Science classes held at nature center to assist in learning
Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department’s Prairie Park Nature Center is offering courses to supplement science classes for local and area students.
Classes offered teaching elementary and middle school students science-based curricula in support of the Mystery Science and Acellus online science curriculums and follow the Next Generation Science Standards.
Classes will be offered throughout the fall for a variety of grade levels as one-time classes. Classes offered include:
Let’s Get Buggy (Biodiversity of Invertebrates) is open to children in kindergarten through second grade. Students will use simple classification to study groups of invertebrates and examine the roles of bugs in nature and our lives. They will learn about the differences in invertebrate structure and body parts. Students will survey invertebrates in the prairie with nets and hand lenses. Class is held 1:30-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29. Cost is $5 per student. The Next Generation Science Standards met include: LS4-1, LS1-1 and ESS3-1.
Incredible Insects is open to students in second grade through fourth grade. Students will learn about the great biodiversity of insects in the world. They will use bug nets to collect and examine insects and study their diverse adaptations to the habitat in which they are found. Class will be held 1:30-3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30. Cost is $7 per student. The Next Generation Science Standards met include: LS2.A, LS4-1, LS1-1, and ESS3-1.
Splendid Spiders and Their Kin is open to students in fourth grade through sixth grade. Students will learn about the group known as arachnids and the role they play in the ecosystems in which they are found. They will explore the adaptations arachnids have to their predatory lifestyle and the many environments in which they are found. Class will be held 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1. Cost is $7 per student. The Next Generation Science Standards met include: LS4-1, LS1-1, ESS3-1 and LS2.A.
Animals without Backbones is open to students in third grade through sixth grade. Students will examine diversity of invertebrates in the animal kingdom and their roles in the ecosystems they inhabit. They will explore the interdependency of invertebrates, other animals and plants. Students will learn to identify groups of invertebrates based on their structures. They will examine adaptations of physical structure, chemical makeup and behaviors that help them survive. Class will be held 1:30-3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2. Cost is $7 per student. The Next Generation Science Standards met include: LS4-1, LS1-1, ESS3-1 and LS2.A.
Register online at http://lprd.org/activity?n=423500 or the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center, 4706 Overland Drive, or the Administrative Offices, 1141 Massachusetts St.
For more information, please contact Prairie Park Nature Center, at (785) 832-7980.