Rogers Center offers a wide array of programs for school groups. Our school programs are divided into two categories: Science Outings (the classes come here) and Traveling Naturalist (we come to you). Our programs meet the NGSS and NYS Science Standards by guiding your students into making their own discoveries and observations.
Science Outings:
Any Grade
- Discover Nature Hike – NEW! What’s better than going for a good old-fashioned exploration! Learners lead the way as they focus on discoveries they make while walking along the trails. Our leaders guide them in their investigations with questions and help them develop their observation skills.
- Tracks and Traces Wildlife is all around us, but we often never see it. Luckily, it leaves many clues to its activities, if you know what to look for. Learners investigate scat, chew signs, nests, and holes as they walk around Rogers’ trails.
Preschool-2nd Grade
- Animal Homes & Habitats – NEW Animals all need a place to live. And they all adopt strategies to exploit different niches. Learners discover how animal needs are not much different from their own, and we go outside to find what critters are where.
First Grade and Up
- Aquatic Adventures – REVISED Wetlands are full of life. We take an up-close look at macroinvertebrates, their adaptations, and how they help us understand water quality.
2nd-5th Grade
- Predator Prey Pandemonium – NEW! The roles of predators and prey animals are important to the balance of any ecosystem. During this program, students learn how to identify specific traits of mammalian predators and prey, unpack “kits” to learn if the animal in their kit is a predator or prey, and play games to reinforce some of the concepts discussed.
2nd Grade and Up
- Invertebrate Investigation – REVISED Insects and other invertebrates play important roles in our ecosystems – one might even say that insects run the world! Learners celebrate and explore insect diversity with hands-on activities.
- Nature Journaling – NEW! All science begins with observation. Too often, people believe that keeping a nature journal is about drawing the pretty picture, but it’s more about being accurate in recording one’s observations. Our staff introduce your learners to techniques that help them discover and record many of the wonders around them.
- Outdoor Skills – NEW! Knots, shelter-building, fire-starting, and medicinal plants are some of the skills one can learn to enable one to be outdoors safely for an extended period of time. Learners participating in this program get real hands-on experience with some of these skills, and discover why they are important.
Grades 3 and Up
- Owl, Duck, Sparrow – REVISED Birds come in all shapes and sizes, and these differences in anatomy make them ideal for studying adaptations. Using our collection of feathers, wings, beaks, and feet helps your learners discover how each species fills a particular niche.
Grades 5 and Up
- Finding Your Way – NEW! GPS navigation is second nature to many people, thanks to smartphones and modern car technology. But how does one find one’s way when the batteries die, or if there is no satellite coverage? Learning how to navigate with a compass is great for building many skills, including math and spatial awareness. Learners learn the fundamentals of a compass and how to use it through several hands-on activities.
- Snow Patrol – NEW! If you are looking for a winter field experience for your students, this is it! We spend half the day indoors learning the science of tracking, and the other half of the day learning how to use snowshoes and then going in search of tracks to identify. This is a FULL DAY lesson (3 hours plus lunch).
- Wildlife Ecology – REVISED Basic concepts of wildlife survival are examined, such as population limiting factors, predator-prey relationships, and the balance of nature. Learners play a game to discover first hand just how population levels and predation keep the natural world functional.
Traveling Naturalist
- Mammals of New York State (grades PS-12) From the two-inch long masked shrew to a six-foot long black bear, New York is home to nearly 60 species of mammals. Using furs and skulls, we examine what makes a mammal a mammal, investigate their adaptations, and discuss their habitat requirements.
- In Cold Blood – REVISED (grades PS-12) Cold-blooded vertebrates (reptiles, amphibians, fish) have some amazing characteristics. Experiments, investigations and activities enable learners to understand the physiology of these animals and their places in our ecosystems.
- Plants 101 – REVISED (grades 1-12) Life on Earth depends on plants. They are the base of our food chain and make the oxygen we need to breathe. In this program learners explore photosynthesis, plant adaptations, and plant diversity through a variety of fun activities.
- Watershed Wonders – REVISED (grades 3-12) Experience and learn about the water cycle in a whole new way. Learners become water molecules and travel through various stages of the water cycle. They also create their own models to learn and experience first hand how the landscape affects the flow of water.
Our school brochure answers all your questions, from program details and fee structure to grants and professional development opportunities for teachers.
If you would like more information, you can call (607-674-4733), email (Ellen@friendsofrogers.org) or complete the form below.