PRESCHOOL-KINDERGARTEN
All programs last approximately 90 minutes.
The Five Senses and the Wonders of Nature
Fall & Spring
How do we use our senses to learn about the natural world?
• Use animal ears to hear forest sounds
• Look for shapes and rainbow colors in flowers and leaves
• Test your sense of smell with some wild fragrances
L.OL.00.12
Mini-beasts: Insects and Their Relatives Up-Close
Fall & Spring
What creepy crawlies live in your neighborhood?
• Take a safari in search of fascinating mini-beasts
• Discover the difference between insects and other mini-beasts
• Observe their amazing adaptations for survival
L.OL.00.12
Settlers Prepare for Winter
November – December
Step back in time and visit a 19th century log cabin and farmhouse.
• Help with chores at the pioneer cabin and the old farmhouse
• Make ginger cookies the old-fashioned way
• Work with sheep wool and play with wooden toys
L.OL.00.11; K-H2.04; K-05.0.1
Dazzling Dinosaurs and Other Reptiles
Fall & Winter
How are dinosaurs and turtles alike and different?
• Go on an imaginary dig in search of bones old and new
• Listen to a dinosaur tale and dance to a catchy tune
• Meet some live modern day reptiles
L.OL.00.12
I Am NOT CUTE! NEW!
Hear the story of a little owl that can’t get others to believe he has the same powerful bird-of-prey “tools” as a big owl.
Characteristics, adaptations, physical features found in adults and young stages
PRE-SCHOOL-FIRST GRADE
All programs last approximately 90 minutes.
Who Hibernates?
December – February
What do wild animals do when the ponds freeze and snow covers the ground?
• Hear about hibernation vs. migration from some talkative puppets
• Look at animal footprints up close, then practice walking like an animal
• Hike in the woods in search of animal signs
L.OL.OO.11
Maple Sugaring
Late February & March (also available for 1st grade)
What’s special about maple trees?
• Learn about sunshine energy, tree sugar and tree parts
• Visit a maple sugar grove, collect and taste fresh sap
• Watch sap boil and taste the sweet syrup
L.OL.00.11; E.ES.01.12
Barnyard Friends
Late April – mid-June
What’s the connection between you, a bag of groceries and a farm?
• Visit a barn and meet young farm animals.
• Sort a bag of groceries to learn where our food really comes from.
• Take a wagon ride around the farm fields (weather permitting).
• First graders construct a food chain from farm field to the breakfast table
L.OL.00.11; L.HE.01.11; E.ES.01.12; K-G5.0.1
FIRST-THIRD GRADE
All programs last approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.
Exposing the Secrets of Groundwater NEW!
Fall & Spring
What happens to water after it falls on the ground?
• Use simple tools to test soil percolation, then graph the results at school
• Measure the depth of the water table from the top and the bottom of a hill
• As you hike observe landforms such as a valley, a spring and a pond
E.SE.02.21; E.FE.02.11-14, 21, 22; BCMASC Kit
Listening to the Past
Fall
What was daily life like for a Native American child of long ago?
• Hike through the woods and travel back in time to a 1700s camp
• Sit in a wigwam and act out a traditional legend
• Play simple games with Native American toys
• Learn about the special ingredients of a Three Sister’s Garden
1-H2.0.1,5,6; 1-G5.0.1; 2-H2.0.6; 3-H3.0.4; 3-H3.0.5
Life on a Pioneer Farm
September - December & April - June
Take a trip back in time to a historic homestead
• Discover “lost” journal pages and learn about Michigan’s past
• Help with seasonal chores at the pioneer cabin and 1870’s farmhouse
• Experience the challenges and rewards of 19th century farm life (Early winter version –formerly called “Settlers Prepare for Winter” includes information on why the seasons change.)
1-H2.0.1, 5, 6; 1-G5.0.1; 2-H2.06; 3-H3.02,3, 5 ,6, 7
Sunlight to Soil
Fall & Spring
Learn about Life Cycles by exploring a beech maple forest.
• Investigate a rotting log and meet some decomposers
• Discover habitats from the forest floor to the canopy
• Construct a food chain using forest producers and consumers
• Examine a leaf to unlock the mystery of photosynthesis
L.OL.01.13; L.OL.02.14,22; L.HE.02.13; L.OL.03.31; E.ES.01.12,BCMASC Kit
Wetland Neighbors
Fall & Spring
What’s all wet and full of fascinating plants and animals?
• Explore the edges of a wetland and a pond
• Collect small animals adapted for an aquatic life
• Discover why wetlands are important to people and wildlife
L.OL.02.14; L.OL.02.22; L.HE.02.13; L.OL.03.41; L.EV.03.11
Super Seeds and Wild Flowers
Fall & Spring
Why do plants put so much energy into producing flowers and seeds?
• Explore a flower with a hand lens
• Spy on some flowers and see how they attract pollinators
• Discover how some plants send their seeds on a long journey
• Emphasis on seeds in the fall and wildflowers in the spring
L.OL.02.14; L.OL.02.22; L.HE.02.13 ; L.0L.03.41; L.EV.03.11,BCMASC Kit
Beetles, Bugs and Butterflies
Fall & Spring
What can we learn by observing live insects?
• Examine live insects in various life stages
• Look at insect structures and characteristics
• Search for insects in the woods and fields
• Compare insects with other mini beasts
L.OL.01.3, 21; L.HE.01.11; L.OL.03.32, 42,BCMASC Kit
Zoology 101
Fall, Winter & Spring Revised!
Depending on your needs and the season, we can teach this program inside or outside. We can also modify the content for grade level and desired topics.
What adaptations do vertebrate animals have for finding food, water, and shelter?
• Hands-on investigations and activities will allow students to compare and contrast the adaptations and behaviors of a variety of vertebrate animals
• Study skulls and skins from some of Michigan’s herbivores and carnivores
• Examine beaks and feet of paddling, perching and hunting birds
• Observe live reptiles and amphibians and compare their lifestyles
L.OL.01.13, 21; L.HE.01.11; L.0L.03.32; L.0L.03.32, 42; L.EV.03.12
Amphibians and Reptiles
November –March
How are amphibians and reptiles alike and different?
• Look at live amphibians and reptiles up close
• Compare snake and turtle skeletons
• Touch frog and turtle eggs, a snake skin, a sea turtle and more
L.OL.01.13, 21; L.HE.01.11; L.0L.03.32; L.0L.03.32, 42; L.EV.03.12
Pioneer Maple Sugaring
March (2nd & 3rd grade only)
Are you looking for a great way to learn about photosynthesis and energy flow?
• Visit a working pioneer sugar camp in a beautiful beech maple forest
• Trace the path of the sun’s energy from leaf to tree to us
• Solve three riddles and find the treasure that makes all life possible
L.OL.02.14; L.HE.02.13
Raptor Ready – Birds of Prey – NEW
• Explore the world of the flying hunters and learn how the hunting birds are built to do their job.
• Meet a live Bird of Prey
L.OL.00.11, L.OL.01,13, L.OL.01.21, L.OL.04.16
Adaptation, instinct, individual traits
THIRD-FOURTH GRADE
All programs last 2 hours
Michigan Geology
Fall & Spring
What can a handful of Michigan gravel tell us about the past?
• Discover how common rocks are formed and classified
• Match household items with their source rock or mineral
• Create a geologic timeline
• Hike to a gravel pit and observe several landforms
E.ES.03.41; E.SE.03.13,1,22,31;3-6.5.0.2 BCMASC Kit
Living Lightly With the Earth–Michigan’s first people
Fall
How did Native Americans utilize Michigan’s natural resources?
• Use bone tools to work in a Three Sisters garden
• Sit in a wigwam replica and learn how shelters were made in the early 1700’s
• Practice starting a fire with primitive tools
• Play Native American games
E.ES.03.42.51, 52; E.SE.03.13
Mystery Guest Game Show
• Learn the basics of scientific classification while unraveling the mystery of who’s in the box! Meet a LIVE Bird of Prey and a reptile
L.OL.03.32, L.OL.03.42
Classification, adaptation; characteristics and functions of body parts, individual differences
Fourth – Sixth Grade
All programs last 2 hours.
Wildlife Connections New!
Fall & Spring
How does energy flow through natural communities?
• Build a dynamic food web
• Identify the roles of individuals in populations and communities
• Explore interactions between populations
L.EC.04.11; L.OL.06.51,52; L.EC.06.11,21,23,31 BCMASC Kit
Wetland Discoveries
Fall & Spring
How do scientists study a wetland ecosystem?
• Use soil and plant samples to identify the boundaries of a wetland
• Learn how to use small pond animals and plants to assess water quality
• Sample a pond for pH and dissolved oxygen
L.EC.04.11, 21; L.EC.06.31; E.SE.06.13,14 BCMASC Kit
How Settlers Used Michigan Resources
Fall & Spring
How has the use of natural resources changed from pioneer days to the 21st century?
• Compare muscle vs. machine power for chores then and now
• Work with authentic old-fashioned tools at a pioneer site
• Explore a 19th century farmhouse and discuss how one family met their needs
L.EC.06.41; 4-H3.04; 4-G5.0.1
A Glacier Came This Way - Investigating Michigan's Geology
Fall & Spring
Why does Michigan have so many lakes and hills?
• Hike to the top of a glacial moraine and view the Kalamazoo River Valley
• Visit our gravel pit and search for rocks and fossils left by the glacier
• Participate in activities to learn how erosion and weathering shape the Earth’s surface
E.SE.06.11-13 BCMASC Kit
The Marvels of Bird Migration New!
Fall only (5th grade and older)
Why do millions of birds migrate great distances from wintering to breeding grounds and back again?How have scientists been able to study this amazing event?
• Observe field researchers as they capture and band migratory songbirds
• Map the routes that some birds follow
• Play a game to learn about the challenges faced by migratory birds
L.OL.04.16; L.EV.04.21,22; L.EV.05.21
Outdoor Survival Skills
Fall,Winter & Spring
If your students were lost in the woods, would they know what to do?
• Practice basic map and compass skills
• Utilize group skills to construct a survival shelter
• Collect tinder and lay a campfire
E.SE.06.62
Who’s who in the Night?
• Learn about the unique adaptations and habits of nocturnal animals. Meet a live bird of prey and a reptile.
L.EV.03.12, L.EV.05.11, L.EV.05.12
Adaptation, instinct, vision, sound, individual traits, ecosystems
Look Who’s Coming to Dinner
• Discover Predator/Prey interactions with each other, people, and the world around them. Meet a LIVE Bird of Prey
L.EV.04.22, 1.EC.04.11, L.EC.04.21, L.OL.06.51, L.OL.06.52
Flow of energy, food chain/web, eco system balance, environmental changes
SIXTH-EIGHTH GRADE
All programs last 2 hours.
The following programs are very flexible and can be designed to fit your needs.We can concentrate on one ecosystem or do comparative studies of two. The Nature Center has grasslands,deciduous forest,wetlands and various aquatic (pond, stream, or river) ecosystems. We will design these classes to fit your needs.
Flight School – NEW!
All Seasons
• Dip, dive, and soar through the physics of flight. Discover the unique adaptations required for flight.
Conservation, food webs, adaptation, characteristics & functions of body parts, individual differences, classification
Investigate an Ecosystem NEW
Fall & Spring
How do scientists learn about the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem?
• Collect and classify macroinvertebrates
• Record evidence of vertebrate activities
• Identify and record common plant species
• Sample aquatic sites for pH and dissolved oxygen
• Collect and identify soil types
L.EC.06.23,31
Stream Ecology
Fall & Spring
How do scientists gather information about a stream and its residents?
• Collect macro invertebrates
• Sample stream water for pH and dissolved oxygen
• Measure the flow rate of a stream
• Record biotic and abiotic data
• Spend a few quiet minutes observing a stream, then write a collective poem
L.EC.06.11,21,23,31
Natural Succession NEW!
Fall & Spring
How do plant and animal communities change over time?
• Investigate an old gravel pit, a glacial kettle hole and a climax forest
• Measure abiotic factors and classify soils
• Survey plant and animal communities
• Identify pioneer, intermediate and climax plant species and learn how to recognize local examples of primary and secondary succession
• Use collected data for post-trip activities
L.EC.06.11,23,31; E.ES.07.41
Outdoor Survival Skills
See description under 4th-6th grades.
Hatch and Grow, Animal Life Cycles NEW!
Fall and Spring
Explore forest and field habitats in search of small animals.
• Compare a make believe baby bird with an adult and learn the relationship between life cycle stage and body structures
• Observe live animals in a variety of habitats and life cycle stages
• Discuss how animals meet their basic needs
L.OL.01.21; L.HE.01.11; L.OL.01.13 BCAMSC Kit