Teachers Field Trip Guide to Capitol Reef

This Field Trip Guide was gifted to NTTC volunteers from the National Park Service. Although a bit out of date, this guide has activities for K-6 that match up with core curriculum. Activities range in topics from flora, pioneer life, and geology to ecosystems, Native American cultures and conservation. These activities come with step-by-step instructions, some including worksheets. This is an excellent example resource that shows how to match core with experiential education. Selection of the following links will open the chapters of the field guide.

Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th & 6th Grade

Project Wild

Bring the classroom outside!

Project WILD is a wildlife-focused conservation education program for K-12 educators and their students.

They are one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school. There are many resources and activities that are offered through this organization!

“Fostering responsible action towards wildlife and natural resources.”

— Project Wild

https://www.nps.gov/kids/jrRangers.cfm

Project Learning Tree

PLT provides a wealth of up-to-date resources, support, and ideas for teachers and other educators. They also offer grants to schools and youth organizations for service-learning projects. Plus,their extraordinary network of State Coordinators and certified workshop facilitators provide local assistance and community connections. 
 

“MAKE LEARNING FUN!
Use the environment to engage children in learning – both outside and indoors. Engage students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as they learn about the impact invasive species have on ecosystems and biodiversity.”

— PLT

https://www.plt.org/

Countdown to Hatch!

Hatch a live chick!

For Grades K-6

Build suspense and get a sneak peek at embryo development inside a fertile egg with this colorful embryology kit. The kit contains 21 plastic eggs. Inside of each egg is a laminated picture and detailed developmental description of the chick growing inside. One egg should be opened on each day of the 21-day chick hatching cycle to give students an exciting look at the mysterious process that happens inside the egg.

This kit can be used on its own but also makes a great complement to a classroom hatching project. Runs approximately $8 per set.

Field Trip Grants

Do you need some funds to get out and go on field trips? Grants can make that educational travel accessible and possible. Several foundations recognize the importance school trips through field trip grants such as Target, ING Unsung Heroes, SYTA Youth Foundation Road Scholarship, Big Yellow School Bus, Kohl’s Cares Field Trip Program.

Think outside of the classroom and apply for a grant!

Utah Geological Survey (UGS): Earth Science Resources

The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) provides many resources for teacher and students. The agencies and organizations within the UGS provides these things for teachers:

• Workshops

• Teaching kits

• Activities for grades 4th, 5th and 8th

• Slide sets

• PowerPoints for grades 4th-8th

• Maps, materials and other information for K-12

• Field trips (for teachers and children of all ages)

• In class speakers

There's a lot of cool resources on this page, navigate, explore and find out for yourself! Bring to light Utah's unique geology with interesting ways to teach it and have fun hands on activities that your students will not forget. 

Air Quality Lesson

Everyone knows that the air quality in Utah (County) is one of the worst. Teaching children about this problem and potential solutions is one of the best ways that we can make sure our air improves in the future.

This website gives information about the air quality in Utah. It shows past and present air conditions, discusses particulate matter in the air, ozone, temperature, and wind It also has an air quality index with a table that shows what actions should be taken when our air dips below a certain quality. This website includes several children's activities to help them become more aware of our air.

Ozone and Air Quality Index on June 22, 2016 at 8:00pm.

Pop Bottle Ecosystem

One of the most important things that anyone can understand about nature is how everything is connected. Once this fundamental concept is established, it creates a perfect environment for children to act in a mindful way in the environment, and in contact with other people.

Although there are many methods for teaching about natural connectivity, small ecosystems tend to be a favorite. This particular project hails from a homeschooling website.  The site outlines the entire process necessary for building a pop bottle ecosystem, including step-by-step instructions (with photographs), and excerpts on how to teach about the ecosystem. There is also an "additional layers" section that discusses methods of tying this project in with other subjects such as writing, reading, and responsibility.

Also, the example ecosystem includes goldfish! Who doesn't love goldfish?

Botany Bins

The University of Utah's Red Butte Garden offers the Botany Bin Program to all Utah public school teachers free of charge. 

Each kit comes with 16 bins, core-aligned lesson plans, related literature, real plant specimens, and reproducible materials. They also contain visual aides and background information, which makes the kits easy for both teachers and students to explore plants and study the fascinating science of botany.

Kits change throughout the year, but current offerings include Ethnobotany: People and Plants, and Conserving Water in the Desert. The bins can be picked up at the University of Utah or at one of 8 convenient locations throughout Utah. 

        Ethnobotany Bin