OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today a new kindergarten curriculum centered around “Many Places, Many Lives,” an illustrated poetry collection that introduces students to wildlife of Washington and the habitats where they live.

This new lesson bundle is part of the Department's Wild Washington curricula: standards-based unit plans designed for kindergarten, first, second, third, and seventh grade, with options to adapt the content for other grades.

“Our goal is to help teachers by providing easy-to-teach units and lesson plans that capitalize on students’ interests,” said Autumn Eckenrod, WDFW’s Conservation Education Curriculum Coordinator. “These unit plans connect students with Washington’s wildlife and ecosystems, while helping teachers develop the next generation of wildlife stewards.”  

Throughout the new interdisciplinary unit, students explore the needs of living things and investigate how habitats provide the resources needed for survival. The unit includes opportunities for students to apply their own experiences to better understand the relationship between living things and the places they call home. The unit aligns with science standards and updated priority English Language Arts standards while providing developmentally appropriate opportunities for collaboration, literacy, and creative expression.

The free illustrated poetry collection is available for download from WDFW’s website. Schools interested in a printed copy can complete WDFW’s online request form.  More information about the new unit, and other free lesson bundles, is available on WDFW’s Wild Washington webpage.

WDFW also continues to offer virtual professional development sessions for teachers across Washington, with a session focused on “Many Places, Many Lives” in development for November 2026. WDFW partners with Pacific Education Institute (PEI) to offer clock hours for professional development workshops, with over 300 educators already participating. Refer to WDFW’s events webpage to keep an eye out for upcoming trainings and how to register.

WDFW encourages teachers interested in bringing Wild Washington curriculum to their school district to talk with their school administrators. Parents interested in bringing the curriculum to their child’s classroom or school district should talk with their child’s teacher.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.