Kindergarten

First Grade

Life Science - Four Senses walk

Review the 5 senses: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Take a moment to explore each sense except taste - remind students to never put unknown substances in their mouths! Challenge them to identify 5 different sights, sounds, smells and touches (rough, smooth, sharp, soft, etc.)

SAFETY NOTE: Touching bark is a great, tactile way to explore nature. Avoid touching vines with root hairs, or leaves in clusters of three “Leaves of Three - Leave it Be.” It could be poison ivy. �

Earth Science - Changing the Environment

All living things can change the environment. Plants can push soil or crowd out other plants; animals dig holes or eat plants, humans create paths or change the flow of streams. Look for evidence of living things that have somehow changed the environment around them.

Life Science - Signs of Animals

Look for evidence that animals or birds have been in the area. Have twigs been chewed? Do you see scat (animal droppings)? Listen and look for animal clues.

If you see animals or birds, think: What are they doing? What body parts are they using to do it? How is what they are doing helping them meet their basic needs (air, food, water & shelter)?

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If the trees have leaves, be a leaf detective. How many different types of shapes can you find? Collect a few leaves from different trees. (Try to pick up ones off the ground. If you have to pick some, pick only from healthy looking plants and limit it to one leaf - the leaves are the “food” producer for the plant - they need them!)

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Earth Science - Tracking the seasons

As you walk, note things you would only see at this time of year. For example, in winter, look for signs that it is wintertime in the woods. In spring, what is different? What do you notice happening around you that seems different than other times of the year?

Second Grade

Third Grade

Life Science - Looking at Habitats

As you walk, consider, what kind of habitat is this? What things are living in this area that would be different from the living things in a different area? Whether it’s a forest ecosystem or your backyard, how are the things living in this area (habitat) meeting their needs?

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Earth Science - Changes to the Landscape (2^nd & 4^th)

Look for signs of erosion and deposition. Students study how wind and water can move earth materials (soil, sand, rocks, mulch, etc.) Look for evidence that things have been moved away (erosion) or left somewhere (deposition). Fourth graders can also look for signs of weathering - what evidence is there that rocks have been worn down or broken apart.

Life Science - Adapting to the Environment

Look for signs of plants or animals adapting to their environment. For example, can you find a tree that has grown in unusual ways? What might have caused that to happen? Was it growing around an obstacle? Searching for sunlight? Watch squirrels: what things are they doing (behavior) that might impact or change the environment around them?

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Earth Science - What’s the Weather?

Be a meteorologist and investigate - what are the conditions outside? Over the course of the week(s), track the changing weather conditions. Does what we’re experiencing match what you’d expect to see this time of year?

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Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

Life Science - Structures of Living Things

Similar to 3rd grade, but instead of thinking about how the living organisms have adapted to their environment, think about how the organism’s structures are helping it survive where it is. What structures do you see and what are their role in helping the organism survive?�

Earth Science - Changes to the Landscape (2^nd & 4^th)

Look for signs of erosion and deposition. Students study how wind and water can move earth materials (soil, sand, rocks, mulch, etc.) Look for evidence that things have been moved away (erosion) or left somewhere (deposition). Fourth graders can also look for signs of weathering - what evidence is there that rocks have been worn down or broken apart.

Life Science - Everything’s Connected

As you walk, consider, how are the various living things connected? What links are there between the plants, animals, insects, etc. in the ecosystem you are observing. Whether it’s a forest ecosystem or your backyard, find the connections between the organisms.

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Earth Science - Build a sundial

Using materials you find around the house (be creative), create a tool to measure time using sun and shadows.

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Set up your investigation and, using shadows, record the location of the shadow every hour on the hour. Test it over several days. How reliable is it?