Nature Program Topics
For information on how to schedule a visit, click here.
For information on how to schedule a visit, click here.
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The following topics will be available
to school groups who visit Bays Mountain Park. With the trend toward multi-level
classrooms, we are offering a selection of topics for grades K, 1, and
2. We have selected these topics as best meeting your needs based upon
the science curriculum that has been submitted to us. Since there are choices
it will be necessary for the lead teacher of each group to advise us ahead
of time of the topic that you want us to present. Failure to provide a
chosen topic will result in our staff choosing one based upon seasonal
availability of subject matter to use for examples.
K-2 ElectivesANIMAL HABITATS - Lake, lake edge, forest; what kinds of animals live where.SEASONAL CHANGES IN PLANTS AND ANIMALS - Addition or loss of winter coat, migration, hibernation/estivation, eggs/cocoons/etc. and death of adult stage. Leaf loss or growth, flowers/fruits, etc. CLASSIFICATION - Living, once living (dead), non-living things. Animal groups: invertebrates, vertebrates/five groups of vertebrates. BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF INSECTS & SPIDERS - life cycles of selected insects. (Between mid-October and mid-April there are few of these animals to actually be seen. However, we do have a good selection of larger-than-life models for use.) PLANTS - Usefulness, parts, growth & change, seed. INTERDEPENDENCE IN NATURE - Ecology PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER TO PRESERVE & PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES - How Bays Mountain came to be a park. How we can continue to protect it. (Somewhat conceptual but we can use the history of building the dam and its conversion to a public park. This could also serve as an indoor or in-school program.) 3rd GradeECOLOGY - Ecosystems; habitats of plants and animals; parts of ecosystems, i.e. non-living, living, producers, consumers, decomposers; food chains/sources, interdependence.FUTURE PLANS - Since your curriculum emphasizes scientific inquiry, we hope to develop a "simple investigation." Your curriculum states, "Plan and conduct a simple investigation." If your students do this and the investigation is feasible to conduct at Bays Mountain Park, we will be glad to work with you on carrying it out. If you have ideas, give us a call. 4th GradePLANT AND ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS5th GradeSOIL - Weathering, erosion, deposition, types of rocks6th GradeCLASSIFICATION By Kingdoms: Monerans, Protists, Fungi, Plants, Animals. By Function: Producers, Consumers, Decomposers.7th GradeECOLOGY - Ecosystems and their parts. Communities, producers, consumers, decomposers. Respiration and photosynthesis and the flow of energy. Factors affecting change and stability in ecosystems. Interrelationships within ecosystems.8th GradeGEOLOGY - Erosion and deposition of soils and sediments. Classes of rock by their formation. Weathering of rock. Geologic time.IMPACT OF PEOPLE ON THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT - Comparison of heavily used areas of the park vs. little used areas. (Primarily an activity of student observation and recording of findings. Some guidance from staff.) High SchoolOur staff will work directly with the teacher to determine the particular topic. Often requested subjects are WILD FLOWERS and SUCCESSION. |