Georgia
3rd Grade
Program Theme: Learning about Life and Land
Lab Study: Critter College
Field Study: Soil Investigation
Eco-Hike: Nature Hunt
In Critter College, students will travel through 6 stations and learn about local wildlife, their needs, and the ways they are adapted for their environment. Getting’ Down and Dirty will allow students to investigate different types of soils, their parent materials, and how we use them in our daily lives. On an eco-hike, students will use some scientific tools to observe the world around them!
Performance Standards: S3L.1, S3E.1
SEP: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Construct Explanations and Designing Solutions, Developing and Using Models
4th Grade
Program Theme: Water World (2 classes per day)
Lab Study: Pondering Life
Field Study: Water Cycle (Game)
Students will investigate the water cycle and the role it plays on earth. Students will be immersed in the movement of water through simulation activities. Students will determine water quality through macro-invertebrate collection at a pond on site.
GA Standards of Excellence: S4E3a, S4E3b, S4La, S4L1b
5th 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
6th Grade
Program Theme: Water, Water Everywhere (2 classes per day)
Lab Study: We All Live Downstream
Field Study: Pondering Life
Students will investigate the wonderful world of water through macro-invertebrate collection of a local pond. In addition, watershed modeling and problem-solving will enhance student understanding of the land-water-human connection.
GA Standards of Excellence: S6E3a, S6E3b, S6E6b
7th-8th 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 are able to adapt to a natural disaster. Interaction with taxidermy animals and using a dichotomous key, students will investigate characteristics that allow for 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
9th-12th Grade
Program Theme: Wet World (2 classes per day)
Lab Study: We All Live Downstream (Advanced)
Field Study: Pondering Life (Advanced)
On our blue planet, humans play a vital role in the protection and preservation of our watery resources. Students will learn more about these effects through experimenting with human behaviors that influences the location, quality and quantity of water within a watershed. Biological analysis will reveal the quality of a local pond.
GA Standards of Excellence: SEV1a, SEV1c, SEV1d, SEV1e