1st Grade – 4th Grade Field Trips
All programs are 90 minutes unless otherwise indicated
Nature’s engineers, beavers have made a comeback in the Northeast. In this STEM program students will observe how the beavers return has made an impact on the Teatown landscape, view a beaver lodge, understand how beavers change their environment to meet their needs, and engineer and test their own beaver dams
RITUALS OF SPRING
Grades 2 – 4
The 3 M’s of spring – mating, metamorphosis and migration – are covered in this lively interactive program. Using natural materials, games and live animals, students are introduced to stages of development, life cycles and patterns of change that occur in spring.
GEOLOGY OF THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY
Grades 3 – 4
Students will travel back in time to discover the foundation and forces that shaped the face of the Hudson Valley. Through observation and comparison, students will learn the difference between rocks and minerals. During outdoor exploration, we will look for and discuss evidence of the natural and made-made forces that are changing Teatown’s landscape. The program will conclude with a glacial simulation activity.
Grades 1 – 4
Teatown Lake is an amazing place to discover the complexities of a freshwater ecosystem. For a hands-on experience students use dip nets to search for the diversity of life in the lake. Using a video-adapted microscope, students will get a close up view to see the special adaptations of aquatic creatures, and be able to compare form and function. Food chains and webs, ecological succession and predator – prey interactions are concepts explored.
WET & WILD (spring only)
Students explore a vernal pool habitat and meet some of the amphibians who depend on these pools for breeding, metamorphosis, food and protection. An energetic game that illustrates the roadblocks amphibians encounter as they migrate to their spring breeding grounds, and a discussion of ways we can protect these endangered habitats illustrate the importance of stewardship. An outreach visit to your school can be linked with this program to provide an introductory classroom lesson on metamorphosis. Meets at Cliffdale Farm
MEET THE ANIMALS
We share the world with a variety of unique fascinating creatures. In this dynamic program, the fundamentals of animal classification and adaptation are discussed using mounts and live animals from Teatown’s collection. Students are given the opportunity to touch the animals and develop respect for animal life.
BIRDS OF PREY
Take flight and soar, as we take a close look at the amazing adaptations that make raptors successful hunters. The specialized use of talons and beaks, wing design and acute eyesight and hearing, in addition to the principles of flight will be demonstrated. With the use of costumes and role-playing, students will learn about a bird’s unique anatomy and a raptor’s specialized adaptations.
MAPLE SUGARING (late February through March only)
Grades 1 – 4
The most magical time of the year at Teatown is sugaring time! Using tools, stories and student participation, we’ll trace the history of maple syrup production from Native American times to the present day. Students will be introduced to the technology of sugaring, learning how trees produce sap and why, the physical states of matter and tree identification and growth. This program blends history, botany, physics and chemistry for a truly interdisciplinary
program with the added bonus of a sensory treat!
RETURN OF THE EAGLE (January and February only)
Grades 1 – 5
This innovative program takes students to sites along the Hudson River to view a once endangered species which has made a comeback in the Lower Hudson Valley – the bald eagle. Using games, artifacts and spotting scopes students discover the reasons behind the eagle’s amazing conservation story and learn how our actions will ensure that eagles remain a healthy species.
TREES ARE TERRIFIC
Grades 1 – 4
A tree operates like a factory, records history like a book, and plays an essential role in the ecosystem at each stage of its life. Through games and activities, students will learn about tree anatomy and function, and their important role in a forest community. On a guided hike, students will use observation and comparison skills to identify trees.
KEEPERS OF THE EARTH
Grades 1 – 4
Using our recreated full-size wigwam and longhouse and replicated artifacts, children learn about the daily life of the indigenous people of the lower Hudson Valley. Students will discover how Native Americans relied on the land for food, clothing, shelter and medicine, and formed connections to animals and plants through their beliefs and traditions.Meets at Cliffdale Farm.
SURVIVAL IN THE NEW WORLD
Grade 4 (3 hours)
Take a fascinating look at the history of the Eastern Woodland people at the period of contact with Europe. Students are introduced to daily life in a Lenape village that incorporates crafts, games, tracking, a fire building demonstration and gardening. Traditions, beliefs and legends are discussed, and the impacts on native culture by European settlement are explored. Meets at Cliffdale Farm.