Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge - School outreach Activities

Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge Outreach Activities

This is a list of activities school groups are able to participate in during outreach events at their schools.Outreach events can be scheduled at anytime within one calendar year but are only available during off pique seasons (mid-November to mid-March and again from mid-June through August).Spend some time looking through these activities and choose activities which are appropriate for your class.We want to meet your curriculum needs so if you cannot find an appropriate activity listed below please contact Sara Hollerich at (515) 994-3400 and speak to her about how the staff can help meet your needs.

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Water Journey – Students become a drop of water and travel throughout the water cycle.During their journey they create a necklace that tells the story of their journey so they may share that information with a friend or relative.

Water Game – Students learn how to conserve water through an interactive and fun game.The water cycle is discussed and water conservation is stressed.

Going Batty -Students will learn about the types of bats that live in Iowa, what they eat and how they hunt. Myths about bats will be explored and the truth uncovered.

Birds Schmirds -Students will understand what makes birds different from other animals, learn some common bird sounds, where to find birds, and what birds eat based on the type of beak they have.

You Animal! - The students listen to a presenter speak about the animals of the area, what they eat, and some general facts about the animal. Skins will be presented for the students to touch. Skulls will be presented for the students to view.

Give Me a Home Where the Buffalo Roam - Students will learn about the American buffalo and the tallgrass prairie. The activity also covers how the Plains Indians used the bison and the bison’s family structure.

Buffalo -Students will learn about what happened to the bison in North America by playing a game similar to musical chairs. (Ties in very well with “Give me a Home Where the Buffalo Roam”).

Buffalo Hunt - Students will learn the four components of habitat and how they affect animals. They will learn the importance of having the habitat components in correct proportions. They will learn what "limiting factors" are and how they affect animal populations.

Sticky Situations - The students collect different types of seeds by hiking through the prairie, during hikes, games, or stewardship activates.The seeds stick to leggings made of different types of furs. The seeds will be collected from the leggings and grouped by type. The students will use a bar graph, to graph and discuss what the information could mean to scientists studying animals. (Note: This is best done in the fall.)

Seed Olympics - Using a variety of materials, the students will develop a seed dispersal device. The travel of the seed will be measured by distance and accuracy.

Soil Builders - Students participate in a group play in which they act out the components of soil formation.

Create-an-Animal - Students will learn about the adaptations animals need to have to survive on the prairie. They will then draw their own animal, thinking about where the animal lives, how it eats, and how it escapes predators.

Identify-an-Invertebrate – Students will learn the difference between` insects, spiders, and other invertebrates.

Birds and Worms -Students will understand how camouflage works by hunting for “worms” of different colors that are hiding on different color backgrounds, collecting data, and then comparing the numbers “worms” caught of different colors.

<Dreamweavers - Students listen to the story of the dream catcher, design a dream catcher of their own out of willow branches, imitation sinew, feathers, and beads.

Prairie Smoke - Students listen to legends about prairie plants or animals and then create stories of their own based on observations of characteristics of the plants or animals.

Bison / Elk Department Store - The students will study the importance of bison and elk to the prairie ecosystem and human inhabitants through: (1) observation of their use and impact on the prairie, (2) study of related literature and (3) knowledge gained and experiences with construction of useful items from bison and elk contributions (elements).

Prairie Playtime - Students will work in small groups to create games using the resources available on the prairie. They will share the games with the rest of the group.

From Trash to Treasure - Students will learn about how litter affects wildlife and how recycling helps reduce waste.

There Goes the Neighborhood - A new species is introduced into the prairie ecosystem. Students determine whether or not that species would be able to survive and/or adapt, as well as the effect it could have on native species.

Web of Life - Using a ball of string and labeled cards of certain animals, students will be able to set-up a “web of life”.

Water Game –Students learn how to conserve water through an interactive and fun game. The water cycle is discussed and water conservation is stressed.

Going Batty -Students will learn about the types of bats that live in Iowa, what they eat and how they hunt. Myths about bats will be explored and the truth uncovered.

Give Me a Home Where the Roam - Students will learn about the American buffalo and the tallgrass prairie. The activity also covers how the Plains Indians used the bison and the bison’s family structure.

Buffalo Hoops - Students will learn about what happened to the bison in North America by playing a game similar to musical chairs. (Ties in very well with “Give me a Home Where the Buffalo Roam”).

Seed Olympics - Using a variety of materials, the students will develop a seed dispersal device. The travel of the seed will be measured by distance and accuracy.

Plant Galls – Students will search the prairie and savanna for different types of plant galls. Galls can be sketched and with special permission may be collected and taken back to school to watch for emerging insects. (This is an inquiry, science-based activity where the students will collect field data for refuge scientists, a classroom visit may required over the winter to help students sample and preserve specimens. This is a fall or winter activity.) This is a new programs and only one school will help out with the pilot program in 2006.

Home is Where You Hang Your Habitat - Students become another animal and search for their ideal habitat.

Come and Live in the Beautiful Prairie - After reading or hearing selected readings about prairie, and taking a guided hike through the prairie, the students will use writing skills, art, role play, or group discussion to imagine a little of what the pioneers experienced in traveling across the Iowa prairies.

Bur Oak of the Savanna - Students will write an essay from the tree’s perspective and what the tree may have experienced in the past and/or is experiencing in the present.

Prairie Propaganda - Students will design an advertisement for some aspect of the prairie (i.e. prairie plants, oak trees, rich soils, animal life, virtues of homesteading). Then create a commercial that will sell your product to other audiences.

I Can Make the Difference - Prairie participants will actively participate in a stewardship project.At school this will be planting and growing seedlings which the students will then plant on the prairie during their spring field trip.

Burning Questions - Participants will recognize some of the effects of fire on the prairie. They will explore the vegetation, wildlife and soil of burned and non-burned areas.

NOTE: Most high school programs will need to be created for in class projects.

Propagation and Research in Outdoor Nurseries - Students will be able to propagate prairie seeds in a greenhouse. The major activity will involve students designing an outdoor research nursery bed (6' x 30') experimenting with cover crops, planting density, soil types, spring versus fall seeding, mulching, depth, fertilizer rates, seeding dates, etc., as they work to establish prairie by direct seed planting, greenhouse transplanting, and transplanting starts from established prairies found within or outside the Refuge.

Prairie Seed Germination Experiments - Students will propagate native prairie plants, processing the seeds by four methods to determine which method is the most successful.

Life on the 1800's Prairie - Through reading personal and other accounts and visiting the Learning, students compose a journal or a diary that could have been written by a young person in the 1800's.