Explore Russell Woods
Connect with your family while you explore the outdoors. As you visit the preserve, try the following resources to guide your conversations.
Talk Tips
Get the conversation started with these strategies.
Age-Appropriate Topics
Connect with your children about outdoor science topics that they may have discussed at school.
Preserve Highlights
Look for unique features of Russell Woods Forest Preserve.
Preserve Information
Learn more about what's available at the preserve.
More Resources
Check out extra resources for identifying plants and animals.
About the Website
This website was developed by the FIELD Trip Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, led by Dr. Catherine Dornfeld Tissenbaum. Catherine's goal is to help families talk about science in out-of-school spaces. She is researching how families use this website toward that goal. You can access the study flyer here and the consent/assent forms here. Catherine can be contacted at catdoti@illinois.edu.
The suggestions on this website are based on the following resources:
- "Enhancing building, conversation, and learning through caregiver–child interactions in a children’s museum" by N. Benjamin, C. A. Haden, & E. Wilkerson. Published in Developmental Psychology. Link to article
- "Shared scientific thinking in everyday parent‐child activity" by K. Crowley, M. A. Callanan, J. L. Jipson, J. Galco, K. Topping, & J. Shrager. Published in Science Education. Link to article
- "From living to virtual: Learning from museum objects" by C. Eberbach & K. Crowley. Published in Curator: The Museum Journal. Link to article
- "Facilitating family group inquiry at science museum exhibits" by J. P. Gutwill & S. Allen. Published in Science Education. Link to article
- "Conversation and object manipulation influence children's learning in a museum" by E. A. Jant, C. A. Haden, D. H. Uttal, & E. Babcock. Published in Child Development. Link to article
- "Babbling brook: A visit to Russell Woods Forest Preserve, DeKalb County" by J. Johnson. Published online by The Conservation Foundation. Link to article
- "10 tips to support children's science learning" by Y-C Lan. Published online by NAEYC. Link to article