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Program Descriptions and Teachers Guides
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PROGRAM DETAILS:
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ADAPTATIONS
Grades: 4 & 5 Time: 2 ½ hrs Max. 60 Students
Experience the prairies and forests of Riveredge and see how plants and insects adapt to survive in their niches. WIth scientific tools and exploration activities, discover the importance of structural, functional and behavioral adaptations that make the natural world so interesting and diverse!
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 Wisconsin Standards: Students discover how organisms have adapted by developing special structures to help them survive. Students develop explanations for the connections among living and non-living things in the environment. Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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ART IN NATURE
Grades: K -2, 3-5 Time: 2-2 ½ hrs Max. 60 Students
Practice observation skills through outdoor art making activities. Students will create a reflective art project that connects them with their experiences in nature. An art component can be attached to many of our other programs by special request.
My World Grades K-2 Time: 2 hrs
Explore an ecosystem through drawing, and create mini-environments to take home that reflect students’ experiences in nature.
Patterns Grades 3-5 Time: 2 ½ hrs
Discover patterns in nature through observation of Riveredge collections and outdoor explorations. Students complete an abstract drawing project that contributes to a group art piece.
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Wisconsin Standards: Students will create art to reflect a time and place. They will work collectively and alone to develop visual ideas. They wil learn how creating art brings out feelings. Students will acquire and use information they have gathered in the natural setting.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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BASICALLY BIRDS
Grades:4, 5, 6 & 7 Time: 2 ½ hrs Max. 30 Students
Follow the clues on a search to discover the mysteries of Wisconsin birds! Their intriguing behavior, special adamptations and surprising survival strategies are sure to amaze students and get them hooked on birds wherever they find them.
Wisconsin Standards: Students use binoculars to make observations. They use charts, books, and adults to help answer science-related questions, make predictions and offer explanations. They discover how organisms have adapted structures to match functions and encourage survival.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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COMMUNITIES and ECOSYSTEMS
Grades:5, 6 & 7 Time: 3 or 5 hrs Max. 60 Students
Diverse ecosystems that provide for the needs of countless organisms are around every corner. Dive into two vastly different communities and discover the interdependent layers of life within each. Discover similarities and differences between these communities using scientific tools and hands-on activities.
Wisconsin Standards: Students discover how each organism meets its basic needs for water, nutrients, protection, and energy in order to survive. They describe the flow of energy in natural systems using science equipment including: thermometers, scales and wind meters to collect data.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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COMMUNITY EXPLORATIONS
Grades: 2 & 3 Time: 2 ½ hrs Max. 60 Students
Communities, and the plants and animals that depend on them, are both unique and interconnected. A variety of exploratory and sensory experiences allow students to follow their curiosity and get an up-close experience of two very different worlds.
 Wisconsin Standards: Students develop explanations for connections among living and non-living things. They list components of an ecosystem and describe a food chain. They investigate how organisms respond to internal and external cues.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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DETERMINING WATER QUALITY
Grades: 6 - 12 Time: 3 or 5 hrs Max. 30 Students
Using the river as a lab, learn about water quality by conducting chemical and physical tests. Collect aquatic invertebrates and use a biotic index to see how these organisms are indicators of water quality. The three hour program takes place completely outdoors at the river. The five hour program includes microscopes to identify organisms in the classroom and a possible visit to the dam. (Please indicate on the application if you would like to visit the dam)
Wisconsin Standards: Using the science themes, students explain and predict changes in water. They identify questions that require skilled investigation to solve current problems observed through personal investigations. They collect information, make predictions and offer explanations
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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THE DIRT ON SOILS
Grades: 5, 6, 7 & 8 Time: 3 or 5 hrs Max. 60 Students
Almost everything on earth can be called by another name - "temporarily not soil." Explore the wonders of soil while participating in an inquiry to uncover soil's role as the foundation of all life. Unearth the secret soil ingredients and recipe that interact to make our lunch even possible!
Wisconsin Standards: While investigating and showing that earth materials have different physical and chemical properties, students develop explanations for connections among living and non-living things. Students will use scientific equipment including soil probes, thermometers and wind meters to collect data.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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ENERGY FLOW IN THE POND
Grades: 6, 7 & 8 Time: 3 hrs Max. 60 Students
With the pond as a model, students explore how energy that originates from the sun keeps changing shape and form as it moves through an aquatic ecosystem. Students will collect macroinvertebrates, examine them under a microscope and discover the intricate food web of the pond.
Wisconsin Standards: Students describe the flow of energy in natural systems, using the laws of thermodynamics and citing the sun as the source of energy for the earth. They use scientific equipment to collect data relevant to questions and investigations. They use data collected to develop explanations, make predictions and revise their understanding.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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EXPLORING NATURAL SYSTEMS (Formerly called Searching for Systems)
Grades: 5, 6 & 7 Time: 3 or 5 hrs Max. 60 Students
Students play a hands-on, interactive game to explore the web web of natural systems in a variety of environments. They discover the concepts of energy flow, adaptations, nutrient cycles and networks - the systems upon which all life depends. Exploring Natural Systems is a higher-level program for students with prior experience studying science in the outdoors.
Wisconsin Standards: Through investigations, students show how organisms both depend on and contribute to the balance or imbalance of available energy and nutrients in the ecosystems. They use data collected to develop explanations, make predictions and revise thier understanding about continued life on Earth.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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EXPLORING WITH A MICROSCOPE
Grades: 4, 5, 6 & 7 Time: 2 ½ hrs Max. 30 Students
Observe and explore the world of the very small through the eyepiece of a microscope. It is far more fascinating than students could ever envision using their eyes alone. Each student uses a microscope to examine non-living and living things at his or her own pace.
Wisconsin Standards: Students use scientific equipment to collect data relevant to questions and investigations. They communicate results of investigations, in ways their audience understands, through drawing and written explanations.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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FRUITS OF FALL
Grades: 1,2 & 3 Time: 2 hrs Max. 60 Students
Enjoy an exploration of seed dispersal strategies and the concept that fruit is a seed container. Visit the children's garden and sample what's in season (weather permitting.) The program includes a surpise meeting with Johnny Appleseed and discovering how apple cider is made!
Wisconsin Standards: Students illustrate the different ways plants grow through life stages and survive to produce new members of their type. They describe how plants use energy in their daily lives, and find patterns and cycles in the earth's daily, yearly and long-term changes.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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GARDEN EXPLORATIONS
Grades: K-3 Time: 2 hrs Max. 40 Students
Dig into dirt in the Riveredge children's organic garden. Students will experiment with soil, water and seeds to discover how plants grow and provide food for humans. The program will conclude with harvesting and a stop in the kitchen to make a fresh, seasonal snack to enjoy!
Wisconsin Standards:Through investigations, students discover connections among living and non-living things. They illustrate the different ways plants grow through life stages and survive to produce new members of their type. They ask questions, collect information, make predictions and offer explanations.
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LIFE IN WINTER
Grades: 3 & 4 Time: 2 ½ hrs Max. 60 Students
With a treasure map and a set of wintry clues, students set off to discover the relationship between animals and their habitats. By examining animal tracks and other signs, students discover the skills of observing and making inferences. By this frosty adventure's end, the puzzle is complete and the mysteries of winter survival are solved! With sufficient snow cover, snowshoes may be worn.
Wisconsin Standards: Students discover how organisms meet their needs to survive. They make observations, ask questions, collect information, make predictions and offer explanations about questions asked. They use critical thinking strategies to interpret and analyze gathered information.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF and PowerPoint files and may take time to open.)
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MAPLE SUGARIN'
Grades: 2, 3, 4 & 5 Time: 2 ½ hrs Max. 60 Students
The sweetness of spring, the miracle of photosynthesis, and the magic of Maple Sugarin’ are presented in a fast-paced visit to a sugar bush! Experience Wisconsin's history with a special emphasis placed on Native American traditions. To top it off, students tap a tree and enjoy the "fruits of their labor" on a pancake!
Wisconsin Standards: Students discover how different cultures use natural resources. They investigate how organisms, especially plants, respond to both internal cues and external cues. Students learn inquiry skills by making observations, asking questions, collecting information, making predictions and offering explanations about questions asked.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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NEVER ENDING NUTRIENTS
Grades: 3 & 4 Time: 3 hrs Max. 60 Students
Nothing in nature is wasted! Embark on an exciting inquiry-based adventure to discover first hand how the natural processes of the Earth recycle and reuse life's essential elements. This exploration uncovers ideas on how nature's ways can be a model for our daily lives.
Wisconsin Standards: Students understand that substances can exist in different states. Using science themes, they find patterns and cycles in the Earth's daily, yearly and long-term changes.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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POLLINATION PUZZLE
Grades: 4, 5 & 6 Time: 2 ½ hrs Max. 60 Students
Discover pollination from the perspective of natural pollinators and flowers! A trip to the honeybee hive provides a unique experience (weather permitting) and an exploration of our organic garden provide a unique opportunity to appreciate the life-giving gifts of the pollinators.
Wisconsin Standards: Students explain interactions among organisms or populations of organisms. They show how organisms have adapted structures to match their functions. They use models and explanations to predict actions and events in the natural world.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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POND INTERACTIONS
Grades: 4, 5 & 6 Time: 3 hrs Max. 60 Students
A pond is an ever-changing ecosystem made up of countless interactions that link things to one another and to their surroundings. Uncover connections in the pond that are reflections of larger ecosystems. Students will collect macroinvertebrates, examine them under a microscope and create a pond interactions mural to take back to school.
Wisconsin Standards: Students show how organisms have adapted structures to match their functions and cite how different organisms adapt to their environment. They collect information, make predictions and offer explanations. They will use books, charts and naturalist input to answer science-related questions.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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RIVER REFLECTIONS
Grades: 5, 6, 7 & 8 Time: 3 hrs Max. 30 Students
A river beckons to be explored. It is a composite of many habitats, from rapids to sluggish stretches. The only constant is that it is always on the move! Put on some hip boots and step into the river community.
Biotic / Abiotic Interactions Emphasis
A river is a set of interactions of living and non-living things. Use scientific tests to evaluate various abiotic factors of the river and collect macroinvertebrates with kick-nets to explore the biotic community. Students discover how these components interact and influence one another within the river ecosystem.
Adaptations Emphasis
Imagine living in a river. How would you find food, breathe oxygen, protect yourself and move against the current? Collect and identify macroinvertebrates with kick-nets and discover how these river dwellers are adapted to survive in this ever-moving world.
Wisconsin Standards: Students show how organisms have adapted structures to match their functions and cite how different organisms adapt to their environment. Students discover how organisms meet their needs to survive. They learn inquiry skills by making observations, asking questions, collecting information, making predictions and offering explanations about questions asked.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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SENSITIZING Grades: 1 & 2 and
WINTER SENSITIZING Grades: K - 2 NEW!
Time: 2 hrs Max. 60 Students
Natural things come in many different shapes, sizes, colors, textures, odors, tastes and sounds. Learn about the diversity of nature through a unique variety of sensory experiences. Depending on the season, students may find themselves collecting an array of leaves in the autumn woods, taste-testing herbs and vegetables in the garden or showshoeing through a winter wonderland!
Wisconsin Standards: Students understand that objects are made of more than one substance by observing, describing and measuring size, shape and color. They use science content-learning to ask questions, plan investigations, make observations, make predictions, and offer explanations.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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SOIL SECRETS
Grades: 1-2 Time: 2 hrs Max. 60 Students
Discover the secret world beneath your feet. Explore the wonders of soil ecology while participating in an inquiry to uncover soil's role as the foundation upon which all life depends. Learn how a system designed by humans models the way nature recycles nutrients.
Wisconsin Standards: While investigating and showing that earth materials have different physical properties, students develop explanations for connections amount living and non-living things. Students use scientific equipment including soil probes, thermometers and percolation kits to collect data.
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VERNAL POND LIFE
Grades: 3, 4 & 5 Time: 3 hrs Max. 30 Students
A vernal pond presents an amazing and extraordinary ecosystem teeming with life. Collect organisms from a floating boardwalk and explore interrelationships that maintain life in this temporary pond.
 Wisconsin Standards: Students list components of an ecosystem and describe a food chain. Through investigations, the show how organisms both depend on and contribute to the balance or imbalance of populations and/or ecosystems. They use data collected to develop explanations, make predictions and revise their understanding.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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WETLAND WONDERS
Grades: 6, 7 & 8 Time: 3 or 5 hrs Max. 60 Students
Discover the types of wetlands, roles and relationships of plants and animals in wetland ecosystems, and how to define a wetland itself! Students use physical tests such as pH, temperature, sunlight and water depth to compare two natural wetlands. Visit different types of natural wetlands as well as our Engineered Wetland Wastewater Treatment System.
Wisconsin Standards: Students use pH test kits, thermometers and light meters to gather data. Students use critical thinking strategies to interpret and analyze gathered data. They use the results of their investigations to draw conclusions and review their personal understanding of wetlands. Students compare and contrast a human-built ecosystem with a natural one.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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WINTER POND
Grades: 5 - 12 Time: 3 hrs Max. 30 Students
Explore the world with a lid! Discover the limiting factors that affect life under the ice. Collect scientific data through holes in the pond's icy crust and use microscopes to identify amazing organisms living beneath.
Wisconsin Standards: Students understand that water can exist in three different forms. They use scientific equipment including thermometers, meter sticks, Secchi disks, and Eckmann dredges to collect data. While conducting investigations, students decide what data can be collected to determine the most useful explanations.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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WINTER WILDLIFE HABITAT
Grades: 5, 6, 7 & 8 Time: 2 ½ hrs Max. 60 Students
Discover the relationship between animals and their habitats. Hands-on activities and experiments allow students to explore the impact of winter's limiting factors, such as animals’ heat loss, cover and food availability. Snow shoes may be worn if there is sufficient snow cover.
Wisconsin Standards: Students discover how organisms meet their needs in order to survive. They investigate how organisms respond to internal and external cues and cite examples of how different organisms adapt to their habitats. Students show through investigations how organisms depend on and contribute to the balance of populations.
Download the following materials to help you and your students prepare for this fieldtrip to Riveredge. (Please note--these are large Acrobat Reader PDF files and may take time to open.)
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WISCONSIN'S GLACIAL LANDSCAPE
Grades: 4, 5, 6 & 7 Time: 3 or 5 hrs Max. 60 Students
In this student-led quest, travel back in time 10,000 years to when the glaciers of Wisconsin retreated. Use scientific tools such as wind meters, soil probes and thermometers to explore the clues the glaciers left behind-incredible kettle, moraine, kame and esker landforms! At each destination, students visit a sandbox to enact how the landform was created. Along the way, students test rocks to discover their origins and determine how human activities can be changed to impact the land more positively.
Wisconsin Standards: Students describe the land and water masses of the Earth and Wisconsin’s rocks and minerals. Students analyze the geologic and life history of the Earth.
 
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