The Arizona Game and Fish Department is pleased to be offering two FREE teacher professional development opportunities over the winter break. Both take place in north Phoenix and last 4 hours. So, if you are looking for some exciting learning opportunities or you just want to get out of the house, check out the information below.

Building Literacy with Wildlife, Monday, December 30, 9am-1pm

Join us for an engaging, hands-on workshop that will introduce educators to practical techniques and ideas to integrate reading and writing into science instruction, with an emphasis on wildlife. Both fiction and non-fiction readings will be used to engage participants. In addition, a variety of science writing skills will be covered. Activities are designed for a wide range of grade levels. For more information and to register, visit http://bit.ly/AZGFDLiteracyWorkshop.

History of Wildlife Management, Friday, January 3, 9am-1pm

The struggle to preserve America's wildlife is an amazing tale of national and natural history. It is a story of what we can accomplish when we work together toward a common goal. And it provides an engaging context to integrate science, language arts and American history in the classroom. We will introduce a brief history of wildlife conservation in North America and explore unique ways to bring this story to your students. Participants will learn how national figures such as Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir, Gifford Pinchot and Aldo Leopold shaped wildlife conservation as well as the impact of local explorers and scientists within Arizona. For more information and to register, visit http://bit.ly/AZGFDWildlifeHistoryWorkshop.