Nature’s Pathways is a hands-on science course for middle school students, to explore the story of Earth and the natural world. Students will travel through geologic time, investigate dinosaurs and ancient life, examine rocks, fossils, and natural specimens, and use microscopes to discover details hidden from the naked eye. Through labs, projects, outdoor exploration, and hands-on investigations, students will uncover how Earth has changed over time and how the living and nonliving parts of nature are connected. Nature’s Pathways encourages curiosity, observation, and discovery as students follow the clues nature has left behind.

Nature’s Pathways is an Earth & Space Science course with its primary emphasis on Earth’s natural history. Astronomy appears briefly at the beginning of the semester through the Big Bang and formation of Earth before the course moves into geology, paleontology, evolution, and modern nature.

Nature’s Pathways is a hands-on journey through Earth’s incredible story. Students investigate rocks, minerals, fossils, geologic time, prehistoric life, dinosaurs, evolution, and the natural world around them. Through labs, microscopes, documentaries, outdoor exploration, scientific challenges, and creative projects, students learn to follow the evidence nature has left behind.

🔎 WHAT NATURE’S PATHWAYS MEANS

Nature’s Pathways is built around a simple idea: Nature leaves clues. Scientists follow them.

A fossil can tell us about an organism that disappeared millions of years ago.

A rock can preserve evidence of an ancient environment.

A dinosaur tooth can provide clues about diet.

A whale skeleton can reveal evidence of ancestors that once lived on land.

A leaf can contain structures invisible to the naked eye.

Even the ground beneath our feet contains pieces of Earth’s story.

Throughout this course, students will learn how to observe, question, investigate, compare, analyze evidence, and communicate discoveries.