Programs for Grade 6

Creature Connections & Ecosystems (Fall/Spring)

• While exploring various ecosystems, students will investigate and collect data on the factors that distinguish each. Along the way, they’ll examine how the roles of various organisms are connected to each other.
• Upland Forests
• Meadow
• Wetlands
• Bottomland Forest
• *Great Lakes Dunes
• LS1-4, ESS1-3, ETS2

Skull Detectives (Year-round)

• Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them out in a detective-style program that involves teamwork and hands-on activities.
• LS1-4, ESS3, ETS1-2

Set up Camp! Tent & Fire-building (Year-round)

• Let’s go camping! Students will be challenged as they work together to perform some essential camping skills: Setting up a tent and building a campfire.
• PS1-3, LS2, LS4, ESS1-3, ETS1-2

Maps & Orienteering (Year-round)

• Smartphones down, compasses up! Students will learn how to use a compass and then work together to navigate the trails using their new skill.
• LS1-2, ESS2-3, ETS1-2

Owls & Nocturnal Life (Year-round)

• Don’t be left in the dark, get en-light-ened on how an owl’s adaptations allow them to live nocturnally! You’ll also learn which owls can be found nearby, what sounds they make, and dissect owl pellets.
• PS3, LS1-4, ESS3, ETS2

Birding Basics

• Students will sharpen their observation skills by learning how to use binoculars and identify birds by sight and sound. Then they will put their skills to use by watching birds at the bird feeders and outdoors.
• Bird Feeder Observations (Fall/Winter)
• Bird Songs Activity (Spring)
• LS1-4, ESS2-3, ETS2

Whose Track is That (Year-Round)

• Something’s been walking through the woods, can you guess who it was? Through outdoor investigation and hands-on activities, students will become wildlife detectives and search for signs of Michigan’s wild animals. By studying track shapes, stride patterns, and habitat clues, they’ll learn how to uncover the hidden stories left behind in the snow, sand, and mud! 
• LS1-4, ESS2-3 

Winter Adaptations (Winter)

• Some animals migrate, some hibernate, and others insulate. We’ll explore what animals do in winter, how they stay warm, look for signs of who is awake, and study different animal tracks. 
• LS1-4, ESS2-3

Eco-Vision (Fall/Spring)

• Designed for large or small groups, students will visit various stations and discover the role of various natural and human influences on different ecosystems. In the process, they’ll gain insight into how these ecosystems provide us important services and how we can be good stewards of them.
• Michigan Pine Forests
• Invasive Species
• Wetlands Lab
• Watersheds
• LS1-4, ESS1-3, ETS1-2, PS4

Grand Lady Riverboat Experience (Fall/Spring)

• Experience the Grand River from the deck of the Grand Lady Riverboat! Guided by staff, students will observe habitat features of the river and connect them to ecosystem and watershed health.
• Grand River Watershed
• Meadow
• Upland Forest
• Bottomland Forest
• *Additional fees for boat reservation. Program takes place at Grand River Park with up to 120 students per field trip.
• LS1-4, ESS1-3, ETS1-2

Great Lakes Dune Exploration (Fall/Spring)

• Take a shallow dip into a sensory experience or a deeper dive into dune formation and ecology. This program can be held at Rosy Mound Natural Area, Kirk Park, or North Ottawa Dunes/North Beach Park.
• “First visit to Lake Michigan” Experience
• Dune Ecosystem Study
• PS4, LS1-4, ESS1-3

Service-based Learning (Fall/Spring)

• Service-based learning is a special segment of our volunteer and school programming. In addition to getting students outside and caring for our natural lands, it is an opportunity to connect students with the outdoors and our natural heritage. Students enjoy learning about ecosystems while improving them.
• Activities include volunteer work such as invasive plant removal and litter cleanup, along with an educational component.
• PS1, LS1-4, ESS2-3, ETS1-2

Winter Adventure! (Winter)

• Want to get your class outside to enjoy Michigan’s beautiful winter, but don’t have the equipment? Bring your students out for a day of snowy fun with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding at Pigeon Creek Park!