FALL AND SPRING ACTIVITIES!
Grade 3
MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA
Do you know how mammals are different from other animals? Find out
which mammals live at Belwin by the signs they leave behind. How
do they survive, which mammals hibernate, which mammals hunt, which
mammals live in the forests, which mammals live on the prairies?
The Mammals of Minnesota unit covers concepts such as classification,
predator/prey relationships, animal tracking, and habitat evaluation.
BEAVER ECOLOGY
Have you ever wondered why beavers have those funny tails? Are you
curious about how beavers keep their teeth sharp? What do beavers
eat and who are their enemies? Find this out by seeing where beaver
have lived and what they have left behind. Students in the Beaver
unit will be exploring a beaver habitat and learning about how the
beaver's unique features help it survive.
BIRDING
Are you interested in seeing a great variety of birds in their natural
environment? Do you like using binoculars to see things your eyes
don't normally see? Are you interested in learning more about how
birds fly, where they find food, where they migrate, and what are
their enemies? The Birding unit will explain characteristics such
as, feathers, beaks, and hollow bones. Concepts such as migration
and habitat evaluation may also be highlighted.
NATURE'S WAY
Where do animals live? What do they eat? Who eats them? What do
animal tracks, rubbings, nests, and scat tell us? Something new
is happening every day. The Nature's Way unit is a general activity
which may include the following concepts: food chains; circle of
life; predator prey relationships; animal adaptations; animal characteristics.
Each of the four units also participate
in games that further explain survival, body design, predator/prey
relationships, etc. Our main objective is for students to have an
enjoyable learning experience in an outdoor environment!
Grade 5
ARCHAEOLOGY
Are you interested in discovering hidden mysteries of the past?
In this unit you will explore an abandoned homestead, measure
the site and record the artifacts found there. A long walk will
be necessary to get to the homestead site. Students in this activity
eat lunch at the site.
 ORIENTEERING
Are you interested in learning how to use a compass? You will
be introduced to basic compass use through such activities as
mini-scavenger hunts and point-to-point orienteering courses.
You will learn how to set and follow a compass bearing, "shoot"
a bearing, measure paces, use landmarks to orient yourself, and
walk in the wilderness without getting lost.
FOREST INVESTIGATIONS
Who needs trees? Not just humans. Many animals live in different
types of forests. You will investigate the habitats of the oak
and red pine forests. How many ways do humans and all other animals
depend on trees? What is a tree worth to you?
POND/STREAM
Water Tigers, Diving Beetles, Larvae galore, and all sorts of
creatures you've never seen before. This unit stresses the diversity
of life that exists in a healthy pond and how people change a
pond's water quality through pollution. You will use pond sampling
equipment to collect pond life for study.
MARSH STUDIES
Great Blue Heron, geese, Red-winged Black Birds, deer and invertebrates
all live by or on the marsh. Life in and around the marsh is investigated.
Students will use sampling equipment to discover what lives in
the marsh.
PRAIRIE ADVENTURES
Can you imagine a sea of grass, could you live in a home built
of sod? Imagine your neighbors are many miles away. You will investigate
animal and plant life as well as the human history of the prairie.
Insect nets will be used to catch grass invertebrates. Medicinal
uses of prairie wildflowers will be focused on as well.
INTERMEDIATE BIRDING
Are you interested in activities that take you outside to observe
birds in their natural home, learn about predator-prey relationships,
bird migration and more? Field guides, binoculars and taxidermied
birds and bird parts will be used.
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