Outreach Programs - Riveredge Nature Center

Special Thanks to Our Community Partner:

Our Corporate / Business Partners:

A.O. Smith Foundation

Ansay Development Corporation

Badger Meter Foundation

Charter Manufacturing Co. Foundation

Johnson Controls, Inc.

Marshall & Ilsley Foundation

Midwest Iconic Services

The Milwaukee Insurance Foundation, Inc.

MGIC

Morgan Stanley

Olsen's Piggly Wiggly

PPC Foundation

Robert W. Baird & Co. Foundation

\| K-1 \| Gr. 2-3 \| Gr. 4-5\| Gr. 6-8 \| K-5 \| Program Details\| Addtl Resources \|


Environmental Education Outreach Program Offerings for School Sites or Neighborhood parks




Program Descriptions

Kindergarten and First Grade Animals in Fall Students explore the school site or a nearby park in search of signs of several Wisconsin animals. Discover the changes that take place in fall and how these changes affect animals. We will also discuss how animals prepare for winter. Fall program. Sensitizing Natural things come in many different shapes, sizes, colors, textures, odors, tastes and sounds. Students learn about the diversity of nature through a variety of engaging sensory experiences in the outdoors. Fall or spring program. Insects & Their Kin This program introduces students to the incredible diversity of the invertebrate world and explores how they survive. Students collect and examine little creatures using sweep nets and bug boxes, and discover they are responsible for healthy soil, healthy plants and healthy people. Fall or spring program. Wiggle Worms Who comes out to play on a rainy day? Students will roll logs, dig in the soil and sift through vermicompost to uncover wiggling worms. We will also learn about their important jobs in nature. Fall or spring program. Oh Deer, it’s Cold Out Hare Students learn how deer and rabbits survive in winter by focusing on their adaptations. Through hands-on activities, they discover the changes that take place in winter and search for animal signs in the outdoors. With sufficient snow cover, snowshoes may be worn. Winter program.




Second and Third Grades Water Cycle Adventure In this hands-on program, students are introduced to the water cycle and discover how it travels through natural systems. Students play an interactive game to create their own water cycle story. Fall or spring program. Adaptations/Food Chains During this interactive program, students unlock the secrets of how plants and animals adapt to survive in their habitats and explore the role that adaptations play in food chain interactions. Fall or spring program. Bird Adaptations Students will be amazed when they discover the special adaptations, intriguing behavior and surprising survival strategies that birds have to help them survive. After looking at mounted specimens of birds, students embark on a bird scavenger hunt to take a closer look at their adaptations. Fall or spring program. Mouse Day This engaging winter program focuses on three types of mice that live in our area and the signs that they leave behind. We start inside with introductory information and then go outdoors to search for signs of mice. If we're lucky, we may even scare up a live one, resulting in great excitement for both us and the mouse! Winter program.





Fourth and Fifth Grades Food Web Students participate in an interactive game to demonstrate how energy moves through a food chain. Embark on a food web scavenger hunt and discover the importance of interconnectedness. Fall or spring program. Energy Solutions Discover how energy that originates from the sun keeps changing shape and form as it moves through the ecosystem. Students collect organisms and discover an intricate food web. Using nature as a model, they explore a variety of renewable energy solutions including solar panels and biomass energy. Fall or spring program. Never Ending Nutrients Embark on an exciting adventure to follow the travels of Nutrient X through a landscape. Students discover patterns and cycles in the Earth’s processes and understand that substances exist in different states. Fall or spring program. Life in Winter: Animal Survival Strategies 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 utilize 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. Winter program.



Also available for Kindergarten through Fifth Grade: Art in Nature Students practice observation skills through outdoor art making activities which reflect their experiences in nature. Grades K-2 focuses on habitats, and grades 3-5 focuses on patterns in nature. Riveredge will provide the materials and projects for your class. All Seasons.



Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades Arthropods and Microhabitats Survey Discover how smaller habitats exist within larger habitats and ecosystems. Survey the living and non-living components of a microhabitat and discover how arthropods take advantage of the specific environmental conditions within their microhabitat. Students collect scientific data to analyze later in class. Fall or spring program. Soil Seekers Investigations Students use scientific tools to explore the wonders of soil while participating in a hands-on investigation to uncover soil’s role as the foundation of all life. Discover the living and non-living components of soil and how they interact. Fall or spring program. Winter Wildlife Habitat Explore the relationship between animals and their habitats in this hands-on program. Perform experiments to explore the impact on wildlife of winter’s limiting factors, such as heat loss, shelter and food availability. Winter program.





Program Details

All outreach programs are led by Riveredge Environmental Educators and take place outdoors at the school site or a nearby park. Programs last 1 – 1 ½ hours and have a limit of 30 students. More than one program can be scheduled on the same day to accommodate multiple classes. Fees are $3.00 per student plus a $30 mileage fee per visit. Additional mileage fees apply to schools located outside of a 25-mile radius of Riveredge Nature Center. Program dates and times are flexible; please contact Riveredge for more information (262) 375-2715.




Additional Resources

Boston Schoolyard Initiative www.schoolyards.org Placed-based Education Evaluation Collaborative www.peecworks.org Children and Nature Network www.childrenandnature.org Green Teacher Magazine www.greenteacher.com Science and Children Magazine www.nsta.org Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv Center for Ecoliteracy www.ecoliteracy.org