Center for Environmental Education

Nature Center Programs

Birds (1 hour/1 class)

Discover why birds are so unique and important as students are introduced to the sights and sounds of birds native to our area! Through slides, they will examine bird adaptations such as beaks and feet and through audio tapes, have a chance to hear bird songs. The program can be concluded with either a hands-on feather study, a migration game, or a bird watching hike and I.D. (binoculars provided).

Cemetery Study (2 hours/1 class)

This program invites students to travel back to the early 1800's to learn what life was like for the settlers of the Madden property. After a brief introduction, students will hike to our cemetery and collect data from the gravestones. This data will then be used to launch a discussion about nutrition, food preservation, lifestyle, human physiology, family trees, disease and family responsibilities. Finally, each student will do a gravestone rubbing to take home!
Sci 21 4/2, 3, 4

Challenge Course/Team Building (Full Day)/60 students)

The challenge course is an extremely effective method to create bonds and develop a positive classroom environment. This series of physical and mental challenges can only be solved when students, in groups of 12-15, work together as a team. In the process of solving the challenges, they will utilize such skills as team building, effective communication, problem solving, acceptance of others, risk taking, physical and emotional support and working with people of different styles. Equally important, the participants have fun together. Often, the student who doesn’t do well in the classroom excels on the challenge course. Consequently, students see their peers, and teachers see their students, in a very different light, changing the classroom environment and creating a bond to last the entire year. The first part of the program is spent doing team building activities to prepare the group for the challenge course. The remainder of the day is spent on the challenge course.

This program supports the objectives of the NYS Character Education Initiative.

This program can take place at Madden or, for our southern groups, on the BOCES campus in Yorktown Heights. An at-school version of this program, called Team Building Activities, is also available.

TEACHERS MAY HAVE TO LEAD A GROUP!
DUE TO THE TREMEMDOUS NUMBER OF REQUESTS FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THE LIMITED NUMBER OF STAFF AND DAYS AVAILABLE, TEACHERS WILL EITHER BE ASKED TO LEAD A GROUP ON THE CHALLENGE COURSE OR, WE CAN HIRE AN EXPERIENCED CHALLENGE COURSE CONSULTANT FOR AN ADDITION FEE. TRAINING IS REQURIED. FOR THOSE TEACHERS WHO CHOOSE TO LEAD A GROUP. SEE DATES BELOW:

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING TRAINED OR ATTENDING A REFRESHER TRAINING, SEND AN EMAIL TO: ceeschedule@pnwboces.org.

Colonial Living Skills (full day/60 students)

Spend a day in the life of a colonial child! Students will get an excellent hands-on experience as they learn the skills and tasks of an 8-10 year-old in Colonial America. Students are broken up into three groups and rotate through three, one hour classes: colonial pretzel making and butter churning, candle making, and toy making or tin smithing. In November - December, and weather permitting, a group that brings apples can watch apple cider being pressed and enjoy it along with their pretzels and butter! In late February and March, students can participate in a maple sugaring demonstration. All students leave Madden with their own toy and candle. Please bring 3 parent chaperones per 25 students. Sci 21 4/3

Compass Skill Building Game (2 hours/1 class)

Learning to use a compass is a valuable and exciting experience for all students! In this program, students will learn all the parts of a compass and how to use one. Then, they will practice their newfound skills as they navigate around an outside area set up for them. Finding and following North, South, East, and West will be easy to understand after playing this game!

Forest Ecology (1 hour/1 class)

The Forest Ecology program is focused around a guided hike through the Madden property or a local nature trail. Using interpretive stops, games, and 'hands-on' activities, the students will be introduced to the temperate forest and the relationships between the habitat and its inhabitants. This program can be adapted to any grade level and many focus areas including: food chains, human impact, sustainable management, problem solving, maple sugaring (spring only), living and non-living things, and wildlife. A forest ecology program can also include a plot study, forest measurements, and tree identification. Sci 21 K/1

Forest Measurements/Plot Study (90 minutes/1 class)

Trees come in all shapes and sizes and are an excellent tool for a mathematical exercise! Students will measure trees to become familiar with the tree structure as they learn the importance of measuring techniques and standard units of measurement. Activities will vary based on the grade level. Tools and skills include: Biltmore stick, ruler, diameter tape, and pacing.
Sci 21 2/4, 1

Mapping (spring only) (full day/1 class)

Students will become junior cartologists in this marvelous mapping program! After learning about parts of a map and the many different types of maps they will be broken up into small groups and challenged to map an area using the plane table mapping procedure. This program can be adapted for any grade level with options including simple games, PowerPoint presentations, and hands-on demonstrations. Students must know how to use a compass before this program.

Native American (1 hour or can be a full day program/1 class)

This program will show students what life was like for the Native Americans that lived in this region. Students learn about pre-European lifestyles and philosophy as hands-on activities compare Native American times and way of life to present day. A NATIVE AMERICAN ENCAMPMENT CAN BE VISITED. If time permits, students will participate in games played by Native American children. If a group wishes to do a full-day program, shelter building and story telling activities will be included.

Nature Activities (60 minutes/1 class)

Students will learn as they are having fun playing nature games! This program can compliment almost any area of focus from predator/prey relationships, camouflage, trees, or animals. Just let us know what you are studying! Sci 21 4/4

Nature Scavenger Hunt (1 hour/1 class)

Students will become detectives, use their five senses and special detective skills to search for a number of items. Following the search, a discussion will focus on the role of these items and how they fit into our ecosystem. Sci 21 K/1, 3 1/2, 4 2/4

Nature Story Telling (45 min/1 class)

Children of all ages love to listen to stories! Using puppets, children will learn environmental lessons through the telling of the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein or The Lorax by Dr. Suess. Other stories may include Stelleluna and Verdi, or a variety of Native American tales. This program can be tailored for specific items, shapes, smells, and numbers for primary students and may be adapted to include local history and folklore for older students.

Nocturnal World of New York (1 hour/1 class)

In this unique program, students will learn all about nocturnal animals of New York State. The program will use sounds to help students identify birds, amphibians, and mammals that live in the wild areas of New York and in their own backyards! Games will help them experience the varied senses used by nocturnal creatures. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to enhance their auditory learning skills.

Orienteering (Full Day/ 60 students)

During this full day program, students will begin by learning the parts of a compass and how to use it. To check their navigation skills, they will play the compass circle game and then learn how to measure distances through the use of pacing. After lunch, students are taught to use their newly acquired skills to orienteer and are sent out on the trails that crisscross through the forest at Madden. NOTE: Although we have, at times, been asked to lose a student or two, we have never been successful and have always managed to send home the same number of students that arrived!

Pond Ecology (spring only) (1 hour/1 class)

Students will begin by examining the differences between a pond and a lake, before going outside to visit the Madden pond! Here, they will use scoop nets to catch samples of the animals and insects living there. Following the collection period, the group will identify and observe their catch, learn about food chains, and the conditions necessary for a healthy pond. Students in grades 5 and up can participate in activities that analyze the chemical composition of the pond. Sci 21 1/2, 4 2/3, 4 3/4 5/4 6/4

Seed Study (1 hour/1 class)

Through seed sorting and critical thinking, students will learn the differences between a seed and a non-seed in this fun, interactive program! The lesson will also include the parts of a seed and all of the different ways seeds travel. After investigating many different types of seeds, students will play a game where they find out how hard it is for seeds to grow, and why they are so valuable and special for the natural world. Sci 21 2/3 3/1

Survival/Primitive Skills (90 minutes1 class)

Learn the basics of outdoor skills! Topics in this program may include how to safely build a fire, how to build a shelter, and how to be prepared in the woods. This active and hands-on class will require students to work as a team in order to complete all activities.