Naturally Illinois Science Box
The Naturally Illinois Science Box was developed by the Prairie Research Institute outreach and education team as a tool to help students learn about the work of the five Illinois State Scientific Surveys which make up the Prairie Research Institute. The box is named after our annual Naturally Illinois Expo, which takes place each March, and includes a variety of books for all age levels as well as hands-on activities that showcase the wide range of scientific research conducted by our scientists. Bring a little bit of our Expo into to your home, classroom, scout troop, 4H club, or other group year round!
Activities
- Geology: What does a geologist do? Describe Illinois minerals and learn how and where they were formed.
- Archaeology: Be an archaeologist. Create a scenario to explain the artifacts.
- Natural History: Think like a naturalist. How do insect adaptations help them survive?
- Water: Study our climate. Make a rain gauge out of everyday items and measure the rainfall.
- Technology: Raw materials that create your electronic devices: where do they come from?
Books
- DeWitt, Lynda. What Will the Weather Be? Harper Collins, 1993.
- Furgang, Kathy. National Geographic Kids Everything Weather: Facts, Photos, and Fun that Will Blow You Away. Paw Prints, 2012.
- Gibbons, Gail. Recycle!: A Handbook for Kids. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 1996.
- Illinois Association for Advancement of Archaeology & Illinois Archaeological Survey. Discover Illinois Archaeology. 2009.
- Illinois Association for the Advancement of Archaeology. Illinois Contested Lands: Archaeology of the War of 1812. Special Issue of Illinois Antiquity, September 2012.
- Illinois Association for the Advancement of Archaeology. Living off the Land: Hunting, Harvesting, Horticulture. Special Issue of Illinois Antiquity,, September 2010.
- Inches, Alison. The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle. Bt Bound, 2009.
- Inches, Alison. The Adventures of an Aluminum Can. Bt Bound, 2009.
- Leslie, Clare Walker. The Nature Connection: an Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms. Storey, 2010.
- Montez, Michele and Lorraine Bodger. The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Andrews McMeel Pub., 2009.
- Slavin, Bill. Transformed: How Everyday Things Are Made. Kids Can Press, 2005.
To reserve the Naturally Illinois Science Box, contact the Prairie Research Institute Library (217-333-6892, email).
The Naturally Illinois Science Box can be picked up and returned to the Prairie Research Institute Library.
