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Photo of young boy examining insect in jar while on eco-hike

BEEP PSR Georgia

Kindergarten

Program Theme: Jr. Explorers

Lab Study: Earth Materials Investigation
Field Study: Life Cycles Detectives
Eco-Hike: Animal Detectives Hike

A hands-on lab activity will focus on making predictions, observing, and sorting with everyday materials. An eco-hike will involve the students in the exploration of the natural world while looking for clues left behind by Mother Nature. Another outdoor experience will take them on a scavenger hunt to find “life cycle clues” to an animal they are tracking!

GA Science Standards of Excellence: SKE2.b, SKE2.c, SKP1.a, SKP1.c

Program Theme: “Good-Natured” Detectives

Lab Study: Critter Taxidermy
Field Study: Nature Observers 
Eco-Hike: Scavenger Hunt

Students will go on a hike to observe the wonders of nature and the world around them. While on the hike, students will collect items to be used in their Field Study lesson where they will use scientific tools to observe, measure, and sort their collected items. In the Lab Study, students will discover how their items are used by critters and people in their daily lives.

GA Science Standards of Excellence: SCE2.C, SCP1.A, SCP1.B, SCP1.C, SCL1.A, SCL1.B, SCL2.A, SCL2.C


First Grade

Program Theme: Here we GROW Again!

Lab Study: Our Leafy Friends
Field Study: Soil Investigators
Eco-Hike: Adventures with Stickman

Students will learn just how important soil is to plant life in this soil and plant combination program! Students will use science process skills and tools to discover different earth materials that make up what we call dirt, and conduct investigations to determine how water affects the land. A study that includes sorting plant parts, seed dissection, and using microscopes will help students understand the relationships between soil and plants. They will go on an adventure with Stickman and make some great observations of the world around them!

GA Science Standards of Excellence: S1L1a, S1L1b, S1L1c

Program Theme: Green Things

Lab Study: Our Leafy Friends
Field Study: Adopt-a Tree
Eco-Hike: Adventures with Stickman

Students will dive headfirst into all that is green and blooming! Through observation, investigation, and experimentation, students will gain a better understanding of the structures, functions, and life cycles of plants. Students will “adopt” their very own tree, using technology and measurement tools to make observations! They will go on an adventure with Stickman and make some great observations of the world around them!

GA Science Standards of Excellence: S1L1a, S1L1b, Math: MGSE1.MD.1, MGSE1.MD.2, MGSE1.G.1

Program Theme: Mother Nature’s Math

Lab Study: Gee, I’m a Tree!
Field Study: Enviro-Math
Eco-Hike: Follow the Math Trail

Using natural objects, students will explore basic geometry, measurement, and number concepts while honing their skills in engineering, observing, and classifying! The students will participate in an immersive nature hike that will open their eyes to math in the real-world.

SC Science Performance Indicators: 1.MDA.1/1.MDA.2


Second Grade

Program Theme: Life Cycling

Lab Study: Plant Power!
Field Study: Life Cycle Detectives
Eco-Hike: Bingo Scavenger Hunt

Students will learn the amazing engineering behind seed dispersal and pollination! They will plant their own seeds to take back to school as an ongoing science experiment. Students will discover how living things miraculously cycle through life, beginning with a scavenger hunt, and then collaborate with a hands-on classifying and sequencing activity to determine the life cycle of a mystery organism. A life cycle hike will enhance understanding and appreciation for the uniqueness of each organism’s life journey! 

GA Science Standards of Excellence: S2L1a, S2L1b, S2L1c

Program Theme: Arthropod Adventure & Pollinator Parade

Lab Study: Pill Bugs vs Butterflies
Field Study: Migration Game
Eco-Hike: Arthropod Hunt

Get up close and personal with insects and other arthropods! Students will participate in a pill bug investigation, play a pollinator game as they learn about monarch migration, and collect creepy crawlies on an eco-hike.

GA Science Standards of Excellence: S2L1.a, S2L1.b, S2L1.c


Third Grade

Program Theme: Earth Beneath Our Feet

Lab Study: CSI: Soil
Field Study: Archaeology Dig
Exploration: Soil Investigators

There is so much going on just below our feet! Investigations of soil types and properties will be used to help students solve a mystery of a missing bike in our CSI lab study. Students will participate in an archaeology adventure to collect artifacts and piece together past lives. As soil investigators, students will use science process skills and tools to discover different earth materials that make up what we call dirt, and conduct investigations to determine how water affects the land.

GA Standards of Excellence: S3E1b, S3E1c

Program Theme: Feathered Friends

Lab Study: Feathered Taxidermy
Field Study: Bird Beak Buffet (Game)
Eco-Hike: Evidence of Birds Hike

Students will enter the fantastic world of our feathered friends found right here in their own backyards! Through careful observations of taxidermy birds, students will infer behavior, diet, and habitat based on their body structures. Next, students will use models to investigate how different bird beaks help them survive. This wildlife adventure will conclude with students going where the birds go; becoming animal detectives hunting for birds and the clues they leave in the forest.

GA Science Standards of Excellence: S3L1a, S3L1b, S3L1c

Program Theme: Engineering Insects

Lab Study: Ninja Skills Unlimited
Field Study: Build-A-Bug
Eco-Hike: Insect Hunt

Students will investigate the ninja skills of insects and discover how to compare them to their own abilities. They will learn about the anatomy of an insect and special characteristics of certain insects. Students will then go on a scavenger hunt to gather materials to engineer their own anatomically correct insect. During the eco-hike, students will have their own exploration time with nets, collection containers, and guidebooks!

GA Science Standards of Excellence: S3L1.b, S3L1.c


Fifth Grade

Program Theme: Dazzling Diversity

Lab Study: Critter Taxidermy
Field Study: Animal Detectives
Eco-Hike: BINGO Scavenger Hunt

Students will immerse themselves in the diversity of organisms that live in their own backyard! Close-up investigations of native taxidermy and live animals will allow for observation and inference of just how each critter is adapted to its individual habitat. Students will become detectives, using good observations and inferencing to figure out the species of animal they are tracking. An eco-hike in the forest will provide dazzling examples of diversity. 

GA Standards of Excellence: S5L1a


Seventh and Eighth Grade

Program Theme: It’s a Tough World!

Lab Study: Critter Taxidermy
Field Study: Territorial Dispute (Game)
Eco-Hike: Forest Assessment Hike

Through a game of survival, students will begin to answer real-life questions about how different species can adapt to a natural disaster. In interaction with taxidermy animals, using a dichotomous key, students will investigate characteristics that allow for the survival of the individual and the stability of the species. Finally, students will collect data as they hike to determine aspects of 2 different forests and how the differences can mean life or death for a species.

GA Standards of Excellence: S7L1a, S7L4c, S7L4d

Contact Us

Location
427 Scholar Loop, Aiken, SC 29801
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