The Meadow Additional Class Menu

Children explore our Butterfly Mosaic Trail, planted Horseshoe Crabs: For millions of years they have with native wildflowers, and discover the interac- migrated to shore and spawned during the spring tide. tions between butterflies and other pollinators and Students will study the Horseshoe Crab’s anatomy, life plant species. They may also visit our outdoor obser- cycle, and threats to its future. (slideshow and study vation bee hive. live animals or casts) Classroom Visit 1: Children enjoy a colorful Turtles of Cape Cod: Students will examine the slideshow following the lifecycle of a tiny Monarch amazing adaptations of these ancient creatures and egg, glued to the underside of a Milkweed leaf, to an study species that live in our own backyards. adult. We cover adaptations, such as mimicry and (slideshow and study of live turtles) Long Pasture deception, along the way, and consider host versus nectaring plants. Sea Turtles: We will study sea turtle species that Wildlife Sanctuary visit Cape Cod and play games to understand nesting, Field Trip: Children will hike the Butterfly Mo- hatching and stranding. saic, learning about plant uses, searching for eggs, School Programs caterpillars, and adult butterflies and using guides Tracking Mammals on Cape Cod: Who’s been to identify them. here? Children become detectives to look at mammal signs that (tracks, scat, feeding) give us clues to their Lab/Class Activity: Activities include a meta- stories. (slideshow, activities, walk) morphosis game, pheromone (scent) station, and Trees!: Imagine a machine that runs on the sun’s en- identification station. Live specimens will be studied ergy, makes its own food, produces oxygen and doesn’t as available. pollute. It’s a tree, of course. Children will go on a tree ID hike and play games that help us understand the What’s That Bird? anatomy of a tree. The Wonders of Water!: Water covers 3/4 of the Amateur birders will study how to look for birds and earth’s surface and has some amazing qualities. In this explore several Long Pasture habitats that are home lab series, we will study droplets, surface tension, sink- to numerous nesting species in spring. ing and floating, absorption and capillary action.

Classroom Visit 1: Students get a glimpse of bird adaptations and ecology by examining feathers and playing games linking beak types to food sources. Field Trip: Students try some bird Olympics, lis- ten to common songs and then embark on a bird walk looking at behaviors as well as field marks. C a p e C o d Lab/Activity: Children look at nests and how they are created, conduct “eggsperiments,” and create E c o s y s t e m some eggs of their own designed to camouflage in Mid and Upper Cape Sanctuaries their habitat. Explorations

345 Bone Hill Rd P.O.Box 235 Cummaquid, MA. 02637

Phone: 508-362-7475 E-mail:[email protected] Educational Philosophy The Tidal Flats The Beach

On the Sanctuary’s tidal flats, students investigate how Children will compare how different coastal species creatures survive in an environment that is inundated by adapt to life on the beach and focus on the unique the tides twice a day. They learn to read the signs on the niches of Piping Plovers, Least Terns and Oyster- sands to collect and observe many species of marine organ- catchers. isms. Through discussion and games, and close-up study with magnification, students will discover the anatomy of Classroom Unit 1: Children will watch a slide- these creatures, where they live within the habitat, and show focusing on the life cycle of Cape Cod shorebirds their role in the community. and our interactions with them. They will see eggs and other materials. Classroom Unit 1: Students will learn to classify mol- Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary is a spectacular 110-acre lusks, discover the mysterious causes of holes in shells, and Field Trip: Students will see Piping Plovers at a sanctuary on Cape Cod Bay, featuring 2.5 miles of trails consider the difference between mollusks and crustaceans. local beach where they are nesting as well as engage through woods, salt marsh, fields, freshwater wetlands, in a simulated tern census, plover feeding game, tern Field Trip: Children take to the tidal flats with a scaven- and sandy beach habitats. Our teacher/naturalists provide fishing game. ger hunt, learn to identify organisms from plumed worms interactive, hands-on learning experiences, in which stu- to moon snails, and learn about the complex food web. Lab/Activity: Students will build tern decoys or dents make observations, ask questions, conduct investi- tern shelters to aid in the conservation of this species. gations using real science tools and skills, record their Laboratory Visit: Students study crabs and mud snails findings, and draw conclusions from their research. up close, measuring, answering questions, and sketching The Vernal Pool Our field studies are organized around critical ecosystems anatomy. - tidal flats, salt marsh, beach, meadow and vernal pool - Students will uncover the world of aquatic inverte- which are home to a rich collection of plants and animals. brates that are often concealed under the mucky pond The goal of our outdoor programs is to explore the eco- The Salt Marsh bottom of temporary spring ponds and closely study logical concepts of food web/energy transfer, adaptation Students will discover that the marsh is more than ex- amphibians such as Wood Frogs and Spotted Sala- and lifestyle, diversity, and human interrelationships with panses of cord grass - it is a dynamic nursery for a myriad manders. these Cape Cod habitats. of creatures. Using transects, dip nets, and fish traps, they Classroom Unit 1: Students will see a slideshow Ideally, we hope to offer each child three experiences will encounter a diversity of marine life and consider how about the seasons and wildlife of the vernal pool and with Long Pasture—an introductory lesson, a field sci- each organism contributes to the life of the marsh. observe some live amphibians, ence investigation and a laboratory study—focused on a particular local ecosystem. By dividing students into Field Trip: After collecting samples with buckets small teams, we make theses experiences more personal. Classroom Unit 1: Students begin with a slideshow and nets, students will use magnification and guides We also let students work with live creatures, which in- focusing on the creation of the marsh itself, the role of the to identify and describe pond creatures, such as drag- spires trust and fascination. Diamondback Terrapin and the Horseshoe Crab and realize onfly nymphs and Fairy Shrimp and determine their that these very different ancient creatures share common place in the food chain. We have designed classroom units which focus in-depth evolutionary traits. on specific organisms within each ecosystem, bringing Laboratory Visit: Children observe metamorphos- living plants and animals into the classroom for observa- Field Trip: In the field teams use transect lines and ing tadpoles and salamander larvae and chart their tion whenever possible. Many of these lessons incorpo- quadrats to observe the changes in the marsh as the move growth to determine their age in days. rate math and writing skills as well as life and earth sci- toward the water ence topics in the Massachusetts Curriculum Standards. Laboratory Visit: In the lab, students study the traits Programs can be modified for different age groups and of juvenile Horseshoe Crabs and Diamondback Terrapins time requirements. All of our programs seek to inspire through filling out data sheets on measurements, weight, children to look at Cape Cod’s natural environment in and anatomy and comparing adaptations. new ways and to empower them as scientists.