Bobcat Ridge Natural Area
Pre-Field Trip Lessons
Objective
Provide teachers and parents with lessons and activities they can use with 5th grade students prior
to their field trip to Bobcat Ridge Natural Area. These activities will give students a base of
knowledge to draw upon while at the natural area and connect their classroom learning to their
experiences in the field.
Field Trips
Each field trip lesson will vary depending on instructor and what they choose to focus on. They
will use at least one activity from the Field Trip Activity Guide (available on our website) and
each student will receive a Field Trip Activity Guide which they are able to take back to the
classroom to continue working on.
While the field trip lessons are variable, there are some staples of the Bobcat Ridge
experience that you can work on with your students ahead of time to help them get as much out
of the field trip as possible. These topics are summarized below.
Lessons and Activities
In order to make this lesson/activity guide easier for teachers/parents to use, the
lessons/activities have been organized into sections. (Note: because everything is interconnected,
various activities in each section could be used in other sections. The activities may just need to
be adjusted to meet the needs of the subject.) Summaries have been provided for each
lesson/activity so that teachers can easily choose the activity needed to fit into their lesson plans.
Current Colorado state education standards have also been included.
Wildlife:
Title: Tracks!
Grade Level: 5-8
Concepts: track identification
Materials: casting plaster, containers for mixing, spray shellac or plastic, petroleum jelly, milk
cartons or plastic 2-liter soda bottles, cardboard, knives, sandpaper, black ink or paint,
OPTIONAL: loops of wire
State Standards: 5th grade Science 2.1, 5th grade Visual Arts 3.3,
Summary: Discuss the various signs of wildlife that can be found in nature and used to learn
about wildlife (scat, tracks, burrows, etc). Students will go outside to look for tracks and make
plaster casts of animal tracks.
Reference: Appendix A,1
Source: Project WILD p.30
Title: Wildlife is Everywhere!
Grade Level: K-4
Concepts: shared habitat space, definition of wildlife, respect for wildlife
Materials: NA
State Standards: 4th grade Science 2.3, 5th grade Reading, Writing and Communication 1.1 and
1.2
Summary: Discuss wildlife and what types of animals fit into its definition. Students will
explore both indoors and outdoors for evidence of wildlife. NOTE- To make this activity more
advanced, students may be asked to identify the wildlife they encounter. This activity can also be
combined with “Drawing on Nature” in the Observation skills/sensory awareness section.
Reference: Appendix A,2
Source: Project WILD p.51
Trees/Forests
Title: Rainfall and the Forest
Grade Level: 5-8
Concepts: interconnectedness of physical environment and the plants and animals in an
ecosystem, rainfall measurement
Materials: state highway map (one for each group of 2-3 students), one sheet of tracing paper
the same size as the map (usually 19”x24” or 17”x22”), four different colored pens or pencils per
team, information including elevation and rainfall annually for 25-30 communities within the
state, vegetation map of the state (one for each group of 2-3 students), OPTIONAL: range maps
of selected wildlife species in the state
State Standards: 5th grade Social Studies 2.1, 5th grade Mathematics 3.1
Summary: Students will use rainfall data from 25-30 communities around the state and
vegetative maps of the state to observe and correlate variations in rainfall and ecosystem type.
NOTE- Can include field trip(s) to a variety of ecosystems nearby (even on school grounds!) to
observe differences in vegetation with proximity to bodies of water.
Reference: Appendix B,1
Source: Project WILD p.73
Interconnectedness
Title: Eco Enrichers
Grade Level: 5-8
Concepts: composition of soil and plant and animal contributions to soil, wildlife contributions
to ecosystem diversity and balance
Materials: 3 cubic feet of soil (from one source), earthworms, organic material (kitchen scraps
and yard debris)
State Standards: 5th grade Science 2.1, 6th grade Science 2.2
Summary: Students will run soil tests to determine quality of soil samples. The soil will be
divided into 3 samples (control, soil + organic matter and soil + organic matter + worms). These
samples will be watered and observed for 3 weeks, after which time the same soil tests will be
run to determine soil quality. You can also plant seeds in each container to determine the nutrient
capacity of each sample.
Reference: Appendix C,1
Source: Project WILD p.102
Title: Habitrekking
Grade Level: 3-4
Concepts: humans and wildlife have similar basic needs, have overlapping habitats and are
subject to the same habitat changes and environmental forces
Materials: copies of Habitrekking Evidence Lists (in Appendix C2), mixed media available for
students to create visual and verbal reports
State Standards: 6th grade Science 2.1, Reading, Writing and Communicating 1.1, 1.2, and 4.1
Summary: Students will divide into three groups, each focused on finding evidence of an aspect
of human relationship with the environment and wildlife. Students will use observational tools
and media to find evidence that supports their mission. They will go out into a natural area to
look for evidence and present their findings to the class.
Reference: Appendix C,2
Source: Project WILD p.79
Title: People of the Forest
Grade Level: 5-8
Concepts: human-environment interactions
Materials: copies of student pages, art supplies, research materials
State Standards: 5th grade Social Studies 2.2, 5th grade Reading Writing and Communicating
2.1, 2.2 and 4.1
Summary: Students will research forest dwelling peoples and present their findings on their
culture. Students will research the way the lives of these peoples has changed over time. NoteThis activity can be altered to focus on native peoples of your specific region.
Reference: C,3
Source: Project Learning Tree p.82
Observation Skills/ Sensory Awareness
Title: Drawing on Nature
Grade Level: 5-8
Concepts: observation of wildlife and attention to detail
Materials: drawing materials
State Standards: 5th grade Visual Arts 1.2, 5th grade Science 1.2
Summary: Discuss the importance of art and drawings in science-they provide visual detail to
help convey information. Students will spend time outside observing and drawing wildlife.
Reference: D,1
Source: Project WILD p.285
Title: Too Close for Comfort
Grade Level: K-4
Concepts: consequences of crowding for both humans and wildlife, identification and ways to
reduce negative consequences of crowding for wildlife
Materials: None
State Standards: NA
Summary: Students will discuss and experiment with physical distance and comfort level with
each other. Students discuss why animals might feel crowded by humans and the behaviors they
might use to show they are uncomfortable. Extension-Students can be taken outside to observe
the way wildlife responds as they approach (i.e. birds flying from tree to tree, squirrels climbing
up a tree).
Reference: D,2
Source: Project WILD p.300
Appendix A
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Appendix B
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Appendix C
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Appendix D
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