Classes are designed to teach students about the natural world around them and will satisfy current Oregon State Science Standards. Each class will use a combination of lectures, games, activities and art to aid in the learning process and create a fun learning environment. Our goal is to make science interesting and enjoyable.
April
Class 1: 10:00am – noon Tuesday
Class 2: 1:00 – 3:00pm Tuesday
Class 3: 1:00 – 3:00pm Thursday
May Class Times
Class 1: 10:00am – noon Tuesday
Class 2: 10:00am – noon Thursday
Class 3: 1:00 – 3:00pm Tuesday
Class 4: 1:00 – 3:00pm Thursday
Cost (per class)
Pre-registered: $10/student (family discount of $7 for second child, $5 for each additional child)
Drop-in: $12/student (family discount of $9 for second child, $7 for each additional child)
Pre-register by contacting us with the name of the class, names and ages of each student, and which time you would like. This helps us plan class sizes, supplies, etc. You can still pay the day of the class, we will just know you are coming!
We want you to be able to test out our classes to see if they are right for your family, so the first class for your family is free. So if Timmy and Tommy both sign up for the March class, it is free for both.
Where
Singleton Park & O.C. Brown Park
We have worked with the Douglas County Parks department to schedule classes at some of our beautiful local parks. We appreciate them working with us on this.
The county parks do require a parking pass. That is the cost of using the county space unfortunately. The parking passes are $4/day or $30/year and can be purchased online or at the park. I hope you were all planning on purchasing a pass anyway since it really is reasonable for the year.
Other Family Members
Parents and siblings are welcome. Siblings younger than 4 years old are welcome to tag along if they are not disrupting classes. We have 5 kids so you will probably see some of the younger ones there playing. They can take advantage of the time to explore the park.
Upcoming Topics
April Theme = Ecosystem Processes
April 5 or 7 – Beaver Engineer – Known as “nature’s engineer”, the beaver has the ability to cause great change in a watershed. Students will learn about the natural processes in an ecosystem and how the beaver is able to cause so much change. They will learn about beaver ecology and adaptations, and the effects of dams, tree falling, and tunneling on an aquatic system and surrounding watershed.
Key Topics – Beaver ecology, natural engineers, ecosystem processes
Location – Singleton Park
April 19 or 21 – Build an Ecosystem – Did you ever wonder what it would be like to create an ecosystem from scratch, where you will be able to control everything that goes into it? Students will participate in a lesson/activity where they will build an ecosystem. They will select climate, structure (mountains, plains, ocean etc.), large vegetation (trees), small vegetation such as grasses and shrubs, animal life, and insect life. Students will learn how each part affects the whole system and how all parts work together to make a living ecosystem.
Key Topics – Ecosystem ecology, whole-system dynamics, butterfly effect
Location – Singleton Park
May Theme = Scientific Study
May 3 or 5– Riparian Roundup – With their feet in the water, students will participate in a hands-on stream ecology lesson where they will learn the different parts of a stream, macroinvertebrate abundance and distribution and how they relate to stream health. Students will use nets to capture stream insects and learn how to use a dichotomous key to identify species found in the stream.
Key topics – stream ecology, macroinvertebrate life, indicator species
Location – O.C. Brown Park
May 17 or 19– Stream Doctor – Grab your stethoscopes and thermometers for this chance to play doctor on one of nature’s most important resources. Students will participate in a hands-on lesson where we will collect data related to stream health such as temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and PH. With the data we collect, students will learn how to determine the relative health of the stream.
Key Topics – Stream Health Indicators, data collection and analysis, the effects of humans on streams
Location – O.C. Brown Park
