Elementary School Field Trips

Discovery Programs are fully booked for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year.

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Discovery Programs

Availability and Pricing:

Hour-long programs are offered Monday-Friday at 9, 10:15, and 11:30 a.m.
Two programs are available during each time slot for up to 25 students per program.
Cost is $10 per student; minimum group charge is $100; payment is due on the day of your visit.
One adult per five students is admitted free to be a designated chaperone. This includes the teacher(s).
Additional adults are asked to pay Garden Admission and are welcome to enjoy the Garden on their own during the guided program time. They can accompany their child before and after the guided program.
Programs take place outdoors, rain or shine. Please have everyone dress for the weather.
UPDATED MASKING POLICY: We recommend anyone over the age of two wear a mask during the guided portion of their program.
Please note that the Garden is following current state and local Covid-19-related guidelines for in-person programs. All guidelines are subject to change. Any changes will be communicated via email before your program.
Call 804.262.9887 x322 to register

Garden Explorers | Kindergarten

Available throughout the school year

DESCRIPTION

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 the physical properties of an object can be described.

K.5 The students 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.

Nature of the Powhatan | 2^nd – 4^th Grade

Available throughout the school year

DESCRIPTION

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

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

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

a) the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands;
b) the Lakota of the Plains; and
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

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

Tree Traits | K – 2^nd Grade

Available throughout the school year

DESCRIPTION

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 the physical properties of an object can be described.

K.5 The students 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.

Growing a Garden | 3^rd – 4^th Grade

Available Sept/Oct/Mar/April/May – June 10

DESCRIPTION

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.

Small Sprouts to Garden Giants | 1^stGrade

Available Sept/Oct/Mar/Apr/May – June 10

DESCRIPTION

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.

Inquiry into Nature | 3^rd – 5^th Grade

Available throughout the school year

DESCRIPTION

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:

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

Plants, What Good Are They? | 2^ndGrade

Available Sept/Oct/April/May – June 10

DESCRIPTION

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.

Tallying Up Trees | 3^rd – 5^th Grade

Available Sept/Oct/Mar/April/May – June 10

DESCRIPTION

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