This program aims to engage young children’s interest in animals and their natural habitats exploring the four essential elements for a healthy habitat: food, water, shelter, and space. Students will use observation skills during a guided hike to investigate and compare different habitats and what thrives in them.

Next Generation Science Standards:

2nd grade

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

3rd grade

• 3-LS4-3: Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

In Erosion Explorers, students become investigators of how streams shape the land. By testing water speed, sorting streambed sediments, and spotting real signs of erosion, students discover how moving water changes the landscape over time.

Next Generation Science Standards:

2nd grade

• 2-ESS1-1: Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly. 

3rd grade

• 3-ESS3-1: Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.

Using sweep nets and bug jars, students will gather specimens from a variety of habitats and compare the organisms they find. As a group, students will share observations, identify external structures, and discuss how specific traits (such as camouflage, hard shells, or grouping behaviors) help these animals meet their needs and survive in different environments.

Next Generation Science Standards:

2nd grade

• 2-LS-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

3rd grade

• 3-LS4-3: Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.