Activities

Naturalist Kits - #tcstemnaturekit

Virtual Field Trips

Grade Level Activities & Field Trips

K - Hermit Crabs & Habitats

From the classroom to the wild, this program begins with a fun activity based on the book “House for a Hermit Crab”. Students learn about habitats then build a home for a crab who will live in their classroom. Finally, students take a field trip to Cape Lookout State Park to explore three ecosystems, including the hermit crab’s habitat.

Grade 1 - Cape to Cape:

Students explore & learn about different areas around Netarts Bay, from Cape Lookout to Cape Meares. Students discover the unique characteristics of the Netarts Bay area which will later be compared to Tillamook Bay during the Rocks, Sand & Fish program. This program includes a visit to the Octopus Tree and tour of the Cape Meares Lighthouse.

Grade 1 - Fish & Habitat:

Students learn what influences the different habitats in our bays and estuaries. By observing different fish in each ecosystem, emphasis is placed on adaptations that help animals survive. Students compare different aspects of Tillamook Bay and Netarts Bay from their experience during the Cape to Cape program.

Grade 2 - Day at the Bay

By exploring tide pools and estuary habitats during this field trip, students compare and contrast animal’s adaptations that help them survive in different ecosystems. Local marine biologists lead a discovery activity at the tide pools, a sandcastle building activity provides a lesson in engineering, and students search for shore crabs and catch sand shrimp.

Grade 3 - Forest Biomes:

Students study the different forest areas around Netarts Bay and draw comparisons to coastal and global biomes. Exploring three different habitat biomes, they investigate soil properties, plant diversity, and the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration. They also discuss what changing climate conditions mean for coastal forests.

Grade 3 - Map/Compass/GPS:

In the classroom, students learn how to read maps including identifying the different symbols representing such features as rivers, roads, cities and mountains. They are taught how to find positions on earth using latitude and longitude, as well as how a compass and GPS each work. Outside, students complete a short geocache course near their school.

Grade 3 - Science Project Coaching & Science Fair:

Science Coaches work with students at school to help fine-tune their experiment ideas into a science fair project: developing a hypothesis, setting procedures, listing materials, and how to present data and results. Students then complete the experiment at home, develop a poster on their project, and present to their class during Science Fair.

Grade 4 - Coastal Geology & Energy:

Students examine the unique geologic features of our area through activities on sedimentary and igneous formations, spit and bay geomorphology, and the effect of energy development on coastal ecosystems. Data collected on air temperature, wind speed and direction, and solar energy intensity inform discussions on offshore energy production.

Grade 5 - Cells to Ecosystems:

Examining single celled phytoplankton, multicellular zooplankton, animals with complex organ systems, and ultimately the role organisms play in their ecosystem, students learn about the varying complexity of life. Activities include plankton tows, investigating with a microscope, exploring the rocky intertidal zone, and a tour of the shellfish hatchery.

Grade 5 - Anthropology & Shellfish:

Students explore the inter-relationships between the natural resources of Netarts Bay and humans over time. They conduct scientific investigations on clam populations in the bay, then dig deeper into the area’s paleontological and human history - hunting fossils and learning about the people who have lived along and utilized the bay through time.

Grade 6 - Alternative Energy:

Students explore solar, wind, and wave energy and investigate the feasibility of various alternative energy options for Tillamook County. This program offers fun, hands-on activities that open students’ minds to potential alternative energy sources. During a science inquiry activity, they learn how to design and engineer renewable energy devices.

Grade 6 - Electromagnets:

Students learn about atomic structure, current electricity and induction. They’re also shown examples and uses of electromagnets. The program culminates with a science inquiry activity in which students attempt to createthe strongest electromagnet.

Grade 6 - Wet Cell/Dry Cell:

Students learn about atomic structure, electron negativity and electrolytes. They then preform a science inquiry activity discovering how different metals and electrolytes effect battery voltage and current using multimeters.

Grade 6 - Virabots:

Students learn about electrical circuits, series and parallels, switches, diodes, capacitors and resistors. They then create a vibrabot with an integrated circuit, at least one parallel circuit, and one series circuit to accomplish a task.

Grade 7 - Salmonwatch:

Salmon require specific environmental conditions in our freshwater streams to be successful. This data-collection driven program focuses on these elements, including freshwater food webs, stream order, hydrology, water quality, riparian zones, and native plant species. Back in the classroom, students use the data to compare two sites along the river.

Grade 8 - Rocket Engineering Inquiry:

In this classroom-based, engineering program, students learn Newton’s Laws and the history of rockets. A deeper dive examines rocket behavior during flight and engine design. The program culminates in students building their own rockets to test how changing one structural variable affects flight height when they launch the rockets outside.

Grade 8 - Forestry:

Math is an integral part of forest management. This program incorporates equations as students learn about functional ecosystems, photosynthesis and respiration, and forest succession. Inquiry-based activities include examining vegetation change, soil composition and chemistry, conducting a forest inventory, and methods of timber management.

High School Service Day

All students participate in a day of service together, maintaining and building outdoor learning areas around the district and county. They engage younger students in teaching them activities with them as well during this time.

High School Natural Resources CTE

Instructor: Lori Loeffler

FNRL: Future Natural Resource Leaders

Advisor: Lori Loeffler

High School Science Club

Advisor: Slade Sapora

Science Research Projects

Report abuse