Phenology Traveling Trunk/Education Kit

Hello all! I have always wanted to create a phenology-focused traveling trunk for use by classroom teachers, informal educators, tabling events, etc. With all of this expertise and experience in one place, I thought this would be a good spot to brainstorm and collect and share ideas. 

Feel free to share ideas across the K-12 spectrum (add grade level or ES/MS/HS) if you want and also funding opportunities you think might be a match. (my email is [email protected])

• Pre-made data visuals (NN Viz tool)for graph interpretation practice - can be scaffolded and focused on different themes that spark discussion around meaning. Provided as digital versions + printed/laminated pdfs. Possible graph/chart themes: 
  • invasive vs native leaf-out
  • latitudinal leaf-out and flowering
  • canopy leaf-out vs forest floor ephemerals
  • tree w/flowers before leaves vs tree w/leaves before flowers
  • monarchs + milkweed
  • oak masting (fruits, ripe fruits or dropped seeds) over different years (+squirrel population)
  • leaf-out (or flowering) of different species within same habitat
  • "model" graphs of basic phenophase cycles - BLB, leaves, flower buds, open flowers, fruits, ripe fruits (and one that switches leaves and flowers)
  • maybe get in touch with Earthwise Aware for some of their beautiful data visuals (esp. insect-plant interactions)
• phenophase/lifecycle interactive card activity 
  • lifecycle overview cards for plants and animals 
  • more specific NN phenophase cards for different species 
• Kinesthetic lesson plan about mismatch between long distance migrant birds and caterpillar emergence
• Nature Journaling 
  • sit spots, sound maps
  • sketching - creative/artsy and/or scientific sketching
  • writing prompts - haikus, questions (if your tree could answer you, what would you ask?)
  • bark and leaf rubbings 
  • Leaf buddies - draw, describe.....then find your leaf or talk w/friend and find their leaf
• solo and group work
  • individual students adopt a plant that they visit (+ record data - varying levels)
  • small groups adopt plants that they visit + record data on and discuss protocols - collaboration, teamwork
  • small groups present to large group or other small groups 
• paint chip activity - matching colors around them 
• create a phenology map of a specific area 
• seasonal phenology wheel - what do you associate with each month? 
• some sort of activities that demonstrate science of the seasons
• Walden Warming Excerpt - mismatch "play" 
• support/directions for setting up a site and collecting data at different app levels - pre-made paper data sheets for different levels too?
• local/regional species ID guides - purchased or created
• Books - phenology/nature observation, etc
  • Spring After Spring: How Rachel Carson Inspired the Environmental Movement, Stephanie Roth Sisson
  • I begin with spring: The Life and Seasons of Henry David Thorea, Julie Dunlap
  • The Reasons for the Seasons, Ellie Peterson 
  • Phenology, Theresa Crimmins
• Research Paper Summaries of Excerpts 
• self-contained phenology research kits - get in touch with speaker/panelist Ava Goodale (Deerfield Acad)

What else!?