Field Trip Program Guide

Guided Field Trip Programs:
We offer a variety of naturalist-led field trip options for you and your students. Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten programs are 60 minutes in duration. For grades 1st through 6th, programs are 90 minutes in duration to allow for a more in-depth learning experience. Staff at the Nature Center is also able to offer customized programs for your group. Please note that customized programs are not available April-June.

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.
VSC Alignment: 3.PK.A.1a-d, 3.K.A.1a-d
MCPS Blueprint Grade K: LIT, MAO
Available: All year

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.
VSC Alignment: 3.K.E.1a-d, 3.K.F.1a-c, 6.K.B.1a-b
MCPS Blueprint Grade K: LIT
Available: All year

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. 
MCPS Blueprint Grade 1:  RSS
Available: Mid-March-November

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.
VSC Alignment: 2.1.E.2a-e
MCPS Blueprint Grade 1: WAM
Available: All year

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.
VSC Alignment: 2.3.C.1, 2.3.F.1, 2.6.A.1, 2.6.B.1
MCPS Blueprint Grade 2: LCB
Available: April-June

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.
VSC Alignment: 2.1.D.2a, 2.1.E.2a-d, 3.2.F.1a-c
Available: All year

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.
VSC Alignment: 3.1.A.1a-c, 3.1.C.1a-b, 3.1.E.1a, 3.2.C.1a, 3.2.F.1a-c
Available: March-December

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!
VSC Alignment: 3.4.E.1ab, 3.4.E.1ab, 3.3.E.1a-d
Available: All year

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!
VSC Alignment: 3.4.A.1a-d, 3.4.E.1a-c
Available: March-December

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.
VSC Alignment: 2.5.A.3a-c, 2.6.A.2ab, 2.6.A.4a-d
MCPS Blueprints Grade 4: EAM
Available: All year

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.
VSC Alignment: 6.5.B.1a-b, 6.5.B.2a-c, 3.5.A.1e, 6.6.A.1ade, 6.6.B.1a-c
MCPS Blueprint Grade 6: Chesapeake Bay Population and Ecosystems
Available: April-June

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.
VSC Alignment: 3.6.D.1a-g
Available: All year

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:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday-Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 1pm-5pm
Additionally, we are closed New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Program Registration and Fees:
Program registration for the school year begins in August.

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:
Due to facility size, we may limit group size to maintain quality and provide personalized attention. Large groups may be asked to visit on multiple days depending on their size. Currently, the maximum number of students we can accommodate is 60.

Chaperones:
A 1:10 chaperone to student ratio is required for grades 3 and higher, and a 1:5 chaperone to student ratio is required for groups in grades 2 and lower.

Lunch Facilities:
Due to space limitations we cannot reserve indoor lunch facilities for your group. On nice weather days we invite you to enjoy the outdoors and picnic on the grounds provided you dispose of your trash appropriately.

Scout Badge Requirement Programs

WEBELOS
Naturalist badge
Forester badge
Geologist badge

BEAR CUB
Achievement 5: Sharing your world with wildlife

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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