During the winter months the RVOEP education team heads into UUSD classrooms to provide hands-on environmental education programs that tie to RVOEP field trip experiences. Teachers interested in scheduling one of these programs should contact the RVOEP Education Coordinator.
Living Lightly on the Earth – Lessons from the Forest (Grade 2) – 75 min.
Students link the plants and animals of the forest community in a giant web of life. They then find out what happens when strands of this delicate web are destroyed by the consequences of human garbage. Students are challenged to use the 3R’s —– Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to design a simple waste disposal strategy that will lead to a healthier environment for plants and animals and protect the web of life.
The Skulls Program – Herbivore, Omnivore, Carnivore: A Study of Structure and Function (Grade 3) – 90 min.
Students use skulls to explore the concepts of structure and function and learn the differences between herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores. This program ties directly to the RVOEP field trip for third grade – “The Nature Detective Training Program.”
Flight School (Grades 4 – 6)
Part 1 – In the classroom phase of Flight School, students begin to learn about the role and importance of birds in our local ecosystems. This is a hands-on program and students will not only become birds themselves, but must apply for a job in the forest ecosystem. Of course, this means learning about the special adaptations that help birds survive. (2-hour program)
Part 2 – Students become wildlife biologists as they follow the scientific process to answer an important question about barn owls — “What is the most common prey of a barn owl?” To find the answer, each student will dissect an owl pellet and use the bones and skulls they find to identify the prey. In addition to learning about owls, students will discover the world of shrews, voles, pocket gophers, mice, rats, and Jerusalem crickets. All are important components of the owl’s forest and meadow food web. (2-hour program) Note: There is a $2.00/student charge for materials.
To schedule a classroom presentation or field trip, get in touch: visit our contact page