Nature LIVE! is a new way for Miami County students to experience field trips. Your students get to stay in their classroom or homes to attend these 20 minute sessions. We will utilize Zoom and other platforms to bring the park to you when you cannot reach the park. Each topic has a series of Nature LIVE! sessions and is aligned with Ohio state standards for specific grade levels.
Some sessions are season specific; however, if you are interested in a session that does not appear to have any further availability or if the times available just don’t quite match your schedule, please contact Susan Condy scondy@miamicountyparks.com to get more info on possibilities.
Dig Deep
This is a series of two sessions offered individually.Each session will focus on third grade standards. The first session will cover resources and characteristics of rocks, and the second will look at soil and notice that it is composed of layers and many things. Follow this link for all Dig Deep session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered in Sept. & October | Session 2 - Offered in Nov. & January |
FBI
In this series of three sessions offered individually, students will explore plant and animal life cycles and see how changes occur over time in physical environments caused by living things. (Fungus, Bacteria, and Invertebrates!) Students will also learn their responsibility to Leave No Trace while they are exploring these environments. Follow this link for all FBI session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered in Sept., Oct. & March | Session 3 - Offered in April & May |
| Session 2 - Offered in Oct., April & May |
Food Chain
This is a series of three sessions offered individually. Each session will introduce different animal species, how they interact with their environments and what special traits they have for survival. Focusing on these adaptations, we will find where to place these animals within a food chain. Follow this link for all Food Chain session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered in March | Session 3 - Offered in May |
| Session 2 - Offered in April |
I'm A Tree
This program is a series of four sessions offered individually, designed for Kindergarteners to discover through the topic of trees and the animals that interact with them how the weather plays a part in their behaviors. Also comparisons will be done so the kids will know that all trees have the same parts, but they are all different. Not to mention the characteristics of them produce special gifts for us. Follow this link for all I’m a Tree session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered in Nov. & Dec. | Session 3 - Offered in Feb. |
| Session 2 - Offered in Dec. | Session 4 - Offered in March |
Landform Investigators
In this series of four sessions offered individually, fourth graders will be introduced to topography and map reading skills in relation to the landforms around in the first session. The three following sessions will each focus on one or more landforms and how the earth’s surface is always changing. Follow this link for all Landform Investigators session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered Sept., Oct. & Feb. | Session 3 - Offered Nov., Dec. & Feb. |
| Session 2 - Offered Nov., Dec. & Feb. | Session 4 - Offered in Jan., Feb. & March |
Natural Resources
Each of these sessions, designed for first graders, will focus on either living or non-living resources. Students will come to realize that in their classrooms and homes everyday they use objects made from living resources such as trees, and non-living such as rocks. This series of two sessions will be offered individually. Follow this link for all Natural Resources session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered in Oct., Feb. & March | Session 2 - Offered in Oct., Nov. & Feb. |
No Bones
During this virtual adventure you are going to get to Explore! and Discover! those creatures who have no bones inside, insects! Follow this link for all No Bones session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - | Session 2 - |
Ohio Habitats
First graders will learn about the basic needs of all living things and how the seasonal changes affect the availability of some of those needs. Eight sessions, each offered individually are built to stand alone; however, participating in more than one session will drive home the concept that these habitats change overtime and provide different things at different times of the year. We will be visiting four separate habitats, and then visiting them again later in the year. Follow this link for all Ohio Habitat session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered in Sept. & Oct. | Session 5 - Offered in Jan. |
| Session 2 - Offered in Oct. & Nov. | Session 6 - Offered in Feb.-March |
| Session 3 - Offered in Nov. | Session 7 - Offered in March |
| Session 4 - Offered in Nov. & Dec. | Session 8 - Offered in April |
Pathfinders
This program is more than just a 20 minute Nature LIVE! instructional session. Your classes will get an opportunity to borrow a class set of MCPD GPS units so they can learn how to use them during the session in preparation for the project. The units will be dropped off at your school no later than the morning of the session and picked up about a week later, but that can be worked out individually with each teacher. At this time, students must be present at your school building to participate in Pathfinders. This program is built for sixth graders and will also touch on latitude, longitude and why they are important for how a GPS unit works. Once they learn the basics, it will be up to each teacher as to how far you would like to push your students knowledge. We have five pre-made lesson plans for you to use that build upon each other and some of them get your kids outside. Lessons 1, 2, and 4 require the use of our borrowed units before returning them. The lessons relate to Geography, Math and Language Arts standards, and could even develop their persuasive argument and public speaking skills. If you and your students are keen, you could even present the winning class project to your board of education! Follow this link for all Pathfinders session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered throughout the year |
Overview, Lesson Plans & Activities
Lesson Plan 1 - Scavenger Hunt
Lesson Plan 2 - School Property Mapping
Lesson Plan 3 - Research Essay/Position Statement
Lesson Plan 4 - Natural Play Feature Planning
Lesson Plan 5 - Flipgrid Presentation & Voting
The Big Deal About Natural Playgrounds Article
Rock Hounds
Sixth graders will focus on each type of rock, it’s properties and how it was formed in this series of two sessions that will be offered individually. Follow this link for all Rock Hounds session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered in Jan. & Feb. | |
| Session 2 - Offered in Jan. & Feb. |
Roots, Stems, Leaves
Third graders will make observations of plant life cycles through the seasons as they participate in these six sessions that are offered individually. Each session will focus on one of the six main plant parts and on topics such as how each part plays a role in the survival and reproduction of that individual, the functions of the plant parts themselves, and observations of plant life cycles over time. Follow this link for all Roots, Stems, Leaves session descriptions and access to the review quizzes.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered in Sept.& Oct. | Session 4 - Offered in Feb. & March |
| Session 2 - Offered in Dec. | Session 5 - Offered in March & April |
| Session 3 - Offered in Oct. & Nov. | Session 6 - Offered in April & May |
Water Cycle
Second graders will learn about the water cycle and three forms of water. This series of three sessions will be offered individually. Follow this link for all Water Cycle session descriptions.
Session Sign Up
| Session 1 - Offered in March & April | Session 3 - Offered in May |
| Session 2 - Offered in April & May |