FIELD TRIPS

This handy chart shows all of our current offerings, their time length, location, and most appropriate grade levels. All Outdoor and Mixed programs can only happen at Severson Dells Nature Center. Traveling Naturalist programs are designed to come to schools but can be done at Severson Dells Nature Center as well.

Most groups will select 1-2 programs for their field trip.

Types:

O= Outside Only

 M= Mix of Indoor and Outdoor

T= Traveling Naturalist

K= Can be an indoor option for Kindergarten

R= Can be indoors-only if bad weather

Grades 1-12 | Outdoors | 90 minutes

Discover Nature Hike

This classic program is also our most requested. Explore nature with hands-on, sensory-based, guided activities. Each hike is different as we discover all that nature has to offer. Many standards apply, and hikes can be tailored to subjects being taught in the classroom.

Grades Preschool-K | Outdoors | 40-60 minutes

Nature’s Alphabet

Nature is filled with letters, numbers, shapes, and colors!  Join a hands-on scavenger hunt as we recognize patterns and more in nature. KLS1-1; CC1; PKI4, M5

Grades Preschool- K | Outdoors | 40-60 minutes

Needs of Plants and Animals

Using movement and games, students discover how

plants and animals have many of the same needs. KLS1-1, KESS2-2, KESS3-1, KESS3-3, CC1, PKI4, M1, M2

Grades 1-4 | Mixed | 90 minutes

Predator-Prey Palooza!

Students learn the traits of predators and prey animals,

and then test their ability to “fill the shoes” of these

animals in fun activities. Includes sneaking and stalking

games out in the field. 1LS1-1, 1LS1-2, 2LS4-1, 3LS4-3, 3LS4-4, 4LS1-1, 4LS1-2, CC1, CC3, PKI1, PKI6, M1, M3

Grades 1-4 | Mixed | 90 minutes

Animal Homes and Habitats

Discover how animals interact with and rely on our prairie, forest, pond, and creek through an exciting puzzle and outdoor investigation. 1LS1-1, 1LS1-2, 2LS4-1, 3LS4-3, 3LS4-4, 4LS1-1, 4LS1-2, CC1, CC3, PKI1, PKI6, M1, M3

Grades 1-4 | Mixed | 90 minutes

Bird Beak Mystery

Use clues about bird beaks, feet, and feathers to solve a mystery. During the second half of the program, students learn how to use binoculars and do a short bird

walk. 1LS1-1, 1LS1-2, 2LS4-1, 3LS4-3, 3LS4-4, 4LS1-1, 4LS1-2, CC1, CC3, PKI1, PKI6, M1, M3

Grades 1-12 | Outdoors | 90 minutes

Grades 2-12 | Mixed or Outdoors | 90 minutes

Outdoor Skills

Outdoor Skills can be used everyday! Put engineering principles to the test when building a shelter, see chemistry in action when starting a fire, think critically about first aid, and use fine motor skills to tie knots. Content varies on age, time, and season. ETS1.B, MSESS3-3, CC1, CC3, PKI1, PKI6, M1, M2, M3, M5

Grades 3-12 | Outdoors | 90 minutes | Sept, April, May

Aquatic Studies

Students and teachers should be prepared to get wet in this ultimate “immersion” program about what lives in our waters! Activities include sampling macroinvertebrates, determining water quality, and learning about watersheds. If the temperature is above 70 F at the time of the field trip, we will go in the creek for this program. If the temperature is below 70 F, we have a variety of options to choose from including water cycle and property of water activities as well as pond-side macroinvertebrate sampling. 3LS4-3, 3LS4-4, 4LS1-1, 5LS2-1, MSLS2-1, MSLS2-2, MSLS2-5, MS-ESS3-3, HSLS2-1, HSLS2-2, HSLS2-7, HSLS4-6, CC1, CC3, PKI4, PKI6, M1, M2, M4, M5

Grades 6-12 | Mixed or Outdoors | 90 minutes

Compasses: Finding Your Way

Apply math and geography skills as we learn how to use compasses and maps to navigate the old-fashioned-way. ETS1.B, CC1, CC3, PKI1, PKI6, M1, M2, M3, M5, M6

Experience what it is like to work in the field of Ecology and Environmental Science while helping us with research and conservation efforts. Activities vary based on season. MSESS3-3, HSESS3-1, HSESS3-4, HSESS3-6, ETSB.1, CC1, CC3, PKI4, M1, M5, M6