Middle and High School Programs
We’ll come to you!  We’ve designed our middle and high school programs to fit your classroom schedule.  These programs will enrich your science teaching with information about sustainable living and our local environment. Each classroom presentation is 50 minutes long unless otherwise noted, and we are available to present to multiple class periods or an entire day.  To ensure a high quality educational experience, we work with only one class at a time.

Everybody Counts: (1 hour) This program addresses the topic of population dynamics, with a focus on doubling and exponential growth.  Students participate in a simulation of the use of resources by human populations and generate a graph of world population trends. 
Secret Life of a Shoe: Your shoe has been all over Earth!  Join us for an eye-opening look at the manufacture and production of shoes, and consider consumer choices and sustainability.
Bio Bug and Alternative Energy Sources: Using the Willow Bend BioBug as an example, students will explore the main sources of energy for transportation in our world today and how greener alternatives can help the earth. 
Water Quality in the Classroom: What is a watershed?  What does sustainability have to do with water quality? How can I make a difference? Students will answer these questions and more as they learn the basics of water quality testing, focusing primarily on pH and dissolved oxygen chemical testing. This program is a great pre-trip visit for our Water Quality Field Trip!
Rock Talk: An introduction to igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, including examples from northern Arizona. This program includes a rock-walk, a rock activity, and a hands-on collection of rocks!
Mystery Animal: This program focuses on the California condor (but shhhh, don't tell the students yet!) This
endangered species has come back from the brink of extinction and is successfully being reintroduced in the wild in Coconino County.
Alien Plant Invaders: Alien plants are invading Coconino County! Learn what they look like, why land managers are concerned about this "growing" problem, and what we can do to help!
Downtown Flagstaff Geology: Discover the history and geology of downtown Flagstaff with a focus on historic buildings made of local stone. (A Teacher’s Kit is available for you to lead a follow-up field trip).
Grand Canyon Geology: (1 hour) Explore the layers of the Grand Canyon, how the Canyon was formed, and why it is such a unique treasure.   Students build a model of the canyon complete with fossils and rock layers.  Includes a slide show, which gives a fascinating glimpse of the world's greatest classroom from rim to river.
People of the Grand Canyon: Using a time line, students get a picture of people's activities in the Grand Canyon throughout history. A game reinforces the information learned.
Sunwise: This program explores the root causes of ozone depletion and how this relates to AZ skin health. Students will learn about the detrimental environmental and human health effects of the sun’s rays and how to dress for sun success!

Willow bend staff is available to assist your Arizona Envirothon team!!!. Flagstaff will host the 2008 North American Envirothon Competition, July 28^th—August 3.