Welcome to Natural Inquirer
Established in 1998, the Natural Inquirer program is a well-respected national science education program supported by the USDA Forest Service and other partners. We create free science outreach products for students from kindergarten to 12th grade with the goal of inspiring the next generation of natural resource scientists. We also create materials for general audiences to help share research being conducted in the nation’s forests.
Program Highlights
- Aligns to National Education Standards (NGSS, Common Core, National Social Studies Standards)
- Based on peer-reviewed research
- Contains reflection sections to enhance reading comprehension
- Reviewed by scientists for scientific accuracy and by students for ease of comprehension
- Supports career outreach with “Meet the Scientist” sections and Collector cards
- Provides lesson plans and activities for educators
- Includes correlations to Project Learning Tree and GLOBE
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Upper Elementary Products
View Upper Elementary Educator GuideNSI: Nature Science Investigator
Investi-gator Series
Career Activity Sheets -
Middle & High School Products
View Middle-High School Educator GuideNatural Inquirer journals and monographs
Scientist Videos
Other Educational Products
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Lesson Plans
A wide variety of FREE lesson plans are available, ranging from article-specific to generally applicable. These can be searched by grade level, topic, and duration.View Lesson Plans -
Activities
We've created free activities to complement Natural Inquirer products, ranging from hands-on activities to coloring pages and word games.View Activities -
Blogs
We've authored a variety of blogs covering different topics and ideas for using the Natural Inquirer materials.View Blog Post -
Virtual Learning Adventures
Check out the FSNatureLIVE series of virtual learning adventures. These videos are perfect for upper elementary to high school students. Topics include freshwater, ecosystems, the health benefits of nature, and more.View Virtual Learning Adventures -
Learning Modules
Browse learning modules on topics like Smokey Bear, invasive species, and more. Ready-made units include step-by-step lesson plans, articles, video clips, and activities. Use part of a module in your own unit plans or follow along with the complete module.View Learning Modules -
Design Your Own Study
Are you planning a study or working on a science fair project? Check out these videos from Forest Service scientists. In them, scientists discuss their research projects while also giving tips and tricks on developing and executing a research study. We have also created a lesson plan and graphic organizer to pair with these resources.View Designing Your Own Study Resources -
Spanish Resources
Natural Inquirer has a wealth of Spanish educational materials available for students from PreK to 12th grade. These products are free to download or order, along with their English counterparts.View Spanish Resources -
Experimental Forests and Ranges
In 1908, the Forest Service established a system of experimental forests and ranges (EFRs) to be set aside for environmental research. Browse articles and spotlights on these unique research locations and learn more about the science being done there.View Experimental Forests and Ranges Resources -
Artemis Moon Trees
NASA and the USDA Forest Service partnered to send tree seeds to space on Artemis I and bring STEM education that connects Artemis I programming to Earth science, conservation education, data literacy, and citizen science to educators and youth nationwide. Seeds that orbited the Moon were germinated by the Forest Service, and some of them are being planted across the country now!View Artemis Moon Trees Resources -
Smokey Bear
Since 1944, Smokey Bear has protected America’s forests from unwanted, human-caused fire. His message of wildfire prevention is the center of the longest running public service advertising campaign in our Nation’s history. Check out the Natural Inquirer Smokey Bear resource page for more information.View Smokey Bear Resources -
Woodsy Owl
As America’s original and official environmental icon, Woodsy has been an anti-pollution symbol, teaching us to “Give a Hoot; Don’t Pollute!” since his creation in 1971. Woodsy helps teachers and parents inspire children to care actively for the environment. Check out the Natural Inquirer resources involving Woodsy Owl on the Woodsy Owl resource page.View Woodsy Owl Resources -
Scientists & Collaborators
We feature the work of a huge variety of scientists, engineers, and other collaborators in our publications. Browse their profiles here and learn more about their careers, research and projects, and more. Search profiles by topic or browse the list by career.View Collaborator Profiles