Outdoor Education Curriculum Summary
It is the goal of Alliance Redwoods to provide students with a positive and interdisciplinary educational
experience through interactions with each other and the outside world. Below is a summary of the different
courses offered and their associated standards.
Course Description
Arrival and Departure Activities
These classes are designed for either the Arrival Day or Departure Day. The length of time allotted for each
class is dependent upon the time the school arrives at either Alliance Redwoods or the fieldtrip location.
Armstrong Woods
Description: Located 10 miles from Alliance Redwoods, Armstrong Woods has become a popular site for
people to walk among some of the tallest and oldest redwoods in this part of California. The
students will explore the ecosystem of this old growth redwood grove and learn many different
aspects of redwood ecology, the difference between Armstrong woods and Alliance Redwoods,
and have a chance to visit Col. Armstrong and Parson Jones the two oldest and tallest trees in
Armstrong Woods.
Objective: The student will explore the natural redwood grove at Armstrong Woods and learn basic redwood
ecology and the difference between Armstrong Woods and Alliance Redwoods.
Goat Rock
Description: Near the mouth of the Russian River, Goat Rock is one of the most popular beaches in Sonoma
County and the location for the final scene of The Goonies. For this field trip, students will have
an opportunity to explore the beach in search of different birds (Pelicans, Scoters, Gulls, etc) and
marine mammals (Seals, Sea Lions, etc) while learning about beach formation, tides, and the
relationship between the Russian River and Pacific Ocean.
Objective: The students will explore the beach for harbor seals and other marine animals and what
characteristics make these animals similar and different.
Salmon Creek
Description: For many students the Ocean is a vast body of water they only experience in books or on the TV.
Bordered by tall cliffs with scattered drift wood and kelp, Salmon Creek is a large sandy beach
that provides students with an opportunity to have fun playing games on the beach and learning
about beach formation, tides, and the relationship between freshwater and saltwater.
Objective: The students will experience and explore the beach and have some fun.
Tidepooling
Description: For many, the beach is seen as being void of life and is simply a place to play and lay in the sand.
During low tides areas with exposed rock become sites of wonder and exploration. Tidepooling
is the act of exploring rocky pools that are exposed only during low tide. During this field trip,
the students will be lead to a popular tidepooling location where they will search the rocky habitat
for crabs, jelly’s, sea stars, sea anemones, and other signs of life.
Objective: The students will explore the unique tidal ecosystem, hypothesize and discuss why tides occur,
and learn how tides continually shape this ecosystem.
Stewardship Rotations
Description: Stewardship is the idea of responsible planning and management of resources for an extended
period of time. The idea of stewardship is caring for shared resources, such as trees, water, and
oil, with a mind towards the future. In this class, students will learn about the various ideas of
Environmental Stewardship and how they can, through simple acts, come to care for and protect
the world around them now and into the future.
Objective: The students will identify basic principles of environmental stewardship through fun and
interactive games.
Outdoor Education Curriculum Summary
Regular Rotations
Description: Whether it is at the beginning or end of the week, Regular Rotations is a collection of fun and
interactive games facilitated by our naturalists allowing the students to escape their shell and let
lose. Our games range from simple sports activities for those students with excessive energy to
creative or imaginative games for those with minds that tend to drift into another world.
Objective: The students will run, hop, and skip about as they release energy in a low stress environment and
bond with one another through light hearted fun.
Day Classes
These classes last two-an- a-half hours and occur on various locations at Alliance Redwoods, rain or shine.
Forest Ecology
Description: Once ignored by scientists for its lack of diversity and loved by foresters for its extensive lumber,
the Redwood ecosystem, home to the world’s tallest trees, has been found to contain an extensive
and complex assortment of plants and animals. In this class students will have an opportunity to
learn how to identify and recognize the different plants found at Alliance Redwoods and how
ecological processes shape the forest.
Objectives (The Student Will):
- TSW explore the redwood ecosystem through activities and lessons
- TSW note the characteristics of and identify plants in a redwood forest
- TSW participate in discussions about the unique attributes of redwood trees
- TSW be introduced to and ask questions about the processes that shape forests
Healthy Forest
Description: A healthy forest is defined by its adaptability, diversity, and resources. In this class, the students
will learn about the factors that set the redwood forest apart and how identifying the different
elements of a healthy forest aid the students in visualizing the changes in a seemingly unchanging
forest.
Objectives (The Student Will):
- TSW learn the lifecycle of trees through playacting and discussion
- TSW discuss the meaning of diversity in a forest and apply that discussion to our redwood forest
- TSW discuss and experience through activities how forests change over time
- TSW define what resources are found in a forest
Forest Friends
Description: Deer, Stellar’s Jays, Banana Slugs, snakes, and spiders are forest friends and play a crucial role in
the flow of energy and nutrients within their ecosystem. In this class, the students will explore
Alliance Redwoods for the presence of wildlife and learn, through activity and discussion, how
these animals interact and obtain energy.
Objectives (The Student Will):
- TSW participate in discussions about the different animals in the forest
- TSW hypothesize and or play an active role in explaining the different ways animals interact
(predator/prey, etc)
- TSW participate in a discussion/activity about where animals obtain their energy (food, sunlight, etc)
- TSW explore Alliance Redwoods for the presence of wildlife
Outdoor Education Curriculum Summary
Pond and Stream
Description: Aquatic ecosystems are home to a diverse array of invertebrates, fish, and amphibians, all of
which are influenced by pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. In this class, we can take two
different approaches to studying the different aquatic ecosystems found at Alliance Redwoods.
The first is an exploration-based approach that teaches students about the water cycle and water
chemistry while collecting and studying different aquatic organisms. The second is a scientific
methods based approach that introduces students to water chemistry, aquatic health, and aquatic
invertebrates while studying the Coho Salmon and what it needs to survive.
Objectives (The Student Will):
- TSW Collect and identify aquatic organisms
- TSW identify and define the various habitats at the pond and the stream.
- TSW understand and be able to explain the various stages in the water cycle.
- TSW understand that the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the
resources available and the abiotic factors, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and substrate.
Geology and Stream
Description: Geology and Stream is an earth science based class with two key subject areas. The first, is a
study of geology and how the theory of plate tectonics can aid us in understanding what the Earth
is made of and how it is constantly changing. Second, the students will use the scientific method
to develop an understanding of a watershed, how they are formed, and how water shapes the
landscape.
Objectives (The Student Will):
- TSW discuss and use the scientific method to study the stream formation and watersheds
- TSW discuss and answer questions about the shaping of the earth through plate tectonics and erosion
- TSW discuss what a watershed is and participate in a hands on activity explaining it
- TSW explain ways that water shapes the landscape
Initiatives
Description: Initiatives is a class that seeks to develop team work through various challenges presented to the
group by the facilitator. It is up to the group to problem solve each challenge while learning to
think outside the box, communicate, and trust one another.
Objectives (The Student Will):
- TSW describe what skills are needed for teamwork and living in a community.
- TSW analyze how cooperation, observation, communication, etc will assist in life issues.
- TSW investigate how to make decisions as a collective group.
- TSW work collaboratively towards a common goal while learning skills they will need later in life.
Challenge Courses
Climbing Wall/Climbing Tower: Both climbing structures challenge students to make a personal goal and to
strive to attain it and are a lot of fun. (30-45ft)
Vertical Playpen: This course has various vertical challenges for the climbers which include: cargo nets, tires
and several differently placed boards. It is a superb team-building activity. (35ft)
Flying Squirrel/ Zip Line: A 300 foot zip line challenges students to overcome fear and to support their
classmates.
Rope Rocket/ Piñata: This giant swing enables students to work through their fear in a safe environment while
encouraging their classmates. (50ft)
Outdoor Education Curriculum Summary
Night Activities
Night Hike: (Guaranteed) Discovering the forest at night is the main objective of this class. We focus on using
our senses in the activities, games, and stories in this class.
Habitat Clue: (Additional) Predator, Prey and Habitat relationships are focused in our games and activities.
Student creativity, cabin team building and quick thinking are all ingredients of this activity.
Adaptation Transformation: (Additional) The purpose is to teach the kids to think of adaptations in terms of
their function, to strengthen cabin relationships, encourage creativity and teamwork.
Orienteering: (Additional) To teach students how to identify parts of a compass, use a compass to find North,
South, East and West and use the compass to navigate an orienteering course.
California Standards
Arrival and Departure Activities
Listed below are those standards we at Alliance Redwoods strive to cover with our hands-on and active
curriculum in an effort to assist our Teachers before and after their visit to Alliance Redwoods.
Armstrong Woods
Life Science
- Grade 5: Science 2.a—Many multicellular organisms have specialized structures to support the transport
of materials.
- Grade 6: Science 5.c— populations of organisms can be categorized by the functions they serve in an
ecosystem
- Grade 6: Science 5.e—the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the
resources available
- Grade 6: Science 7.h—Identify changes in natural phenomena over time without manipulating the
phenomena (e.g. tree limb, grove of trees, stream, hillside)
Goat Rock
Life Science
- Grade 6: Science 5.c— populations of organisms can be categorized by the functions they serve in an
ecosystem
- Grade 6: Science 7.h—Identify changes in natural phenomena over time without manipulating the
phenomena (e.g. tree limb, grove of trees, stream, hillside)
Shaping Earth’s Surface
- Grade 6: Science 2.c— Students know beaches are dynamic systems in which the sand is supplied by rivers
and moved along the coast by the action of waves.
Salmon Creek
Shaping Earth’s Surface
- Grade 6: Science 2.c— Students know beaches are dynamic systems in which the sand is supplied by rivers
and moved along the coast by the action of waves.
Tidepooling
Life Science
- Grade 6: Science 5.c— populations of organisms can be categorized by the functions they serve in an
ecosystem
- Grade 6: Science 7.h—Identify changes in natural phenomena over time without manipulating the
phenomena (e.g. tree limb, grove of trees, stream, hillside)
Shaping Earth’s Surface
Outdoor Education Curriculum Summary
-
Grade 6: Science 2.c— Students know beaches are dynamic systems in which the sand is supplied by rivers
and moved along the coast by the action of waves.
Stewardship Rotations
Earth Science
- Grade 5: Science 3.d—Students know that the fresh water is limited and that its availability can be
extended by recycling and decreasing the use of water.
Resources
- Grade 6: Science 6.a—Students know utility of energy sources is determined by factors that are involved
in converting these sources to useful forms and the consequences of the conversion process
- Grade 6: Science 6.b—Students know different natural energy and material resources and how to
classify them as renewable and nonrenewable.
- Grade 6: science 6.c—students know that natural origin of the materials used to make common objects.
Health Promotion
- Grade 5: PE 8.1—Encourage others to minimize pollution in the environment.
Speaking Applications
- Grade 6: English 2.5—Deliver presentations on problems and solution: a) theorize the causes and effect
of each problem and establish connections between the defined problem and at least one solution; b)
Offer persuasive evidence to validate the definition of the problem and the proposed solution
Day Classes
Forest Ecology
Life Science:
- Grade 5: Science 2.f—plants use CO2 and energy from sunlight to build sugar and release oxygen
- Grade 5: Science 2.g—plant and animal cells break down sugar to obtain energy…
- Grade 6: Science 5.a— Energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred into chemical energy by
photosynthesis and then from organisms to organisms through food webs.
Investigation and Experimentation
- Grade 5: Science 6.a—Classify objects (plants, leaves) in accordance with appropriate criteria
- Grade 6: Science 7.h—Identify changes in natural phenomena over time without manipulating the
phenomena (e.g. tree limb, grove of trees, stream, hillside)
Healthy Forest
Life Science
- Grade 5: Science 2.a—Many multicellular organisms have specialized structures to support the transport
of materials.
- Grade 5: Science 2.e—Know how sugar, water, and minerals are transported in a vascular plant
- Grade 5: Science 2.f—… plants use CO2 and energy from the sun
- Grade 5: Science 2.g— plant and animal cells break down sugar to obtain energy…
- Grade 6: Science 5.a— energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is transferred by producers … to
organism through food webs
- Grade 6: Science 5.c— populations of organisms can be categorized by the functions they serve in an
ecosystem
- Grade 6: Science 5.e—the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the
resources available
Investigation and Experimentation
- Grade 6: Science 7.b— Select and use appropriate tools and technology to perform tests, collect data,
and display data.
- Grade 6: Science 7.c— Construct appropriate graphs from data and develop qualitative statements about
the relationships between variables.
Outdoor Education Curriculum Summary
-
Grade 6: Science 7.h—Identify changes in natural phenomena over time without manipulating the
phenomena (tree limb, hill side)
Forest Friends
Life Science
- Grade 5: Science 2.g— plant and animal cells break down sugar to obtain energy…
- Grade 6: Science 5.a—energy transfer, b—matter transference, c—categorization of organisms, e—
resources(biotic and abiotic)
Investigation and Experimentation
- Grade 5: Science 6.a—Classify objects (animals) in accordance with appropriate criteria
Pond and Stream
Earth Science
- Grade 5: Science 3.a—Most of Earth’s water is present as salt water in the oceans, which cover most of
Earth’s surface.
- Grade 5: Science 3.b—Properties of water (liquid, gas, solid)
- Grade 5: Science 3.c—Water vapor in the air moves from one place to another…and can fall to Earth as
rain, hail, sleet, or snow.
- Grade 6: Science 5.e—The number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the
resources available and on abiotic factors.
Investigation and Experimentation
- Grade 5: Science 6—a)Classify objects, b) Develop a testable question, f) Select appropriate tools and
make quantitative observations, g) Record data, h) Draw conclusions
- Grade 6: Science 7—a) Develop hypothesis, b)Select appropriate tools to perform tests and collect data,
c) Analyze data and develop qualitative statements about the relationship between variables
Geology and Stream
Earth Science
- Grade 5: Science 3.a—Most of Earth’s water is present as salt water in the oceans, which cover most of
Earth’s surface.
- Grade 6: Science 1.a—Evidence of plate tectonics is derived from the fit of the continent…
- Grade 6: Science 1.b—Earth is composed of several layers
- Grade 6: Science 1.c—Lithospheric plates move at rates of centimeters per year in response to
movements in the mantle
- Grade 6: Science 1.e—Major geologic events result from plate motion.
- Grade 6: Science 2.a—Water running downhill is the dominant process in shaping the landscape,
including California’s landscape.
Investigation and Experimentation
- Grade 5: Science 6—b) Develop a testable question, f) Select appropriate tools and make quantitative
observations, g) Record data, h) Draw conclusions
- Grade 6: Science 7—a) Develop hypothesis, b)Select appropriate tools to perform tests and collect data,
c) Analyze data and develop qualitative statements about the relationship between variables
Initiatives
Speaking Applications
- Grade 6: English 2.5—Deliver presentations on problems and solution: a) theorize the causes and effect
of each problem and establish connections between the defined problem and at least one solution; b)
Offer persuasive evidence to validate the definition of the problem and the proposed solution
Body Movement
- Grade 5: PE 1.1—Perform simple small-group balance stunts by distributing weight and base of support
Social Interaction
- Grade 5: PE 5.5—Contribute ideas and listen to the ideas of others in cooperative problem-solving
activities
Outdoor Education Curriculum Summary
- Grade 5: PE 5.6—Acknowledge orally the contributions and strengths of others
- Grade 6: PE 5.3— Identify and define the role of each participant in a cooperative physical activity
Social Responsibility
- Grade 6: PE 5.1—Participate productively in group physical activities
- Grade 6: PE 5.2— Evaluate individual responsibility in group efforts
Group Dynamics
- Grade 5: PE 5.7—Accommodate individual differences in others’ physical abilities in small-group
activities
- Grade 6: PE 5.4— Identify and agree on a common goal when participating in a cooperative physical
activity
- Grade 6: PE 5.5— Analyze possible solutions to a movement problem in a cooperative physical activity
and come to a consensus on the best solution
Mathematical Reasoning
- Grade 5&6: Math 1.1—Analyze problems by identifying relationships, distinguishing relevant from
irrelevant information, sequencing and prioritizing information, and observing patterns.
- Grade 5: Math 1.2—Determine when and how to break a problem into simpler parts.
- Grade 5&6: Math 2.2—Apply strategies and results from simpler problems to more complex problems
- Grade 5&6: Math 3.1—Evaluate the reasonableness of the solution in the context of the original
situation.
- Grade 5&6: Math 3.3—Develop generalizations of the results obtained and apply them in other
circumstances
- Grade 6: Math 1.3—Determine when and how to break a problem into simpler parts
Other Standards
The CA Standards listed here are those that are, or can be, covered in many of our classes.
Speaking and Listening (Common Core)
- Grade 5: English 1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
b) Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles
c) Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and
elaborate on the remarks of others
d) Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained
from the discussions
Listening and Speaking (CA Standards)
- Grade 5: English 1: Students deliver focused, coherent presentations that convey ideas clearly and relate
to the background and interests of the audience.
Comprehension
1.1—Ask questions that seek information not already discussed
1.2—Interpret a speaker’s verbal and nonverbal messages, purposes, and perspectives
1.3—make Inferences or draw conclusions based on an oral report
- Grade 6: English 1
Comprehension
1.3—Restate and execute multiple-step oral instructions and directions
Outdoor Education Curriculum Summary
Speaking Applications
- Grade 6: English 2: Deliver well-organized formal presentations employing traditional rhetorical
strategies
2.5—Deliver presentations on problems and solutions
a) Theorize on the causes and effects of each problem and establish connections between the defined
problems and at least one solutions
b) Offer persuasive evidence to validate the definition or the problem and the proposed solutions