Day Program List

Air and Water in the Environment

Grade: 2
Length: half day
Seasons: all

In the classroom, students explore the properties and characteristics of air and water by watching and taking part in a series of investigations. They will also examine how we use air and water in our daily lives. Outside, students will continue to build their understanding by investigating sources of water, observing weather conditions, and to explore how moving air and water generates energy. Finally, the students take part in a fun and active water cycle game, role-playing the life of a water molecule.

The Amazing Race - Scanlon Style

Grades: 7, secondary
Length: half day OR full day programs available
Seasons: all

The Amazing Race is a modified orienteering activity that has teams of three working together to find 21 controls. Along the way they encounter roadblocks and detours that incorporate forestry skills as the challenges.

An Animal for All Seasons

Grade: 2
Length: half day
Seasons: all

This program focuses on investigating the distinct characteristics of animals related to
appearance, behaviour, growth and change. Students will study a variety of animals and
identify similarities and differences among them. With the help of visual displays and some animal friends, students will learn which features distinguish insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Simulation games familiarize students with the kinds of techniques animals use to find food, avoid predators and survive the changing seasons.

Aquatic Adventures

Grades: K, 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, secondary
Length: half day
Seasons: fall and spring

Students survey the diversity of life found in a stream or pond. Using long handled dipnets students search rocks, plants and the stream bottom for life. Once the animals are captured, identification keys are used to identify and classify the animals. They also study adaptations animals have developed to survive in their aquatic habitat, and discuss how a healthy aquatic environment can be maintained.

Biodiversity and Succession

Grades: 6, 7, secondary
Length: half day
Seasons: fall and spring (frost free ground is needed for soil sampling)

In this program, students use a simple biological sampling technique, the transect, to study the diversity of living things found within a variety of biological communities in the park. The class sets up 6 to 8 parallel transects in an old field, new growth forest and climax forest. Along the way, students identify various kinds of plants and animals using biological classification keys. Soil is sampled for colour and for organisms, and slope measurements are taken to assess erosion susceptibility. The gathered data can be used for further graphing and data analysis activities when the students return to their home school.

Cartography Workshop

Grades: 4, 7, 8, secondary
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Students use a compass, measuring tape and observations to record the position of distinctive features along an assigned section of trail. The recorded data is used to produce a map which displays the relative position of these landmarks. The maps must include the appropriate elements of a good map, including: scale, legend, compass.

Cemetery Studies: Exploring our Past

Grades: 7, 8
Length: half day
Seasons: all

These programs provide the students with a perspective of the local community through the study of Mount Pleasant Cemetery which borders Scanlon Creek Conservation Area. Students are able to trace the growth of the town from its mainly rural, British roots through to the diverse, modern community of today.  Two different studies are offered: 1. Cemetery Compass Tour: A self-guiding tour through the cemetery.  2. Cemetery Study: A more traditional approach to information collection in the cemetery.

Co-operation Challenge

Grades: 5, 6, 7, 8, secondary
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Students participate in a variety of group problem solving tasks of gradually increasing difficulty and complexity. The emphasis of the program is the growth of group dynamics skills:  communication, co-operation, co-ordination, organization, respect, trust and safety.

Cross-country Skiing

Grades: 4 through Secondary
Length: half day
Season: winter (requires appropriate snow conditions)

Cross-country skiing is a great way to get students outside and enjoying the park in the winter! Students are taught basic skiing skills, such as the diagonal stride, double poling, turning, stopping and safe falling, within a fun, game-like atmosphere. Once skills are taught, we tour the park using trails which present the students with an appropriate challenge.

Energy Workshop

Grade: 5
Length: half day
Seasons: all (indoor program)

Energy choices are becoming increasingly important. Making greater use of renewable and alternative sources and conserving energy are options that students need to know about to sustain the current standard of living and ensure adequate energy supplies for the future. Students will participate in a hands-on learning laboratory that includes workstations featuring solar cars, wind generators, storage devices, energy transfers and the processes of conservation.

Exploring Energy

Grade: 1
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Everything that happens is a result of using some form of energy. Students will explore and identify different ways in which energy is used everyday, especially by living things as a means of survival. Students will be involved in classroom experiments, outdoor investigations, and a variety of games. They will also develop an understanding that they have a variety of choices when using energy, and that these choices should be made responsibly.

Fascinating Forests

Grades: 6, 7, secondary
Length: half day
Seasons: all

In this program, students visit many forest communities within Scanlon Creek. Through games, soil sampling and exploration, they study the complex relationships that exist between the biotic (animals and plants) and abiotic (non-living) elements in the forest ecosystem. We will also highlight the role of the Conservation Authority‟s forestry and stewardship departments in maintaining sustainable ecosystems

Feathered Friends

Grades:  K to 4
Length:  half day
Seasons:  late fall, winter

Birds are the most visible and entertaining forms of wildlife.  These noisy and colourful creatures provide hours of entertainment as they feed and forage in various habitats.  This program strives to develop an appreciation for the beauty and wonder of birds and introduces students to an activity that could become a lifelong hobby.  Through grade appropriate games and activities, students will study the characteristics that allow them to utilize many different habitats and foods.  Students may have the opportunity to build a simple feeder or nesting box.  We may even have chickadees eating out of the palm of our hands!

Find-a-Bug Orienteering

Grades: 1, 2, 3
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Students begin their explorations by using insect models to learn the characteristics of insects. Next, the children are introduced to the parts of a map and how to use a map to find various locations. The students progress to a specially designed course where they will be able to use their new-found mapping skills, such as recognizing symbols, using a legend, estimating distances, keeping a map oriented, using a compass rosette and landmarks, and problem-solving to find our “hidden” insects all around the park. As the students travel from point to point, they will discover some interesting facts about our local insect species.

Future of Scanlon Forest

Grades: 7, secondary
Length: full day
Seasons: all

In this role-playing activity, students take on the roles of local citizens living near a large natural area called “Scanlon Forest”. The visiting teachers play the role of a task force which has been appointed to advise the government on planning for the future of the forest. The students will be organized into small special interest groups concerned about the forest‟s use (e.g. cottagers, farmers, ecologists, hunters, miners, etc) Each interest group will sway the task force to their point of view. Throughout the day, the students conduct a series of investigations to gather information from the forest to support their cause. As a follow-up each interest group will make a presentation at a town hall meeting. The task force will attempt to synthesize the information into a balanced report to the government and community.

Getting the Dirt on Soil

Grade: 3
Length: full day in spring and fall; half day indoor program in winter

During this program students investigate the world of soils as scientists in the ‘laboratory’ checking out soil recipes, texture, drainage characteristics and natural inhabitants and as explorers ‘in the field’ study of the soil as it’s found in the real world of agriculture, forests and fields. Both sections, though independent, are designed to complement each other and enhance the students’ understanding of this substance called ‘soil’. Students are also introduced to the amazing soil machine that allows them to do in one day what Mother Nature requires hundreds of years to do. The day is concluded with the legendary “Mystery of Scanlon Creek” where the students solve a ‘crime’ using their new-found soils knowledge.

GPS at Scanlon Creek

Grades: 6, 7, 8, secondary
Length: half day
Seasons: all

This demonstration and hands-on training will introduce students to the new, exciting sport of "geocaching", which uses digital handheld units to connect to and navigate with the Global Positioning System of orbiting satellites. Students will acquire a basic knowledge of how GPS works and how to use a GPS device. Students will input coordinates for a series of waypoints hidden throughout the park, and then use their GPS units to seek and record these waypoints, and to discover the secret location of a Prize Cache! After successful completion of the course, students will have the opportunity to find one of Scanlon's hidden geocaches.

Habitats & Communities

Grade: 4
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Through the use of animal-related simulation games and visits to a variety of habitats in the park, students learn about the adaptations that animal and plant species have developed to survive in their habitat. Students will identify and classify species and study the relationships that exist between animals and plant species. They will also study the relationship between these species and humans.

Hug-a-Bug

Grades: K, 1, 2, 4
Length: half day
Seasons: fall and spring

Go on an insect safari! Using a number of different techniques, students collect insects in a variety of habitats. Identification keys and field guides will be utilized to name and classify the insects. Students explore insect adaptations and diversity and also learn about the positive and negative roles insects play in their lives.

Images in the Park

Grades: 5, 6, 7, 8
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Students are given a brief perspective on how to use photography to express themselves creatively and to share their feelings about nature through this medium. The difference between using a camera for snapshots and for photographic art is shown by looking at a variety of artists' photographic works and discussing the way colour and black & white imagery, line, perspective, etc. are used. The students then go for a short hike to several locations in the park and, using provided digital cameras, take photographs expressing their own creative view. Back in the building, students select one of their photos to be printed in black & white. Using coloured pencils, they then colourize certain aspects of their print in order to impact the viewer's interpretation of their work.

Kicksledding

Grades: 5, 6, 7, 8, Secondary
Length: half day
Season: winter (requires appropriate snow conditions)

Kicksledding will make you discover the pleasure of winter. Millions of Scandinavians have enjoyed kick sleds for hundreds of years. Kicksleds could be best described as a chair on runners that is powered by the driver like a scooter. It’s a fun way to exercise and enjoy the many trails within the park.

Life Below Zero

Grades: K, 1, 2, 3, 4
Length: half day
Season: winter

Considering that we live with ice and snow for a good part of the year, most of us know very little about it. Where do creatures go when the snow flies? How do milkweed, dragonflies, frogs, birds and bees survive until spring? What do deer, squirrels, rabbits and fish do to stay active through the coldest, bleakest days? How do they manage? Find out by exploring Life Below Zero. Students will participate in a variety of grade appropriate activities and games to allow them to acquire knowledge about habitat, adaptations & ecological principals, develop an appreciation of life in frozen environments and foster responsible human actions.

Lost!

Grades: 5, 6,7
Length: half day or whole day
Seasons: all

Students role-play being lost in a remote Ontario forest. Before nightfall (a time limit set by our staff person), the students must construct a shelter to contain their group‟s heat, help make a community fire, make hot chocolate and cope with the elements. This program excels at promoting group problem solving and co-operation, as students work together and determine how to construct simple devices to accomplish their goals.

Orienteering

Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Students develop their spatial sense and their graphical literacy skills in our fun, competitive orienteering course. This program teaches the skills necessary to read and interpret a variety if maps, including symbol recognition, estimation, map orientation and problem solving. A progression of grade-appropriate orienteering courses, ranging from schoolyard level to large scale, allows students to be successful in finding specific locations or control points within the park.

Raindrops to Watersheds

Grades: 7, 8
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Water is one of our most valuable resources. Through experimentation, investigation, and field work, students will develop their understanding of how water is recycled and reused, and managed. They will also better understand our need to protect this non-renewable and fragile resource.

Rock Hounds

Grade: 4
Length: half day (indoors) or full day (indoor/outdoor)
Seasons: all

As “rock hounds”, students will examine different types of rocks and minerals, and learn about their characteristics and properties through a series of lab experiments. They will discover that rocks and minerals are useful for many things and that their characteristics help determine their use. By examining the processes of erosion, transportation and deposition, students will develop an understanding of the changing landscape and the ways wind, water and ice reshape it. Rock hounds will explore ways in which humans can both prevent changes to the landscape and adapt to these changes.

Runners of the Woods

Grades: 6, 7
Length: full day
Seasons: all

Discover what life was like for the Coureur de Bois in a role-playing game that takes your class back in time. As “runners of the woods”, students must navigate through “uncharted wilderness”, harvest rich furs and then trade them at Scanlon Creek‟s trading post for the supplies they will need to survive the coming winter. Map reading skills are developed and used as we examine the roles that fur traders and natives played in shaping our country.

Scanlon Ecosystems

Grades: 6, 7, secondary
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Through games, activities and observations in a variety of ecosystems students will learn that ecosystems consists of communities of plants and animals that are dependent on each other as well as non-living parts of the environment. Students will have a first-hand opportunity to appreciate the biodiversity of living things while recognizing the roles and interactions of individual species within the whole. Students will realize that humans have many impacts on the environment.

Seasonal Celebrations

Grades: K, 1, 2, 3
Length: half day
Seasons: all (content varies by season)

Come enjoy the changes that occur with each new season in the park. Students will learn about the many plants and animals that make Scanlon Creek their home and learn about their adaptations to survive the changing conditions in their environment. A variety of games and activities will help students appreciate the changing seasons.

Sensing for Survival

Grades: K, 1
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Young children have an inherent curiosity about nature. This program takes advantage of that curiosity by beginning a study of a variety of living things, including humans. Through a variety of sensory activities in the field and forest, students will investigate the basic needs and characteristics of living things and observing their similarities and differences. By exploring the diversity of the animal kingdom, students will learn how different animals see, hear, smell, taste and feel and how they use their senses to find food and survive.

Similarities & Differences

Grade: 6
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Students spend the indoor part of this program studying, recording information and drawing animal artefacts such as skulls, preserved animal specimens and plaster casts of animal tracks. From these specimens, the students are not only able to learn about the many different animals but also learn to observe and describe the differences and similarities among species. This demonstrates the different ways in which animals can be classified and gives the students an understanding of the diversity of living things. The outside portion of this program takes classification into the plant world, as students use their powers of observation to record the similarities and differences that exist between different tree species. Upon their return to the classroom, they use this information to make a dichotomous key for identifying these trees.

Snowshoeing

Grades: 4 to secondary
Length: half day
Season: winter (appropriate snow conditions required)

Snowshoeing is a quiet, traditional way to explore the wonders of winter within Scanlon Creek Conservation Area. Students investigate the different styles of snowshoes developed by native people in various parts of Canada, and learn techniques to snowshoe safely through a variety of terrains. Students‟ skills can be tested with various games and challenges.

Species at Risk

Grades: 4, 7, secondary
Length: half day
Seasons: all

This activity develops students‟ empathy for endangered species in Ontario and throughout the world, as well as helping them to understand the threats that some of our present practices impose upon wildlife. During a simulation exercise, students assume the role of either an endangered animal or a reason for depletion of these animals. As the game is played, students will begin to realize how human activities affect wildlife. The follow up includes a discussion regarding the problems faced by wildlife on a daily basis. Students will leave the program thinking about how they can help reduce these pressures and in the process, better understand the environment in which they live.

Sugaring Off

Grades: K, 1, 2, 3, 4
Length: half day
Season: late February – early April

Come and enjoy the first taste of spring in the sugarbush at Scanlon Creek. Students will participate in the activities of early settlers as they learn to identify maples, tap the trees, gather tinder and kindling, and boil down the sap. After their hard work students may enjoy the taste of syrup on a waffle or pancake. (This is the half day version of our popular full day “Spring Tonic” program.)

Traditional Winter Games

Grades: K to secondary
Length: half day
Season: winter

Students explore how climate and landscape have influenced the culture of Canada‟s far northern peoples by participating in a variety of activities and games inspired by Inuit tradition

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Grades: K, 1, 2, 3, 4
Length: full day
Season: winter

Come celebrate the changing weather and the approaching holiday season! Students enjoy a full day of activities that reflect early Canadian holiday traditions. Pioneer and medieval games will be played outdoors. Decorations from various cultures celebrating winter holidays will be made. Students will decorate a tree for birds and animals with edible ornaments. A hike and campfire will round out the day.

Water Quality Bio-indicators

Grades: 7, 8, secondary
Length: half day
Seasons: fall, spring

The health of an aquatic ecosystem can be determined by the presence/absence and abundance of different types of aquatic animals. Students will collect aquatic life from several different spots along Scanlon Creek and identify them in the classroom using microscopes, magnifying glasses and dichotomous keys. By checking their lists of creatures with a biotic index chart, students will be able to assess the water quality of Scanlon Creek.

Web of Life

Grades: 4, 6, 7, 8
Length: half day
Seasons: all

Student are transformed into herbivores, omnivores, carnivores and elements (fire, flood, drought and disease) as they role play the lives of animals in a food web. By dealing with the problems that a forest animal faces (i.e. avoiding being killed, finding food, water, shelter and a mate), the children gain a healthy respect for all other creatures living on this planet.

Weeds, Seeds & Wildflowers

Grade: 3
Length: half day
Seasons: fall and spring

Helicopters, hitchhikers, gliders and stowaways – how do each of these relate to the plant world? After your class has spent a half-day in our Weeds, Seeds and Wildflowers program, they will be able to tell you. This program includes student investigation of plants and their needs followed by a walk in the Park to see how these most vital elements of our global ecosystem live in their own habitats. Programs booked in April, May or June will highlight the myriad wildflowers that thrive in the Scanlon Creek Park while courses booked in September, October or November will take a closer look at how plants produce and distribute their seeds and what happens to them over the winter.

Winter Adventures

Grades: 5 to secondary
Length: full day

Season: winter (snow required) Has the cold and snow got you down? Rather than dread winter, come celebrate all this wonderful season has to offer. Our program is guaranteed to change you from a chionophobe to a chionophile. We will look at snow and weather, how living things in the forest survive winter, winter safety and winter recreational activities such as snowshoeing and native games.