Millerton Lake
State Recreation Area
Explore Millerton Lake State Recreation Area!
Millerton Lake State Recreation Area is found in the geographical center of California, where the San Joaquin River flows out of the Sierra Nevada foothills and into the great Central Valley. The building of the Friant dam, as part of the Central Valley Project, forever transformed the landscape flooding the canyons above and altering the river below. Join us as we explore concepts such as; animal adaptations, earth processes and more, on our interactive virtual field trips!
Keep reading to discover our On-Demand programs and K-12 educational resources from Millerton Lake State Recreation Area!
Sign up for your On-Demand program below!
Teacher Resources
Bird Adaptation Resources
Bird Adaptation Library
Project Beak is a great source to have students independently explore various adaptations found in birds, either as front-loading or further exploration post PORTS program.
Conversation Starter
Owl vs. Hawk from 'Phenomenon for NGSS'
Use video clip to start the discussion about adaptations in birds, with your students.
Bird Behavior and Adaptation Videos
The Cornell Lab Bird Academy is a great source for videos that highlight bird adaptations; both physical and behavioral.
3-D Bald Eagle
Zoom in, out, and spin all around! Students can get a close up look at this interactive 3 dimensional scan of a Bald Eagle! Use as inquiry tool to get students asking questions about its features.
BBC Earth: Owls' Silent Flight
This video compares the sound of flight across a pigeon, falcon, and owl. Why silent flight useful? How do owls achieve such silent flight? Pause at minute 2:05 for discussion.
Weathering and Erosion Resources
Why is there sand on the beach? (Mystery Science Activity)
In this lesson, students investigate the effects of rocks tumbling in a river. Based on their observations, they construct an explanation for why there is sand at a beach.