Spring Treks
March–May 2012
NASA Educator Trek: Climate Change - The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly!
NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC
Saturday, March 10, 2012
10 am–5 pm
Cost: FREE! ($25 deposit required, will be returned upon completion of workshop)
In this workshop teachers will get an overview of what we know about climate change and how we know it. Enjoy some math, simple chemistry, art, videos, games, and student inventions. This is a great, standards-based way to teach and inspire students to think about our impact on our environment and our place in the universe.
106 Twigs, Eggs, & Frogs Legs
Various natural areas in the Triangle area of the Piedmont
Saturday, March 24, 2012
9:30 am–5 pm
Cost: $25
Discover ways to bring the coming of spring into your classroom. Examine the incredible miracle of bud burst as trees begin to leaf out and flower. Explore other signs of spring, from early wildflowers to amphibian breeding pools. Learn how to better appreciate and study this magical time of year.
107 Butterfly Pinning and Backyard Bug Collecting — Spring
NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC
Monday, April 30, 2012
4–6 pm
Cost: $35 (includes insect resource manual, pinning board, butterfly display box, numerous exotic butterfly specimens)
Work with Museum staff in the Naturalist Center to prepare, pin and mount a variety of spectacular tropical butterflies. Learn the various techniques used to catch, preserve and mount these and other fascinating arthropods for decades of enjoyment. Explore the possibilities of insect collecting in your own backyard. Learn from staff how to construct creative and economical traps and devices, along with interesting preservation methods that will open up the world of entomology to you and your students.
108 Secrets of the Swamp
Roanoke River, Martin County, NC
Date: Saturday, March 31 (morning departure)-Sunday, April 1
Cost: $75 (includes canoe rental, three meals, basic camping gear, camping platform fee)
Canoe and camp in a North Carolina swamp forest along the majestic Roanoke River. Spend the night on a camping platform listening to a cacophony of Barred Owls and other creatures of the darkness. During the day we will explore a bottomland hardwood swamp ecosystem, a critical habitat for fish, neotropical migratory birds, and other wildlife from river otters to Black Bears.
109 Spring in the Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Haywood County, NC
Friday, May 4 (depart Raleigh at 3:45 pm)–Sunday, May 6, 2012
Cost: $75* (includes lodging, some meals and transportation to and from Raleigh)
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is world-renowned for its diversity of wildflowers and salamanders. Explore cove forests and stream-side habitats for salamanders as well as the blooms of spring such as trillium, foamflower, mayapple and violets. Learn techniques for studying salamanders and explore the fascinating life histories of the mountain’s spring wildflowers, from pollination to seed dispersal. Moderately strenuous hiking is likely. *The cost of this Trek is reduced due to a generous gift through the Friends of the Smokies. Due to this reduction of costs, Friends of the Museum discounts are unavailable.
102 Project Learning Tree Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood
Prairie Ridge Ecostation, Raleigh, NC
Saturday, May 5, 2012 (Rescheduled from Saturday, October 8, 2011)
9 am–3:30 pm
Cost: $10 (includes PLT Activity Guide and other resource materials)
Join us for an active outdoor introduction to Project Learning Tree Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood. Targeted to educators of children 3–6 years old, this program integrates nature-based exploration, art, literature, math, music, movement and outdoor play. Participants will receive the PLT Early Childhood Guide, Billy B. Brennan’s accompanying music CD and a variety of other hands-on materials for their school. CEUs and Early Childhood credits will be available.
NASA Educator Trek: Exploring the Forces of Flight
NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC
Saturday, May 19, 2012
10 am–5 pm
Cost: FREE! ($25 deposit required, will be returned upon completion of workshop)
Did NASA experiment with flying saucers? Would a saucer-shaped aircraft actually fly? Participants will conduct hands-on investigations into the forces of flight, the effects of these forces on aircraft, calculating airspeed, flight simulation and modeling, the engineering design process, and even flying saucers! The purpose of this workshop is to model the use of inquiry-based methods in the classroom while incorporating free NASA education resources to teach content related to the field of Aeronautics. In particular, this workshop will focus on helping students address curriculum strands including Forces & Motions, Science as Inquiry, and Science & Technology. Come join the fun!
