At-Home Instruction

The Garden TOOLS lesson set is an agricultural technology and engineering curriculum designed for use with students in grades 3-5.

The Garden TOOLS program supports students in grades 3-5 to use and program the BBC micro:bit microcontroller to gather data on environmental conditions and create technology-rich solutions to a variety of garden challenges. This FAQ will provide some basic information about the most common questions regarding the BBC micro:bit.

The Garden TOOLS how-to coding guides provide step-by-step instructions on how to program the BBC micro:bit in various ways to gather data in a school garden or other outdoor learning space.

Practicing systems thinking habits can change the way you see the world and influence the actions or decisions you make. This card set from the Water Center for Systems Thinking introduces 14 habits of a systems thinker that you can start practicing today!

Looking for a way to get started with the LOOPY tool? The Systems Thinking for Resilience learning module will provide a short video introduction to systems thinking and a quick LOOPY tutorial to help you start modeling a system that is personally meaningful to you. Participants will be asked to engage in reflective practice as they create a system model that answers the question, "How might a big change send ripple effects through your life and what actions can you take to build or maintain resilience during uncertain times?".

Need a quick start guide before playing the Prairie Protector digital game? Watch the video below to see a quick walk-through tutorial to learn a bit about the game and some useful tips.

This edition of Beyond the Box is another interactive career exploration resource using Museum-in-a-Box technology that focuses on the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Users are able to hear personal stories from UNL faculty and staff about how they found their careers, how they make an impact on the SDGs through their work, and any advice they may have for those who are wanting to find a similar path. 

The Sandhills and other grasslands in the Great Plains are currently threatened by what is being called "the green glacier"-- a slow but steady encroachment of invasive tree species into ecosystems which have traditionally been dominated by grasses and wildflowers. These invasive species not only threaten the habitat of native wildlife but also threaten the livelihood of ranchers who depend on the vast grasslands to feed their livestock. In Prairie Protector, test your skills at defending the High Plains from this threat!