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Field Trip Program Guide Guided Field Trip Programs: Our programs are aligned with the Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum (VSC) or the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) science blueprints and organized by grade level. All programs are conducted both indoors and outdoors. Please remind your students to dress appropriately for the weather. Nametags are encouraged to allow us to personalize our programs for your students. PreK-K Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, and Amphibians: Croydon Creek critters will help your young zoologists learn about the Animal Kingdom. Students will learn how to classify these creatures and meet a few of Croydon Creek’s favorite critters. They will also take a walk through our forest and meadow to put their classifying skills to the test. Habitat Explorers: All living things have the same basic needs: food, water, shelter, and space. By engaging your group in activities and adventures in our forest and meadow, our naturalists will help your students learn how different animals meet their basic needs. 1st-2nd Grades Soil Sleuths: Soil is essential to all living things. Students will have a chance to examine soil samples up close to determine its different components and discover why it is essential to life on earth. Next, go on a hunt for the origin of soil – rocks! On the trail we will uncover the different types of rocks common to our area and learn how rocks are classified. Forecaster’s Soup: Rain or shine, the same ingredients are needed to make the weather. Learn how air, water, and heat combine to create everything from sunny summer days to chilly winter snowstorms. Students will use a weather journal to practice weather forecasting at home and participate in a weather scavenger hunt. Insect Explorations: Did you know that there are more insects on our planet than any other type of living creature? Join us for an in-depth look at the world of entomology and discover the insect inhabitants of Croydon Creek. From butterflies and moths to grasshoppers, your students will enjoy learning how to identify a variety of species. Seasons: Spring, summer, fall and winter-the natural world changes with the seasons. Students will discover why our seasons change and how animal and plant life changes too! Depending on the current season, your group will travel outdoors to learn why leaves change color in the fall, how animals prepare for winter, or how to recognize the signs of spring. Budding Botanists: What makes a plant green? Where do new plants come from? Why are plants important? Your group will learn all about form and function from our photosynthesizing friends. Students will conduct plant part dissections, record observations in their field journals, and journey outside to search for plants in their natural environment. 3rd-5th Grades CSI Croydon: Animal mysteries abound at Croydon Creek Nature Center and with a little detective work, our naturalists can show your students how to solve them! From tracks to scat your group will learn how to decipher wildlife clues in the John G. Hayes Forest Preserve and participate in an owl pellet dissection that will put their investigative skills to the test! Plants and People: You couldn’t live in a world without plants! From the socks on our feet to the cereal we eat, plants are organisms we depend on daily. Students will discuss the different ways we use these plants every day, dissect and classify some familiar plant parts, and create a project using natural dyes. Of course, no program is complete without a hike outdoors to see how plants function in the local environment! Geology Rocks: Come discover the role that rocks have played in forming Croydon Creek. Your budding geologists will examine the physical properties of various rocks and minerals using a variety of testing methods and record their results. Then, they will venture outdoors to observe geology in action by studying the earth processes and materials that form the John G. Hayes Forest Preserve. 5th-8th Grades From the Creek to the Chesapeake: The Chesapeake Bay sustains an amazing array of wildlife. Learn how Rockville’s streams are connected to the Bay and the impact human activity has had on the aquatic organisms living there. Students will conduct an experiment to explore the importance of water quality and hike to Croydon Creek to conduct a hands-on investigation into stream health involving a closer look at macroinvertebrates. Adaptation Adventures: How have animals and plants adapted to live in their environments? Investigate how living organisms have changed over generations in order to survive. Students will explore some incredible adaptations of different plants and animals, conduct an experiment that demonstrates a physical adaptation, and participate in an adaptation relay. Self-Guided Field Trip Programs: You are welcome to bring a group to the nature center without having a naturalist led program. We offer various activity sheets to augment your nature center experience. Advance reservations are required in order to ensure a quality visit for all. No fee is required. To register your self-guided group, please call us at 240-314-8770. Hours of Operation: Program Registration and Fees: Fees: For City of Rockville schools the cost is $3.00 per student with a minimum of $50.00 per program. For non-City of Rockville schools the fee is $5.00 per student with a minimum of $50.00 per program When scheduling a program, please let us know if your group has special needs. We can tailor a program to your group’s abilities to make your trip memorable. To register for a program please call us at 240-314-8770. Full payment for the program will be due upon arrival. Group Size: Chaperones: Lunch Facilities: Scout Badge Requirement Programs
We also offer programs for Girl Scouts, Junior Girl Scouts and Brownies. Please contact us for more information. To schedule your field trip, call 240-314-8770.
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