Activities

During each visit, students are placed into three groups (twenty students per group plus chaperones or volunteers) and may participate in 2-3 of the following experiences:

• Nature Hike (Grades 4-7) – Students learn about native and invasive plant species and wildlife on the Parkway and the impact these different species have on natural environments. The hike also serves to create greater awareness and appreciation for this recreational asset.

• Watershed Investigation - In order to learn about the role of the American River in the Sierra Nevada watershed, students will be given the opportunity to participate in this interactive station that explores how the California landscape promotes the flow of water from the Sierras down to the ocean.  

• Nature Journaling (Grades 4-7) - Using the teachings of John Muir Laws, students are provided with common objects found along the parkway and encouraged to record and draw their observations. 

• Plant Investigation (Grades 4-7) - Using handheld microscopes, students investigate specialized structures on plant leaves that support the exchange of gases in and out of the plant.  

• Macro Aquatic Invertebrates in the River (SEASONAL) – Students observe invertebrates in the American River using petri dishes, draw the organisms they find, and then record their observations in a science notebooks. Students engage in a discussion about the invertebrates and how the organisms are part of a larger, more complex ecosystem.

• Abiotic and Biotic Factors/Scavenger Hunt (Grades 4-7) – Students observe and identify living organisms (e.g., plants and wildlife) and non-living things (e.g., rocks and water) that make up the dynamic ecosystem of River Bend Park. They use their scavenger hunt worksheet to search for specific species that are found on the Parkway.

• Water Ferry Engineering Design – Teams of two or three build small rafts using natural materials found on the Parkway. Teams then attempt to float their raft across a stream table with “family and supplies” (gram weights) meant to simulate travelers that would need to cross a river.

• Owl Pellet Dissection (Grades 4-5) - Students will investigate the riparian ecosystem along the American River, by dissecting owl pellets in order to learn more about simple food chains.  

*All lessons are aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards.