5th Grade Earth Science Field Trips
Field Trips for 5th Grade Earth Science
Earth's Systems / Space Systems: Stars and the Solar System
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| Provider Name | Resource Link | Provider Location | Abstract |
|---|---|---|---|
| American River Water Education Center | Education Center Tour | Folsom | The history and headwaters of the American River Watershed are explored through interactive exhibits which focus on this integral part of California’s waterworks. Find out where the American River actually starts. Discover just how much water is needed to make a pair of jeans or grow a tomato. Water management and conservation are critical issues today and are stressed with fun ‘hands on’ demonstration areas and displays. A section on Folsom Dam explains why it was built, it’s dynamic history over the past 50+ years and the dam’s many uses. |
| Angel Island State Park | Nature Tours | San Francisco Bay | Nature Tours Wonderful in wild flower season, March to May, available year round. Group maximum 30. |
| Bay Model Visitor Center | Guided Ranger Tour | Sausalito | The Bay Model Visitor Center provides public information and educational programs focusing on the environmental, historical and cultural elements of the San Francisco Bay region. These educational programs focus on concepts such as geography, geology, tide cycle, water cycle, the food chain and map scale. Pre-scheduled programs can be arranged for groups of 10 or more, and are approximately 1-½ hours in length. This tour will provide valuable knowledge about the history of the hydraulic model of our estuary in San Francisco Bay and Delta and can be tailored to specific interests of your group. |
| Big Break Regional Shoreline | Discover the Delta Watershed | Oakley | Learn about water in one of California’s most significant watersheds – the Delta. Our 1,200 square-foot Delta map and targeted field/learning activities clarify watershed concepts, processes, and applications to students’ lives. |
| Big Break Regional Shoreline | Creatures of the Wetland | Oakley | Discover why many different animals live at Big Break. From mammals and birds to fish and insects, students will learn how various creatures can survive and thrive in a wetland habitat. |
| Big Break Regional Shoreline | Delta Variety | Oakley | We’ll set up a variety of stations with a variety of opportunities to explore the unending variety of the Delta. Plants, animals, crafts, games, and other activities all guaranteed to make Delta experts out of your large groups. |
| Big Break Regional Shoreline | Delta Wetlands Inquiry | Oakley | Explore the science of the Delta and its powerful impact on everyday lives. Your class will create and test a hypothesis about the Delta ecosystem. Field work may include sampling water chemistry, cataloging wetland plants, investigating invertebrates, or more. |
| CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife, Sacramento Region | Fishing in the City | Sacramento | Available to assist local communities to create ongoing and sustainable fishing opportunities within their community. Most programs include: school-based watershed and fishing education, school-fishing events, community-fishing events, rod-lending libraries, and habitat improvement projects. The ultimate goal is to create repeatable fishing experiences, improve the quality of life for residents of your community and create stewards of our waterways. |
| California Academy of Sciences | Planetarium: Motions of the Solar System | San Francisco | Also available in Spanish and Mandarin During this show your students will become virtual space explorers who will examine what causes the predictable motions in the sky as observed from Earth. Then, they will jet off to other objects in our solar system and try to apply their new understanding of Earth's cycles in order to discover some surprising patterns other planets have. The presentation will often touch on the following topics: predictable patterns and motions on Earth, including: moon (and Earth) phases yearly cycles of constellations as viewed from Earth planet tilt close-up views of some of our solar system's planets the scientific variation in "days" and "year" motions atmospheric models View of a planetary system around another star |
| California Coastal Commission | Adopt-a-Beach Program | San Francisco | In order to "adopt" a local beach, volunteers agree to clean the beach at least three times a year, although school groups can fulfill their obligation with a single cleanup. Groups are encouraged to re-adopt at the end of the year. |
| Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose | Seld Guided Field Trips | San Jose | Enjoy the hands-on exhibits including: Art Gallery, Art Loft, Bill's Backyard, Bubbles. Mammoth Discovery, Rainbow Market, Secrets of Circles, Streets, Water Ways, Wonder Cabinet, and the changing exhbiit |
| Coyote Hills Regional Park | Ohlone Cultures | Fremont | Ohlone peoples thrived in diverse landscapes for thousands of years because they knew how to balance human needs with that of the land and all its other inhabitants. This walk through marsh and grassland environments will guide students’ innate curiosity about the plants, animals and rocks they find in nature toward a deeper awareness of the way the first peoples interacted with and continue to interact with the land today. We’ll include a discussion of the cultural values, rules, and skills that underpinned Ohlone lifeways, and teach your students how the local environment has changed in the last century. Depending on the season, the students will have an opportunity to see and hear various birds; taste greens, berries, seeds or nuts; and touch and smell several plants, as they learn about the many interesting ways culture and nature intersect. Limit 15-20 students with one naturalist. Program length: 1.5 hours |
| Crab Cove Visitor Center and Aquarium | Nature Walks in the Regional Parks | Alameda | Use the parklands as your classroom! Programs are available at the following East Bay Regional Parks: Redwood, Roberts, Lake Chabot, Anthony Chabot, Huckleberry Botanic Preserve, Sibley Volcanic Preserve, Temescal, Arrowhead Marsh at MLK Jr. Shoreline, and Oyster Bay. Lake Chabot boat tours aboard the “Chabot Queen” may be available; separate fee applies for boat rental. |
| CuriOdyssey | Wind Powered Vehichles | San Mateo | This activity is propelled by a fan or the students themselves! Students learn about engineering, gasses, friction, sails, forces, motion, and energy. By creating a vehicle which can be powered by wind, students gain understanding of design, why we use wheels, why we might not, and attempt to build a vehicle which goes straight, far, and/or fast with limited materials. |
| CuriOdyssey | Build It and Break It! - Field Trip | San Mateo | Build a wooden bridge and a paper tower, then test their strength until they collapse. Students will explore gravity, stress, and other forces that engineers have to overcome (or utilize) every time they construct a bridge or building. Let’s learn together as we build and break our very own structures. Also available as an in-class program. |
| Dolphin Charters | Petaluma River Cruise - full day | El Cerrito | Rediscover this once active river artery while treating yourself to an insider’s view of seldom visited parts of Marin and Sonoma County. Today all along the River lies marshland, a de facto wilderness area, rich with wildlife. Don't leave home without your binoculars. Arriving at Petaluma, enjoy a stroll in Victorian Old Town. Tour can include historic commercial and or homes plus historic museum located in a Carnegie Library Building. Tour may also include shore side lunch along side the river or onboard Delphinus. Lunch is extra. After exploring Petaluma, you relax while “rollin down the river“. Enjoy the flowing, tranquil experience of the river and its inhabitants. |
| Dolphin Charters | Heart of the Delta | El Cerrito | Discover the Delta, the hidden heart of California, its watering hole and the source of over 50% of the water used in the state. It's fascinating. In the midst of the arid Central Valley, there are hundreds of miles of rivers, sloughs, and canals forming a maze of waterways connecting the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. This is also the richest and rarest terrestrial habitat in the state. Streamside forests mingle with freshwater marshes creating a wildlife paradise. River otters, beavers, and muskrats are commonly seen as well as numerous birds. |
| Dolphin Charters | Napa River Cruise | El Cerrito | A cruise along the Napa River is like a voyage into the past. Beginning at historic Vallejo, the cruise continues along the waterfront of Vallejo and Mare Island. Vallejo once rivaled or surpassed San Francisco in importance. Mare Island is a monument to the industry of the US Navy and began building ships during the civil war. Historic ships from the Mothball Fleet are often found here. Once beyond Vallejo, you enter a different world, one of vineyards, agriculture, backwater homes and marinas. Some of the largest contiguous marshes are located along the Napa River, with much bird life. The old Leslie salt ponds as well as former agricultural lands are being returned as well to marsh land as part of the S.F. Bay National Wildlife refuge. The collection of historic buildings in Napa contains much of the charm of Old California and was the site of the last California Mission. |
| Dolphin Charters | 3-Hour Petaluma Cruise | El Cerrito | View this river from a different perspective. Come enjoy an entertaining and informative tour of the Petaluma River. Sail this historic waterway from the turning basin in downtown Petaluma to the mouth of the river in San Pablo Bay and return. See how Petaluma is preserving its past while stepping into the 21st century. |
| East Bay Municipal Utility District | Outdoor Education | Orinda | Hands-on learning provides children experiences that help them to better understand what it takes to protect the environment, how natural systems function and how our drinking water supply relates to those systems. EBMUD rangers work with school age children to enhance habitats, stabilize soils, and restore natural conditions for creeks and disturbed areas in the East Bay. Registration is first come first serve starting in August every year |
| Environmental Discovery Center of Sonoma County | Acorn to Oaks | Santa Rosa | Looking for a different field trip experience focused on California history? Acorns to Oaks engages students with the rich heritage and culture of native communities in Sonoma County. Early California Indians had an incredibly detailed knowledge of natural resources and passed this knowledge down through generations. Students will take an extended hike, explore kotchas, the traditional housing structures, and will participate in storytelling and crafts specific to the living local tribal people. |
| Environmental Discovery Center of Sonoma County | Climate Change Agents | Santa Rosa | Through experiments, games, and plays, students will learn the science behind Earth’s changing climate. Students will understand that human activities are impacting the climate system and that we can take actions to reduce climate change. Students will explore how they can be change agents to have a positive effect on our climate future. |
| Environmental Discovery Center of Sonoma County | Only Rain Down the Drain | Santa Rosa | Introduction to watersheds. Activities reinforce grade-specific science standards that include the water cycle, seasons, weathering, erosion deposition, the Sonoma County watershed, non-point source pollution, and the effects of water pollution. |
| Environmental Discovery Center of Sonoma County | Discovering Earth Science in the Parks | Santa Rosa | A place-based field trip program, for 4th, 5th, and 6th grades focusing on Earth Science and conservation. Choose from six locations! • Helen Putnam Regional Park in Petaluma • Foothill Regional Park in Windsor • Riverfront Regional Park in Windsor • Crane Creek Regional Park in Rohnert Park • Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol • Stillwater Cove Regional Park in Jenner Program Choices: * Rockin' and Recycling - This fieldtrip will focus on the properties of the common rocks and minerals in the park and the processes that formed them. Students will also learn the importance of recycling products manufactured from minerals and rocks. * Weather or Not - Students will learn the science behind weather and weather patterns. They will learn about some of Sonoma County's many microclimates within the parks, and forecast local weather based on observation and data collection. |
| Exploratorium | Fisher Bay Observatory Gallery 6: Observing Landscapes | San Francisco | Explore the local environment. Natural and human forces interact to create the dynamic landscape surrounding us. Learn to uncover the stories embedded in a place by directly observing the geography, history, and ecology of the San Francisco Bay region. |
| Exploratorium | Gallery 2: Tinkering | San Francisco | Think with your hands. Making things and developing ideas by hand helps us construct understanding. Slow down, settle in, and make something personally meaningful—from playful contraptions to surprising connections between mechanical systems and natural phenomena. |
| Exploratorium | Outdoor Gallery: Open your senses to this place by the Bay. | San Francisco | Investigate forces shaping the City, Bay, and region. Watch shifting winds and tides, reveal hidden life, shake a bridge, observe human behavior, and find new ways to notice the places we inhabit. |
| Exploratorium | Tinkering Studio | San Francisco | A studio workshop for playful invention, investigation, and collaboration The Tinkering Studio is an immersive, active, creative place at the Exploratorium where museum visitors can slow down, become deeply engaged in an investigation of scientific phenomena, and make something—a piece of a collaborative chain reaction—that fully represents their ideas and aesthetic. In the Tinkering Studio, visitors are invited to explore a curiosity-driven exhibit, chat with a featured artist, or investigate a range of phenomena with staff artists, scientists, educators, and others by participating in a collaborative activity. A large, eclectic assortment of materials, tools, and technologies are provided for people to use as they explore and create. |
| Golden Gate National Recreation Area | Into the Redwood Forest: Park as Classroom | Students examine the relationships among plants, animals and the environment by performing analytical and comparative research in three communities of the forest. They then represent the Into the Redwood Forest introduces 3rd through 5th grade students to the wonders of Muir Woods through science and art. Teacher must attend a workshop prior to field trip. | |
| Great America Theme Park | Physics, Science and Math Days | Santa Clara | April 28, & May 5, 12, & 19, 2023 Great America has collaborated with lteachers and consultants to develop activities and downloadable packets that can be used as a resource guide to meet current teaching requirements. On these days the park has special activities to help demostrate the science that deals with matter, energy, motion, and force is a modern-day roller coasters. |
| Greater Farallones Association | Visitor Center Fieldtrip | San Francisco | The Sanctuary Visitor Center offers a variety of grade specific, lively, hands-on programs for students grades K-6. Programs are two hours long and take place in the Sanctuary classroom, Visitor Center, and on beautiful Chrissy Field Beach. Custom programs available. |
| Hiller Aviation Museum | Amazing Aircraft II - Field Trip | San Carlos | Take flight with a rubber-powered airplane! Recommended for older students, Amazing Aircraft II features construction and flight of a larger, propeller powered balsa airplane. Grades 4-8 add control surfaces to guide their airplane’s flight. Launch into the amazing world of aircraft! |
| Hiller Aviation Museum | Teacher-Led Field Trip | San Carlos | Teachers are provided with field trip guides, students get "flight plans" for interesting, challenging and engaging learning activities based on the displays and exhibits in the museum. The gallery includes full size models, interactive hands-on displays and multimedia presentations. Visitors can look into the restoration workshop, to see future museum models. Science topics include air density, sound, force, pressure, and the forces of flight, including thrust, lift, gravity, and drag. |
| Hiller Aviation Museum | Flight Simulator Lab | San Carlos | Enter the Museum’s Flight Sim Zone, where every student has the opportunity to control a simulated airplane through several realistic, age-appropriate missions. Using state-of-the-art flight simulation equipment and software, students work in pairs to master aircraft control while flying through a beautiful reproduction of the Bay Area and other locations worldwide. |
| Hiller Aviation Museum | Flight Planning Lab | San Carlos | Science, math and aviation come together in a three-part experience! Students inspect a small aircraft, use aviation charts to plan a flight between airports, and fly a portion of the planned flight in the Flight Sim Zone. Careful consideration of terrain contours and calculations of fuel consumption and velocity are essential to ensure a safe mission. |
| Hiller Aviation Museum | Aero Design Challenge | San Carlos | Available October 2022 – April 2023 - No Charge The Hiller Aviation Museum’s annual celebration of engineering, the Aero Design Challenge provides middle school students with an immersive, hands-on experience in flight. Students are introduced to the Engineering Design Process, experience different Discovery Station rotations focused on the science of gliders, then work in small groups to design, build, test and improve an elastic-powered glider! Aero Design Challenge is available at no charge through the generosity of the JetBlue Foundation. Availability is limited to schools visiting with 30 or more students, and additional date restrictions may apply. |
| Hiller Aviation Museum | Storm Chasers | San Carlos | Explore how weather affects flight in a challenging foul-weather flight simulation. Discover thunderstorms and other weather hazards and how they affect aircraft, and then enter the Flight Sim Zone to embark on a realistic mission into inclement conditions. It’s a thrilling adventure to the edge of aviation! |
| Hiller Aviation Museum | Flight and Motion | San Carlos | Investigate the forces of flight while building and flying a model glider! Primary students explore lift, thrust, drag and gravity, while elementary and above construct flight controls to change the attitude of their flying model aircraft. |
| Hiller Aviation Museum | Star Watchers - Field Trip | San Carlos | Take an adventure into the night-time sky! Students enter a giant inflatable Starlab dome to explore by day the stars, planets and constellations that will be visible in the sky that night and discover the means by which early navigators found directions and plotted their courses by the stars. |
| Kids for the Bay | Watershed Action Program | Berkeley | The Watershed Action Program is KIDS for the BAY’s signature program in which students in grades 3-5 learn about and care for their local watershed. Through hands-on science experiments and activities, students learn about watersheds, urban run-off pollution, food chains, bay organisms, and environmental justice. Our Watershed Action Program is designed to turn students onto science, connect students to nature, and inspire students to take action for their environment. The Watershed Action Program consists of: • Five classroom lessons • An environmental action project • A field trip to a local creek, Bay, delta, or ocean habitat • Lessons that address California State Science and Social Science Standards The Watershed Action Program is also a teacher-training program. Teachers learn alongside their students and receive both a curriculum guide and an equipment kit to teach the program to future students. Up to eight Continuing Education Units are available through our partnership with California State University East Bay. |
| Lick Observatory | Dome Tour | Santa Cruz | A staff person is available to give a 15 minute talk in the 36-inch telescope dome. The teacher leads class through the gift shop. This is a general tour-- students will not get to look through the telescope. It is their decision to maximize the effectiveness of these tours by limiting them to college astronomy classes, science teachers workshops, and professional societies. |
| Marina Education Programs - City of Berkeley | Animal Programs - Birds | Berkeley | Identification of local species, adaptations, sounds, feathers, nesting, conservation and weather permitting, walking w/ binoculars. Includes a 40-50 minute interactive slide and video presentation and 2 hrs of hands-on stations. Each program requires a mandatory teacher's IN-SERVICE training workshop during which teachers preview the site, update staff for their current science program, and naturalists add to it with a packet of informational lesson plans for pre- and post-trip lessons geared to their class' grade level. These lessons were written by our staff, and correlate with the California State Science Framework and include 47 large animal identification cards and pictures. The fee for the packet is $25.00 with out the program. Available only on specific days. |
| Marina Education Programs - City of Berkeley | Adventure Playground | Berkeley | The Adventure Playground at the Berkeley Marina was opened in 1978. It is a wonderfully unique outdoor facility where staff encourage children to play and build creatively. Come climb on the many unusual kid designed and built forts, boats, and towers. Ride the zip line or hammer, saw, and paint. By providing these low risk activities Adventure Playground creates opportunities for children to learn cooperation, meet physical challenges and gain self confidence. |
| Marine Science Institute | Marsh & Beach Exploration | Redwood City | Pescadero Marsh & Beach Exploration is a wonderful opportunity to get students to experience nature through hands-on learning. Our instructors will guide your students through activities based on sandy beach and marsh & mudflat ecology. Students will compare sand found locally with sand from beaches around the world, explore the beach wrack-line, bird watch with the aid of binoculars while traversing the marsh and mudflat, and learn about the indigenous & invasive flora of California's coastline. Students will gain an understanding of how beaches, marshes, and mudflats are formed and how humans impact these delicate ecosystems. |
| Math Science Nucleus | Tule Ponds - Stormwater and Wetland Chemistry | Fremont | The elements and compounds found in the stormwater can pollute and cause damage to wildlife and plants. |
| Math Science Nucleus | Solar System and Beyond | Fremont | Understanding how humans learned about the Solar System is a fasination look into how science progresses. We look at the rotation/revolution of the Solar System including the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud. Students compare Earth and space rocks and how the phases of the Moon are created They make a book mark with original paper from the 1967 Apollo Moon Mission. |
| Math Science Nucleus | Searching the Universe | Fremont | We all look at the stars and wonder "What is up there?" Students make their own star (superball) and compare the stars by the heat they generate. Students go into the Miller Stardome and learn to recognize constellations and learn the myths behind them. |
| Oakland Aviation Museum | Museum Tour - Oakland Aviation Museum | Oakland | Self-guided tour through the museum to see noteworthy aircrafts and engines. Exhibits include Early Oakland Aviation, African-American Aviation, Women Pilots, Air Racing, Aerial Photography and Space. A guide takes students on a "climb aboard" tour through the Flying Boat-- designed to take off and land in the water only. |
| Oakland Museum of California | Self-Guided Tours | Oakland | Create your own experience for students at OMCA. Explore California art, history, and natural sciences in the core galleries and special exhibitions with your students and chaperones. Self-guided school groups have access to all galleries and exhibitions. |
| Pegasus Voyages | Pegasus Project Sailing Voyage | Albany | Classes will experience the magic of Pegasus under sail, with students able to move around the vessel. Time allowing, students will have the opportunity to steer the vessel, along with a tour below decks upon conclusion of the sail. The purpose of these voyages is to provide a marine educational experience that kids will remember for a lifetime! |
| Point Bonita YMCA | Habitats and Ecosystems | Sausalito | Students will explore the Coastal Scrub ecosystem of the Marin Headlands through interactive games and investigations of the local plants and animals. They will explore different habitats and learn about the interdependent relationships and interactions between the living and non-living elements in the ecosystem. |
| Point Bonita YMCA | Introduction to the Marin Headlands | Sausalito | Explore the natural and cultural history of the Marin Headlands on an engaging hike along the trails and batteries near Point Bonita YMCA's campus. Learn about the plants, animals, minerals and people that have inhabited this national park. Depending on Park availability, a tour of the historic Point Bonita Lighthouse can be requested as part of this program. |
| Point Bonita YMCA | The Wonders of Wetlands & Watersheds | Sausalito | Allow your students to truly understand what a watershed is by seeing it firsthand as they hike from the top to the bottom of Point Bonita's very own watershed! At the bottom, students will have the chance to investigate the aquatic macroinvertebrate population of Rodeo Lagoon and continue the trail from the lagoon out to the beach and ocean and seeing the culmination of their watershed adventure. |
| Randall Museum | Water - Grades 3 - 5 | San Francisco | Water is the basis of life on Earth. In this class students will experiment with the unique qualities of water. Flow, surface tension, capillary action, buoyancy are some of the topics that are covered. Students also gain an appreciation of the limited amount of water on Earth and how water cycles through the earth and atmosphere. |
| San Francisco Maritime National Park | Explorers: Sail The Bay on the Historic 1891 San Francisco Bay Gaff-Rigged Scow | San Francisco | Take your class on a voyage into history! The Alma was built here in San Francisco in 1891. She was one of almost 400 workhorse “scow” schooners, plying their trade all over the Bay and Delta region. She is a living link to California’s past. Your students will join the many generations of Californians who have trod her Douglas Fir decks. The Alma, owned by the National Park Service, and her skipper are licensed and certified by the United Sates Coast Guard. The program is taught by our specially trained team of maritime educators. Explorers uses a hands-on, multidisciplinary approach to enable students in small groups to experience how the tools of exploration such as the magnetic compass, and charts, are used. After the hard work of hoisting and trimming the sails they will try to “navigate” the bay. In doing so they will discover the origins of weather and it’s effect on the earth, the physics of sails, and what it was like for the earliest explorers and immigrants to sail the challenging waters of California. Each student will take a “trick at the helm” to steer the ship, under the watchful eyes of the Captain. For inquiries or to apply, visit maritime.org/education, or call (415) 561-6662 ext. 5. |
| San Francisco Maritime National Park | Aquatic Park Environmental Science Program | San Francisco | Students will explore the local watershed of San Francisco Bay and the various sources of pollution in local waterways. Students will understand past and present environmental impacts through lab activities, dockside water chemistry tests, and samples collected in the bay through rowing in our longboat. Hands-on activities include building a watershed model, a water filter, and a microscope station to view their plankton sample compared to prepared slides of various species. Students will end their program by compiling their data from water chemistry tests and discussing current and potential solutions to a changing climate. For inquiries or to apply, visit maritime.org/education, or call (415) 561-6662 ext. 5 This program is written and provided in partnership with Ocean Institute. The AQP Science program meets Ocean Literacy Principals and NGSS standards for the Fifth through Sixth Grade curricula. |
| San Francisco Maritime National Park | Submarine Science School | San Francisco | The Pampanito Science Program is a hands-on experience for upper elementary and middle school students set on a historic WWII submarine. Explore scientific concepts for submarine operation, such as buoyancy, light and sound waves, navigational techniques, and chemical battery creation. Includes a private tour of the submarine where students will be able to gain historical empathy through the stores told. For inquiries or to apply, visit maritime.org/education, or call (415) 561-6662 ext. 5. |
| San Francisco Maritime National Park | USS Pampanito Daytime Tours | San Francisco | Here's your opportunity to get a first-hand look at one of the once-secret naval vessels which helped to win World War II. The USS Pampanito (SS-383), a World War II fleet submarine, provides an excellent field trip experience for classes exploring the history of World War II or for other educational groups seeking an out-of-the-ordinary experience. As one of the last surviving submarines from America's World War II fleet, the USS Pampanito provides a unique opportunity to bring alive the history most students can only read about. (More about the Pampanito.) Using our on-board self-guided audio tour system, your group can walk the decks and tour the interior of an actual submarine while learning about the important role played by the "Silent Service." Your tour will describe the difficult conditions under which the crews of these vessels toiled while you learn about the basic principles of submarine operation. |
| Save The Bay | Bay Discovery | Oakland | This in-person program brings students to the shoreline to gain a deeper understanding of San Francisco Bay and our rich relationship to it. Students also have an opportunity to complete a service learning project exhibiting the positive impact we can have on our environment. Save The Bay’s field staff lead students in grade specific educational activities that explore a range of themes. After learning about threats such as flooding, pollution, and invasive species, participants engage in seasonally dependent activities to restore the shoreline and improve habitat for a healthier, more sustainable San Francisco Bay now and for generations to come. A typical program includes one hour for educational activities and games, and one to two of restoration project time. All of our restoration activities are accompanied by educational and informative games or activities to teach about the importance of wetland habitats to San Francisco Bay. All equipment and instruction is provided; your students should simply be prepared to be outdoors for the day. |
| Stepping Out Stepping In | A.B.C.’s of a Wetland! | Oakland | Pre-Trip to Your Classroom: Your field trip will begin with a virtual presention via Zoom in your classroom. A naturalist will visit your classroom virtually and engage your students with an interactive slide show to prepare your students for thier in-person field trip to Middle Harbor Shoreline Park. Your naturalist will review key concepts and vocabulary such as the non-living (abiotic), living (biotic) and cultural components of the San Francisco Bay and some history of the Port of Oakland. Your students will be excited for their field trip and understand what to expect for thier field tirp and how to stay safe during their field trip. Field Trip to Middle Harbor: Your students will engage directly in science and anthropology by “taking stock” of the shoreline the day of your visit. Students will collect and test water, observe creatures that live in the mud through magiscopes, scout the park for old and new built structures, and practice caring for their environment. This interdisciplinary program explores how the living, non-living, and cultural components of the San Francisco Bay relate to each other in the context of stewardship. |
| The Gardens at Heather Farms | Native Plants, Native People | Walnut Creek | With artifacts, games, stories, and crafts we’ll bring the past alive and discover how the first Californians used native plants. 2 hours |
| The Lawrence | Self-Guided Visit | Berkeley | Take your students to the Lawrence Hall of Science to enjoy the exhibits. Outdoor Nature Lab Animal Explorations Well Played Young Explorers Area Planetarium Hands-on Biotech Forces that Shape the Bay |
| The Tech Interactive | Physics of Rollercoasters | San Jose | Students design their own roller coasters to learn how engineers prototype and build machines. They also explore kinetic and potential energy, friction and Newton's 1st and 2nd Laws of Motion. |
| The Watershed Project | Me & My Watershed: Creekside program, | Richmond | In Me & My Watershed: Creekside program, 3rd-5th grade students will investigate the guiding question, “How am I a part of my watershed?” The lessons in this program will provide students with a foundational understanding of what a watershed is, and how they are connected to their local watershed. Through nature journaling, students will have the chance to explore, observe, and personally reflect on these connections. Students will investigate, monitor, and advocate for the health of local creek ecosystems within our watershed. |
| The Watershed Project | Me and My Watershed: Tap the Sky | Richmond | In the Me and My Watershed: Tap the Sky program, 3-5th grade students investigate the guiding question, “How does capturing rainwater benefit me and my watershed?” Through exploring watershed models, hands-on activities like watershed mapping, seasonal rainfall graphing and student designed rainwater catchment modeling, students will understand their connection to the Bay, see how water is a precious resource and learn ways to be resourceful with water. |
| Tilden Nature Area-Tilden Regional Park | Wet ‘n Wild Watersheds (Year round) | Berkeley | If you live on land, you live in a watershed! Investigate the fascinating tale of how water connects all living things. 1 - 1.5 hours |
| Tilden Nature Area-Tilden Regional Park | Tailored Naturalist Program: Habitats | Berkeley | the Tilden Naturalists can adapt their programs to meet the specific needs of your science unit. Sign up for a fieldtrip via the lottery system and give them a call once you are selected. |
| West Contra Costa Waste Management Authority | On-Site Recycling and Organics/Composting Program | San Pablo | This is a site visit to your school from the Republic Services and RecycleMore teams to view the current program and how to set up a new successful program. RecycleMore suggests including leadership of the school, maintenance staff, any teachers, and students if available. |
| West Contra Costa Waste Management Authority | Field Trips to the Integrated Resource Recovery Facility (IRRF) | San Pablo | This is a tour of the West County Resource Recovery (WCRR) Facility with an interactive presentation by Republic Services Recycling Coordinators. Bus transportation will be provided at no charge by RecycleMore. Available Grades: Field trips available for grades 2 – 12 Duration: Field trips take a total of 2 hours, travel time included The Authority offers a limited number of Recycling Field Trips each semester. The Field Trips include tours of County's own recycling facility and landfill. Students taking the tour get a closer look at a recycling sort line, green waste composting, concrete recycling and much more! Field trips are limited to West County school groups |