Search for School Programs at Habitat

Customizeable Lesson

In any season, our educators come to you for a program inside and out focused on your schoolyard habitat. Typical format includes short indoor introduction, followed by outdoor search of your schoolyard with a particular focus (see below).  Students are surprised to discover details of plant/animal life in their familiar schoolyard setting.  Each session is one hour.

Choose one or more from our schoolyard menu:

• Schoolyard Search:  Birds
• Schoolyard search: Insects
• Schoolyard Search: Plants and Pollinators
• Schoolyard Search: Track and Sign
• Schoolyard Search: Trees

What strategies do animals use to adapt to cold weather? How does animal behavior change in winter? Through this customized in-school program, students examine animal specimens, animal shelters, and a live animal visitor as they learn more about the strategies animals use to survive changing weather conditions. Students find out more about migration, hibernation, and dormancy, which local animals employ these strategies, and who remains active. Birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians will be represented. This interactive program takes place in a three-station format to enable students to examine small details of our specimens.

What strategies do animals use to adapt to cold weather? How does animal behavior change in winter? Through this customized in-school program, students examine animal specimens, animal shelters, and a live animal visitor as they learn more about the strategies animals use to survive changing weather conditions. Students find out more about migration, hibernation, and dormancy, which local animals employ these strategies, and who remains active. Birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians will be represented. This interactive program takes place in a three-station format to enable students to examine small details of our specimens.

Some insects begin their life in water and morph into flying adults.  Find out more about fascinating life-cycles of some familiar insects.  You might be surprised to discover the aquatic beginning of life for a number of organisms.

This interactive program takes place in a 3 station format.

Some insects begin their life in water and morph into flying adults.  Find out more about fascinating life-cycles of some familiar insects.  You might be surprised to discover the aquatic beginning of life for a number of organisms.

This interactive program takes place in a 3 station format.

What structures enable birds to fly, eat a variety of foods, and be a successful and varied group of animals?  Students investigate bird anatomy including beaks, bones, and feathers and help uncover attributes of each which help birds meet their basic needs. 

 Interactive and takes place in a 3 station format.

While there's a lot about New England woods that we can see - chipmunks, stone walls, pine needles - there is much more that we seldom see. On each fallen twig, under every log, and in each pile of leaves, there are animals and other living things. By exploring this important habitat, we will discover the decomposers that are constantly working out of sight.

Exploring various habitats provides an important glimpse into the way that different organisms - from salamanders to skunk weed, from crayfish to crows - live, eat, and reproduce.  By visiting a meadow, a pond, and woods, students will have the opportunity to get up close with the dirt, water, grass, and the respective life cycles that these special habitats contain.

Exploring various habitats provides an important glimpse into the way that different organisms - from salamanders to skunk weed, from crayfish to crows - live, eat, and reproduce. By visiting a meadow, a pond, and woods, students will have the opportunity to get up close with the dirt, water, grass, and the respective life cycles that these special habitats contain.

What do you know about amphibians? What common attributes do all amphibians possess? Through observation, discussion, and activities, students deepen their knowledge of amphibians' life cycles and habitats. Animal visitors are part of this program. Our three-station, interactive format can be customized to meet specific needs.

While there's a lot about New England woods that we can see - chipmunks, stone walls, pine needles - there is much more that we seldom see. On each fallen twig, under every log, and in each pile of leaves, there are animals and other living things. By exploring this important habitat, we will discover the decomposers that are constantly working out of sight. We'll also take a close-up look at soil and the invertebrates that live in or on the forest floor.

While there's a lot about New England woods that we can see - chipmunks, stone walls, pine needles - there is much more that we seldom see. On each fallen twig, under every log, and in each pile of leaves, there are animals and other living things. By exploring this important habitat, we will discover the decomposers that are constantly working out of sight.

What can harness the energy of the sun, help clean the air, provide food and shelter?  Plants!  People - and all animals - depend on this important group of organisms.  Find out more about the variety of plant life, lifecycle, and seed dispersal.
This interactive program takes place in a 3 station format.

Explore plant parts – roots, leaves and veins.  Discover some interesting plant adaptations. Examine flowers and seeds and think about the purposes they serve.  Consider how plant forms function to make this group of organisms successful.

This one-hour interactive program takes place in a 3 station format.

Young children discover more about local nature through exploration, active observation and activities.  Bringing nature inside (in a circle time format) and/or using your neighborhood as outdoor space, Habitat naturalists will help children to see some of the details of nature – flora, fauna, and fungus, note similarities and differences, and seasonal change.  We will bring small animal visitors (slugs, worms, giant millipedes, snails, salamander, American toad, etc), specimens, other materials, and tools (as appropriate) to help children explore nature that is all around.  When possible, program will include an outdoor walk.

Monthly 1 hour program for preschool classroom (children ages 3 1/2 -5)

Format: Introduction to the topic (usually some mystery), a story or poem, an activity, small animal visitor, and (possible) outdoor exploration

Students explore connections between organisms in a habitat with this interactive program about owls and mice. A whole-group introduction focuses students on the challenges animals face in the wild. Students examine specimen skins and wings, then review an organism's basic needs. While observing mice and other prey species, students discuss their needs and think about where they might be found. Students make a mouse out of clay to take home. They also look closely at an owl mount, discuss adaptations, and dissect an owl pellet.

This in-school program helps students find out more about plant parts and the variety of ways flowers are pollinated.  It is not always about bees!  Dissect a flower, identify parts and functions; examine pollinator specimens, and match pollination strategies to specific plants. 

This interactive program takes place in a 3 station format.

As the seasons change, so do the animals and plants. Children will explore the areas where much of this change is taking place - the garden, woods, and pond. This field trip includes sensory-based activities and directed exploration.

In this customized in-school program, students find out more about soil and meet the decomposers – the organisms that transform dead leaves, logs and other organic matter into soil.  Small animal visitors are part of this program.  Hands-On, Interactive, small group, 3 station format.

In this customized in-school program, students find out more about soil and meet the decomposers - the organisms that transform dead leaves, logs, and other organic matter into soil. Small animal visitors are part of this hands-on, interactive program. Students learn in small groups at three different stations.

Students will discover how they impact their environment and acquire skills to minimize their impacts. Through studying real-world problems and developing solutions, students will improve their environmental literacy and be empowered to make informed lifestyle changes.

Multi-part series of one-hour topics include:

• I am Part of the Environment
• Ecosystem Health and Urbanization
• Water is Vital for Life
• Food & Agriculture
• Energy: Renewable vs. Non-Renewable
• Waste Reduction

Topics can be removed or explored more in-depth at your request. Please contact Habitat to discuss these options. 

Through this series of five interactive sessions, students will examine the fundamentals of tree ecology in the classroom and in the field. During classroom sessions, students will examine and classify specimens, investigate using microscopes and hand lenses, and apply knowledge in role-play activities. In outdoor field science sessions, students will have the opportunity to explore in small groups, think critically about the workings of an ecosystem, and apply learned concepts and vocabulary in the context of forest, pond, and meadow habitats.