Science and Nature-based School Programs
The Kansas Wetlands Education Center offers several science- and naturebased school programs as field trips or outreach in your school classroom of facility.
Partnerships between your classroom and the KWEC can also be created to initiate
ongoing programs in your classroom where a KWEC educator will work with your
school or class on a weekly/monthly basis.
Programs are designed to run approximately 45 minutes to one hour,
depending on student age and class needs. Programs combining trips to the Bottoms
and/or hikes with classroom time may run longer than one hour. Programs feature
live animals and plants where possible and/or hands on materials and activities.
Programs are provided free of charge if scheduled at least two weeks in
advance. A small mileage fee may be charged for schools located over 75 miles away
from KWEC.
The preferred maximum number for each class is 30 students, but we may
accommodate larger groups by rotating students among several
programs/activities. For hikes, 25 students or less is preferred.
At the end of each program description is a list of Kansas state science
standards met for each age group. Some programs are created with a certain age
group in mind, but programs can be adjusted to the specific age group of your
students. Please refer to the science standards for age appropriateness.
Please contact us if you do not see a program topic that you are interested in.
Modifications can be made to existing programs or new programs can be created to
meet your curriculum needs.
To schedule a program, or for more information, please call KWEC toll free at
1-877-243-9268, Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and ask for Eric Giesing,
or email at [email protected]. Please try and call us at least two weeks before your
desired program date.
Adaptations and Mutations: Friends or Foes?
Students will be introduced to specializations, adaptations, and mutations of plants
and animals to wetlands. Students will gain an understanding of biological evolution
through examples and mechanisms of natural selection and adaptation. Two lessons
are available: one focusing on wetland adaptations, and another focusing on
adaptations/natural selection on a broader scale.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 -3.2.3, 3.3.1-2, 3.5.1-3; Grades 8-12 – 3.3.1-6, 3.4.34, 3.6.3, 3.7.1
Archeology: Digging Up the History of Cheyenne Bottoms
Students will learn about civilizations, people, and animals that have shaped
Cheyenne Bottoms into what it is today. Students will create and uncover artifacts
from the different cultures and re-assemble them to learn about the rich and
interesting natural history of the largest inland wetland in the United States.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7- 5.2.3, 6.2.1, 7.1.1, 7.2.1; Grades 8-12 – 3.4.5,
5.1.2-3, 7.1.3-4
Aquatic Species Abundance and Stream Quality
Students will create hypotheses and predictions about the impact of humans on
aquatic species abundance and will then get the chance to seine for fish and aquatic
invertebrates in Cheyenne Bottoms. Students will learn about indicator species,
stream tolerance, and a will get a first hand look at the actual impact humans have
on wetland environments and the species that rely on them. Students will get wet
during this lesson.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 1.1.1-4, 1.3.1, 3.4.1, 3.5.3, 6.2.1, 6.3.1; Grades 812- 1.1.1-4, 3.4.4-5, 3.6.3, 7.2.2-4
Carrying Capacity- How Much Can You Hold?
Students will learn about different aspects of population growth, including
population density, density-dependent and independent factors, carrying capacity
and limiting factors. Students will participate in a hands-on game using math and
inquiry skills to solve how many coyotes a local habitat can sustain.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 3.3.1-2, 3.4.1-2, 3.5.2-3; Grades 8-12 – 1.1.3,
3.3.2, 3.4.3-5, 3.6.3, 6.2.1-3, 6.3.2
The Case of the Hungry Owl
Students will solve the mystery of what local barn owls from Cheyenne Bottoms
have been hunting and eating. Students will learn about barn owls, dissect owl
pellets, and use inquiry skills to discover what organisms the owls have been eating.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 -3.3.1-2, 3.4.1; Grades 8-12 – 3.4.2, 3.4.4, 3.51
Environmental Change and Acidification: My How You Have Changed!
Students will conduct an experiment using brine shrimp and Daphnia to investigate
how organisms adapt to environmental change, especially acidification. Students
will observe and describe how different organisms are affected by habitat changes
and how they respond and adjust differently to the changes. Note: need at least oneweek notice to cultivate the living organisms required for this experiment.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 1.1.1-4, 1.2.1-2, 1.3.1, 3.3.1-2, 3.4.1, 3.5.2-3, 4.1.1,
6.2.1, 6.3.1-2; Grades 8-12 – 1.1.1-5, 3.3.2, 3.4.4-5, 3.5.1, 3.6.1, 3.6.3, 3.7.1-2, 4.1.1, 6.1.1,
6.3.1, 6.4.1-2, 7.2.2-4
Exploring Nutrient Loading and Aquatic Systems
Students will learn about nutrient loading and oligotrophic and eutrophic aquatic
systems. Students will use inquiry skills to form hypotheses and predictions, create
seven different experimental aquatic habitats, and record qualitative and
quantitative data as they proceed through the experiment. Note: This is an on-going
experiment that requires follow up by the teacher or by the KWEC staff.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 1.1.1-4, 1.2.2, 1.3.1-2, 3.3.1-2, 3.4.1, 3.5.1, 4.1.1-2,
6.2.1, 6.3.1; Grades 8-12 – 1.1.1-5, 3.4.4-5, 3.5.1, 3.5.4, 3.7.2, 4.1.1, 6.1.1, 6.4.2, 7.2.2-4
Food Chains….Who’s Eating Who?
Students will experience a food chain like never before, as live examples of
producers, consumers, detritivores and scavengers are displayed before their eyes.
Students will be given the opportunity to participate in an interactive food web
activity and will learn about the three types of ecological pyramids: energy, biomass,
and pyramid of numbers. Students will also perform a critical thinking group
exercise to finish up the lesson. Nature hike could be included as well.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 3.3.2, 3.4.2-3, 7.1.1; Grades 8-12 – 3.4.2, 3.5.1-4
Grasses Are Everywhere: The Rhyme and Rap of the Plant World
Students will be introduced to the world of plants and will learn the differences
between grasses, forbs, and woody plants. Students will then participate in a nature
hike where they will learn common plants of Cheyenne Bottoms and Kansas and
collect examples of grasses, forbs, and woody plants. Students will finish off the
lesson by creating a rap or rhyme to describe the characteristics of examples of each
of the three types of plants they collected.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 3.3.2, 3.4.1, 3.4.3, 3.5.1-2; Grades 8-12 – 3.1.4,
3.5.1-2, 3.7.1, 3.7.3, 3.7.5
Habitat/Seasonal Hike
Students will compare and contrast marsh, wooded, and wetland habitats and learn
to identify the animals and plants that live in each. Students will also learn about
food chains, seasonal changes, and the differences between habitats, environments,
and ecosystems. An animal tracks lesson can also be incorporated upon request.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 3.3.1-2, 3.4.1-3, 3.5.1; Grades 8-12 – 3.4.2-5,
3.5.1-2, 3.6.1-3, 3.7.1
Importance of Wetlands- It’s All In How You Look At It
Students will learn the vast importance of wetlands and will use problem-solving
skills to come up with creative solutions to save a local wetland. Students will also
have the opportunity to participate in a small debate where they present their
reasons to preserve wetlands to the rest of the class.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 1.1.1, 1.1.4, 1.2.1, 5.1.1, 5.2.1-2, 6.2.1,6.3.1-2,
7.1.1; Grades 8-12 – 1.1.1, 1.1.3-5, 3.4.5, 5.1.1-2, 6.2.3, 6.3.1-2
Niche, Succession and Symbiosis Aren’t Related...Are They? An Ecological
Terms Scavenger Hunt
Students will learn about how primary and secondary succession, niches, the
competitive exclusion principle, and symbiotic relationships are all related and
depend on each other. Students will learn about symbiotic relationships of local
organisms and will partake in an ecological terms photo scavenger hunt where they
will find and act out various ecological terms in groups. Students will also
participate in a hands-on symbiotic relationships game.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 1.2.1, 3.3.1, 3.4.1-3, 6.2.1, 6.3.1; Grades 8-12 –
3.3.2, 3.4.4-5, 3.6.1, 5.1.2
Oil Spill……Nice going slick!
Students will learn about the importance of protecting natural environments and
will participate in an oil spill activity. Students will work in small groups and using
inquiry skills, plan and carry out an oil spill recovery plan. Meets science standards:
Grades 5-7 – 1.1.1-4, 1.2.1, 3.3.1, 6.2.1, 6.3.1-2; Grades 8-12 – 1.1.1-4, 3.4.5, 3.6.1, 3.7.2,
5.1.2, 6.4.2, 6.5.1
Pollution…what’s the big deal?
Students will touch upon the water cycle and sources of fresh water, all the while
learning about water related issues humans have caused and the steps biologists are
taking to correct them. Students will learn about point and non-point pollution
through hands on activities and will use water chemistry kits to compare local
drinking water samples with water from Cheyenne Bottoms. Students will also learn
about water footprints and the future of water.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 4.1.1-2, 4.2.1, 6.2.1, 6.3.1-2; Grades 8-12 – 3.4.5,
4.1.1, 4.1.4, 6.1.1, 6.3.1-2, 6.4.2
The Scientific Method….It Keeps Growing and Growing
Students will learn about the importance of hypotheses, predictions and several
other important parts of the scientific method. Students will then use inquiry skills
to create and carry out an on-going project dealing with real life grassland
management techniques. Students will create mini grassland habitats and will
manage them in the classroom.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 - 1.1.1-4, 1.2.2, 1.3.1-2, 6.2.1; Grades 8-12 –1.1.1-5,
3.4.5, 5.1.2, 6.3.1, 6.4.2, 7.2.2-4
Small Mammal Abundance Experiment
Students will use science inquiry skills to determine the abundance and importance
of small mammals and arthropods in varying habitats. Students will trap small
mammals, catch arthropods, and conduct vegetation sampling. Can be condensed
into one class period or can become an ongoing class experiment.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 1.1.1-4, 1.2.2, 1.3.1, 3.3.1-2, 3.4.1-3; Grades 8-12
– 1.1.1-3, 3.4.2-5, 3.6.1, 3.6.3, 7.2.2-4
Wetland Field Trip: Abiotic and Biotic Factors
Students will take a field trip to Cheyenne Bottoms where they will learn human
impacts on the wetlands, shoreline characteristics, water velocity, relative
abundance of plants and animals, and many other interesting and exciting parts of
Cheyenne Bottoms. Students will also learn the importance of asking scientific
questions, how to collect data, and the differences between qualitative and
quantitative data.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 1.2.2, 3.4.1, 3.4.3, 6.2.1, 6.3.1; Grades 8-12 –
1.1.1, 1.1.3, 2B.1.1, 3.4.2, 3.4.5
Who Am I? The World of Classification
Students will be introduced to the Linnaean classification system, taxonomic levels
and relationships of organisms based on their scientific classification. Students will
use dichotomous keys throughout the lesson and will create their own key as well.
Cladograms and phylogeny can also be incorporated into the lesson.
Meets science standards: Grades 5-7 – 1.2.1, 3.5.1, 7.1.1; Grades 8-12 – 1.1.1, 1.1.4-5,
3.3.1, 3.3.4, 3.3.6, 3.7.1, 3.7.5, 5.1.2