Forest Web of Life: Walking through acres of Oatland forest you will become aware of its connection with the ever-changing Web of Life. While exploring the forest students will identify and record the roles of its producers, consumers, and decomposers. Students will demonstrate how these three parts are connected to form first food chains and then food webs.
Program Length: 2 hours
Salt Marsh Ecology: Students will observe a wide variety of plant and animal life in this rich and often overlooked environment. We will explore the constantly changing salinity, temperature and water levels of the salt marsh and learn how these conditions affect the organisms that live in the salt marsh. Salt marshes provide nesting and resting places for birds, provide an economic value through fishing, as well a recreational value for humans.
Program Length: 2 hours
Animal Adaptations: Staying alive in the natural world is not an easy task. Organisms have characteristics and behaviors that help them survive in their particular habitats (adaptations). These adaptations have evolved slowly through many generations of organisms. At the present time, humans are causing the natural world to change at such a rapid rate that many animals do not have the proper adaptations to deal with the changes. These animals become endangered while those that have more flexible needs survive to produce more offspring. The animal adaptations field trip will focus mainly on animal adaptations such as color, patterns, body shape, and behaviors.
Program Length: 2 hours
The Sun, Moon & Stars: This program focuses on the question of why we experience seasons. During the first half hour an Oatland teacher will explain the historical misconceptions of seasons and then with the use of manipulatives give the scientific explanation for our seasons. The students will then spend the second half of the class in the Digitarium where they will observe the rotation of the earth, the motion of the sun and other celestial objects and constellations during the different seasons.
Note: This program comes to your location.
Program Length: Approximately 1 hour
Still have some questions about 4th grade programs? Email our School Program Coordinator here.
