Naturalist Guided Programs

Offered in: October, March, April
Post Visit Activity
During this 1-hour lesson, students will use all five senses to experience our Children’s Garden. Students will plant a seed to take home with them, water the garden, and explore the wonderful plants growing there.  This program does not include a boat tour.  

!  We have a working beehive in our Garden!  Please take this into consideration if any of your students have bee allergies.  Make sure the student carries his/her Epi-pen with them at all times. 

 

During this 2-hour lesson, students will take a boat ride to an Outpost Pavilions where they will explore the three main components of a habitat: food, water, shelter. As we venture from swamp, to forest, to meadow, they will meet some of the plants and discover some of the animals in these different habitats.

 

TEKS in this lesson:

K: Sci 1-4, 9;  ELAR 1, 5, 16, 19, 21-23; SocSt 5; M 1, 5-8, 10-11
1st: Sci 1-4, 9-10; ELAR 4, 14, 27-29; SocSt 4, 6; Art 1
2nd: Sci 1-4, 9-10: ELAR 28-30; Art 1

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Seeds on the Move
Grade Levels: K, 1, 2, 3
Offered in: January, February 
Pre-visit Activity
Post-visit Activity 
Students will experience various aspects of our gardens as they learn about seeds and where they come from.  This 2-hour lesson includes planting seeds in pots, dissecting a seed, a seed scavenger hunt, and a seed-sorting activity!  This program does not include a boat tour.  

! We have a working beehive in our Garden!  Please take this into consideration if any of your students have bee allergies.  Make sure the student carries his/her Epi-pen with them at all times.  

TEKS in this lesson:

K:  Sci 1-5, 9-10; Math 1-3, 8-9, 11; ELAR 1, 5, 16, 19, 21-23
1st:  Sci 1-5, 9-10; Math 2, 7; ELAR 4, 14, 27-29
2nd: Sci 1-5, 9-10; Math 2,7; ELAR 28-30
3rd: Sci 1-4, 10; Math 2; ELAR 22, 29-31

What's the Weather?
Grade Levels: 1, 2, 3
Offered in:  January, February, April
In this 2-hour lesson, students will learn to use various instruments to measure and record the weather.  We'll discuss temperature, wind conditions, precipitation, clouds, and more!  This lesson may or may not include a boat ride on Adams bayou.  (The season and water level will dictate this.)

TEKS in this lesson:
1st:  Sci 1-5, 8; ELAR 4, 14, 27-29; M 2, 4, 7, 9-13
2nd:  Si 1-5, 8; ELAR 28-30; M 2, 10, 13
3rd:  Sci 1-5, 8; ELAR 22, 29-31; M 12-13
 

Busy Bees

Students will experience various aspects of our gardens during this 2-hour lesson. They will learn about the relationship between plants and pollinators as they plant seeds, study our working beehive, sample some goodies from the garden, and more!  This program does not include a boat tour.  
 

 

TEKS in this lesson: 

2^nd:  Sci 1-4, 9-10; ELAR 28-30; Art 1-2; M 12 

3^rd:  Sci 1-4, 9-10; ELAR 22, 29-31; M 3, 14, 16 
4th:  Sci 1-4, 9-10; ELAR 20, 27-29; M 3, 9, 14, 16

 

Students become "eco-tourists: during this 3-hour lesson as they learn about our feathered friends.  They will observe birds nesting in our heronry.  We will focus on adaptations that allow birds to thrive in their ecological niche.  A boat ride along Adams Bayou will let students observe some of our birds foraging for food! 
 

TEKS in this lesson:

2^nd: Sci 1-4; ELAR 28-30; Art 1: M 9, 11-14
3^rd: Sci 1-4, 9-10; ELAR 39-31; M 13-15
4th:  Sci 1-4, 9-10; ELAR 20, 27-29; M 14-16

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Students become “eco-tourists” during this 3-hour lesson as they learn about our feathered friends. They will observe birds nesting in our heronry. We will focus on adaptations that allow birds to thrive in their ecological niches. A boat ride along Adams Bayou will let students observe some of our birds foraging for food!

 

TEKS in this lesson:

2^nd: Eng 1-2, 28-30; Sci 1-2, 4-6, 9 Arts 1

3^rd: Eng 1, 29-31; Sci 1-2, 4, 8-9

4^th: Eng 1-2, 27-29; Sci 1, 3, 5, 8

 

In this 2-hour lesson we will introduce students to the wonders of dissection.  Students will learn external and internal anatomy, with a focus on what makes squid unique.  Among other things, the students will extract the beak, the "pen," and the lenses from the eyes.  They will use the ink in the ink sac to write their name!  This lesson does not include a boat tour. 

  

TEKS in this lesson:

4th:  Sci 1-4, 10; ELAR 20, 27-29; M 14-15
5th:  Sci 1-4, 10; ELAR 13, 20, 27-29; M 14-15
6th:  Sci 1-4, 12: ELAR 12-13, 26-28
7th:  Sci 1-4, 11-13; ELAR 12-13, 26-28
8th:  Sci 1-4, 11; ELAR 12-13, 26-28; M 14
 

 

Students will observe how animals survive within their habitat during this 4 1/2 hour lesson.  We will search for and examine tracks, skulls, scat, and other signs of different animals.  Students should bring a sack lunch - we will stop for a 1/2 hour lunch break during this lesson.  This lesson includes a boat ride on Adams Bayou.  
   

TEKS in this lesson: 

4^th:  Sci 1-4, 9-10; ELAR 20, 27-29, M 11, 15-16
5^th:  Sci 1-4, 9-10; ELAR 13, 20, 27-29: M 10-11, 14-16
6th :  Sci 1-4, 12; ELAR 26-28; M 8, 11 

 

In this 4½-hour lesson, we will use games and hands-on exploration to teach students about our local watershed. We will review the water cycle, then we will map our watershed and even build our own! Students will board a boat for a ride to an Outpost Pavilions, where they will test the water for dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, and more. Students should bring a sack lunch; we will stop for a ½ lunch break during this lesson.

 

TEKS in this lesson:

5^th: Sci 1-4, 9-10; ELAR 20, 27-29, Math 11, 13-15

6^th: Sci 1-4; ELAR 26-28; Math 8, 10-12
7th:  Sci 1-4, 8, 11, 13

 

This 4½-hour lesson will teach the students about different types of energy and the 10 primary sources of energy, focusing on solar, wind and geothermal.  The students will be challenged to design a self-sustaining home, build a windmill and/or build a solar oven.  Students should bring a sack lunch - we will stop for a ½ hours lunch break during this lesson. 

 

TEKS in this lesson:

5^th: Sci 1-4, 7; ELAR 13, 20, 27-29; M 2, 10-15
6^th: Sci 1-4, 7: ELAR 26-28; M 2, 8, 10-13

7^th: Sci 1-4; ELAR 26-28; M 2, 8, 9, 13
8th:  Sci 1-4; ELAR 26-28; M 2, 8, 14, 15

 

During this fast-paced 3-hour lesson, students will explore three different ecosystems while they identify various local plants and animals that have symbiotic relationships.  Students will classify interspecies relationships as mutualistic, commensal, or parasitic.  This lesson includes a boat tour on Adams Bayou.  
 

TEKS in this lesson:

6^th: Sci 1-4, 12; ELAR 26-28; M 11

7^th: Sci 1-4, 10; ELAR 26-28; M 13
8^th: Sci 1-4, 11; ELAR 26-28; M 14