Nature Education 2008-2009

Age 8-10 (Grade 3-5)

2:15 pm – 3:15 pm

This year, only one session is being offered for the 8-10 age bracket due to the lack of participation in the 2007-2008 year.
If registration needs are there, a second week will be added to this age group.  Thank you for your understanding.

September 4           
It’s All in the Name

There are seven main indicators that signify whether or not something is (or ever has been) alive.  Through the use of simple experiments, models, taxidermy and live animals, students will discover and explore the common characteristics of living and non-living things.  Focus will be placed on the interdependence of living and non-living factors, and the necessity of protecting an ecosystem as a whole. 

October 2                  
Down in the Ground

Most of the soil ecosystem exists out of sight, beneath the surface of the soil.  Billions of organisms inhabit the upper layers of the soil, where they break down dead organic matter, releasing the nutrients necessary for plant growth.  Students will take a closer look at the mysterious world beneath the surface, while discussing how the members of the soil ecosystem make our planet livable for humans. 

November 6              
We All Break Down

Not everyone has a green thumb, but knowledge can help.  In order to truly get a sense of how the soil functions you must also take a look at how soil was formed.  Before there was soil, there was rock!  Students will discover how rock can turn to soil and how the entire soil ecosystem functions together.  Exploration will include the living components and non-living components soil, and the impact people have on it.  CAUTION:  Students may leave with a green thumb. 

December 4               
Interview with Nature

Students will experience a more creative view of nature, while embracing their artistic side.  Each student will be introducing their fellow classmates to their favorite place at Briar Bush through sketch, sound and description.  This class will allow students to gain ownership over all the knowledge they obtained over the past few months and have a moment all their own to establish a deeper relationship with nature. 

January 8                
What a Plant Needs

Plants need energy to survive just like you, but they get their energy directly from the sun.  Plants are producers, living things that can make their own food using resources from the earth.  Students will explore what exactly it is that plants need, and what they need it for, while questioning the impacts human action have on these needs! 

NOTE:  Microscopes will be used.

January 22             
Plant It, and See Who Comes

Plants are the only organism that can make their own food, so where do all the other organisms on earth get their energy from, especially in the winter!  Students will observe the importance of plants and explore how many ecosystems center on the presence of producers.  They will also study what happens to an ecosystem when the plants are not as available, and how humans, past and present, deal with the seasonal changes and food availability. 

February 5
Stalactites, Stalagmites, and…Skunks!?

Ever wonder why light is not one of the basic needs of all organisms?  Find out why, while spelunking through Briar Bush’s simulated Pennsylvania crawl-through cave! A cave is composed of living and non-living parts and is an ecosystem all its own.  Students will explore our limestone cave and its geology, while gaining a better understanding of the life dependent upon the cave habitat.  Along the way students will investigates the processes of crystal formations, as well as stalactite and stalagmite formations. 

March 5              
Water Works

The Earth is a watery place.  About 70 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered. But water also exists in the air, in the soil, and hidden underground. Thanks to the water cycle, our planet's water supply is constantly moving from one place to another and from one form to another.  But water is actually pretty important to humans as well.  Students will explore how we benefit form, and sometime harm, the water cycle. 

April 2                 
Going with the Flow

Plants, ya gotta love 'em.  They give you the energy you need to get through the day.  Think about all the plants you eat, or don’t eat for that matter!  Where do plants get the energy they need to grow and get through the day? Where do you get the energy you need to get through the day?  Students take a closer look at food and the flow of energy through the food chain. 

May 7
Pond Neighborhoods

Just like our communities are composed of different neighborhoods, so is the community of the pond.  Students will discuss how the five pond neighborhoods are home to living things that have adjusted to survive there.  They will explore how each organism plays a special role that makes the pond community healthy, while exploring the concept of a “watershed,” as well as discussing the importance of watersheds to people, and the impact people can have on the watershed.