DRI’s Green Boxes

What are Green Boxes?

Green Boxes are traveling teaching kits that encompass instructional material focusing on applied science, 21^st century technology, environmental science and STEM topic areas. Each kit provides educators with detailed lesson plans, consumable and non-consumable materials and a variety of teaching aids (e.g. worksheets, game pieces, etc.).

What is a Green Box?

Who are Green Boxes for?

Green Boxes are for any PreK-12 educator within Nevada, including those affiliated with informal education groups or homeschool organizations. During the academic year, priority will be given to schools within a Nevada school district (i.e WCSD, CCSD, etc.). Please note that we are unable to accommodate any Green Box request that will serve less than ten students.

How can I reserve a Green Box today?

Visit our Reserve a Green Box page to register for the box of your choice. Our inventory is organized by grade band to make navigation a breeze. Once you find the kit that works for you, select the “Book Now” option. You’ll be directed to a brief registration form that should take no more than five minutes to complete. You should receive an email confirming your reservation. We have four predefined terms during which you will have use of the kit. Check this Green Boxes web page to find current dates. Once the box is reserved, you will get a confirmation email.

There are no Green Boxes available. What can I do?

Green Boxes are available to reserve on a first-come, first-serve basis per term. We regularly release new boxes or will have someone cancel a box. Please sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook to be notified of availability.

What can I expect to find in a Green Box?

All units come with a curriculum binder, a USB stick with all of the worksheets and teaching aids, and instructions on how to return the unit. Each box will have different consumable and non-consumable items. These range from books, cameras, GPS units, balances, microscopes and other scientific items to paper, glue, and teaching aids like pictures and games.

What can I expect to find in a Green Box?

How is a non-consumable item different from a consumable item?

A non-consumable item is something that an educator will need to perform the lesson, but once it is used it can be used again. Examples of a non-consumable items are: books, sand, scales, some cups, markers, crayons, glue.

• A consumable item is something that an educator will need to perform the lesson, but once it is used it cannot be used again. Examples of consumable items are: plastic wrap, paper, candy, baking soda.
• There are some items that are both consumable and non-consumable. Chalk can be used many times, but will eventually no longer be usable. Plastic cups can be dried and returned to us.
• If an item isn’t used or broken, please send it back to us.

Some of the items in the Green Box I recieved are missing or broken. What can I do?

Items can get damaged during shipment or inadvertently lost/broken in the classroom. Not to worry! Please help us prepare to replace these items by filling out the comments form and let us know so that we can order more.

If you are missing items, it may be because those items are something that cannot be shipped. You will have to come to our campus and pick up those items. Please check the materials list in the curriculum and contact us if you need to come pick up those items.

Do the Green Boxes support any standards?

Yes! All of our Green Box units can support teachers in their implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). With feedback gathered from teachers and education specialists across the state, we are currently modifying several of our instructional units to be more in line with NGSS.

Can I get training on these boxes?

The STEM Education Program does not provide specific training on individual boxes, but our workshops and trainings will usually incorporate part of one unit. These trainings rotate on a regular basis, please check out the Training tab to find out about upcoming opportunities.

How are Green Boxes made?

How is a Green Box created?

To leave an evaluation of the effectiveness of the STEM Education Program’s Green Box program, please continue to our evaluation form.