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Pre & Post Activities   Field Day Visit Details   Virtual Field Trip

Sandstone Ranch Pre & Post Activities

Below is a collection of Lessons and Activities designed to light that spark of wonder around Environmental Education. These were designed to be used as pre- and post-activities for the new 2nd Grade Environmental Education Field Day, but can easily be adjusted for all K-5 grade levels and can be used anytime. There is also information on the Adventure Packs, which can be checked out by your students or in class sets.  

Each of these opportunities can be a way to bring your Science Standards to life.

Includes materials list and estimated times

Lesson Overview Document  Link to Each Learning Activity

Sandstone Ranch Field Day Visit Details

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE TIME / TRANSPORTATION: A Bus has been requested and scheduled for you for 9:30 AM and will return to your school at 2:00.

CURRICULUM: City of Longmont staff and trained volunteers will be leading the stations. Please also be prepared to jump in and contribute, as needed, to help your students get the most out of their field trip. The Field Trip day will consist of 4 exploratory stations: Insects on Land, Insects in Water, Bird Watching, and Human History. 

Each station will help students gather data to help answer the underlying questions of the Field Trip: “How do organisms depend on their habitat to meet their needs?,” and, “Is Sandstone Ranch a good habitat?” 

• During the two insect stations, students will catch and inventory insects and examine their body parts to look for adaptations that help them survive in their habitat. 

• During the bird watching station, students will watch birds and look for behaviors that show how birds are using their habitat to survive.  

• During the human station, students will look for evidence of how humans have impacted the landscape, and will use maps to learn about the area.  

Each station will include one other method of data collection that will be used to provide an abiotic context for student discoveries: air temperature, water temperature, wind speed, and orientation to a map. 

FOUR GROUPS: Up to 60 students (two classes) can attend a Field Trip on the same day.  Students will rotate through the four Field Trip stations in groups of up to 15 students (half a class).  Please arrive at Sandstone Ranch with your students already broken into groups of about 12-15 students.

CHAPERONES - LINE OF SIGHT: Ideally, each of the 4 student groups will have at least 1 teacher or 1 chaperone with the students at all times to help with exploration, behavior, first aid, and bathrooms.  To help accomplish this, please try to bring at least 1 chaperone per class.  Bringing 2-4 chaperones per class is even more ideal. Also, please make sure the chaperones stay all day. Teachers should stay near the barn location where they are in line of sight with all groups. Hope this helps. Bring a Lunch

STUDENT PACKING LIST: We recommend that students wear clothing appropriate for the weather conditions, sunscreen, a hat, and comfortable walking shoes, and that they bring a snack, lunch, and a water bottle.  Almost all of the field trip is outside, so it is important that students are prepared for the weather. 

FIRST AID: Please plan to bring your school’s first aid kit to deal with any minor scrapes and bruises. 

WEATHER: If weather is hazardous, or is predicted to be terrible all day, the field trip will be moved inside or may be cancelled.  If the weather is variable and sometimes rainy, stations can be moved indoors temporarily.  

Sandstone Ranch Virtual Field Trip

We're so happy you could join us on our pioneer adventure! Is your time machine ready? We're going back in time to the year 1820 to see what it was like to settle at Sandstone Ranch! 

Are you ready to get started? Watch the videos below to learn more about how Sandstone Ranch was settled.