School Program Offerings

NATURE’S COURSE
Grades: K-1

Follow the course of an uneaten apple from its beginnings as a fragrant flower to its end as part of the soil beneath the tree it came from. Students will learn the story of Adam, an energetic first grader anxious to help with chores on his family’s orchard. Along the way they will discover how nature’s waste is recycled and interact with live decomposers including composting redworms. NGSS & NJSLA-S: KESS2-2, KESS3-3

STORY OF THE SUN
Grades: K-1

Follow Emile the Egret on his journey from his evening roost just outside the “big city”, to his daytime feeding grounds in the salt marshes of the Meadowlands. By hearing Emile’s story students will learn about the Sun’s apparent motion across the sky and understand the important role this illusion plays in the life cycles of animals. This program includes a take-home craft. NGSS & NJSLA-S: KPS3-1, KPS3-2, 1ESS1-1

MARSH MUCKERS
Grades: K-1

Visit the salt marsh and meet the animals that make this amazing habitat their home. Students will learn about the unique water here and interact with live specimens, collecting and sorting them based on the observations they make. They will also be introduced to a salt marsh food chain, a concept that will be reinforced with a take home craft. This program includes a guided field hike, weather permitting. NGSS & NJSLA-S: KLS1-1, KESS3-1, KESSS3-3, K-2ETS1-2

SHELL STORIES & SCALE TALES
Grades: K-1

Animals display an amazing array of adaptations, and the wildlife inhabitants of the Meadowlands salt marsh habitat are no exception. Interactive storytelling and cooperative learning stations fully engage students in this exciting topic. This program includes a takehome craft. NGSS & NJSLA-S: K-LS1-1, KESS-2-2, KETS-1, 1LS1-1

INCREDIBLE INSECTS
Grades: K-3

Come learn about the most numerous group of animals in the world and see for yourself the astonishing diversity of insects that live in the Meadowlands. Classification, life cycles, physical characteristics, and the role insects play in their local habitats will all be investigated. Observations of live insects will be included in the lesson, many collected by the students, weather-permitting. This program includes a take-home craft. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 1LS1-1, 2ETS-1, 2LS4-1, 3LS1-1, 3LS2-1, 3LS4-2, 3LS4-3

PAWS & CLAWS, BEAKS & FEET
Grades: 2-3

Which birds have feet designed for swimming? Whose beak is best for eating insects? In what ways is a shell useful to a turtle? Students will discover the answers to these and many other questions. Through cooperative learning and hands-on investigation, students will learn how animals’ adaptations enable them to survive in the salt marsh. This program includes a guided field hike to look for plant and animal adaptations, weather permitting. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 2LS2-1, 2ETS-1, 2LS4-1, 3LS4-2, 3LS4-3

WIND & WATER: Building For The Elements
Grades 2-3

In this elementary STEM program, young engineers will be exposed to the forces of nature resulting from weather. Hands-on models will be used to demonstrate how wind and water can impact human structures and change the land. Students will then investigate ways to resist weather effects. Using natural materials and testing criteria, can students build a wind-resistant tower AND float their boats? A fun, open-ended exploration! NGSS: 2-ESS2-1; K-2-ETS1-1

STARRY FACES IN FARAWAY PLACES
Grades: 2-3

This program will have your students reaching for the stars! Through kinesthetic activities, students will experience the depth and dynamic nature of the solar system with an emphasis on the Sun and familiar constellations. Included in the program will be an investigation of the Earth’s movement and how this movement affects what we observe in the sky. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 3ESS2-1

MARSH EXPLORERS
Grades: 2-3

This program is only offered April through November. Get immersed in the salt marsh habitat. Following an introduction to this unique wetland community, students will act as field biologists, collecting and identifying live specimens, trying to piece together a local food chain. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 2LS4-1, 2LS2-1, K-2ETS1-2, 3LS2-1, 3LS4-2, 3LS4-32, 3LS2-1, 3LS4-2, 3LS4-3

WATER WATCHERS
Grades: 2-3

If water is one of Earth’s most abundant resources, why do we need to conserve it? This program answers this question. Students will learn good water use habits and participate in kinesthetic activities that help to convey several at-home techniques for conserving water. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 2ESS2-3

IN TOO DEEP
Grades: 3-5

Beyond simply recognizing the reality of climate change, In Too Deep helps students identify ways this reality might affect them, their families, and the communities they live in. After using historic weather data to identify several climate types, students will investigate how potential changes in future weather resulting from climate change will impact locations differently based
on local topography. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 3-ESS2-1, 3-ESS2-2, 3-ESS3-1

DOWN & DIRTY WITH DECOMPOSERS
Grades: 4-6

This program introduces students to the many benefits of composting and the role of decomposition in the environment. By observing the inhabitants of our compost bin using microscopes, students will “unearth” the mystery of how worms convert kitchen scraps and yard trimmings into nutrient-rich soil. Weather permitting, other invertebrate decomposers will be collected by students in the field and classified in the classroom based on physical characteristics. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 5LS2-1, 5ESS3-1

THE MEADOWLANDS IS FOR THE BIRDS!
Grades: 4-6

Why do so many birds migrate through New Jersey and the Meadowlands? Students will examine the geography of the Garden State and participate in a simulation to understand this phenomenon. We will also use map skills and math to understand the science of one bird’s migration. Be prepared to take a hike to find our feathered friends and the resources they depend on. NGSS & NJSLA-S: MS-LS2-1

SOLAR ENERGY: Living With the Sun
Grades: 4-6

This program illuminates the various ways our nearest star affects life on Earth. Students will learn about the apparent motion of the Sun over a day and through the seasons. They will then apply that knowledge to design and build a 3-D house model that uses solar energy. Other activities will have students exploring our place in space and, weather permitting, viewing our star with safe solar viewing equipment. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 5ESS1-2, 3-5ETS1-1,2 & 3

ASTOUNDING ADAPTATIONS
Grades: 4-6

What helps animals and plants survive in the wild? Students will be able to answer this question after investigating movement, protection, and feeding simulations that include live animal interaction, tool manipulation and cooperative work. This program includes a guided field hike, weather permitting. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 4LS1-1

PEEK AT THE PAST
Grades: 4-6

Come discover how the early settlers lived in the Meadowlands. Students will become junior archaeologists as they uncover artifacts in our mock archeological dig pits then analyze the form and function of these objects. This interpretive journey will allow students to identify natural resources from the past and present. Activities are adjusted seasonally and based on weather conditions. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 4ESS1-1

ESTUARY EXPLORERS
Grades: 4-8

This program is only offered April through November. Come discover the salt marsh! Field experiences will have students testing water samples, collecting live specimens, and examining plant life. Students will also practice microscope skills in observing live plankton. Food chains, adaptations and wetland values will be discussed. NGSS & NJSLA-S: 4LS1-1, 4LS1-2; 5PS3-1, 5-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1

CLIMATE CHANGE CONUNDRUM
Grades 6-8

After reviewing the evidence of climate change distilled from the National Climate Assessment, students will consider their own contribution to global warming by conducting a brief carbon footprint survey. This, along with a simple climate-modeling tool, will transition to a debate-style discussion of potential solutions to climate change with concerns of various interest
groups being considered. NGSS & NJSLA-S: MS-ESS3-5, MD-ESS3.D

BIODIVERSITY BASICS
Grades: 7-8

Humans depend heavily on the Earth’s biodiversity. Join us as we discover what biodiversity is, its importance for humans and what we can do to preserve it. Students will conduct a bird survey in DeKorte Park and participate in a game-based simulation of threats to biodiversity and the consequences an ecosystem experiences when this biodiversity is compromised. NGSS & NJSLA-S: MS-LS2-1 & 2

STUDYING STARS NEAR & FAR
Grades: 7-8

This program will introduce students to our closest star (the SUN!) and the energy it emits. Activities related to the electromagnetic spectrum, spectroscopy and telescope optics will demonstrate how we currently study the Sun and other stars. Students will visit our observatory and its research-grade telescope. Weather permitting, we will also safely view the Sun.
NGSS & NJSLA-S: MS-PS4-2

POWER TRIP: Exploring Renewable Energy
Grades: 9-12

Take a real-world look at sustainability in the human environment using our science building as a working model of green design principles. Hands-on activities will have students gathering data to analyze the factors that affect photovoltaic performance. Students will also experiment with wind turbine models in a challenge to engineer the best blades. NGSS & NJSLA-S: HS-PS3-3

BIODIVERSITY: Balancing Act
Grades: 9-12

Students with a basic understanding of biodiversity will enjoy this program where they will learn how to conduct a biodiversity survey here in DeKorte Park in order to estimate the “health” of our ecosystem. We will also demonstrate through a hands-on activity how disruptions from human communities can affect ecosystems. Concepts such as food chains, food webs, trophic levels, and resilience will be discussed. NGSS & NJSLA-S: HS-LS2-A

URBAN ESTUARY ECOLOGY
Grades: 9-12

This program is only offered April through November. Explore the interactions of the local tidal community. Through field collections, water chemistry, and other observations, students will be exposed to our urban estuary and examine how humans have impacted the Meadowlands. Indoor observations will focus on how scientists study an aquatic food web. NGSS & NJSLA-S: HS-LS2-2, HS-LS4-6

HEAVY METALS: Up Berry’s Creek Without a Paddle
Grades: 9-12

This program will introduce some of the toxic metals of concern in the Meadowlands. Students will conduct a bioassay lab, getting a first-hand look at the impacts of these substances on living organisms, as well as how scientists attempt to quantify toxicity. Self-guided activity stations also address local history and remediation strategies for contaminated sites. NGSS & NJSLA-S: MS-PS1-4

ESTIMATING LOCAL CARBON CAPTURE
Grades: 9-12

Students will appreciate the potential role of trees in atmospheric CO2 capture and perform an outdoor field survey of trees. With three pieces of information, students will calculate estimated carbon capture in local specimens. Weather permitting, we may also hike additional park trails or discuss other carbon capture strategies. OPTIONAL: To expedite field data collection, we can provide background info in advance and recommend smartphone apps for download prior to the session.