In this activity, youth will conduct observations of leaf litter samples while using our easy critter guide to identify different organisms and use experimental design to try to answer some questions about what might affect their abundance
In this activity, youth will discover the many different ways scientists track the presence and behaviour of different animals in geographical areas of study.
Explore some basic features of flowers with a focus on the physiology of reproductive structures. Try flower dissections at home and see if you can separate different structures of some flowers you collected.
Learn about erosion by making your own soil landscapes, simulating rainfall, and adding pipe cleaner trees to see how tree roots help hold together riverbanks in the real world. Demonstrate how eroding rivers can affect houses, and build a structure that prevents the erosion.
Youth will explore and survey a pond (or stream), record their observations, and search for invertebrates and other species. Youth will also take samples of the pond water for further investigation and comparisons at home.
In this activity, youth will conduct some at home experiments that are tied to how plants interact with the soils they call home. They will make an “indicator” that tells them whether a solution is acidic or basic.
In this activity, youth will conduct some at home experiments that are tied to how insects and plants have interacted and co-evolved. They will make a plan for how they will analyze herbivory of leaves based on some variables of their choosing.
Youth will investigate transpiration of leaves through an experiment with real leaves. Youth will also learn about capillary action, which is one of the mechanisms of transpiration, through an experiment with coffee filters.
In this activity, youth gather leaves, catalogue imprints of their discoveries in their field guide, and try to identify them. They then use their leaves to create a unique piece of nature-themed artwork.
Explore how plants make oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. Youth will use basic household materials to discover the few but important conditions needed for photosynthesis.
Youth design and construct their own creative creature, and build an environment where it could camouflage. Youth will explore different types of camouflage and determine the best camouflaging technique for their newly created creature.