 |
|
|
Highlands Nature Center Outreach Programs
Highlands Nature Center provides 21 different day programs for school groups in grades preK - 12. Classes are adapted to meet requirements of the North Carolina Science Curriculum for each grade level offered. Programs generally take place in natural outdoor settings and are designed to provide hands-on learning experiences through activities, games, observations, and field studies. Although most classes are science-based, many integrate other subject areas such as math, geography, and language arts.
Depending upon your facility, most programs can be modified and presented at your school as well as at the Highlands Nature Center. Special request programs not listed below can also frequently be accommodated. Each program lasts approximately 60 minutes, unless specific circumstances require adjustments to the schedule.
Nature Center & Botanical Garden Tours are free of charge, but contributions are appreciated. The requested donation for all other programs is usually only 50˘ per student.
Each program listed below is followed by the range of grade levels with which the program works best, as well as a brief description of the topics to be covered:
Nature Center & Botanical Garden Tour (all grades) Students will have the opportunity to see examples of native plant and animal species. The Nature Center’s exhibits include live reptiles and amphibians, a honeybee hive, a 439 year-old hemlock tree, geology and archaeology specimens, and mounts of birds and mammals. Interactive exhibits include the birding station, microscopes, and our Touch & Learn table. The Botanical Garden features labeled plant species, and numerous trails to various habitats including hemlock forests, streams, a mountain bog, and Lindenwood Lake. Exhibit Scavenger Hunt Questions (grades 5-12)
Discovery Hikes (grades 3-12)* Hikes take place along a trail of your choosing (such as Siler Bald, or Whiteside Mountain-Devil's Courthouse). Along the way, students will explore mountain habitats and learn about regional flora and fauna, ecology, and geological features. Hikes may take several hours; please bring a sack lunch, water, rain gear, and wear appropriate shoes. *Students should be in good physical condition.
Birds & Flight (grades 1-8) This class focuses on shape and color of specific birds, marks used for identification in the field, bird songs, habitat and diets, and bird anatomy. Additionally, it will cover the concepts of flight including lift, force, and aerodynamics. Weather permitting, students will also learn techniques to attract birds for better viewing in the field.
Botany (grades 1-8) Topics will include groups of plants, types of leaves, parts of trees, tree growth, transpiration, and photosynthesis. We will also discuss the parts of flowers and pollination. Students will be given an opportunity to locate and identify various tree species.
Compass & Orienteering (grades 5-12) Students are introduced to the use of a compass. They will learn such concepts as direction and bearing, degrees in a circle and angles, and how to use a compass to find their way. This class is a good supplement to lessons in geography and math.
Forestry Methods (grades
6-12) Students will develop math skills as they measure the diameter, height, and basal area of trees to determine the importance of different tree species to the forest community, and learn how these values can be used for management decisions. An alternate version of this class gives students an opportunity to survey levels of infestation by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid on trees on and around the Biological Station property.
Forest Study (grades K-8) This class provides students with an opportunity to explore the various layers of a forest (soil layer, shrub layer, and canopy) and the living things found in each. Students will participate in a variety of activities as they are led on an interpretive forest walk. Topics include plant and animal species, forest layers, soils, decomposition and nutrient cycling, succession, and forest conservation.
Group Dynamics (grades 4-12) This class features a series of team challenges that illustrate the importance of using effective social skills in small group interactions. Concepts include communication and active listening, goal setting, teamwork, leadership, cooperation, and group decision making and problem solving. Can be repeated with additional activities and new discussion topics that build upon previous lessons.
Insects (grades K-8) This class focuses on differences between insects and other invertebrate groups, types of insects, anatomy, and life cycles. Students will be given the opportunity to collect examples of live insects from several habitats using various field techniques.
Keys & Classification (grades 6-12) Students will be introduced to the biological classification system, and to the use of dichotomous keys in separating biological groups and identifying specimens based upon their characteristics. Activities may include creating a key to classmates or insects, an introduction to leaf types, or a reptile and amphibian “hide & seek” using keys to navigate the Station’s trails.
Mammals (grades K-12) Students will learn what makes something a mammal, examples of different types of mammal groups, and examples of mammal tracks. Students will have the opportunity to see and touch skins and skulls of various mammal species. Concepts also include predator and prey adaptations and diet.
Nature Games (grades pre-K - 2) Students will play a variety of fun games that illustrate various ecological concepts such as food chains, predators and prey, habitat, biodiversity, and animal behavior. Can be repeated with different games and topics.
Nature Observation (grades K-8) This class encourages creativity, discovery, and appreciation for nature as students learn how to observe plants and animals in different ways. While exploring nature, they will be taught to sketch images of things they find, describe behaviors of animals, make leaf and bark rubbings, and make a “sound map.” Older students may learn ways of collecting data, or be encouraged to write short stories or poems. This class is a good supplement to language arts as well as science.
Pond Life Students will discover the diverse aquatic fauna of Lindenwood Lake. We will examine samples of pond mud for various live insects and other creatures, discuss adaptations for aquatic life, and see how the composition of the pond community can indicate water quality. Older students may also perform chemical analyses of the water such as pH and dissolved oxygen to confirm results.
Population Genetics (grades 6-12) Students will do activities designed to simulate the effects of natural selection and mutation as agents of genetic change in populations over time. Additional concepts include alleles, genotypes, phenotypes, and evolution.
Predators & Prey (grades K-8) This class features games that teach such concepts as diet, food chains, predator, prey, and camouflage. Students will examine skulls of carnivores and herbivores, discuss morphological and behavioral adaptations, and learn how predators and prey use these adaptations in different ways.
Reptiles & Amphibians (all grades) This class focuses on differences between reptiles and amphibians, life histories, habitat, and anatomy. Students will have the opportunity to see and touch examples of live animals to gain a greater understanding of these creatures and their needs, and to dispel common misconceptions.
Storybook Science (grades pre-K - 4) Students will be given a brief nature lesson, based around a children's storybook, using items from the Nature Center to illustrate concepts. Can be offered repeatedly with different topics and stories. Examples include beavers, bears, frogs, trees, turtles, insects, opossums, snakes, squirrels, owls, bats, camouflage, snails, salamanders, etc.
Streamside Salamander Communities (grades 5-12) Southern Appalachian streams contain a great diversity of salamanders. Students will learn to identify species, capture and measure aquatic salamanders, and collect and graph data to examine how species use the habitat in different ways. Topics include habitat, communities, niche, competition, and predation. Bring shoes appropriate for wading.
Watersheds (grades 2-9) Students will learn what a watershed is and how its condition affects the water downstream. Activities demonstrate topics such as watershed delineation and function, the components of the water cycle, and different sources of water pollution.
Wildlife Habitat (grades 2-10) Students will learn how animal populations are influenced by the availability of habitat resources. Activities teach concepts such as habitat components, types of population growth, the role of predators, interdependency, carrying capacity, limiting factors, conservation, and endangered species. Results are graphed so that lessons are learned by observing what happens in various situations.
To schedule a program, or for more information, please contact: Highlands Nature Center (828) 526-2623
Outreach Programs (printable version)
|
