Elementary School Field Trips

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden offers hands-on outdoor programs designed to spark curiosity about nature and encourage life-long learning that is not only real and authentic but also lasting. Discovery Program topics align with the rhythms of the Garden’s growing season and align with the Virginia Science Standards of Learning.

These hour-long programs take place entirely outdoors (rain or shine) so please encourage students, teachers and chaperones to arrive dressed for that day’s weather. Each class returns to school with a Garden Starter Kit, complete with SOL-correlated science experiments and guided observation tips. Programs are subject to availability and must be booked at least two weeks in advance. Please call (804) 262-9887 x 322 to register.

Our Children’s Garden Group Information Guide is REQUIRED reading for any group that wants to schedule a trip to the Garden. Familiarize yourself with it before bringing your group.

Children's Garden Group Information Guide

Group Visit Policies

Teacher and Chaperone Expectations
• New for the 2020-21 School Year! Only five adults per program slot (including teachers) can attend the guided program. Our programs provide hands-on learning experiences that are designed for small areas in the garden. Reducing the amount of chaperones provides more space to complete activities and helps students to focus on the lesson.
• Additional adults and siblings will be asked to enjoy the Garden on their own during guided programs. Additional adults may be with students before and after the guided program.
• During your group’s self-guided garden exploration time, your group will be asked to visit areas outside of the Children’s Garden. Students must stay with their chaperones at all times.
• The Group Kid Quest is available to help teachers and chaperones engage students during their self-guided garden exploration.

On the Day of Your Visit
• You will receive your allotted number of complimentary teacher/chaperone admission stickers upon arrival. Additional adults must pay Garden admission or present their membership card at the Admissions Desk in the Robins Visitors Center, unless prior arrangements have been made to bill the school for all participants.
• Please arrive ten minutes before your scheduled class time to allow for check-in. Late arrivals will result in a shortened program or cancellation (see Late Arrivals).

Late Arrivals
• If you are running late or are unable to attend your program, please call the Children’s Garden and leave a message at 804-262-9887 ext. 322. If you do not call, the no-show fee is $100 per program slot.
• Late arrivals of less than 15 minutes will receive a shortened program.
• Late arrivals of 15 minutes or more will result in a cancelled program. Groups may explore the Garden on their own using a self-guided scavenger hunt.

Food
• Indoor facilities for eating are not available.
• Bring all snacks and lunches with you when you leave the bus.
• Eat lunch or snack in designated outdoor Picnic Area in the Children’s Garden only.
• Snack and drink machines are available in the Children’s Garden.
• Please ask students to clean up after themselves. Trash and compost bins are located adjacent to the picnic area.

Tips for a Successful Visit
• Assign students to chaperones prior to arrival
• Review Garden Etiquette with students and chaperones
• Provide those responsible for transportation a copy of the appropriate map

Groups visiting during the school year should use the School Year Map.
Groups visiting mid-June – August 31 should use the Summer Map.
Preschool Groups visiting November – February for a Young Buds program should use the Young Buds Winter Map.

• Review drop off and pick up locations found on the map.
• Remind all students, teachers and chaperones to dress for an active, outside walk. Classes are held outside, regardless of weather conditions.
• The Children’s Garden is universally accessible. Please let us know in advance if you have students with special needs. We can provide additional complimentary adult admission stickers for adults assisting special needs students.

Discovery Programs for School Year 2019 – 2020

Availability and Pricing:

Hour-long programs are offered Monday-Friday at 9:00 am, 10:15 am and 11:30 am.
Three programs are available during each time slot for up to 25 students per program.
Cost is $10 per student; minimum group charge is $100
One adult per five students is recommended to assist during the guided program time and admitted free of charge. This includes the teacher(s).
Additional adults are $13 and are asked to enjoy the Garden on their own during the guided program time.

GARDEN EXPLORERS | KINDERGARTEN

Description

Available throughout the school year

Seasonal sights, sounds, scents, textures and tastes of the Garden come alive in this sensory exploration of the Children’s Garden. Each child participates in hands-on gardening activities.

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2018 science objectives: K.1, K.3, K.5, K.7, K.9

K.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

K.3 The student will investigate and understand that physical properties of an object can be described.

K.5 The student will investigate and understand that senses allow humans to seek, find, take in, and react or respond to different information.

K.7 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals have basic needs and life processes.

K.9 The student will investigate and understand that there are patterns in nature.

TREE TRAITS | KINDERGARTEN – 2ND GRADE

Description

Available throughout the school year

Journey through the forest and discover an array of plants and animals that live in this habitat. By observing the characteristic shape, color and texture of leaves, bark, and seed pods students learn basic skills for identifying trees and discover how each part of a tree functions.

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2018 science objectives K.1, K.3, K.5, K.7, K.9, 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.8

K.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

K.3 The student will investigate and understand that physical properties of an object can be described.

K.5 The student will investigate and understand that senses allow humans to seek, find, take in, and react or respond to different information.

K.7 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals have basic needs and life processes.

K.9 The student will investigate and understand that there are patterns in nature.

1.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

1.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants have basic life needs and functional parts that allow them to survive.

1.5 The student will investigate and understand that animals, including humans, have basic life needs that allow them to survive.

2.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they grow and develop.

2.5 The student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a system.

2.8 The student will investigate and understand that plants are important natural resources.

SMALL SPROUTS TO GARDEN GIANTS | 1ST GRADE

Description

Available Sept/Oct/Mar/Apr/May and through June 5

Starting with an investigation of seeds and ending with a study of full-grown giants of the plant world, students gain knowledge about the life process of plants. Each child participates in hands-on gardening activities.

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2018 science objectives: 1.1, 1.4, 1.8

1.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices Force, Motion, and Energy.

1.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants have basic life needs and functional parts that allow them to survive.

1.8 The student will investigate and understand that natural resources can be used responsibly.

PLANTS, WHAT GOOD ARE THEY? | 2ND GRADE

Description

Available Sept/Oct/Mar/Apr/May and through June 5

Our interdependence with plants is emphasized as students learn more about how plants make oxygen, and how we use plants for food, medicine and clothing. Each child participates in hands-on gardening activities.

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2018 science objectives: 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 2.8

2.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they grow and develop.

2.5 The student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a system.

2.8 The student will investigate and understand that plants are important natural resources.

GO WITH THE FLOW | 2ND – 3RD GRADE

Description

Available throughout the school year

Go with the flow as we examine the water cycle and its relationship to living organisms. Students investigate the effects of weather and human activity on water quality as they observe several aquatic sites in the Garden. In the Farm Garden, we discuss the importance of water to agriculture and discover how seasonal changes affect the crops we grow.

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2018 science objectives: 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8

2.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering.

2.3 The student will investigate and understand that matter can exist in different phases.

2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they grow and develop.

2.5 The student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a system.

2.6 The student will investigate and understand that there are different types of weather on Earth.

2.7 The student will investigate and understand that weather patterns and seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surroundings.

2.8 The student will investigate and understand that plants are important natural resources.

3.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

3.4 The student will investigate and understand that adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment.

3.5 The student will investigate and understand that aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms.

3.6 The student will investigate and understand that soil is important in ecosystems.

3.7 The student will investigate and understand that there is a water cycle and water is important to life on Earth.

3.8 The student will investigate and understand that natural events and humans influence ecosystems.

NATURE OF THE POWHATAN | 2ND – 4TH GRADE

Description

Available throughout the school year

Through hands-on activities including, corn grinding, mat weaving, and seed planting, students get a taste of how it might have felt to live the lifestyle of an Eastern Woodland Indian. Additionally, students explore a wooded trail and consider how natural resources in the forest were used by Native Americans to obtain food, clothing and shelter from their environment.

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2018 science objectives: 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 3.5, 3.8, 4.3, 4.8

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2015 history objectives: 2.3, 2.7, 2.8, 2.10, 3.8, VS2, VS3

Science

2.5 The student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a system.

2.7 The student will investigate and understand that weather patterns and seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surroundings.

2.8 The student will investigate and understand that plants are important natural resources

3.5 The student will investigate and understand that aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms.

3.8 The student will investigate and understand that natural events and humans influence ecosystems.

4.3 The student will investigate and understand that organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem.

4.8 The student will investigate and understand that Virginia has important natural resources.

History

2.3 The student will compare the lives and contributions of three American Indian cultures of the past and present, with emphasis on

1. a) the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands;
2. b) the Lakota of the Plains; and
3. c) the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest.

2.7 The student will locate and describe the relationship between the environment and culture of

1. a) the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands;
2. b) the Lakota of the Plains; and
3. c) the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest.

2.8 The student will describe natural resources (water, soil, wood, and coal), human resources (people at work), and capital resources (machines, tools, and buildings).

2.10 The student will explain that scarcity (limited resources) requires people to make choices about producing and consuming goods and services.

3.8 The student will demonstrate an understanding of different cultures and the natural, human, and capital resources they used in the production of goods and services.

VS.2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between physical geography and the lives of the native peoples, past and present, of Virginia.

VS.3 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the first permanent English settlement in America by

1. g) describing the interactions between the English settlers and the native peoples, including the role of the Powhatan in the survival of the settlers.

GROWING A GARDEN | 3RD – 4TH GRADE

Description

Available Sept/Oct/ Mar/Apr/May and through June 5

Understanding the vital needs of plants is an important part of maintaining a healthy garden. Through examination of various plants, students consider the reasons why it is beneficial to the environment to choose species that are well-adapted to the light, water, soil, and temperatures of their ecosystems. Students also learn about the minerals and nutrients plants need to thrive by observing soil components and exploring compost communities.

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2018 science objectives: 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.8, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.8

3.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

3.4 The student will investigate and understand that adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment.

3.5 The student will investigate and understand that aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms.

3.6 The student will investigate and understand that soil is important in ecosystems.

3.8 The student will investigate and understand that natural events and humans influence ecosystems.

4.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

4.2 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals have structures that distinguish them from one another and play vital roles in their ability to survive.

4.3 The student will investigate and understand that organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem.

4.8 The student will investigate and understand that Virginia has important natural resources.

INQUIRY INTO NATURE | 3RD – 5TH GRADE

Description

Available throughout the school year

Investigate and compare plant and animal communities in the wetland and the forest as students use the scientific method by making observations, measuring and collecting data in each habitat.

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2018 science objectives: 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.8, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.8, 5.1, 5.9

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2016 math objectives: 3.10, 4.8

Science

3.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

3.4 The student will investigate and understand that adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life needs.

3.5 The student will investigate and understand that aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms.

3.6 The student will investigate and understand that soil is important in ecosystems.

3.8 The student will investigate and understand that natural events and humans influence ecosystems.

4.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

4.2 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals have structures that distinguish them from one another and play vital roles in their ability to survive.

4.3 The student will investigate and understand that organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem.

4.8 The student will investigate and understand that Virginia has important natural resources.

5.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific and engineering practices.

5.9 The student will investigate and understand that the conservation of energy resources is important.

Math

3.10 The student will read temperature to the nearest degree.

4.8 The student will:

1. a) estimate and measure length and describe the result in U.S. customary and metric units

TALLYING UP TREES | 3RD – 5TH GRADE

Description

Available Sept/Oct/Mar/Apr/May and through June 5

Trees thrive in forest, wetland, desert, and urban habitats. Several factors affect the growth rate of trees including tree species, climate, and the availability of water, nutrients, and space to grow. Using basic tools, students investigate different species of trees through a variety of observations, including measuring circumference and height, calculating the average crown spread, counting tree rings, and examining tree parts. Students share their data and discuss some specific factors that affect the growth rate of trees in urban areas.

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2018 science objectives: 3.1, 3.5, 3.6, 3.8, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.8, 5.1, 5.9

Meets Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools 2016 math objectives: 4.8, 5.10