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Home | Traveling Naturalist Programs | Science Traveling Naturalist Programs

Teachers:

• Select a standards-aligned outreach school program for your grade from the list below.

• Register: Call 949-645-8489 or email Sama Wareh.

• Minimum group size: 20 students (maximum 40 students per session)
• Mileage: No mileage fee for schools within 25 miles of the ENC. $1.00 fee per additional mile over 25 miles (one way).

These programs are science-focused Traveling Naturalist Programs:

• Butterfly Journey: pre-kindergarten
• Fur Real: kindergarten
• Wonderful Wildlife!: kindergarten
• Rad Reptiles: 1st grade
• Survive and Thrive!: 1st grade
• Insect Investigators: 2nd grade
• Wildlife Ways: 2nd grade
• Naturally Native: 3rd grade
• Amazing Adaptations: 3rd grade
• Unearthing Geology: 4th grade
• Food Chain Fun: 4th grade
• Magic or Molecules?: 5th grade
• Water Detectives: 5th grade
• Plant Power!: 5th grade
• The Shopping Cycle: 6th grade
• Habitat Helpers: 6th grade
• Earth Raps: 7th grade
• Physics Phun: 8th grade
• Animal Adaptations Survival Game Show: Grades 1 - 8, curriculum varied as necessary
• Marvelous Mammals: Grades 1 - 8, curriculum varied as necessary
• Raptorology 101 Presentation or Assembly: Grades 1 - 8, curriculum varied as necessary
• Amazing Arthropods: Grades 1 - 8, curriculum varied as necessary

Butterfly Journey, Pre-K

A 45- to 60-minute program offered to pre-kindergarten students. Students will transform into a butterfly and go on a journey to discover animal differences. During this live animal storytelling adventure, students will engage their conversational skills, play games to hone their listening skills and learn about the world around them by touching live animals and artifacts. Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Fur Real, Kindergarten

A 60-minute program offered to kindergarten students. On this exciting adventure, students will discover the attributes of mammals and learn about the habitats they come from. Through storytelling, playing games, and touching live animals, students will learn about mammals, and the difference between fictional and realistic traits. (Science Standards: 1a, 2a, 2c, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4d, 4e.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Wonderful Wildlife!, Kindergarten

A 60-minute program offered to kindergarten students. The ENC Naturalist will guide students through a discussion of why plants are important. One student will become a seed and receive water, soil, sunlight and air to grow into a tree. The students become plants and grow roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds. Students learn about the characteristics that all mammals share and feel real mammal pelts. They learn what birds have in common and touch a real owl wing and foot. Students learn about insects and watch as a classmate is transformed into a butterfly. They learn all about reptiles and have an opportunity to touch a live snake. (Science Standards: 1a, 2a, 2c, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4d, 4e.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Rad Reptiles, 1st Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 1st grade students. Students learn about the characteristics that make a reptile a reptile and how those characteristics help them to survive in different ecosystems. They will learn about reptiles of the past and meet and touch modern reptiles. The Junior Herpetologists will sharpen their observation and vocabulary skills by learning how to talk like a herpetologist as they earn the opportunity to encounter real reptiles in an exciting game of charades. (Science Standards: 1a, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Survive and Thrive!, 1st Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 1st grade students. Students learn that different plants and animals inhabit many kinds of environments and have external features that help them thrive in various places. They participate in a skit to learn that plants have roots to absorb water and nutrients from the soil and green leaves to make food from sunlight. Students see and touch the real skulls of animals to infer what animals eat from the shapes of their teeth. They see and touch mammal horns, antlers, claws and hooves, and discuss how they help mammals to thrive. They perform experiments and observe owl wings to learn how these amazing birds fly silently to catch their prey. They discuss the adaptations that help reptiles to live in very hot, dry places and touch a live snake. (Science Standards: 2a, 2b, 2e, 2c, 2d, 2e.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Insect Investigators, 2nd Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 2nd grade students. Students will be immersed in the life cycle of a cricket during this fascinating insect investigation. They will sharpen their observation skills by catching and examining their very own cricket and recording their findings. They will learn about the role of crickets and other insects in the environment, and learn how to see life through the eyes of an insect. (Science Standards: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 4d, 4g.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Wildlife Ways, 2nd Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 2nd grade students. Students “become” plants and learn how they grow and reproduce. Students learn that animals produce offspring of their own kind, and look through our baby book to see that many baby animals resemble their parents. They see replicas of butterfly eggs, larva, pupae and adults to learn about metamorphosis. They play a game to match animal eggs with the critters that laid them. Students view real animal skulls to determine which is predator and which is prey based on the position of their eyes, and also get to see and touch a real, live predator! (Science Standards: 2a, 2b, 2e, 2f, 3e.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Naturally Native, 3rd Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 3rd grade students. Through storytelling, games and activities, students learn that ecosystems are very much like a game of “Jenga.” If enough pieces are removed it will eventually collapse. Students will participate in an ecosystem building activity and discover the healthy bond that predators and prey share. They will learn about a Southern California animal that is endangered due to habitat loss. Students will plant a native plant to help restore this animal’s habitat, and learn about the sun’s important role in plant growth. (Science Standards: 1a, 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Amazing Adaptations, 3rd Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 3rd grade students. Students learn that energy comes from the Sun to Earth in the form of sunlight, which is collected by leaves, which convert it to food. They perform a skit and learn which parts of the plant are responsible for growth and reproduction. Students “visit” different environments: the ocean, desert, forest, and grassland and learn about the adaptations of diverse life forms. In the ocean, students see and touch a kelp holdfast, a sea urchin skeleton, a sea otter pelt, and a shark jaw, and discuss their adaptations. In the grassland, students see and touch a ground squirrel pelt and an owl wing and discuss their adaptations. In the forest, students see and touch deer antlers and a cougar claw and discuss their adaptations. In the desert, students see and touch a live snake and discuss its adaptations. (Science Standards: 1a, 1d, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Unearthing Geology, 4th Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 4th grade students. Students experience a fun obstacle course during which they build, form and erode land forms to gain points for their team. They learn about earthquakes, plate tectonics, seismographs, the rock cycle and rock classification. Through a Seismograph simulation, the Junior Geologists become familiar with measuring and collecting data, as they shake things up in their classroom and unearth geology! (Science Standards: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6c, 6d.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Food Chain Fun, 4th Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 4th grade students. Students become ecologists and study producers and consumers within the ecosystem. They learn that plants are the primary source of matter and energy entering most food chains. Students learn about decomposers and play an energy pyramid game to learn about interdependence. They study real animal skulls to determine if animals are carnivores, omnivores or herbivores based on the shape of their teeth. Students see and touch a real, live carnivore. (Science Standards: 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Magic or Molecules?, 5th Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 5th grade students. Molecules surround us but how do we know they exist? How do you draw the line between magic and science? Students will participate in several exciting, interactive, hands-on experiments that will help them understand the periodic table of elements. They will explore the Scientific Method by launching rockets and reinventing the water cycle and will learn that matter really matters! (Science Standards: 1a, 1b, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, 1h, 1i, 3c.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Water Detectives!, 5th Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 5th grade students. After learning how water travels through the water cycle, the room will be transformed into a water pollution crime scene! Detective groups will analyze clues and information to get to the bottom of who is responsible for the pollution. Students will investigate traceable and non-traceable sources of pollution in Orange County and learn how they affect our water supply. (Science Standards: 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Planet Power!, 5th Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 5th grade students. Students learn that most of Earth's water is present as salt water in the oceans and that the amount of fresh water is limited. After viewing a watershed map and discussing water pollution and conservation, they play a game to explore some ways in which water is polluted and cleaned. Students discuss photosynthesis and plant respiration and learn how sugar, water, and minerals are transported in a vascular plant by playing a game in which the entire class becomes a giant tree. This program is best when experienced in the schoolyard. (Science Standards: 2e, 2f, 2g, 3a, 3d, 3e ) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

The Shopping Cycle, 6th Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 6th grade students. Students will learn about the cycle of life in our natural world, and relate energy transfer to the world of consumerism. They will discover the life cycle of everyday products that are made from renewable and non-renewable resources. In a shopping extravaganza game, students will participate in an investigation to find out what the objects they are "buying" are made from. They will develop an awareness of how finite our resources on earth actually are. (Science Standards: 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 6a, 6b, 6c.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Habitat Helpers, 6th Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 6th grade students. Students learn that energy enters ecosystems as sunlight, is transferred by producers into chemical energy through photosynthesis and then transferred from organism to organism through food webs. They play an energy pyramid game to learn how matter is transferred over time from one organism to others in the food web. Students also play "Energy Cups" and learn that energy is lost as it passes up through the energy pyramid. They discuss renewable and nonrenewable resources and ways that they can be protected and conserved. This program must be experienced in the schoolyard (due to the use of water in games). (California Science Standards: 5a, 5b, 5d, 5e, 6b.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Earth Raps, 7th Grade

A 60-minute program offered to 7th grade students. It’s always easy to remember the lyrics to songs, especially if you wrote them yourself! In this fun and creative earth history timeline rhapsody, students will have the opportunity to devise their own poem or rap song about a time period on earth, then submit it into an ENC school-wide contest. Students will be exposed to a variety of rocks and fossils from Earth’s past. They will be able to describe the earth’s history as if it was their own. (Science Standards: 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g; Languge Arts Standards: 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.2 a,b,c; Theatre Standards: Connecting and applying what is learned in theatre, film. video, and electronic media to other art forms and subject areas.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Physics Phun

A 60-minute program offered to 8th grade students. Playing with bottle caps, racing cars and disrupting dinner tables? Some would call it goofing off—but not Sir Isaac Newton! Students will follow in Newton’s footsteps as their classroom is turned into a fun filled, hands-on physics exploration laboratory. (Science Standards: 2a, 2c, 2d, 2f, 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, 9f, 9g.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Animal Adaptations Survival Game Show, Grades 1-8

A 60-minute program offered to 1st - 8th grade students. In this hands-on, interactive demonstration, students become contestants on a game show, answer questions, and earn points toward meeting and touching several animals throughout the program. The game includes drawing, charades, and surprises. Students gain an understanding of various animal adaptations. This program can be taught as an assembly. (Program content varies based on grade level and curriculum standards.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Marvelous Mammals, Grades 1-8

A 60-minute program offered to 1st - 8th grade students. Some people believe that a horse can judge your character within the first 8 seconds of being near you! In this interactive show, students will learn about all sorts of mammals; from those that will fit in your hand to those bigger than the room itself! They will play a game, touch animals and learn about similarities and differences between humans and animals. A portion of this show is outdoors and involves an animal adaptation re-enactment game where kids will truly learn the unique characteristics that all mammals share. (Program content varies based on grade level and curriculum standards.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session).

Raptorology 101 Presentation or Assembly, Grades 1-8

A 60-minute program offered to 1st - 8th grade students. In this exciting program, students see live birds of prey up close. As ornithologists, they will compare and contrast the traits and adaptations of hawks, falcons, owls, and other birds of prey. Students will play games and participate in hands-on activities, gaining knowledge that will aid them in playing our “Raptorology 101” game show. (Program content varies based on grade level and curriculum standards.) Presentation Tuition: $6/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session). Assembly Tuition: $385/1st assembly, $55 for each additional assembly on the same day. (Up to 150 students per assembly).

Amazing Arthropods, Grades 1-8

A 60-minute program offered to 1st - 8th grade students. Students will meet lots of creepy, crawly arthropods face to face!. They will conquer their fears and learn about arthropod characteristics through hands on interaction. Students will learn about the important roles arthropods play in the environment, from decomposing to pollination. They will participate in “a day in the life” skit and see the world through arthropod eyes. Students can help construct a compost bin for their very own classroom or cafeteria to use (optional). (Program content varies based on grade level and curriculum standards.) Tuition: $5/student (minimum 20, maximum 40 per session). Optional additional $50 for composting project.