Kindergarten Programs
Kindergarten Programs
The Lilly Center’s K-12 programs aspire to a high goal: develop water literacy in the children who will eventually lead our community. Students who engage with one or several of our programs leave with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for local water resources, as well as practical ways to care for them on their own.
Outdoor Field Trip Lessons
Join us for a hike! Outdoor programs start at the Lilly Center and include hikes to the outdoor classroom and along the wetland trails. Students will experience nature up close as they learn about caring for our local water resources. We host outdoor programming from August to October, and March into May. Students should dress for the weather and wear closed-toed shoes.
Essential Question: How can we use our senses to explore a wetland environment?
Description: This hike introduces kindergarteners to an important Kosciusko County ecosystem: wetlands! After learning about the five main senses that can be used in making observations and exploring the world around us and reading a book, students go on a hike to an on-site wetland and discover that wetland serve as essential habitats for wildlife including turtles, frogs, insects, and waterfowl like Blue Herons!
Standards:
K-LS1-1: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.
SEP.4: Use observations to describe patterns in the natural world to answer scientific questions.
K-ESS3-3: Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
Indoor Field Trip Lessons
Our most popular learning experience! Students rotate through all of the following stations during their 2-hour visit to the Lilly Center. They will interact with live animals, the Virtual Aquarium and the Augmented Reality Sand Tables while learning about local water quality impacts.
Essential Questions: What is a habitat? What makes a lake a good habitat for plants and animals?
Description: Have you ever felt fish eggs before?! This multi-sensory station allows students to explore components of a lake habitat through a fun team-work activity in which students use their sense of touch to identify six items commonly found in Northern Indiana’s lakes.
Standards:
K-ESS3-1: Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live.
K-ESS3-3: Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
Essential Questions: How do fish use their body parts to live in a lake? What is each body part used for?
Description: In this lesson, Kindergarteners will discover the four most important features of our fish before creating their own fish feature art work pieces to take home and share with friends and family.
Standards:
K-LS1-1: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.
K.AM.1: Apply modeling to represent physical or conceptual objects.
Essential Questions: How are turtles able to survive in a lake habitat? How are crayfish able to survive in a lake and stream habitat?
Description: Don those lab coats, scientists! At this station students will discover how scientists ask questions and make observations as they explore two shelled-creatures that call our beloved lakes home.
Standards:
K.CC.3: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally.
K.AM.3: Describe that systems have parts that work together to accomplish a goal (e.g., life cycles).
Ready to book a field trip?
Reach out to Marc Andrews, Assistant Director of Education: andrewmw@grace.edu