nature
immersion field trip: pond study

Grades: K-3; adaptable for 4-12
Duration: Field Trip duration is ~3 hours and includes: 45-minute lesson, 20-minute lunch break, 45-minute guided nature walk, and approximately 45 minutes of unstructured time for chaperone/teacher led exploration of the nature center with suggested activities provided, snacking, and restroom visits. Extra time is added in to buffer rotation transitions.
Availability: Field Trip duration is ~3 hours and includes: 45-minute lesson, 20-minute lunch break, 45-minute guided nature walk, and approximately 45 minutes of unstructured time for chaperone/teacher led exploration of the nature center with suggested activities provided, snacking, and restroom visits. Extra time is added in to buffer rotation transitions.
NGSS Connection: Practice: Engaging in Argument from Evidence; D.C.I: Life Science: LS1: Molecule to Organism; Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns
Location : SNCO Campus
Pricing: $250 per class (~35 students)

Description:

The Pond Study program is an outdoor, experiential field trip focusing on habitat exploration with emphasis on ponds. Students will study water bodies in terms of physical properties, animal and plant communities, and predator-prey relationships. Students will engage in a hands-on encounter with reptiles and amphibians and analyze Lake Aspen water samples for invertebrates. This program includes an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge to real-life ecosystem observation during a guided nature walk.

This program addresses the following concepts:

• Relationship between habitat and food web structure

• Relationship between the physical features of an animal or plant and how it survives (adaptations)

• Observation and categorization of pond organisms based on appearance and behavior pattern

• Human impacts on aquatic ecosystems

• Best practices for nature stewardship

Next Generation Science Standards Alignment: Grades K-2

• Practice: Engaging in Argument from Evidence

• C.I.: Life Science: LS1: Molecule to Organism

• Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns

Details and Logistics
• Program duration: 3 hours total: 45-minute lesson, 20-minute lunch break, 45-minute guided nature walk, and approximately 45 minutes of unstructured time for chaperone/teacher led exploration of the nature center with suggested activities provided, snacking, and restroom visits. Extra time is added in to buffer rotation transitions.
• Program capacity: 2 classes of up to 35 students/class per field trip day
• Chaperone requirement: One chaperone is required for every five students.
• This program has indoor and outdoor components. Groups should wear sturdy footwear such as boots or sneakers and extra layers. Please bring lunches/snacks and refillable water bottles. Please encourage students to leave valuables and electronics at home. All tools and materials for program activities are provided.
• This program includes admission to the nature center for students and chaperones. Please limit visits inside the building to no more than 35 students at once. Visits to the observatory are not included in your field trip and require an additional fee. If you are interested in adding on an observatory visit or program, please contact us.
• Programs follow a schedule designed to maximize the student experience. Upon your arrival, hard copies of the program schedule will be distributed to teachers and chaperones.
• Please check the weather for Sunriver, OR, 97707 in the days leading up to your visit. We will be outside for the majority of the program regardless of weather.