Field Station Explorers: Heron Curriculum
Join Henrietta Heron as we study the following topics:
September: Awakening the Senses
Students will begin the school year by using their senses to explore the habitats around the Field Station. These activities include blindfolded walks, identifying mystery objects using the sense of touch, scavenger hunts, and various teambuilding games.
October: Geology and Fossils
Learning about rocks and minerals is always a tricky thing to do in such a sandy location! Students will compare types of rocks and perform some experiments to determine hardness. We will also learn about the crinoids and fossilized corals that were once abundant in this area. Students will learn how the dunes were once a shallow sea and how the landscape has changed since the time of the dinosaurs. We will be learning about fossils and making our own imprints in clay as well as some fossilized paintings.
November: Characteristics of Birds
This month the students will perform experiments to learn more about birds and their unique characteristics. First, we will examine beaks and how the shape and size of each species of bird is suited for a specific task. Students will experiment with different tools that mimic these beaks and try to find the best beak for grasping different types of food. Next, the class will examine bones and wings and make comparisons between bones in land-based mammals and birds that can fly. Students will experiment with straws and sticks to learn how weight and density can help and hinder flying. Finally, we will examine feathers and feet and how the shape of the foot helps mobility and predation. An experiment with oil and water will teach us about the waterproofing benefit of feathers and each child will create a flying bird to bring home.
December: National Parks
This National Parks unit will focus on the Southwest region. Mesa Verde, Hovensweep, and Chaco National Parks will be discussed as we examine cliff dwellings and Native American cultures. Students will learn about rock art paintings as a means for storytelling and use native symbols to create their own story. Grand Canyon National Park will also be discussed as the students conduct experiments to learn how canyons are formed.
January: Human Survival
Students will learn techniques and skills that could help them survive if they were stranded in the wild. Different methods of water collection will be demonstrated and students will experiment with bow drills as a way to start a fire. Students will also learn about the winter weeds and wild edible plants that exist in the woodlands and prairies. Building a shelter is always a popular event! We will learn about different types of shelters that are created with and without the use of snow. Experiments on roof design will also be performed to see what types of natural materials work best for shedding water. We will work together to create a shelter near the school. We will discuss traveling in the snow and ways to make it easier and safer. Students will learn how to use a compass and will follow a compass course through the woods to practice their bearings. Finally, students will attend a National Park Service program on the Potawatomi and fur traders to learn how they used to the land to survive throughout the winter.
February: Winter Sky
Clear evening skies in the winter make it a perfect time of year to star gaze. The students will learn about the phases of the moon, the planets, and the constellations this month as we focus on outer space. We will read some of the stories associated with the constellations and the students will get to create their own constellation and a story to go along with it. We will also learn about space travel and techniques astronauts use to cut down the glare of the sun. Students will build their own spaceship from recycled materials and learn about space photography. They will send “computerized” messages to their peers and have to decode these messages to create an image taken in space.
March: Animal Behavior
This month we will learn how animals interact in the wilderness. Many animals work together to make their lives easier. This symbiosis will be discussed and demonstrated as students play a matching game that creates pairs of animals that coexist. Students will also learn about parasitism through a tag game, as the leeches try to take energy from the fish and frogs. Ways that animals socialize to find food will also be discussed. Students will work as a group to model pack hunting and show how it can be more effective to capture prey. Then the students will play a game of predator-prey that forces them to work with their small pack of animals to try to find all their needs before being captured by predators. Animal communication will also be demonstrated as the students learn about fireflies and how their flashing lights are a series of codes for signaling danger, attracting mates, and locating food.
April: Wetland Investigations (Wetland Photos)
The rainy month of April is the perfect time to study the wetlands near the school. Students will learn the functions that wetlands perform to capture nutrients, filter water, and provide habitat for wildlife. Aquatic insects will be studied as we learn how they use the water for their first stages of life. We will experiment with how plants absorb nutrients and play a game to simulate an aquatic food web in a marsh. We will also study freshwater fish and will learn how their colors help them camouflage in the water. We will also examine the shape of their mouths to determine where they feed in the water column. Finally, we will take a field trip with the National Park Service to dip net ponds in Miller Woods to search for insects, amphibians, and reptiles.
May: Explorations
Students will participate in their stewardship project during the first week. Projects are chosen as needed in the area near the school. They will also hike along the Little Calumet River in a long adventure on over 2 miles of trail. The Explorers school year will conclude with the annual Build-a-Boat day where the students create boats from natural objects and race them on the creek near the school.
September: Awakening the Senses
Students will begin the school year by using their senses to explore the habitats around the Field Station. These activities include blindfolded walks, identifying mystery objects using the sense of touch, scavenger hunts, and various teambuilding games.
October: Geology and Fossils
Learning about rocks and minerals is always a tricky thing to do in such a sandy location! Students will compare types of rocks and perform some experiments to determine hardness. We will also learn about the crinoids and fossilized corals that were once abundant in this area. Students will learn how the dunes were once a shallow sea and how the landscape has changed since the time of the dinosaurs. We will be learning about fossils and making our own imprints in clay as well as some fossilized paintings.
November: Characteristics of Birds
This month the students will perform experiments to learn more about birds and their unique characteristics. First, we will examine beaks and how the shape and size of each species of bird is suited for a specific task. Students will experiment with different tools that mimic these beaks and try to find the best beak for grasping different types of food. Next, the class will examine bones and wings and make comparisons between bones in land-based mammals and birds that can fly. Students will experiment with straws and sticks to learn how weight and density can help and hinder flying. Finally, we will examine feathers and feet and how the shape of the foot helps mobility and predation. An experiment with oil and water will teach us about the waterproofing benefit of feathers and each child will create a flying bird to bring home.
December: National Parks
This National Parks unit will focus on the Southwest region. Mesa Verde, Hovensweep, and Chaco National Parks will be discussed as we examine cliff dwellings and Native American cultures. Students will learn about rock art paintings as a means for storytelling and use native symbols to create their own story. Grand Canyon National Park will also be discussed as the students conduct experiments to learn how canyons are formed.
January: Human Survival
Students will learn techniques and skills that could help them survive if they were stranded in the wild. Different methods of water collection will be demonstrated and students will experiment with bow drills as a way to start a fire. Students will also learn about the winter weeds and wild edible plants that exist in the woodlands and prairies. Building a shelter is always a popular event! We will learn about different types of shelters that are created with and without the use of snow. Experiments on roof design will also be performed to see what types of natural materials work best for shedding water. We will work together to create a shelter near the school. We will discuss traveling in the snow and ways to make it easier and safer. Students will learn how to use a compass and will follow a compass course through the woods to practice their bearings. Finally, students will attend a National Park Service program on the Potawatomi and fur traders to learn how they used to the land to survive throughout the winter.
February: Winter Sky
Clear evening skies in the winter make it a perfect time of year to star gaze. The students will learn about the phases of the moon, the planets, and the constellations this month as we focus on outer space. We will read some of the stories associated with the constellations and the students will get to create their own constellation and a story to go along with it. We will also learn about space travel and techniques astronauts use to cut down the glare of the sun. Students will build their own spaceship from recycled materials and learn about space photography. They will send “computerized” messages to their peers and have to decode these messages to create an image taken in space.
March: Animal Behavior
This month we will learn how animals interact in the wilderness. Many animals work together to make their lives easier. This symbiosis will be discussed and demonstrated as students play a matching game that creates pairs of animals that coexist. Students will also learn about parasitism through a tag game, as the leeches try to take energy from the fish and frogs. Ways that animals socialize to find food will also be discussed. Students will work as a group to model pack hunting and show how it can be more effective to capture prey. Then the students will play a game of predator-prey that forces them to work with their small pack of animals to try to find all their needs before being captured by predators. Animal communication will also be demonstrated as the students learn about fireflies and how their flashing lights are a series of codes for signaling danger, attracting mates, and locating food.
April: Wetland Investigations (Wetland Photos)
The rainy month of April is the perfect time to study the wetlands near the school. Students will learn the functions that wetlands perform to capture nutrients, filter water, and provide habitat for wildlife. Aquatic insects will be studied as we learn how they use the water for their first stages of life. We will experiment with how plants absorb nutrients and play a game to simulate an aquatic food web in a marsh. We will also study freshwater fish and will learn how their colors help them camouflage in the water. We will also examine the shape of their mouths to determine where they feed in the water column. Finally, we will take a field trip with the National Park Service to dip net ponds in Miller Woods to search for insects, amphibians, and reptiles.
May: Explorations
Students will participate in their stewardship project during the first week. Projects are chosen as needed in the area near the school. They will also hike along the Little Calumet River in a long adventure on over 2 miles of trail. The Explorers school year will conclude with the annual Build-a-Boat day where the students create boats from natural objects and race them on the creek near the school.
