Lessons and Standards

Students learn the importance of wetland ecosystems and explore how living things utilize the wetlands as a habitat.

During the classroom day, students are introduced to the wetland ecosystem and the organisms that live there by building a classroom wetland and populating it with native plants and animals. Students build belief that they are unique individuals who belong to a community of scientists by learning what scientists do and creating an action that represents them as an individual scientist.

During the Exploration Day at Living Coast Discovery Center, students build belief that they can recognize and do science, as they explore a real wetland and use scientific tools to investigate how birds, underwater animals, and insects use the wetlands as a habitat.

During the Make a Difference Day at the Living Lab, students discover and explore wetlands located within their community. Students experience being a Wetland Biologist by using their imagination and dressing up to explore the local canyon and by collecting and studying microorganisms that live in pond water. Students share the importance of wetlands with their community by painting a stone and placing it along a trail in the canyon to communicate the importance of the ecosystem and their love of the wetlands. Students meet and talk with science leaders who share their career pathways, challenges, and obstacles they have faced along the way. Collectively, these experiences build students’ belief that science is important and relevant, that a career in science is a possibility for them, and that they can make a difference in the world.

Throughout the program, students love becoming wetland biologists, exploring the outdoors, using scientific tools, getting to know real science leaders, and making a difference in the world!

NGSS Alignment: 

Performance Expectation 2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

  • DCI LS4.D Biodiversity and Humans: There are many different kinds of living things in any area, and they exist in different places on land and in water. 
  • DCI ETS1.B Developing Possible Solutions: Designs can be conveyed through sketches, drawings, or physical models. These representations are useful in communicating ideas for a problem’s solutions to other people.

Cross-Cutting Concept: 

Systems and systems models – students understand that a system is a group of related parts that make up a whole and car carry out functions its individual parts cannot. They can also describe a system in terms of its components and their interactions.

Classroom Media:
2nd Grade Community Building PowerPoint
Wetland Video

Schedules

Additional Resources