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The Hamilton County SWCD provides classroom programs free of charge to any school/group within Hamilton County. Our programs are:
Due to changes in funding this year, we will be limiting programs to 1 visit per school. Ready to schedule? You can request a program immediately with our online calendar by clicking "book now" to the right. If you prefer, you can email (available above) or call 772-7645 and ask for Gwen or Sara.  Our Really Big Watershed Game!
Education Programs 2019-2020 Jump to: PreK-2 A Frog's Life (Cycle)! How do frogs grow from a tadpole to an adult, and what do they do along the way? Students will learn all about the fabulous world of frogs through an engaging story time. Afterwards they will create their own life cycle craft, recall things they learned and talk about how our actions affect frogs and other things living in the water. (2nd grade only) Amazing Monarchs They’re small but mighty! Monarch butterflies are amazing creatures that scientists still don't understand completely. Students will learn about the Monarch's amazing migration and unique metamorphosis then create their own Monarch life cycle made from pasta and paint. (2nd grade only) Bird Buffet Not all beaks are the same, which means not every bird has the same diet! In this adaptation activity children will use different "beaks" to try and pick up a variety of food to see what sticks. Participants will learn what an adaptation is and how important and unique they are to the animals that have them. (2nd grade only) "Bob and Otto" Through the friendship between Bob the caterpillar and Otto the worm, children will observe the very distinct roles of each organism in the world around them. Children will see that all living beings play a special part in their ecosystem and realize they are all interdependent. Afterwards each child gets to decorate their own cocoon and is given a butterfly to take home. Fossils 101 We’ll talk about fossils and what makes our area so unique, including the geology and the types of fossils found here. We will discuss extinction and ancient organism’s connections to things living today! Students will learn about Ohio's geologic background and make their own Plaster-of-Paris fossil (2nd Grade only) Mud Painting What kid doesn't love mud? This story celebrates the joys of mud and teaches children the importance of dirt. After reading about the animals that live in the soil and how dirt made their dinner, the children have their own chance to explore when they create "mud finger paintings" (Pre-K and K only). Pumpkin Harvest Students will trace the life cycle of a pumpkin. They will follow a pumpkin seed from germination to jack-o-lantern and eventually back to seed again. After reading about pumpkins, the children will be given supplies to create their own paper jack-o-lantern to take home (Pre-K and K only). Round and Round the Water Goes Through this adapted Project WET game, students will become a molecule of water and travel through their own water cycle. Along the way, they will understand the concepts of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and transpiration. (2nd grade only) "The Curious Garden" Follow a boy named Liam as he changes a gray city scene to a lush garden world, inspiring the people around him along the way. Children will discover all that a plant needs to survive and learn that they aren’t too small to make a change. This story shows how humans impact the environment. Afterwards, they will have the opportunity to plant the seed that could start their own garden! "The Lorax" In this Dr. Seuss book, children learn what happens when The Onceler’s greed takes too much from the forest of the beautiful Truffula Trees, affecting everything that depends on them. This environmental story is interactive and illustrates the interdependence of life and consequences of our behavior. Children enter into a Dr. Seuss tent with life-sized scenery and help to hang up characters and images from the story as it is being read. A crowd favorite! **Not a mobile program. Presenter requires a space for a 10x10 tent and classes will rotate to the program. Requires 2 or more back to back sessions. Water Wanders Using a 3-dimensional watershed model, students can easily see the relationships between human activity and the environment and what we can do to help protect local water quality. They will understand the concept of a watershed and learn the difference between point and non-point sources of pollution. Wiggly Worms Students will discover the world of worms with the story "Tunneling Earthworms;" they will learn what they eat, how they survive, and what environment they live in. A worm bin will be brought into the classroom so participants can have a hands-on experience with the worms and investigate why the underground world is so important to us. Grades 3-5 A Frog's Life (Cycle)! How do frogs grow from a tadpole to an adult, and what do they do along the way? Students will learn all about the fabulous world of frogs through an engaging story time. Afterwards they will create their own life cycle craft, recall things they learned and talk about how our actions affect frogs and other things living in the water. All Soils are Not Created Equal The properties of the various particle sizes of soil can be difficult to grasp - that’s why we get hands-on! Students will learn what six major components are needed to make soil and why it takes over 100 years to make an inch of topsoil. Students will also be given a brief introduction to sand, silt and clay before having an experience using senses of touch, sight and smell to explore the differences in each. We will also discuss properties such as porosity and permeability. Upon request a soil horizon can be brought in for a visual aid. Amazing Monarchs They’re small but mighty! Monarch butterflies are amazing creatures that scientists still don't understand completely. Students will learn about the Monarch's amazing migration and unique metamorphosis then create their own Monarch life cycle made from pasta and paint. Be Water Wise For many people around the world, using clean water isn't as easy as turning on a tap! While looking at images of water scarcity worldwide, students will learn about drinking water resources in the United States and around the world. Afterwards students will attempt to create their own filter with supplied materials and test its effectiveness. Thanks to Procter & Gamble, for their generous gift of the P&G water filtration packets. Bird Buffet Not all beaks are the same, which means not every bird has the same diet! In this adaptation activity children will use different "beaks" to try and pick up a variety of food to see what sticks. Participants will learn what an adaptation is and how important and unique they are to the animals that have them. Cookie Mining Students use a cookie and "mine" chocolate chips to represent natural resources, making and losing money based on the amount of resources recovered and the amount of land destroyed. The students will learn the value of natural resources and explore the concept of renewable resources. **Please note: Food will be distributed that may cause allergic reactions in some participants. Fossils 101 We’ll talk about fossils and what makes our area so unique, including the geology and the types of fossils found here. We will discuss extinction and ancient organism’s connections to things living today! Students will learn about Ohio's geologic background and make their own Plaster-of-Paris fossil. Global Market This interactive activity explores the economic decisions that countries and their citizens must make based on their resources. Students are individually given various amounts of money to shop in the Global Market, where they must make tough decisions in categories of food, water, health care, heat, education and luxury items. The class will examine the variety of decisions made and compare their monetary levels and choices to the countries they most closely represent while discussing societal and environmental impacts. Social Studies, Environmental Science, Reasoning, and Math skills are utilized. (5th grade and up only) Ohio Fossils Rock! We’ll talk about fossils and what makes our area so unique, including the geology and the types of fossils found here. We will discuss extinction and ancient organism’s connections to things living today! Students will use a dichotomous key to identify fossils as well as participate in a probability activity to determine the chance that an organism becomes a fossil. Our Movin’ Groovin’ Earth Let’s talk about what makes our Earth so dynamic! Whether it is the grooves that remain from a glacier, the “settling” of deposition, the fizzing of Chemical Weathering or the moving of soil, our Earth is always changing. In this activity five hands-on science stations will explore weathering, erosion and deposition! This activity works best with groups of 30 or less. Due to the amount of set up for this program, it is highly preferred to have a central location for the presenter to set up and have students rotate to them. Really Big Watershed Game Become a water drop rolling along a river in this life sized game! Participants can choose to be a part of the Great Miami River, Little Miami River, or Mill Creek in their journey to meet at the Ohio River. Classmates will play the role of non point source pollutants or roll our really big die to determine the fate of the water. This fun activity is great for groups of 15-25 and will cover topics of pollution, watersheds and water quality. **Not a mobile program. Presenter requires a 20x20 space (indoor or outdoors) and classes will rotate to the game. Round and Round the Water Goes Through this adapted Project WET game, students will become a molecule of water and travel through their own water cycle. Along the way, they will understand the concepts of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and transpiration. Water Wanders Using a 3-dimensional watershed model, students can easily see the relationships between human activity and the environment and what we can do to help protect local water quality. They will understand the concept of a watershed and learn the difference between point and non-point sources of pollution. Wiggly Worms Students will discover the world of worms with the story "Tunneling Earthworms;" they will learn what they eat, how they survive, and what environment they live in. A worm bin will be brought into the classroom so participants can have a hands-on experience with the worms and investigate why the underground world is so important to us. Water Quality? Ask the Bugs! - NEW Through this adapted Project WET activity, students will learn that by conducting bioassessements on aquatic macroinvertebrates you can determine the quality of the water. Students will conduct bioassessements on three different stream types (using different materials commonly found class) without leaving the classroom. (5th grade and up only) Grades 6-8
All Soils Are Not Created Equal The properties of the various particle sizes of soil can be difficult to grasp - that’s why we get hands-on! Students will learn what six major components are needed to make soil and why it takes over 100 years to make an inch of topsoil. Students will also be given a brief introduction to sand, silt and clay before having an experience using senses of touch, sight and smell to explore the differences in each. We will also discuss properties such as porosity and permeability. Upon request a soil horizon can be brought in for a visual aid. Be Water Wise For many people around the world, using clean water isn't as easy as turning on a tap! While looking at images of water scarcity worldwide, students will learn about drinking water resources in the United States and around the world. Afterwards students will attempt to create their own filter with supplied materials and test its effectiveness. Thanks to Procter & Gamble, for their generous gift of the P&G water filtration packets. Cookie Mining Students use a cookie and "mine" chocolate chips to represent natural resources, making and losing money based on the amount of resources recovered and the amount of land destroyed. The students will learn the value of natural resources and explore the concept of renewable resources. **Please note: Food will be distributed that may cause allergic reactions in some participants. Global Market This interactive activity explores the economic decisions that countries and their citizens must make based on their resources. Students are individually given various amounts of money to shop in the Global Market, where they must make tough decisions in categories of food, water, health care, heat, education and luxury items. The class will examine the variety of decisions made and compare their monetary levels and choices to the countries they most closely represent while discussing societal and environmental impacts. Social Studies, Environmental Science, Reasoning, and Math skills are utilized. Ohio Fossils Rock! We’ll talk about fossils and what makes our area so unique, including the geology and the types of fossils found here. We will discuss extinction and ancient organism’s connections to things living today! Students will use a dichotomous key to identify fossils as well as participate in a probability activity to determine the chance that an organism becomes a fossil. Our Movin’ Groovin’ Earth Let’s talk about what makes our Earth so dynamic! Whether it is the grooves that remain from a glacier, the “settling” of deposition, the fizzing of Chemical Weathering or the moving of soil, our Earth is always changing. In this activity five hands-on science stations will explore weathering, erosion and deposition! This activity works best with groups of 30 or less. Due to the amount of set up for this program, it is highly preferred to have a central location for the presenter to set up and have students rotate to them. Poison Pump Using a series of clues, students solve a mystery to discover the source of a deadly illness in 19th Century London. Students will discover that water can also produce negative effects for people. This program makes a great introduction for waterborne pathogens; in fact it is best if your students are unaware of Cholera. Students will work in teams and act as epidemiologists to trace the source of contagious diseases. Really Big Watershed Game Become a water drop rolling along a river in this life sized game! Participants can choose to be a part of the Great Miami River, Little Miami River, or Mill Creek in their journey to meet at the Ohio River. Classmates will play the role of non point source pollutants or roll our really big die to determine the fate of the water. This fun activity is great for groups of 15-25 and will cover topics of pollution, watersheds and water quality. **Not a mobile program. Presenter requires a 20x20 space (indoor or outdoors) and classes will rotate to the game. Water Quality? Ask the Bugs! - NEW Through this adapted Project WET activity, students will learn that by conducting bioassessements on aquatic macroinvertebrates you can determine the quality of the water. Students will conduct bioassessements on three different stream types (using different materials commonly found class) without leaving the classroom. Water Wanders Using a 3-dimensional watershed model, students can easily see the relationships between human activity and the environment and what we can do to help protect local water quality. They will understand the concept of a watershed and learn the difference between point and non-point sources of pollution. Grades 9-12
Be Water Wise For many people around the world, using clean water isn't as easy as turning on a tap! While looking at images of water scarcity worldwide, students will learn about drinking water resources in the United States and around the world. Afterwards students will attempt to create their own filter with supplied materials and test its effectiveness. Thanks to Procter & Gamble, for their generous gift of the P&G water filtration packets. Cookie Mining Students use a cookie and "mine" chocolate chips to represent natural resources, making and losing money based on the amount of resources recovered and the amount of land destroyed. The students will learn the value of natural resources and explore the concept of renewable resources. **Please note: Food will be distributed that may cause allergic reactions in some participants. Global Market This interactive activity explores the economic decisions that countries and their citizens must make based on their resources. Students are individually given various amounts of money to shop in the Global Market, where they must make tough decisions in categories of food, water, health care, heat, education and luxury items. The class will examine the variety of decisions made and compare their monetary levels and choices to the countries they most closely represent while discussing societal and environmental impacts. Social Studies, Environmental Science, Reasoning, and Math skills are utilized. Water Wanders Using a 3-dimensional watershed model, students can easily see the relationships between human activity and the environment and what we can do to help protect local water quality. They will understand the concept of a watershed and learn the difference between point and non-point sources of pollution. |
Ready to Schedule?
Please note, we are only able to come to your building 1 time per year, so please coordinate with other teachers before scheduling,
- Grab your calendar - Click on 'Book Sara' or 'Book Gwen' - Select a Duration. This is the total time we will be at your school. For example, if we're presenting four 45 minute classes the total duration will be 3 hours. - Select a date and start time. - Complete the form. - Consider yourself scheduled. We will contact you within 2 working days if there is a problem. - Confused? Call us. |
