Environmental Education Programs

Homes and Habitats            1 ½ hours, offered September-May

On a hike through River Bend Nature Center's woodlands and prairie, students will observe how these places are habitats for many animals and how they meet each animal's needs in different ways.

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards 1.4.2.1.1 and 1.4.2.1.2

Animal Life Cycles               1 ½ hours, offered September, April-May

Students will go dip netting to investigate pond life, observing them in various stages of their life cycles. They will also compare how different animals pass through their life cycles.

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards 1.4.3.1.1 and 1.4.3.1.2

Seeds of Life                1 ½ hours, offered September-October

Students will learn about the challenge that plants have to spread their seeds. They will look for seeds on a hike through the Nature Center’s prairie and forest, making observations to determine how the seeds spread and sorting seeds into similar categories.

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards 2.4.1.1.1 and 2.4.2.1.1, 3.4.1.1.1

All About Plants         1 ½ hours, offered September-October, April-May

Through hands-on  activities, students will learn about plant needs and life cycles. They will have a chance to observe and compare plants at different stages of their life cycle on a hike through River Bend’s forest.

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards 2.4.1.1.1, 2.4.2.1.1, and 2.4.3.1.1

Plant and Animal Survival                      1 ½ hours, offered September-October, April-May

Students will learn that plants and animals inherit traits from their parents. They will use a key to identify trees based on observations of these traits, and learn how different traits affect an animal’s ability to survive through a demonstration and activity.

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards 3.4.3.2.1 and 3.4.3.2.2

Plant and Animal Characteristics        2 hours, offered December-March

Students will meet River Bend Nature Center’s live animal ambassadors, using their observations about the animals’ behaviors, structures, and characteristics to classify them. They will also experience how humans have mimicked a snowshoe hare’s feet in order to create something useful--a snowshoe!

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards: 3.4.1.1.1 and 3.4.1.1.2

Rocks and Minerals            2 hours, offered September-November, April-May

Students will make hands-on observations to identify a variety of different minerals and do an activity to understand that those minerals combine to form different rocks. They will then hike to Fossil Beach to apply their understanding of rocks and minerals.

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards 4.3.1.3.1 and 4.3.1.3.2

The Water Cycle                    2 hours, offered April-May

Students will create an aquifer model to understand how human decisions affect the water cycle. They will visit springs, the Straight River, and even see groundwater pollution on a hike through River Bend.

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards 4.3.2.3.1 and 4.3.4.1.1

Aquatic Ecosystems             2 hours, offered September-October, May

Students will use dip nets to investigate macroinvertebrate life in the Nature Center’s ponds. They will observe and identify indicator species and conduct water tests to determine the ecosystem’s health, and  better understand how humans impact the ecosystems we interact with through several hands-on activities.

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards 5.4.2.1.1, 5.4.2.1.2, and 5.4.4.1.1

Changing Landscapes         2 hours, offered September-October, April-May

Students will find glacial erratic, fossils, quarry remnants, and a sandstone cave as they hike through the Nature Center. They will be challenged to think about how slow and fast processes shaped River Bend’s Landscape into what it is today.

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards 5.3.1.2.1 and 5.3.1.2.2

Compass Course                   1 ½ hours, offered September-October, April-May

Students will learn the skills needed to use a compass and then practice on River Bend Nature Center’s compass courses.

Geology Rocks                  2 hours, offered September-November, April-May

Students will explore the science of Geology-earth processes and how humans cause landscapes to change. The processes can be quick or occur over a long period of time. 

Addresses *NEW 2019* Minnesota Academic Science Standards 6E.2.1.1.2, 6E.3.1.1.2, 6E.3.2.1.1

The Physics of Archery       2 hours, offered September-October, April-May

Students will participate in a lab to design, create, and improve a marshmallow launcher, identifying potential and kinetic energy in their design. Then they will have a chance to use potential and kinetic energy by learning archery with compound bows.

Addresses Minnesota Academic Science Standards 6.1.2.1.2, 6.1.2.1.4, and 6.2.3.2.1

Food Web          1 1/2 hours, offered September-November, April-May

Students will play a life-size game of predator/prey to learn about the different relationships in a food web.

Addresses *NEW 2019* Minnesota State Science Standards 7L.3.2.1.4, 7L.3.1.1.3

Coming soon!