Field Trip Activities
We will customize your trip to the farm to meet the educational needs of your teachers and students. We can create or use any activity that works for you but hee are some that we have in place and are ready to go with. I would love to see students coming to the farm with an interactive Science notebook to record information in and that will go back with them to the classroom. I can provide notecards if teachers want them for certain activities.
Biodiversity
- the students use a hula hoop to define a space that they will investigate and
document the living/non living, plants, animals, fungi, etc that they see there. This can be
simple for elementary or can be very detailed for higher level students. Students can keep
samples and take them back to the classroom for further discussion and study.
Plant Life cycles/Plant Parts
- The students will take a tour of the gardens and discuss parts
of plants, their structure, growth and purpose. The students will also read a book about plants
and seeds and make a paper pot and plant a seed to take home.
(Fall/Spring is a different book)
Natural resources
- Conservation and sustainable use of resources is important and we can
talk about reusing farm waste to create healthy compost. We have several types of composting
on the farm and we can look at those as one lesson or integrate this concept into other lessons.
We also conserve/reuse water on the farm.
Animals
- Students go to the farm zoo and get to get close to different farm animals. They
learn about each animal and there is a game about animal traits that they play. The game is
best for 1st grade up. We are working on one that is more suited to younger kiddos.
*Trees - during the hayride we cna discuss the different types of trees that we see on the farm.
Native vs non native, evergreen vs deciduous, specialized structures such as leves, needles,
thorns, etc. Trees requirements for survival.
Scavenger Hunt
- the students will have a page with pictures and words that they will search
for around a designated area. They can keep a record of what they have found and discuss as
a group.
*Where does my Food come From? - We have an interactive display for discussion of the
source of the food that they eat. It can just be an as you go opportunity or an actual rotation
lesson.
Christmas Tree Farm PBL 3rd - 6th
- There is a PBL that is about a Christmas Tree
Business. We target our conversation to the business aspects during the visit.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Run-a-Christmas-Tree-Farm-a-Project-Based-
Learning-PBL-5068135
Is That a Plant?
- at any time of the year we have an interesting collection of Fungi, Lichen,
Liverworts and Moss (non vascular plants), etc. We can talk about the Kingdoms of organisms
and focus on those that we do not think about much.
Soil
- I have several different types of soil from the farm. The students get to touch them and
see them, do comparisons for color, texture,etc. They look at the soil types in water and
discuss the different behavior of the types as they settle out. #This is a good one for the
interactive notebook.# We discuss how soil is made in nature and on the farm and the
importance of healthy soil for food production.
Succession
- We discuss the impact of humans on land and how the land can change and go
back to whatever was there before the disturbance.
Ecological relationships
- The students will discuss the relationships of certain plants and
animals in our area. Lookfor and at examples of these relationships. #Predation,
Commensalism, Parasitism, Mutualism, Competition.
Special activities that have an extra cost:
Pumpkin Painting
- October/November Requires advanced notice to insure the needed
materials. $1/participating student
Pine Cone Decorating
- November/December Requires advanced notice to insure the
needed materials. $2/participating student
Rock and Gem Mining
- Year round beginning Fall 22 Cost TBD soon. This can include
a lesson on rocks, fossils, minerals.