School Programs

Grades: K-1 & 2-3 • Length: 2 hours

OFFERED FALL

The crisp days of fall are time for cider making. Using apples we have picked from Hildene’s trees, students wash and press the fruit into sweet cider. After it has been pasteurized, students sample the delicious juice. To appreciate the development of apple fruit, students explore the essential role of pollinators and dissect a simple flower to discover how its parts contribute to the process of pollination. Through investigation and pantomime, the life cycle of the apple tree, the functions of its parts and how it changes through the seasons will also be examined. BIG IDEA: Structure and Function; Interdependence; and Cycles. NGSS

Grades: 3-5 • Length: 2 hours
OFFERED FALL
Students investigate Hildene’s wetland to discover the indispensable properties and functions of these unique habitats. From a floating boardwalk that extends 600’ through the marsh, students assess the water quality based on the macroinvertebrate population, discover the characteristics of wetland soils, and examine the adaptations of wetland plants to further their understanding of the ecological importance of these ecosystems. 

BIG IDEAS: Interdependence; Systems; Diversity; and Structure and Function. NGSS

Grades: K-3 • Length 1 hour
OFFERED FALL
In our gardens, forests, fields and homes, spiders can be found, quietly focused on their important ecological role - capturing and eating insects. Students observe live spiders and build model spiders from their observations, discover the process of spiders capturing prey in a web, and go on a guided hunt to observe spiders, webs and record observations. We also examine the life cycle of these terrestrial predators. 

BIG IDEAS: Interdependence; Cycles; and Structure and Function. NGSS

Grades: 1-2 & 3-4 • Length: 1.5 hours
OFFERED FALL
How are animals, catapulting, and the forces of wind, water and gravity linked to seeds?  Students explore this and other questions during our investigations of seeds. Students examine how seeds are formed, identify the parts of a seed that grow into a new plant, and inspect selected seed bearing structures to look for evidence of how the seeds travel. 

BIG IDEAS: Interdependence; Cycles; Reproduction; and Structure and Function. NGSS

Grades: K-3 • Length: 1.5 hours
OFFERED FALL
Monarchs are the only butterflies to migrate north and south each year, yet no single insect completes the round-trip journey.  Students explore the conservation of this butterfly, while learning about its habitat, life cycle and migration, including tagging and releasing a monarch. 

BIG IDEAS: Interdependence; Cycles; and Structure & Function. NGSS

Grades: K-1 & 2-4 • Length 1.5 hours   
OFFERED FALL
Students interact with the sheep at the dene animal barn while exploring their life cycle, anatomy, and behavior. In helping with chores, students gain an appreciation for the care that goes into these animals. The special characteristics of the sheep’s fiber is also investigated, and a fiber item is created by the students to take home. 

BIG IDEAS: Cycles; and Structure and Function. NGSS

Grades 3-5 Length: 1.5 hours
OFFERED SPRING & FALL
Students investigate Hildene’s warm and cold houses to discover how thriving plants are grown year-round. While learning about pests and beneficial insects of a greenhouse, students perform “plant health checks.”   They also plant, harvest and enjoy one of our most popular greenhouse crops, microgreens, while looking closely at plants' structure and function. 

BIG IDEAS: Structure and Function; Cycles; and Interdependence. NGSS

Grades: 2 & 3-4 • Length: 1.5 hours
OFFERED SPRING & FALL

Gentle and fuzzy, everyone has watched a bumble bee buzzing between flowers in summer; but what about the rest of the year? How do bumble bees overwinter? Where do they raise brood in the spring? How do they fly in the fall when it is chilly or raining? Students discover the answers to these and other questions during this program. They examine the differences in color patterns between species, learn how to enhance pollinator habitat, and may observe queens in search of nest sites, workers foraging or new queens preparing for winter. 

BIG IDEAS: Interdependence; Cycles; Structure and Function. NGSS

Grades: K-2 &3-4 • Length: 1.5 hours
OFFERED  SPRING & FALL

Who’s who in the hive? How is honey made and how are flowers pollinated? Students will explore the world of honey bees with investigation, pantomime, and inspection of the bees in our observation hive. They also examine the bee’s design, life cycle, social structure and important role as a pollinator. 

BIG IDEAS: Interdependence; Cycles; and Function. NGSS

Grades: 1-2 & 3-4 • Length 1.5 hours   
OFFERED  SPRING & FALL 
Pond dwelling critters are remarkable for their diversity of size, shape and adaptations for finding food, moving and breathing.  Students explore the pond critters in Hildene's pond to make observations and to identify how they are adapted to live in a watery world. Students also become familiar with the differences between the young and adult forms of their critters and build a pond food web. 

BIG IDEAS: Diversity; Interdependence; and Structure & Function. NGSS

Grades: K-2 & 3-4 • Length: 1.5 hrs
OFFERED WINTER
Unlike earlier times, the turkey we enjoy today isn’t a wild bird, but rather farm-raised. While tasty, the domestic turkey is not nearly as fascinating in behavior or development as its wild cousin. With interactive activities, students explore the history, habitat, life cycle and behavior of Vermont’s wild turkeys. 

BIG IDEAS: Interdependence; Cycles; and Change Over Time. NGSS

Grades: 1-3 & 4-5 • Length: 2 hours

OFFERED WINTER

How do animals adapt to Vermont’s long cold winter? Through outdoor activities, students examine the survival strategies of animals in winter and learn basic track identification skills. They investigate prints and track patterns, learn to move like the mammals do, and practice their tracking skills in the woods nearby. 

BIG IDEAS: Structure and Function; and Place. NGSS

Grades: 2-5 • Length: 1.5 hours

OFFERED WINTER

Colder temperatures and shorter days bring about many changes in the world around us. Students explore forest life through observation and exploration to discover the ways plants and trees adapt to winter’s challenges. They also examine the familiar black-capped chickadee to discover its remarkable survival strategies and complex language of calls. Weather permitting, students take a close look at the unique designs of snowflakes and examine the processes that form them. 

BIG IDEAS: Structure and Function; Cycles; and Interdependence. NGSS

Grades: 2-3 & 4-5 • Length: 1.5 hours

OFFERED SPRING

Students will explore the variety of habitats and interconnected web of animals and plants within a stream. They will catch and identify aquatic insects, build a river food web, and learn how insect life can teach us about a stream’s health. They will also discover important adaptations that are vital for life in these ever-changing ecosystems. 

BIG IDEAS: Interdependence; Systems; and Diversity. NGSS

Grades: 3-5 • Length: 2 hours 
OFFERED SPRING

With slides, investigation and observation of live animals, students discover the critical support vernal pools provide to certain amphibians. They examine the energy and nutrient source of these temporary pools, become familiar with some of the “obligate” vernal pool species and learn why these pools are called the “hatchery of the forest.” 

BIG IDEAS: Interdependence; and Systems. NGSS

Grades: K-2 & 3-4 • Length: 1.5 hours 
OFFERED SPRING

Students interact with the does and kids at our goat dairy, while exploring the life cycle, adaptations and behavior of goats. Students also learn about the process of milking, feed the goats and help with other chores, as well as identify goat products. 

BIG IDEAS: Cycles; and Structure and Function. NGSS