The following guide provides a full listing of Kindergarten-2nd grade education programs provided to schools and institutions. Many of the descriptions note which New York State Standards are addressed in the program. All of our top quality programs can be customized for presentation at your location unless otherwise indicated. For K-2nd grade programs, this includes student clubs, large groups, assemblies, and scout troops.
KINDERGARTEN-2nd GRADE
Animal Adventures * – Year-round
Your students will have the opportunity to interact with some of our furry, feathered, bristled and scaly residents. Class emphasizes respect for each animal’s biological needs and can be tailored to complement your curriculum with the inclusion of mammals, nocturnal animals, reptiles, amphibians and others. Also offered as an outreach program – Meet the Animals.
NYS Standards: Standard 1- 1.1, Standard 4- 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2,3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1
NEW – Wildlife Conservation – Year-round
Our world is facing many environmental issues that are taking a toll on biodiversity. In this program, students will learn about a variety of conservation issues and how wildlife around the world are affected by the resulting environmental changes. Topics covered include habitat loss, invasive species, poaching, and pollution among others. Students will also be introduced to animals at the Nature Center that represent each covered topic. Offered at the Nature Center only.
Animal Adaptations – Year-round
Animals possess a variety of instinctual behaviors that help them survive in their environments. Through classroom discussions and an outdoor hike, students will investigate how local wildlife uses physical and behavioral adaptations such as camouflage and hibernation to survive in the natural world. We will also talk about the challenges our local species encounter through loss of habitat and climate change. Also available as an outreach program-Meet The Animals.
NYS Standards: Standard 4: The Living Environment- 3.1a, 3.1b, 3.1c, 3.2a, 3.2b, 5.1a, 5.1b, 5.1d, 5.1e, 5.1f, 5.1g, 6.1a, 6.1b, 6.1c, 7.1a, 7.1b, 7.1c, 7.1e, 7.2c, 7.2d
A Plant’s Life * – April through October
Welcome to the fascinating world of plants! This program introduces students to plant identification through discussion of stems, roots and petals. Children will learn about life cycles and adaptations of plants and their importance in our ecosystem. They’ll be introduced to in- door crop growing at our hydroponics table and students will prepare their very own take- home plantings. Offered at the Nature Center only.
NYS Standards: Standard 1- 1.1; Standard 4 Physical – 1.1, 2.1 Standard 4 Living Environment- 1.1. 1.2. 2.2. 3.1. 4.1. 5.1. 5.2. 6.1
Recycling: Where Does All the Garbage Go? * – Year-round
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Conserving our natural resources is the ultimate goal of the 3R concept. This program empowers children to take small steps that can have a big collective impact on our environment, our economy and our wildlife. Students will play Trash Mountain, a sorting game that demonstrates how much and what kinds of waste we generate, and focuses on opportunities for reusing or recycling. In addition, students will learn how our community currently disposes of waste and will consider how humans can make better choices to fit into nature’s system of interconnected cycles. Also offered at your location, this program can be adapted to address the particular recycling and composting opportunities in your school or organization. Also offered as an outreach program.
Apple Cidering * – September through November
New York is the second largest producer of apples in the country, providing us with locally grown apples that offer the best flavor and highest nutrition. In this mouth-watering program, children will use an old-fashioned screw press to make apple cider. Students will learn about the colonial experience of cider making and get a taste of fresh, tangy apple cider. Learn why “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Each group must bring 2-3 apples per child. Offered at the Nature Center only.
Aquatic Adventure * – April through June
The adventure begins with a hike through our forest to Wood Frog Pond, a vernal pond teeming with life. Students will observe the diversity of an freshwater aquatic habitat, examine the relationships between the countless creatures in the wetland food-web, and take a close look at some of the pond critters that may inhabit the students’ own neighborhoods or local wild areas. Offered at the Nature Center only.
NYS Standards: Standard 1- 1.1; Standard 4 Physical – 1.1, 2.1; Standard 4 Living Environment- 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1
Bees – April through October
The Greenburgh Nature Center is home to hundreds of thousands of bees! Students will get a chance to buzz around our property and get an up close look at some of our six legged residents. The hour will include hands on experience with real pollen, wax comb, and an empty hive, as well as a taste testing of fresh honey, all donated by the generosity of our honeybees. Students will also take part in activities designed to teach about the importance of bees in pollination and the job functions within a hive. Also offered as an outreach program.
Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands – Year-round
In this immersive program, students will experience a day in the life of Northeast Woodlands Native Americans who inhabited our land 6000 years ago. Visiting our full-scale replica longhouse, wigwam, and canoe, students’ imaginations will soar as they learn how indigenous peoples met their needs for food, shelter, medicine, family and community. And they will feel a connection to Native American families by playing with actual Lenape toys and working with replicated tools and artifacts. Offered at the Nature Center only.
NYS Standards: NYS Science Standard: 1, 4, 5; NYS Social Studies Standard: 1, 2, 3
Native American Tools & Toys – Year-round
Experimenting with replicated artifacts including stone axes, arrowheads, and mortar and pestle, students will be fascinated by some of the ways in which Native Americans living in the Westchester area provided for themselves. And students will try their hand at some of the toys Native American children used for play as well as to practice skills critical to their survival. Also available as an outreach program.
NYS Standards: NYS Science Standard: 1, 4, 5; NYS Social Studies Standard: 1, 2, 3
A Bug’s Life * – May through October
Join us on this invertebrate safari and compare the life cycles of insects to our own bodies. Learn how humans depend on insects and discover the many adaptations insects utilize for survival. Meet some of our live insects and then venture outdoors through varied landscapes to observe them in their natural habitat. Offered at the Nature Center only.
NYS Standards: Standard 1- 1.1; Standard 4 Physical- 2.1; Standard 4 Living Environment- 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1,3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1
Winter Bird Buddies * – December through March
Viewing a variety of birds from our live animal museum, students are introduced to the basics of avian anatomy. They learn how to identify some of our common winter residents, why some birds migrate and how others adapt to winter life. Children make a pinecone feeder that they can hang outdoors to attract winged visitors. (No peanuts are used.) Offered at the Nature Center only.
NYS Standards: Standard 1- 1.1; Standard 4 Physical – 1.1; Standard 4 Living Environment- 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1
Maple Sugaring * – February through March
Students will travel back in time to discover the history of maple sugaring with several stops along the way. Native American, colonial, and some modern-day techniques are demonstrated at our outdoor sugaring sites. Students can challenge their taste buds as they try to determine the difference between corn syrup and the “real deal” -100% maple syrup. Offered at the Nature Center only.
NYS Standards: Standard 1- 1.1; Standard 4 Physical- 1.1, 2.1, 3.2; Standard 4 Living Environment- 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.2, 6.2, 7.1
