FIELD TRIPS
Hands-on Education for School Groups
Bring your students to Severson Dells Nature Center for an
experiential science field trip they will never forget!
We offer affordable guided programs for Pre-K to high school designed to meet Illinois State Board of Education and Next Generation Science Standards.
Find more information about our offerings in the full field trip brochure listed below!
Our program prices are $8/student for one program or $14/student for two programs. There is no fee for teachers, and one chaperone for every eight students is free. We also offer a complimentary Low-waste lunch talk for schools who request two programs.
We are happy to offer scholarships for our field trip programs for schools in need. Please click the button below to be redirected to our scholarship page for more information.
We are thankful to the foundations, companies, individual donors, and agencies like Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, that support our programs and help keep the cost of the programs to less than half of what it costs to deliver them.
Self-guided groups are asked to coordinate with Severson Dells staff to ensure the best experience for all parties. Please know that the building may not have capacity for your group in the event of a severe storm.
Please call (815-335-2915), email, or fill out the Field Trip Interest form to request a school program.
This handy chart shows all of our current offerings, their time length, location, and most appropriate grade levels. All Outdoor programs can only happen at Severson Dells Nature Center. In-school field trip 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
I= In-school Field Trip
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 K-2 | Indoors | 40-50 minutes
Backyard Animals: Skins and Skulls
We'll discuss amazing backyard animal adaptations and investigate real pelts and furs! KLS1-1, 1LS1, 2LS4-1, CC1, CC3, PKI6, M1
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
Grades 4 - 12 | Outdoors | 90 minutes
Stewardship and Conservation
Experience what it's like to work in the field of Ecology and Environmental Science while helping us with research and conservation efforts. Activities vary based on the season. MSESS3-3, HSESS3-4, HSESS3-6, ETSB.1, CC1, CC3, PKI4, M1, M5, M6
Grades 1-5 | Indoors | 40-60 minutes
Outstanding Owls - added fee
Owls are masters of the night for a reason! Our team will guide your class through an owl vs human field-day style activity set to see how their adaptations stack up to ours. We'll bring mounted owl specimens, owl feathers, and other incredible items to help students imagine what life is like as an owl. This lesson has an optional 30- minute owl pellet dissection add-on for $5 a student. (K-LS1-1, K-LS1.C, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS2.E,K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3.A, K-ESS3-3, K-ESS3.C, 1-LS1.A, 1-LS1- 2, 1-LS1.B, 1-LS1.D, 2-PS1.A,2-LS4-1, 2-LS4.D, 3-LS1.B, 3-LS2.C, 3-LS2.D, 3-LS4.D, 4-LS1.A, 4-LS1-2, 4-LS1.D, 5-PS3.D, 5-ESS3.C
Grades 1-5 | Indoors | 40-60 minutes
Beautiful Bats
Beyond being the world's only flying mammals, bats have specialized features that will blow your mind! Our team will guide your class through a bat vs human field-day style activity set to see how their adaptations stack up to ours. We'll bring replicas of bat skeletons and some other surprising items that are associated with bats! (K-LS1-1, K-LS1.C, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS2.E, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3.A, K-ESS3-3, K-ESS3.C, 1-LS1.A, 1-LS1-2, 1-LS1.B, 1-LS1.D, 2-PS1.A, 2-LS4-1, 2-LS4.D, 3-LS1.B, 3-LS2.C, 3- LS2.D, 3-LS4.D, 4-LS1.A, 4-LS1-2, 4-LS1.D, 5-PS3.D, 5-ESS3.C)
Grades 1-5 | Indoors | 40-60 minutes
Fantastic Frogs
We know that frogs are fantastic critters, but do you know just how wild their adaptations are? Our team will guide your class through a frog vs human field-day style activity set to see how their adaptations stack up to ours. Students will also learn how to identify local frogs based on their calls. (1-LS1.A, 1-LS1.B, 1-LS1.D, 2-PS1.A, 2-LS4.D, 3-LS1.B, 3-LS3.B, 3-LS2.C, 3- LS4-4, 3-LS4.C, 3-LS4.D, 4-LS1.A, 4-LS1-2, 4-LS1.D)
Grades K-2 | Indoors or Mixed | 40-60 minutes
Winter Animals and Tracking
Where do animals go in the winter? We'll answer that question and more as we learn what it takes to survive the winter and how to track some four-legged friends in the snow. KLS1-1, 1LS1-1, 2-LS4-1, CC1, CC3, PKI6, M1
Grades 2-5 | Indoors | 40-90 minutes
Outdoor Skills: Knots & Cordage
Learn how to tie essential everyday knots and make your own cordage out of natural materials! We'll also discuss outdoor preparedness and basic survival skills to make sure your students know how to hit the trail safely. ETSB.1, CC1, CC3, PKI4, PKI6
5th Grade | Indoors | 90 Minutes
NEW: Water Management Program
Watch the water cycle to life and explore watersheds with state-of-the-art models! Students will learn all about their local watershed and what they can do to protect it. Funded by Four Rivers Sanitation Authority and the City of Rockford Public Works. 5-ESS2-1, 5-ESS3-1, SS.5.G.1., SS.5.G.3, SS.5.G.4., SS.5.CV.1
Field Trip Interest Form
Contact Us
“As a teacher, Severson Dells is just a great opportunity for me to give my students a different hands-on approach to things. If we don’t teach our kids and our students about nature, they’ll have no reason to preserve it in the future.”
Stacy Wallace
5-8 Grade PLTW Teacher
Marshall Gifted Academy
"The guides were FABULOUS! They taught at an age appropriate level, kept them engaged, and were knowledgeable!"
Stori D.
2nd Grade Teacher
Rockton Grade School
"The staff were very communicative and friendly. They also had great programs to choose from that worked well with our curriculum and they made it easy for us to schedule a field trip with the district guidelines that we had in place."
Destiny B.
2nd Grade Teacher
Riverdahl Elementary School
"Students loved the experience and objectives of activities we chose aligned with what we learned in class."
Beth A.
3rd Grade Teacher
Bloom Elementary School
