Why do we provide the Educational Kit?

This activity kit is designed to familiarize your students with topics presented in the “Nature Rangers” field trip, and to provide a depth of experience and opportunity to apply knowledge after the trip. The activities within this kit will give your students a better understanding of such topics as adaptations, community connectivity,  human influences and change over time using unique artifacts and hands-on exploration. They are designed to build a strong background for the field trip itself, thereby enhancing your students’ outdoor experience.

How does it work?

We provide different activities that will help students build a more comprehensive understanding of relevant concepts. These activities can be adjusted to different age or learning groups by adjusting the level and amount of reading and writing, and choosing appropriate vocabulary. For example, if you feel that there are too many words for a younger age group, you can omit the included worksheets and focus purely on observational activities. Conversely, if you feel that your students would benefit from more written analyses, the kit’s curriculum includes extensional writing prompts with particular activities, which help to further understanding and scientific observational skills. 

Why is this a relevant and interesting topic?

In the process of developing observation skills in nature, students also build and apply foundational knowledge in the fields of biology, ecology, geography, and history. This unique learning environment allows students of multiple learning intelligences to thrive and connect to nature and science. Repeating observations, finding patterns, and making connections as they move through different habitats is an engaging and rewarding way for students to develop common science practices that will benefit their science education in the classroom. Thinking about nature as a system, and physically connecting these ecosystems by walking through them, helps students to come closer to the environment and begin to realize that they too are a part of natural systems.