Education

Nature Journaling (Grades K-12)

Students will spend time outdoors observing nature and then recording it. Recordings can be done by sketching, writing, using mathematical equations, poetry etc. This program encourages students to use observing methods to understand nature including: ecosystems, chain events, and biological processes.
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Fossils (Grades 4-8)

Students examine real fossils to learn how organisms have changed over time to meet changes in their environment. Learn how fossils form and how the Earth’s geologic record shows us how landforms have shifted and changed over time.

Geology and the Rock Cycle (Grades 4-8)

Examine the lithosphere! Students learn about the three different types of rocks and how they form, how to classify and identify minerals using Moh’s Hardness Scale and learn about basic geological processes that shape the Earth’s surface.

The Hydrologic Cycle (Grades 3-12)

Water changes forms to move through the hydrologic cycle. Students understand the movement of water of Earth from one sphere to another, how contamination can move from sphere to sphere, and how weather patterns affect water on Earth’s surface through a fun, hands-on game.

The Incredible Journey (all grade levels)

This is our most popular presentation! Students discover the water cycle and how it works with a fun, interactive game. Discussion includes how water pollution occurs, the movement of water in the ground and the correlation between porosity, permeability, rate of flow and infiltration with the current depletion of ground water world-wide. For middle school students, the presentation includes a ground water flow model.

Ohio Mammals (Grades 2-12)

Students learn about common Ohio mammals by examining their fur, skulls and tracks. Middle and High School students learn skull anatomy and how to use a dichotomous key to identify skulls.

Soils, Erosion and Weathering (Grades 2-9)

Grade specific activities that focus on the formation and composition of soils, how the Earth’s surface is shaped by erosion, weathering and deposition, how rock is weathered to form soil, soil as a non-renewable resource, and the importance of soils as an abiotic factor in ecosystems.

Stream Monitoring Program (Grades 6-12)

This two day program includes a classroom introduction to stream monitoring, and a field day where students learn how to use chemical and biological parameters to determine water quality in streams. Limited funding is available for bus transportation.

Bat Misconceptions Program (Grades Pre-K-12)

This program highlights bats and their misconceptions. Students will be interactive as we decipher between true or false statements.

Pollinator Program (Grades Pre-K-8)

Students will interact as pollinators collecting nectar and learn how to collect pollen along the way. Students will learn the importance of pollinators and how we can protect them.

Backyard Conservation Program (Grades Pre-K-12)

Students will learn about conservation practices they can do at home that can help on a global scale.

Adaptation Program (Grades K-12)

Students will learn how animals adapt. They will engage in a game of adaptations and learn why adaptations are important to an animal’s survival.

Water Quality/Litter Fish Activity (Grades Pre-K-12)

Students will collect litter and create their own “fish” using the litter. This represents the litter that is accumulated and then sent down storm drains and can be found in local waterways. This program encourages students to protect our water and reduce/reuse/recycle.

Escape Rooms (Grades 6-12)

Students will try and “escape the room” by answering questions and using keys to open the next challenge. There are three separate templates for the Carbon, Nitrogen, and Water cycles. There is also an online version where students place all the information in a google document and then once completed are considered “escaped”.

Other Resources:

The District also offers several loner trunks, teachers may borrow for one week to use in their classroom. The trunks contain complete activities and materials. The trunks that are currently available include: Monarch Butterflies, Earthworms, Bats, Owls, Wild Turkey and Animal Tracks.