Back to Natives
Traveling Naturalist Programs
for K - 6th Grades |
A
Back to Natives Naturalist is available to visit your
classroom and present the following programs based on
the California State Content Standards for Science.
These exciting, interactive presentations can stand
alone or enhance one of our Schoolyard Habitat Garden
Programs!
Cost: $50 / 1 hr. presentation, max 35
students
Schedule - 949-509-4787 or
education(@)backtonatives.org
|
|
 |
(Standards: 1a, 2a,
2c, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4d, 4e)
Students learn the importance of plants, and participate
in a "skit" to learn about roots, stems, leaves, seeds,
and the things seeds need to grow. Participants learn
about the characteristics shared by mammals, and feel a
real mammal pelt. They learn about the characteristics
shared by birds, and match egg replicas to the birds
that "laid" them. Students learn about the
characteristics shared by insects, and watch as one of
their classmates "becomes" a butterfly. They learn
about the characteristics shared by reptiles. |
|
(Standards: 2a, 2b,
2c, 2d, 2e)
Students
learn that plants need water and light, and review the
role of roots and leaves in making food for plants as
the students "grow" from seed to plant to flower to seed
again. Students learn to tell what an animal eats from
looking at its teeth as they observe the skulls of
native carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. Students
learn about the features that help mammals, birds,
insects and reptiles thrive in different kinds of
places. They see and touch a mammal pelt, antlers, claws
and hooves. They perform experiments to see (and hear)
why owls hunt well at night, and watch as a classmate
"becomes" an insect with compound eyes, antennae, six
legs and wings. They discover how reptiles thrive in
hot, dry places. |
|
(Standards: 1a, 3a,
3b, 3c, 3d, 3e)
Students participate in a “skit” and discover that
energy comes from the Sun to Earth in the form of
light. As plants, students use their structures to grow
and reproduce. Students learn about the adaptations of
diverse life forms in different environments. They see
and touch the teeth of a shark from the ocean. They
perform experiments to see and hear how owls hunt well
in a grassland. They feel the sharp claw of a cougar,
who hunts well in the forest, and meet a live reptile
that is adapted to the hot, dry desert
environment. Students learn that some changes in the
environment are detrimental to animals, causing them to
become endangered and extinct. |
|
(Standards: 2e, 2f,
2g, 3a, 3d, 3e)
Students learn that most of Earth's water is present as
salt water in the oceans and that the amount of fresh
water is limited and must be conserved. They view a map
of the local watershed, where the water they use comes
from, and play a game to learn how water is polluted and
cleaned. Students learn about photosynthesis and plant
respiration and discover how sugar, water, and minerals
are transported in a vascular plant. Each student takes
on the role of a plant structure - heartwood, xylem,
phloem, and bark - as the entire class "builds a tree". |
| |
|
|
|
|
Downloadable files of our
Educational Programs: |
|
|
|
(Standards: 2a, 2b,
2e, 2f, 3e)
Students participate in a “skit” to learn how flowers
and fruits help plants reproduce. They learn the effects
of light and environmental stress on plant germination
and growth. Students view realistic life cycle models to
learn about metamorphosis, and explore our “family
album” to learn that animals reproduce offspring of
their own kind that resemble their parents and each
other. Students learn that insects, birds, and reptiles
hatch from eggs, and observe egg replicas to guess what
animal emerges from which egg. Students observe the
skulls of various animals, and determine which is
predator and which is prey based on the position of
their eyes. |
|
(Standards: 2a, 2b,
2c, 3a, 3b, 3c)
Students become junior ecologists as they discover what
an ecosystem is. They learn the importance of producers
as the primary source of energy as they play an "energy
pyramid" game, exploring the role of producers, and
primary, secondary and top consumers. Students observe
the skulls and teeth of various animals, and determine
which is the skull of an herbivore, omnivore or
carnivore while learning about the food chain. They
explore the features that help plants and animals
survive in different kinds of environments, and observe
a real, live carnivore. Students become aware of the
interdependence of plants and animals for pollination
and seed dispersal, food and shelter, and explore ways
that humans can help animals survive in this era of
environmental challenges. |
|
(Standards: 5a, 5b,
5c, 5d, 5e, 6b)
Students review the role of photosynthesis in making
energy for plants, and the role of producers in
providing energy for all of the other organisms in the
food web. They play an energy pyramid activity to learn
how different organisms function in the
environment. Students participate in an “energy cups”
game to learn how energy is lost as it is transferred up
the food chain from producers to top consumers.
Students also perform experiments to see how abiotic
factors affect the organisms living in an
ecosystem. They measure the temperature, amount of
light, soil pH and soil moisture at a site in the school
yard. Students learn about natural resources and
classify them as renewable or nonrenewable. This program
must occur in the school yard, where soil is exposed.
Cost: $75 / 2 hr. presentation, max 35 students. |
|
|
|
|
