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Middle School Programs
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Agriculture Then and Now
Standards: 4.4.7
Grades 6-8; 2 hours; $5.75/participant
Available May 15 - October 15
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Explore the vital role of agriculture in all of our lives. Students will
learn how agriculture has changed over the past 200 years by examining
the history of farming on the Myrick Center property. Learn about life
on the farm in the 19th century and become familiar with present day
soil conservation practices. Discover the relationship between
agriculture and technology. Students will take a property walk,
participate in a simple game to demonstrate transfer of energy, and
plant in the garden. Maximum 40 students
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Amazing Adaptations
Standards: 4.6.7/4.7.7
Grades 5-6; 2 hours; $5.50/participant
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Observe a variety of structural and behavioral adaptations of plants and
animals at the Myrick Center. Students will learn about the color of
worms and the beaks of birds through games, then go on a hike to see
examples of how plants and animals adapt to survive.
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Brandywine Watershed Tour
Standards: 4.8.7
Grades 6-8; 4 hours – by special arrangement
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Most residents of the Brandywine Watershed know very little about where
their water comes from, what happens after they have used it, and where
their garbage goes. Students tour a water treatment plant, a sewage
treatment plant, and a landfill to understand traditional resource
management. They also visit sites with alternative conservation
practices such as spray irrigation and a recycling center. The tour is
designed specifically for your students. This is a great program for
students in environmental problems, conservation or community planning
courses. Maximum: 45 students per instructor.
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Bugs in the System; Integrated Pest Management
Standards: 4.5.7
Grades 6-8; 2 hours; $5.75/participant
Available May 15 - October 15
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Explore the Myrick Center community garden to see different ways of
monitoring pest populations and various IPM tactics to deal with these
pests. Students will work in teams to collect and identify garden
insects- which insects are harmful to plants? Which insects help the
garden? Students will play a game to learn how pesticides and other
chemicals bioaccumulate in the food chain. Maximum: 40 students.
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Canoeing Water Quality Program
Standards: 4.1.7/4.3.7/4.6.7/
4.7.7/4.8.7
Grades: 7-8; 4 hours; $30.00/ participant
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Search for aquatic organisms in a stream and learn how to use them as
indicators of stream health and change. Students stop at water quality
testing sites along the Brandywine Creek. Canoeing experience is not
necessary; basic instruction will be given. An east branch or west
branch trip is available; please indicate which trip at the time of
registration. A map showing drop-off points will be sent to you. It is
highly recommended that students participate in "Communities at Work:
Streams" or "Working Watershed" prior to this program.
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Communities at Work
Standards: 4.1.7/4.3.7/
4.6.4/4.7.4
Grades 5-8; 2 hours; $5.75/participant
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Explore the inhabitants of a pond, stream, or field/forest community
while discovering how they interact and adapt. For each community,
students collect organisms and examine their interdependency through the
transfer of energy. Small groups may request which community they would
like to explore. Due to physical limitations, large groups will need
to be divided so that each student explores only one of the three
communities.
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Compost Critters and Backyard Aerobics
Standards: 4.2.7/4.3.7/
4.6.7/4.7.7
Grades 5-6; 2 hours; $5.75/participant
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Nature is the earth’s oldest recycler. Learn about compost and the
critters that make it possible. Students will actively explore the dark
side of compost and delve into the world of the worm through games, math
and "aerobics." Maximum: 40 students.
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Cycling and Recycling
Standards: 4.1.7/4.2.7/4.6.7
Grades 5-6; 1.5 hours; $5.50/participant
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Explore nature’s air, water and soil cycles to see how the building
materials of life are used over and over again in a balanced ecosystem.
Students will follow nature’s example and minimize their impact on the
environment. Maximum: 60 students
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Energy Flow through the Food Chain
Standards: 4.6.7/4.7.7
Grades 5-7; 1.5 hours; $4.75/participant
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Explore the Myrick Center for evidence of energy flow in nature. Fill
out a data sheet looking for examples of the transformation of radiant,
chemical, heat, and mechanical energy as organisms interact. Take a look
at the pond, stream, or field/forest community to identify producers and
consumers. Look for traces of decreasing availability of energy at
higher levels on the food chain connecting producers with primary,
secondary, and tertiary consumers.
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Human Impact on the Environment
Standards: 3.57/3.67/4.27/
4.37/4.87/4.97
Grades 6-8; 2 hours; $6.00/participant
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Learn about natural resources and play games about population change
and carrying capacity. Use aerial photographs to see how the local area
has changed over time. Compare American use of natural resources and
waste generation with other parts of the world.
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Inspect an Insect
Standards: 4.1.7/4.2.7/4.3.7/
4.6.7/4.7.7/4.8.7
Grades 5-7; 1.5 hours; $5.00/participant
Available April 22 to October 11
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Collect fascinating insects in a sweep net. Learn the characteristic of
insects and observe the similarities and differences between the various
insects and other invertebrates collected at the Myrick Center. Compare
and contrast the adaptations of insects that live on the land with those
that live in water.
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Nature at Night
Standards: 4.7.7
Grades 5-8; 2 hours; $5.75/participant
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Come explore the
mysteries of nature at night. See how your eyes adjust to darkness and
talk about the adaptations of nocturnal animals. Play a game to see how
bats find their prey and learn more about owls. All programs are by
special arrangement and begin at dusk. Maximum: 50 students.
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Team Challenge
Grades
6-8; 2 hours; 5.75/participant
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How do you get back to
your base camp if you must first cross an alligator infested swamp? Can
you get a bucket of nitroglycerin away from the approaching prairie fire
if the only way out is across a canyon? Students will participate in a
variety of simulated problem solving experiences that require group
cooperation and physical activity. Activities are designed to break down
barriers, build teamwork and identify leadership potential among
students. This program is recommended at the beginning of the school
year or prior to group projects or problem-solving activities.
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Totally Trees
Standards: 4.2.7/4.6.7
Grades 6-8; 2 hours; $5.75
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Explore the complex
world of trees by examining seeds and adopting trees. Look at
gymnosperms and angiosperms and learn about tree structure by building a
human tree. Look for signs of transpiration and photosynthesis and learn
to identify trees using an identification tree and a treasure hunt. In
the winter, learn about twig identification as you explore the forest
during the coldest season.
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Wetland Field Study
Standards: 4.1.7/4.3.7/4.6.7/
4.7.7/4.8.7/4.9.7
Grades 6-8; 2 hours; $7.00/participant
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Working as a scientific team, students will complete a wetlands field
study in a wetland. The class will be broken down into four small groups
beforehand. Each group will explore with an environmental instructor one
of four aspects of the wetland – plants, animals, water, or soil. Data
sheets will be filled out on-site to be reported on in class after the
study. A photo and atmosphere team can also be added if there are funds
for disposable cameras. Before students visit the wetland, teachers will
meet with a BVA/RCVA instructor to go over pre-and post-activities for
the study. Maximum: 30 students.
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What’s the Matter???
Grades 5-7; 1.5 hours; $4.75/participant
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Look for evidence of matter found in nature. Explore how the
interrelationships between molecules of solids, liquids and gases
differ. Find out how much space (volume) and how much mass exists in the
different states.0
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NEW PROGRAM
Winter Exploration and Experimentation
Standards: 4.6.7/4.7.7
Grades 5-8; 1.5 hours at $5.00/participant or 2 hours at
$5.50/participant
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How
do animals protect themselves from winter temperatures? Some animals
build nests, burrows or other structures to stay warm. We will conduct
an experiment using different materials to insulate a cup of water,
record how the temperature drops over time, and determine which material
was the best insulator. Search for birds, tracks and other signs of
animals while learning about habitat, adaptations and winter survival
mechanisms.
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UPDATED
Working Watershed
Standards: 4.1.7/4.3.7/
4.6.7/4.8.7
Grades 6-8; 2 hours; 5.75/participant
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Learn about water cycles, why water is so precious, and why it must be
protected. Students will see how a watershed is defined by topography
and how watersheds are affected by human development. Students will
create their own watersheds and pollute then attempt to clean up a water
sample.
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Robert G. Struble, Jr., Executive Director
Brandywine Valley Association
1760 Unionville-Wawaset Road West Chester, PA 19382
(610) 793-1090; (610) 793-2813 fax
E-mail:
[email protected]
http://www.brandywinewatershed.org |