FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA

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K-6th Programs
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K-6th Grade Classroom Programs                  

PRESENTATIONS: Kindergarten programs are 30 minutes long. All other classroom presentations are  50 minutes long unless noted otherwise.  To ensure a high quality educational experience, we prefer to work with only one class at a time. Click on the live links below to see program descriptions. 

 Kindergarten    1st Grade  

2nd Grade   3rd Grade   4th Grade  

 5th Grade   6th Grade  Middle and High School   

  Kindergarten

(Programs are 30 minutes)
Seeds on the Move: Through a story and real examples, students will learn how seeds are dispersed.
Tadpoles to Frogs: An introduction to the concept of metamorphosis and Arizona frogs and toads. Students may even get the opportunity to turn into frogs!
Bats: Through posters and stories, students will learn how bats find their food and their importance to nature.
Forest Friends: Students are introduced to the diversity of our Flagstaff forest ecosystems as they explore objects from the forest.
Seasons of Trees: Explore the life cycle of a tree through story and guided imagery!
From Trees to Paper: Through story-telling and hands-on activities, students will learn about the importance of trees, how they become paper, and why it is so important to recycle.
Life in Dead Trees: This program introduces young children to the importance of snags for animals in the forest.
Recycling Rules!: Students explore why recycling is so important and understand the basic rules of recycling in Flagstaff. Note: This program is a suggested Pre-Trip Visit for the Recycling Tour.

  First Grade

 (Programs are 50 minutes)
Saddle Up!: Historical ranch objects are a fun and educational introduction to Flagstaff ranching history.
Incredible Insects: Students learn about the life cycle and body parts of these fascinating creatures through story, guided imagery, and song! 
Creature from Planet X: This introduction to the amazing arachnid family has plenty of spider surprises, so shhhh, keep the topic a secret from your students!
Snow: Students discover different ways animals respond to snow through a story and imagination acting. (This program is only offered November through March.)
Coyote Tales: Learn more about the natural history of this very adaptable animal through Native American coyote tales. (Out of Respect for Native American traditions, this program is only available November through March.)
Recycling Rules!: Students explore why recycling is so important and understand the basic rules of recycling in Flagstaff. Note: This program is a suggested Pre-Trip Visit for the Recycling Tour.

  Second Grade

(Programs are 50 minutes)
The Reason for a Flower: Students learn about flower parts and polination by examining real flowers (when available). The concepts learned are reinforced with a song.
Life of a Bald Eagle: Students learn about bald eagle adaptations and their interactions with humans.
Mammals: Through games and imagery, students will discover the different mammal characteristics and the variety of mammals that live on the Colorado plateau.
Bird Brains: Explore the intelligence and natural history of the raven. This common bird is actually very uncommon!
Bats: Through posters and stories, students will learn how bats find their food and their importance to nature.
Recycling Rules!: Students explore why recycling is so important and understand the basic rules of recycling in Flagstaff. Note: This program is a suggested Pre-Trip Visit for the Recycling Tour.
Seeds on the Move: Through a story and real examples, students will learn how seeds are dispersed.
Exploring Earthworms: Learn more about these amazing animals and their role in composting.

  Third Grade

(Programs are 50 minutes)
For the Birds: Sharpen your listening skills by identifying local bird calls!
Alien Plant Invaders: Alien plants are invading Coconino County! Learn what they look like and why land managers are concerned about this "growing" problem.
Downtown Flagstaff Geology: (1 hour) Discover the history and geology of downtown Flagstaff with a focus on historic buildings made of local stone. (This class compliments a Flagstaff Geology teacher’s kit available for checkout at Willow Bend.)
Erupting Earth: Take a look at different types of volcanoes, with an emphasis on northern Arizona.  Hands-on activity helps students explore how the viscosity of magma relates to volcano types.
Rock Talk: (1 hour) An introduction to igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, including examples from northern Arizona.  This program includes a hands-on collection of rocks.
Trash and the Three R's: Students learn how to reduce waste, reuse materials, and recycle in Flagstaff. Note: This program is a suggested Pre-Trip Visit for the Recycling Tour.
Plant Power!: Students will cultivate basic plant identification skills to understand the power of local plants!

  Fourth Grade

 (Programs are 50 minutes)
Mystery Animal: This program focuses on the California Condor (but shhhh, don't tell the kids yet!) This endangered species has come back from the brink of extinction and is reintroduced in the wild in Coconino County.
People of the Grand Canyon: (1 hour) Using a time line, students get a picture of people's activities in the Grand Canyon throughout history. A game reinforces the information learned.
Grand Canyon Geology: (Special scheduling only; call Chris at 779-1745) (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.
Images on Stone: Through a slide show, students will learn the importance of native rock art and even make their own petroglyph!
Coyote Tales: Learn more about the natural history of this very adaptable animal through Native American coyote tales. (Out of Respect for Native American traditions, this program is only available November through March.)
Wildfire Ecology: Are forest fires always a bad thing? We'll take a look at the role of fire in our ponderosa pine ecosystem and how land managers use fire to maintain and create wildlife habitat.
Groundwater in Flagstaff: (Special scheduling only; call Chris at 779-1745) (1 hour) This program uses a groundwater model to help students understand where much of Flagstaff water comes from and how our community uses it. This program is part of the 4th grade FOSS kit.
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 DO chemical testing. Note: Though it can stand alone, this program is a required Pre-Trip Visit for the Water Quality Field Trip.
Trash and the Three R's: Students learn how to reduce waste, reuse materials, and recycle in Flagstaff. Note: This program is a suggested Pre-Trip Visit for the Recycling Tour.

  Fifth Grade

(Programs are 50 minutes)
 Skulls: By using facial patterns, students will identify various local animal skulls.
 Midnight Hunters: Students will learn the importance of these hunters as well as their unique body adaptations for catching prey through hands-on activities and props.
Bio Bug and Health: Using the Willow Bend BioBug as an example, students will understand the human and environmental health implications of switching to cleaner, greener technology.  
Cleaner Alternatives: Students will learn to identify common household products that are hazardous to the health of people and the earth. They will also discover alternative, non-toxic substitutes for common cleaning supplies.
Trash and the Three R's: Students learn how to reduce waste, reuse materials, and recycle in Flagstaff. Note: This program is a suggested Pre-Trip Visit for the Recycling Tour.
Sunwise: Through informative posters and a fashion show, students will learn about the detrimental health effects of the sun’s rays and how to dress for sun success!
Constellation Quilts: (1 hour) Students will understand why constellations change with the seasons and create a classroom quilt that shows the changes in our Flagstaff skies.

  Sixth Grade

 (Programs are 50 minutes)
 Adapt, Survive and Find Your Niche: Students will understand how natural selection affects adaptations and play an interactive “niche” game.  
Secret Life of a Shoe: (1 hour) 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.
Everybody Counts: 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.
Mapping Migration: (1 hour) Learn about the journey that neotropical migratory birds make to their winter home in the tropics. We will have a short slide presentation and then do a fun migration mapping activity.
Trash and the Three R's: Students learn how to reduce waste, reuse materials, and recycle in Flagstaff. Note: This program is a suggested Pre-Trip Visit for the Recycling Tour.
Bio Bug and Alternative Energy Sources: Using the Willow Bend BioBug as an example, students will explore the main sources of energy in our world today and how greener alternatives can help the earth.