Programs and Field Trips
The Butler Soil and Water Conservation District offers free programs and resources to any school/group located within Butler County. All programs and services are offered on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, marital or family status, or political beliefs.
Community Group, Scout Groups and other Non-School Programs:
Please contact us to discuss your ideas for a program. We can provide free programs on a number of natural resources topics including conservation, water quality, soils, composting, etc. We will adapt the length and style of the program to meet your needs. We can come to your location, or set up a program in our conference facility.
School Programs
Length:
Typically 45 minuntes for school programs.
Number of participants:
For in-school programs there is a max is 30 students. This is due to the hands-on nature of the program we do not provide school programs for combined classes.
How many Programs:
I can provide a max of 5 programs per day and can provide up to two different programs per year. For example, I can provide 4 programs for 2nd grade on trees and then return and provide a second program on water pollution at a later date.
Community Group Programs:
Please contact us to discuss your ideas for a program. We can provide free programs on a number of natural resources topics including conservation, water quality, soils, composting, etc. We can adapt the length and style of the program to meet your needs.
Ohio Curriculum Standards:
The school programs are designed to align with Ohio Science and social studies standards where possible.
There are several themes of lessons:
Water Themed Lessons
Fred the Fish Grades K-3
Students will take a journey with Fred the Fish as he swims downstream and encounters different kinds of pollution. This story/demonstration leads to a very visual lesson.
Watersheds Grades 3-12
Using a 3-dimensional model, students can very easily see the relationship between human activity and the environment. Students will understand the concept of a watershed and learn about point source and non-point sources of pollution, and pollution prevention.
Streams Table Grades 3-12
In this hands-on lesson students will learn about the formation of a stream, stream flow, erosion, deposition, flood hazards, and much more. This activity utilizes a 6 foot table that houses sand and a continually running stream. Due to setup this program will only be brought for multiple presentations. This activity is best outdoors or somewhere some sand and water drops can easily be cleaned off the floor incase of spillage.
Weather & Clouds Grades 4-8
Through a simple experiment and art, students will learn how clouds form and the weather that is associated with basic cloud types. We look at ways the water cycle is related to weather.
Incredible Journey Grades 4-8
Students will simulate the movement of water within the water cycle. They will be able to identify the states of water as it moves through the water cycle. They will also be able to grasp the ways in which pollution can move through the cycle.
Where does Water Run? Grades 5-8
This lesson incorporates both math and science. After measuring and calculating the area of a study site, students will calculate the volume and weight of water falling on that site. They will determine the annual rainfall on this site and trace the course of water to aquatic habitats. Good to do the measuring outdoors, but can do with maps indoors.
Groundwater Grades 4-12
Through the use of a model students will understand and visualize the behavior of contamination in groundwater. Students will realize that groundwater pollution can affect people.
Field Trip: Stream Monitoring Grades 4-12
Students will learn about water quality monitoring by participating at different stations. The stations include, biological sampling (macroinvtebrates), chemical testing, and physical attributes such as stream flow and turbidity. Additional stations can include (depending upon staffing and location) geology, groundwater, and calculating the amount of runoff from the site. Trips take about 2 hours (not including transportation) and are limited to 60 students. Butler SWCD does not provide transportation.
Indoor Stream Monitoring Grades 4-12
Using a new kit created from funding from the Ohio Environmental Education Fund, students will assess the stream quality of two streams biologically. The fake streams will be set up in your class with preserved samples of real macroinvertebrates collected from around Butler County. A great lesson for learning about scientific procedures, such as sampling and safety.
Soil, Rocks, & Minerals Themed Lessons
Worms Grades K-6
There’s more to worms than you think! Students will discover the world of worms, what they eat, how they survive, and why they are vital to the health of our environment. A worm bin will be brought into the classroom.
Hard Choices Grades 3-8
In this hands-on lesson students will work in small groups to test out different properties of minerals including the Mohs' Scale of Hardness.
Soils and Erosion Grades 3-12
Students will learn about the major components of soil, how it is developed, identified, and lost through discussion and experiments. If multiple programs are requested they must be in one room with the students rotating to it due to materials and to control any mess.
Rock Cycle Grades 4-8
Students will travel as a mineral through the rock cycle in this fun, educational game. During this activity we discuss the difference between rocks and minerals and how to test the different properties of minerals.
Wildlife & Forestry Themed Lessons
Tree Treasures Grades K-4
Discover what trees need to survive through this activity. Discuss the parts of a tree and their importance to us and our environment.
Oh Deer! Grades 1-4
Students will learn about white tailed deer, and play a game that looks at animals basic needs. Needs open space, either outdoors or in a gym.
How Many Bears Can live in This Forest? Grades 4-8
In this activity, students will define a limiting factor and describe how limiting factors affect animal habitat. Students become “black bear” to look for the components of habitat during this physically involved activity. This activity involves math when students figure out the percentage of insects/nuts/etc they have from all of the food they collected, and how many bears could survive on the available food. Calculators are a must for this activity
No Water Off A Ducks Back Grades 4-8
One Hour Required
Students will identify ways oil spills can adversely affect birds; and describe possible negative consequences to wildlife, people, and the environment from pollutants caused by humans. Groups of students will examine feathers in three conditions, dry, wet, and dipped in oil. They will then try to remove the oil from the feather.
Migration Headache Grades 4-8
Through a game and discussion students will learn limiting factors affecting habitats and populations of migrating water birds. They will also predict the effects of such limiting factors, describe the effects of habitat loss and degradation, and make inferences about the suitable habitat of migrating water birds. Indoors or outdoors. Will need an open space (gym/lunchroom) for the game.
What tree is that? 4-12
Using dichotomous keys students try to identify various trees on the school grounds. Younger students will take bark rubbings and look closer at the leaves, older students will learn how to measure trees using math to determine the width of the trunk, height of the tree and the canopy width.
Bottleneck Genes Grades 9-12
Students will simulate the gene-pool analysis of a population of black footed ferrets to find out how genetic diversity is essential to the health of a species as it facilitates adaptation to change and provides sources for new genetic material.
Skills
Maps Grades 6-12
This program requires 2 class periods (can be on two days). Students will learn about the various components of maps such as scales and legends. They will then learn how to read topographic maps in two ways. First, by creating a landform from a map and then secondly by creating a map from a landform.
Hitting the Mark Grades 6-12
Students investigate the concepts of accuracy and precision in data collection and learn the importance of writing detailed procedures.