Many area teachers look to LAND as a valuable partner in making science curricula come alive through experiential learning and discovery.

Our projects are supplemental to the current science curriculum as set by Montgomery County Public Schools and can be planned to fit with and expand upon existing science curricula, or developed to help bring to life any idea a teacher may have, such as nature walks, plant education, and nature crafts. A writing activity, complementing specific grade-level activities and unit themes is incorporated before, during, or after participation in our program.

Listed below are several examples of units we have developed for local schools:

Goal: To understand that all living things have basic needs for survival.

Activity: Students are led outside for a nature walk. Together, we examine what they find and discuss how each particular organism survives because of its specific body parts and/or the type of environment it needs for survival. Students are asked to use all of their senses while outside to gather data about the surrounding environment. Once back inside, students record what they saw, heard, touched, smelled, and maybe even tasted.

Goal: To understand that earth materials include rocks, sand, and soil.

Sample Activities:
Rock Study
Students are led outside to search the school grounds and collect samples of various rock types. They then sort rocks by common characteristics and experiment to learn which rocks can be crushed, broken, etc. They also try to determine if rocks of similar types were found in the same environment. Later, students write about their favorite rock.

Soil Study
Students are divided into groups and sent to different locations on the school grounds to collect soil. Some are sent to an open field, some to the tree line, others to a garden area, some to an adjacent corn field, etc. Once samples are collected and compared, students write about observed differences due to site environment.

Goal: To understand what plants need to survive and to explore how the environment plays a role in their ability to survive.

Sample Activity: Students spend the day outdoors exploring pollination, seed dispersal, and native trees. Activities include a nature walk, planting seeds, and a craft project. Students are given a list of the alphabet and asked to find plant words to correspond with each letter. They are also given a report card and asked to grade the field trip.

Goal: To understand that living organisms are dependent on their environment, to explore how humans change the environment in positive and negative ways, and to understand the potential effects these changes may have on living organisms.

Sample Activity: Students create a 1’ x 1’ plot to observe organisms living in that area. The plots are located in different environments such as wooded areas, farmed fields, and garden areas to allow for comparison. Students are asked to write a description of what each environment provided that was unique from the other environments.

Goal: To understand that the transfer of solar energy is influenced by the properties of materials and to explore the relationship of the earth’s rotation and the sun.

Sample Activity: Students are led outside in the sun to explore shadows and examine heat transfer. They are asked to predict if their shadow will be smaller or larger than themselves when in various locations and to find objects that have been warmed by the sun, cooled by the shade, able to reflect sunlight, two shadows touching, etc. They are asked to write about their observations and what they know to be true about the sun and shadows based on this outdoor activity.