One big goal of the Explorers curriculum is to encourage children to play outdoors and use their creativity and imagination. Through outdoor play, we hope to spark their curiosity toward the natural world and enable them to question what is happening around them. To keep the students engaged, they need something to look forward to each class, and each year. For this reason, there are several components of the Explorers curriculum that remain constant. Below are some of the activities that happen daily or are yearly events.

Awakening the Senses:
Every fall, the Explorers program begins with two weeks of activities that use the senses to explore the habitats around the school. These activities include blindfolded walks, identifying mystery objects using the sense of touch, scavenger hunts, and various teambuilding games. By awakening their senses, the children become more aware of their surroundings and fully engaged for the upcoming school year.

Stewardship:
Each spring, the students participate in a day of stewardship to improve the National Park and habitats near the school. They may clean up trash, pull invasive plants such as Garlic Mustard, cut brush in the prairie, or plant native perennials in the park. This activity enables the students to give back to the community and the park and provides them with a sense of accomplishment. (Stewardship Photos)

National Parks:
A sense of place is very important for children to understand and appreciate. Because the school is located in a national park, understanding the importance of these special places is essential. Each December, the Explorers curriculum dedicates two weeks to studying other national parks and the special features and landforms that make them unique.

Annual Events:
The following programs are so popular the students want to repeat them each year!

1. Pumpkin Hunt: The children dress up in their Halloween costumes and search for Jack-o-lanterns hidden in the woods on the hiking trails.
2. Ski Adventure: If snow is available, the students learn to cross country ski in a field and on trails in the park. (Ski Photos)
3. River Hike: Each spring, the class tackles a long hike along the Little Calumet River, searching for salamanders and other life. (River Photos)
4. Build-a-Boat: The last day of Explorers each year is spent designing boats from natural objects and launching them into the creek near the school. Boat races and contests are involved, as well as creek walking. (Boat Photos)

Badges:
At the end of each term, each student will receive a badge award that depicts one of the areas of study. The badges symbolically serve as a reminder to be good stewards and protect the wild places in and around the community.

Explorers Mysteries:
Each year of curriculum is named after a local Dunes animal. This animal is a type of mascot to the students and they receive letters from the animal at the beginning of each class. These letters introduce the daily topic of study and contain a mystery or task that needs to be completed by the end of the class. Through participation, students gain knowledge that helps them unravel the mystery or complete the task. The letters add excitement and suspense to the beginning of each class and keep the students excited about returning the next week to see what the next mystery will be!

Use the following links to learn more about the yearly curriculum. The 2008-2009 school year will be following the Heron Curriculum.

Raccoon Curriculum
Heron Curriculum
Racerunner Curriculum
Dragonfly Curriculum

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Field Station Explorers
Raccoon Curriculum

Join Rocky Raccoon as we study the following topics:

September: Awakening the Senses

Students will begin the school year by using their senses to explore the habitats around the Field Station. These activities include blindfolded walks, identifying mystery objects using the sense of touch, scavenger hunts, and various teambuilding games.

October: How Plants Grow

Learn about pollination, germination, seed dispersal, and root systems in these lessons about plant growth. Students will examine several species of flowers and learn about the important parts of its structure. They will sort different kinds of seeds and determine how they spread through a game of seed charades. They will create a large model of a plant as they explore how water and food moves through plants. Students will also go on scavenger hunts and create artwork depicting flowers and identifying roots and rhizomes in plants.

November: Trees

This month the students will expand their study of plants to include trees. They will begin studying pine trees and the unique whorls of branches for each year of growth. Students will paint a tree that is their same age using these characteristics. They will also examine bark, needles, leaves, and twigs from various kinds of trees to compare and contrast between species. The students will also create a drawing of a cross section of a tree that is their same age with events from their life marked in the rings. As we study about trees, we will spend a lot of time exploring the woods and playing woodland games.

December: National Parks

Hawaii Volcanoes, Crater Lake, and Yellowstone National Parks are the focus of study this month. All three parks have geothermal features that spark interest in children. Students will be learning about impact craters as they experiment with gravity and drop balls of different sizes and weights into buckets of sand. They will compare these craters to calderas, formed by volcanic activity. Students will create a volcano from homemade dough and perform eruptions. They will also study geysers and create their own eruptions as well as witness a larger chemical reaction.

January: Animal Adaptations

Students will learn how animals adapt to fit into their environment. They will learn how adaptations help animals find food and escape predation. Camouflage games and activities that use the senses will emphasize these traits. Explorers will also learn about bizarre animals that are perfectly suited for certain habitats. Students will make crafts that depict these animals. Students will also attend a National Park Service program on winter adaptations and will snowshoe if there is sufficient snow. (Snowshoe Photos)

February: Wildlife Tracking

Everyone knows that animals are living in the woods around the school even though we don’t always see them. This month we will learn all about the clues they leave behind that allow us to track where and how they live. The students will solve the Mystery of the Tricky Tracks as they learn about animal footprints in the snow or mud. They will also play a game of Trackster and track memory. Students will hop, waddle, and run across gait mats that force them to move like an animal and create a painting of these track patterns. They will also learn about how animals cache food for the winter and will search for squirrel middens and other feeding sites. Learning about scat is always popular! The students will be bringing home clay models of the kinds of scat that we find locally. Finally, we will discuss scent marking in mammals and follow a scent trail through the woods to determine which animals are lurking near the Field Station.

March: Spring Thaw

This month we will learn how plants and animals react to the changing environment as the seasons change from winter to spring. We will discuss how plants wake up from their dormancy and students will attend the National Park Service program on maple sugaring. We will also discuss reptiles and amphibians and their techniques for survival during the winter. We will conduct experiments with freezing to learn more about the wood frog and how it copes with the cold. Students will also play a game that teaches them about some anti-predation adaptations in amphibians and reptiles as they try to avoid a hungry fox in a tag game. Finally, we will learn about the first wildflowers to emerge in the spring and will search for them on a spring hike. Students will create a toy depicting these flowers.

April: Animal Nurseries (Nurseries Photos)

How animals raise their young is always a curious topic for children. This month we will discuss nursery sites including nests, tree cavities, burrows, dens, lodges, galls, hives, and vernal pools. Students will search for good nursery sites on hikes and create a wild den in a place they think will be ideal for raising young. Students will learn how animals work together to raise young as they demonstrate how to run an ant colony. They will also create paintings of animal homes and construct a nest. Vernal pools will be discussed as temporary nursery sites for amphibians and reptiles in the spring.

May: Explorations

Students will participate in their stewardship project during the first week. Projects are chosen as needed in the area near the school. They will also hike along the Little Calumet River in a long adventure on over 2 miles of trail. The Explorers school year will conclude with the annual Build-a-Boat day where the students create boats from natural objects and race them on the creek near the school.

Field Station Explorers
Heron Curriculum

Join Henrietta Heron as we study the following topics:

September: Awakening the Senses

Students will begin the school year by using their senses to explore the habitats around the Field Station. These activities include blindfolded walks, identifying mystery objects using the sense of touch, scavenger hunts, and various teambuilding games.

October: Geology and Fossils

Learning about rocks and minerals is always a tricky thing to do in such a sandy location! Students will compare types of rocks and perform some experiments to determine hardness. We will also learn about the crinoids and fossilized corals that were once abundant in this area. Students will learn how the dunes were once a shallow sea and how the landscape has changed since the time of the dinosaurs. We will be learning about fossils and making our own imprints in clay as well as some fossilized paintings.

November: Characteristics of Birds

This month the students will perform experiments to learn more about birds and their unique characteristics. First, we will examine beaks and how the shape and size of each species of bird is suited for a specific task. Students will experiment with different tools that mimic these beaks and try to find the best beak for grasping different types of food. Next, the class will examine bones and wings and make comparisons between bones in land-based mammals and birds that can fly. Students will experiment with straws and sticks to learn how weight and density can help and hinder flying. Finally, we will examine feathers and feet and how the shape of the foot helps mobility and predation. An experiment with oil and water will teach us about the waterproofing benefit of feathers and each child will create a flying bird to bring home.

December: National Parks

This National Parks unit will focus on the Southwest region. Mesa Verde, Hovensweep, and Chaco National Parks will be discussed as we examine cliff dwellings and Native American cultures. Students will learn about rock art paintings as a means for storytelling and use native symbols to create their own story. Grand Canyon National Park will also be discussed as the students conduct experiments to learn how canyons are formed.

January: Human Survival

Students will learn techniques and skills that could help them survive if they were stranded in the wild. Different methods of water collection will be demonstrated and students will experiment with bow drills as a way to start a fire. Students will also learn about the winter weeds and wild edible plants that exist in the woodlands and prairies. Building a shelter is always a popular event! We will learn about different types of shelters that are created with and without the use of snow. Experiments on roof design will also be performed to see what types of natural materials work best for shedding water. We will work together to create a shelter near the school. We will discuss traveling in the snow and ways to make it easier and safer. Students will learn how to use a compass and will follow a compass course through the woods to practice their bearings. Finally, students will attend a National Park Service program on the Potawatomi and fur traders to learn how they used to the land to survive throughout the winter.

February: Winter Sky

Clear evening skies in the winter make it a perfect time of year to star gaze. The students will learn about the phases of the moon, the planets, and the constellations this month as we focus on outer space. We will read some of the stories associated with the constellations and the students will get to create their own constellation and a story to go along with it. We will also learn about space travel and techniques astronauts use to cut down the glare of the sun. Students will build their own spaceship from recycled materials and learn about space photography. They will send “computerized” messages to their peers and have to decode these messages to create an image taken in space.

March: Animal Behavior

This month we will learn how animals interact in the wilderness. Many animals work together to make their lives easier. This symbiosis will be discussed and demonstrated as students play a matching game that creates pairs of animals that coexist. Students will also learn about parasitism through a tag game, as the leeches try to take energy from the fish and frogs. Ways that animals socialize to find food will also be discussed. Students will work as a group to model pack hunting and show how it can be more effective to capture prey. Then the students will play a game of predator-prey that forces them to work with their small pack of animals to try to find all their needs before being captured by predators. Animal communication will also be demonstrated as the students learn about fireflies and how their flashing lights are a series of codes for signaling danger, attracting mates, and locating food.

April: Wetland Investigations (Wetland Photos)

The rainy month of April is the perfect time to study the wetlands near the school. Students will learn the functions that wetlands perform to capture nutrients, filter water, and provide habitat for wildlife. Aquatic insects will be studied as we learn how they use the water for their first stages of life. We will experiment with how plants absorb nutrients and play a game to simulate an aquatic food web in a marsh. We will also study freshwater fish and will learn how their colors help them camouflage in the water. We will also examine the shape of their mouths to determine where they feed in the water column. Finally, we will take a field trip with the National Park Service to dip net ponds in Miller Woods to search for insects, amphibians, and reptiles.

May: Explorations

Students will participate in their stewardship project during the first week. Projects are chosen as needed in the area near the school. They will also hike along the Little Calumet River in a long adventure on over 2 miles of trail. The Explorers school year will conclude with the annual Build-a-Boat day where the students create boats from natural objects and race them on the creek near the school.

Field Station Explorers
Racerunner Curriculum

Join Rex Racerunner as we study the following topics:

September: Awakening the Senses

Students will begin the school year by using their senses to explore the habitats around the Field Station. These activities include blindfolded walks, identifying mystery objects using the sense of touch, scavenger hunts, and various teambuilding games.

October: Wildlife Measurements

Children are always asking which animals are the biggest, the smallest, the fastest, and the loudest! This month we will find out as we study all the animal extremes. We will begin with animals of odd lengths. We’ll learn about blue whales and create a life size blue whale in chalk. We’ll also discuss the tallest animal, the giraffe, and create a life-size walkingstick, which is the longest insect. Next we’ll discuss distances and play a game that emphasizes the Arctic tern’s extreme migration. We’ll also experiment with animal sounds and how far they carry through the woods as we imitate the howler monkey, whose calls can carry distances of 3 miles. Finally, we’ll think about speed and learn about the fastest bird, fish, and insects. We’ll conclude the month with an Animal Olympics event with events such as the cheetah 50-yard dash, frog long jump, monarch migration relay, and falcon frisbee toss.

November: Decomposition

This month the students will learn how plants and animals break down and enrich the soil. We will begin the month by learning about nutrient cycling and playing a game called Cycle Says. Similar to Simon Says, the students will act out parts of the nutrient cycle as they learn about different decomposers. Another game they will play is a variation of Duck, Duck, Goose. One student will be the decomposer and will cycle nutrients around the circle, leaving them in the lap of the student that he wishes to decompose. Students will examine a rotten log this month with magnifiers, looking for decomposers and play a game about fungus. They will also attend the NPS Discover program at the Calumet Dune Interpretive Center.

December: National Parks

The National Parks we will study this month are complete opposites. We will begin by looking at a national parks in a very wet place: the Everglades. Then we will focus on two parks in dry environments: Death Valley and Joshua Tree. As we study the Everglades we will learn about unique animals and plants that inhabit these wet places. As we study Joshua Tree and Death Valley we will study cactus and desert life.

January: Water Wonders (Water Photos)

Students will learn all about water in the snowy month of January. We will begin with a lesson about the water cycle. We will do some experiments to create clouds and rain and play a card game similar to rummy to match different types of water with their solid, liquid, or gas form. The students will also play a lively game where they are water molecules moving through the water cycle. By rolling large dice, they will see where to move next and their journey will continue through clouds, rivers, lakes, animals, plants, glaciers, ground water, soil, and the ocean. We will also study storm water run-off and experiment with how different forms of land cover trap nutrients, preventing them from reaching the waterways. Finally, we will focus on snow and ice as we learn about snowflakes, icicles, and how scientists study ice to learn about water cycles around the world. Students will attend a National Park program this month entitled Winter Exploration. They will learn about animal adaptations and go on a snowshoe hike if there is sufficient snow.

February: Animal Lifecycles

Everyone loves to think about how animals are born! This month we will focus on the three main ways: live births, hatching from eggs, and metamorphosis. We will begin learning about mammals and marsupials and how they raise their young. Then we will learn about birds and reptiles and how their egg laying differs. Finally we will focus on amphibians and insects and how they go through life stages before becoming full-grown adults. We will play games and make crafts to depict these stages. We also hope to cross country ski this month if there is sufficient snow.

March: Life Underground

This month we will learn all about the animals, plants, and geology that create the underground world. We will begin with a look at animals that tunnel in the soil. We will set up an ant farm so we can watch the tunnels being created and will learn about earthworms with the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County. Next we will study caves in the bedrock and will make caves and learn how groundwater seeps into the cave environment. We will try to grow some stalactites and will learn all about the animals that live in caves. We will study their adaptations that help them survive in total darkness.

April: Dune Habitats (Dune photos)

How the dunes formed will be the big focus of our study this month. We will begin by learning about the glaciers and how the sand was formed and moved. We will also learn about the pioneer plants that hold the sand in place with their vast root networks. We will attend two national park programs, Mt. Baldy Moves and West Beach Walk to learn about succession and sand dune habitats. We will also do some experiments to see how the changing soil composition affects run-off as you move further from the lake.

May: Explorations

Students will participate in their stewardship project during the first week. Projects are chosen as needed in the area near the school. They will also hike along the Little Calumet River in a long adventure on over 2 miles of trail. The Explorers school year will conclude with the annual Build-a-Boat day where the students create boats from natural objects and race them on the creek near the school.

Field Station Explorers
Dragonfly Curriculum

Join Dana Dragonfly as we study the following topics:

September: Awakening the Senses

Students will begin the school year by using their senses to explore the habitats around the Field Station. These activities include blindfolded walks, identifying mystery objects using the sense of touch, scavenger hunts, and various teambuilding games.

October: Preparing for Winter

Learn how animals, plants, and people prepare for the change of seasons. We will learn about how animals shed their summer coats and often change the color of their coat to blend into the changing landscape. We will attend the Autumn Harvest National Park program at the Chellberg Farm to learn how early settlers stocked up for the winter. We will also learn about migration, hibernation, and active over-wintering as the students play games and create art that shows which animals stay and which go.

November: Exotic Ecosystems

This month the students will get a glimpse of life around the world in tropical places. Students will begin by studying life in the tropical rainforests. We will learn about unique plants and animals such as the bromeliad and how it supports the poison dart frog. Students will also play a game where they act as leaf cutter ants moving their food in long chains across the rain forest. Next we will study mangrove swamps and learn how the mangroves shelter animals and protect the land from storms. Students will play a game where they have to find cover from the storm waves in the mangroves. They will also create a painting that depicts the tangled roots of the mangroves and the fish seeking shelter. Finally, the students will learn about coral reefs and study different shapes and sizes of corals. They will learn about coral cay islands and how they form in partnership with the reef. We will also play a predator prey tag game to act out the reef food web.

December: The Great Lakes

Instead of learning about National Parks far and wide this month, we will focus on a resource close to home: the Great Lakes. Using the story, Paddle to the Sea by Holling Clancy Holling, we will learn about each lake and the industries and wildlife they support. Students will create their own clay sculpture of the character in the book, Paddle, and make a map of the Great Lakes that shows the route that Paddle traveled.

January: Food Webs

Students will learn how herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores interact in this study of food chains and food webs. Beginning at the bottom of the food chain, we will first study herbivores. Students will perform grinding experiments to see how flat teeth help herbivore mammals eat and will look at special tools that other herbivores use to collect food. As we study omnivores, the students will play a game to race for insects and will learn about special adaptations that ocean animals have to filter small animals from the water. Finally, we will focus on carnivores and play a game of predator-prey. We will also create a three part painting that shows these three levels of the food web. We will also attend the NPS program Reflections on Snow this month to learn about tracking, predation, and winter habitats.

February: Nocturnal Life

Everyone loves to learn about animals that are active at night. We will begin our studies with bats and will learn about the many species around the world. Students will play a matching game to study the features of different species and match them to the prey they catch. They will also play a game of Bat and Moth to learn how some bats use echolocation to hunt. Next we will study owls and will learn about their eyes and ears and special adaptations they have to hunt silently. We will listen to owl calls and create paintings of owls. Finally, we will have a special evening program in lieu of one day-time class to allow the students to experience a night hike. They will explore a trail near the Field Station without the use of flashlights, fully experiencing nocturnal life. We will also cross country ski this month if we have sufficient snow.

March: Biodiversity

This month we will learn how genes work and how differences in genes lead to a diverse collection of plants and animals on the planet. We will create a key to show differences and similarities among our classmates and play a game where the children witness changes to a population of white tail deer as their genes change over time. We will also learn about interdependence and how plants and animals rely on each other for survival. We will create a web of life that highlights these relationships and will learn a little about endangered species and some recovery efforts. We will also learn about conserving habitats and play a game to learn what happens to species when they don’t have enough space to live.

April: Invertebrates

We will begin by learning about the parts of an insect as the students dress one of their classmates up in an insect suit. Then all the students will race to see if they can get all the parts correct in an active relay race. They will play a game of “Butterfly Says” to act out the different stages of metamorphosis and go on a life cycle obstacle course to act out these changes. They will also learn how camouflage and mimicry can help insects hide from predators and seek prey. They will play some games and make projects that depict these characteristics. They will also learn about insect jobs in soil tillage, decomposition, pollination and food processing and will divide insects into groups based on these traits. We will also travel to the Douglas Center to take part in a NPS Discover program focusing on the Karner Blue butterfly, an endangered species in the National Lakeshore.

May: Explorations

Students will participate in their stewardship project during the first week. Projects are chosen as needed in the area near the school. They will also hike along the Little Calumet River in a long adventure on over 2 miles of trail. The Explorers school year will conclude with the annual Build-a-Boat day where the students create boats from natural objects and race them on the creek near the school.