Teacher Rebecca Burdett has shared through Teaching the Hudson Valley a lesson plan for grades 1-2 on native peoples of the Hudson Valley. The lesson plan gives students a glimpse into the lives of the first peoples who lived on the banks of the Hudson River. Through site visits, readings, and in-class activities, children are encouraged to formulate an idea of what life was like for children and families living near the Hudson River before the first contact with European explorers and settlers.

Please see the local history of Native Americans on the School Forest History page. Additionally, it may be useful to incorporate Daniel Wolff's booklet A Glimpse of the Lenape: The Night Before. And, it may be interesting to show the film produced by Riverkeeper, The First People of the River​. You may view the film below.

Burdett, Rebecca. "Lesson Plan Summary: Native Peoples of the Hudson Valley." Teaching the Hudson Valley. Teaching the Hudson Valley, n.d. Web. 6 April 2016.
Wolff, Daniel. A Glimpse of the Lenape: The Night Before. New York: The Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Foundation and Riverkeeper, Inc., 2009. Web. 6 April 2016.
Riverkeeper. "The First People of the River — Part 1 of 7." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 8 July 2009. Web. 6 April 2016.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation offers ELA lesson plans for grades K-3 that involve study of the Hudson River. Students will practice English language arts skills by listening to or reading short articles, then engage in activities that reinforce content and practice other skills.

Lessons include:

• Growing Up as a Dragonfly
• Growing Up as an American eel
• Growing Up as a Striped Bass/How Big? How Old?
• Hogchoker Hunt/Camouflage Hunt
• What Do Animals Need to Stay Alive? HABITAT!
• What Do Animals Need to Stay Alive? FOOD!

"Hudson River Lessons for Kindergarten Through Third Grade." New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. New York State Department of Environmental Education, n.d. Web. 6 April 2016.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation offers a wide variety of K-3 lesson plans that address the following themes:

• Animals — These lesson plans encompass amphibians, birds, fish, insects, mammals and reptiles with instruction across multiple disciplines.
• Nature Study — These lessons incorporate multiple subject disciplines as an aid in exploring, discovering, and observing nature.
• Soils — These lesson plans focus on the composition, properties and conservation of this important resource.
• Water — These lessons examine wildlife within aquatic ecosystems.

"Grades PreK-3 Lesson Plans." New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, n.d. Web. 6 April 2016.

The North American Association for Environmental Education produced Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence in 2010. The publication provides guidelines for developmentally appropriate environmental education activities for young children. Along with health and safety considerations, the guidelines discuss child-directed, inquiry-based programming planned with the whole child in mind. The guidelines address the benefits of outdoor play for children, along with the role of adults in fostering outdoor play. NAAEE recommends a curricular framework fosters growth and development across social-emotional, cognitive, physical, and language domains. Programs that engage all five senses, motor development, math, and music are recommended, along with programs that encourage observation, invite curiosity, and help children to develop a sense of place.

North American Association for Environmental Education. Guidelines for Excellence in Early Childhood EE Programs. Washington, DC: North American Association for Environmental Education, 2010. Web. 6 April 2016.