You don’t have to go far to have an adventure in the outdoors! Bring your class to Sycamore Grove Park for a short walk and lots of exploration and fun. Through exploration, demonstration and fun, students will learn about local wildlife and use all their senses to experience Sycamore Grove Park. This field trip may well be the one your students remember years from now.

NGSS/CC: Standards met vary based on teacher request.

Who lives in the pond? Your students will find out on this field trip! They will learn about the great variety of aquatic creatures to be found as members of the class are transformed to illustrate the amazing adaptations used to survive. Students will then be armed with nets to capture and examine some of the critters they learned about.

NGSS Standards Met: K-LS1-1; K- ESS3.A; 1-LS1.A; 1-LS1.D; 2-LS4-1; 3-LS1-1; 3- LS4.C

The world of the pre-contact California Indians becomes real as students explore the park imagining how they would live without supermarkets, hardware stores, and video games. Learn about the plants and animals that provided native peoples with food, shelter and entertainment and gain insight into their traditional society and culture. Students will examine artifacts and replicas, try their hand at traditional skills and Indian games.

Common Core History and Social Science Standards met: 3.2 HSS; 4.2 HSS

Why do plants make flowers? What are the different ways seeds can travel? Which plants are native and which have been introduced? These questions and more will be answered as students take a short hike to explore a variety of habitats. They will learn how the plants of each habitat provide food and shelter for various animals, even humans. Activities may include using tree keys and making leaf rubbings depending on the season and grade level. 

This longer form field trip is ideal for older elementary grades. In every season, there's always something to investigate at Sycamore Grove Park. Students will explore the park and learn about the larger systems and patterns at play, including ecosystems, habitats, and adaptations. A 2-hour hike will be followed by a closer examination of the smaller critters around us; from macroinvertebrates to microorganisms. 

*This program is a 2 hour hike combined with 1 hour of activities with the rangers. Depending on the time of day scheduled, we can build in a 30 minute lunch break for your staff. 

This day of fun and learning is designed to complement your 3rd grade local history curriculum. At Ravenswood Historic Estate students will step back in time as they do household chores, play old-time games, make cider and dress-up in Victorian clothing. Students will leave Ravenswood with a greater understanding and appreciation for life in the valley during the late 1800s. Due to staffing requirements, minimum and maximum numbers of students / classes may apply. Due to high demand, payment is required before a date will be held for your school. Non-refundable except in cases of inclement weather or if we are able to re-book the date.

Common Core History and Social Science Standards met: 3.3 HSS; 4.7 HSS

This is a mini version of our longer form program on Victorian life at Ravenswood.  Ideal for one class or homeschool group, up to 30 students.  Students will step back in time as they tour the Ravenswood Historic Estate, make cider and dress-up in Victorian clothing. Students will leave Ravenswood with a greater understanding and appreciation for life in the valley during the late 1800s. Non-refundable except in cases of inclement weather or if we are able to re-book the date.

Common Core History and Social Science Standards met: 3.3 HSS; 4.7 HSS

(2 hrs long)

Rangers can customize a field trip or in-class program to complement almost anything your class is studying! Plants, mammals, birds, bugs, evolution and adaptations, astronomy, geology, local history, changing of the seasons... what ever interests your class. Costs depend on length of program, materials and amount of preparation needed. Call or email for an estimate at least a month before you would like to have the program. Let us know the grade level, number of students and what you have in mind.
NGSS/CC: Standards met vary based on teacher request.

What makes a mammal a mammal? Students will learn the characteristics of mammals as they feel furs, examine skulls, and discuss interesting animals. Children will learn about adaptations and strategies mammals have developed to help them survive in a “mammal eat mammal world.”

NGSS Standards Met: K-LS1-1; K-ESS3-1; K-2-ETS1-2 CC; 1- LS1.A

We are part of the natural world... so nature is never far away if you know where to look!  Walking Field Trips connect students to the environment in their own backyard, helping them develop a sense of place and become more environmentally literate.  Your class will be guided by interpretive staff during a 1 ½ hour exploration of a local park, open space area, or a green space at your school.  There’s always something amazing to see if slow down and look! 

*Interpretive staff will coordinate with teachers to choose a location, whether a green space at your school, or a nearby park or open space area that is within walking distance of the school.   

What does a snake feel like? What does a spider look like up close? People often fear what they don’t understand. By meeting and learning about some of our more common “creepy” critters your class will gain a better understanding of why these animals look and behave the way they do. Students will learn why these creatures are important so they can appreciate them safely, while giving them the respect they deserve.

NGSS Standards Met: K-LS1-1; K-ESS3-1; LS1.A

Who begins their day when the sun goes down? As your students become bats, owls and other creatures of the night, they will learn about the adaptations that allow these animals to thrive in the dark. They will get up close and personal with wings, talons and taxidermied animals. Your class will learn about the huge diversity of bats and the important roles they play in our lives. You and your students will have a hoot!

NGSS Standards Met: K-LS1-1; K-ESS3-1; LS1.A

If your group can’t make it to the park they can still have the hands- on experience of examining artifacts and replicas with a ranger in your classroom. Your class will step back in time to learn about the traditional day-to-day life of the people that have populated the bay area for thousands of years. Demonstrations, role-play, and other activities will make your California Indians unit more meaningful and memorable.

Common Core History and Social Science Standards met: 3.2 HSS; 4.2 HSS

The concept of a watershed becomes clear as students actively explore how water moves through mountains, valleys and towns, and affects the health of the people and animals that live there. After this program, students will understand how litter contributes to storm water pollution and can affect our creeks and bay. They will be able to identify potential sources of pollution in their neighborhoods and at school, and find ways to help prevent our watershed from being negatively impacted.

Standards met: 4-ESS2.CC; 5-ESS3.C

The second program in this series will build on what students have learned so far to prepare them for their field trip to a stream. They will learn about aquatic insects and other water-loving creatures and how they can be indicators of stream health. Students will discuss the aquatic food web, and see how easy it is to disrupt. They will test the pH of several liquids and brainstorm other ways to evaluate stream health. After this program, students will be ready to visit the stream as scientists.

Standards met:4-LS1.A; 5-LS2.A

Now that students have an understanding of ways to examine stream health, it’s time to put what they have learned into action. Students will visit a local creek, perform aquatic insect sampling, record data, measure pH, take measurements and examine the stream for signs of pollution and human influence. They will analyze their data and discuss their findings in the context of what their research indicates about the health of the local watershed.
4-ESS2-1.SEP / 4-PS3-2.SEP; 4-ESS2-2; 5-PS1.CC; 5-PS1.SEP