2010 First Grade Programs 2011
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These programs are appropriate for First Grade classes. Some are seasonal; others are offered throughout the school year. When choosing chaperones, keep in mind that our insurance does not allow tag-a-longs of any age, including babies. Please impress on your chaperones that they should find a caregiver for their other children.

Autumn mists set the mood for a fall adventure.
Autumn Nature Adventure: (October)
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Provide your students the unusual opportunity of visiting a protected nature sanctuary where they participate in the sights, sounds and scents of autumn. While on a hike and hayride through various habitats, students observe how native plants and wildlife are adapting to seasonal changes. This program includes a relevant seasonal reading or a Smithsonian's Backyard story and concludes with the always fun selection of the perfect "take home" pumpkin. Weekdays, October 11 - October 29, 10:00-11:30 AM or 12:00-1:30 PM. Cost: $7/person, $70.00 minimum/class. This program must be paid in full in advance.
Animals in Winter: (January through March)
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Only one animal has a holiday in its honor - the lowly Groundhog! Use this kid-friendly holiday to combine science and math skills. Owl's Hill visitors look for groundhog burrows and discuss winter adaptations of other animals and plants, then find out how to check the weather predictions of our furry friend using a calendar, the newspaper, a television or a computer. In the Owl's Hill kid-sized burrow, students learn more about winter adaptations with an age appropriate Smithsonian Backyard story. Cost: $5/person, $50 minimum/class.

The observation hive in our Insect Loft.
Bees and Things That Fly: (September, March, April, May)
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A great spring program focusing on pollination and the value of insects. Students are introduced to the importance of plant and animal interdependence in the food chain and learn about honeybees through an introduction to our observation beehive. A guided hike, hunting for pollinators and signs of their work, is included. Cost: $5/person, $50.00 minimum/class

Could this be the mischevious Squirrel Nutkin?
Fall Adventures with Squirrel Nutkin: (August through November)
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This classic Beatrix Potter tale is an introduction to food chain concepts and winter adaptations of native animals. Enjoy this charming story followed by an autumn orchard exploration hunting for food appropriate for Squirrel Nutkin and other animals then meet Mr. Brown's relatives in our non-releasable owl exhibit. This is a muliti-disciplinary introduction to food chain concepts and winter adaptations of native animals. Cost: $5/person, $50.00 minimum/class.
Feather Your Nest: (March, April, May)
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What makes a bird a bird? An introduction to birds for younger children. Students learn about different local birds and their various nesting habits as they examine the Owl’s Hill nest and feather collection, and meet our resident non-releasable Blue Jay and Owls. Learn to look and listen for wild birds and discover their nests along the trail on a guided birding walk. Cost: $5/person, $50 minimum/class. Limit two classes per visit.
Interpretive Habitat Hike: (September through May)
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Trained guides encourage students to develop an awareness of the surrounding environment on a guided interpretive hike. The focus of the hike is seasonal and takes advantage of our varied habitats, including old orchard and pond. Look for signs of herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, listen for bird and amphibian sounds and consider the adaptations needed to survive in each habitat. Autumn hikes abound with fruit, seeds, spiders and insects; winter provides burrows, fossils and tracks; and spring offers nesting birds , mating amphibians and paths of wildflowers. Designed to encourage observation, stimulate curiosity and increase sensory awareness of the natural world. Cost: $5/person, $50.00 minimum/class.

Orion, the Barn Owl, a fearsome hunter.
Meet an Owl: (August through May)
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Middle Tennessee is the year-round home to four species of owl; meet a live non-releasable representative of each of these species and learn about their different habits and the place of each in the ecosystem. Take a guided hike through owl territory and see how rehabilitated birds of prey are prepared for release back to the wild through the Owl's Hill Hacking program. Cost: $5/person, $50.00 minimum/class. Limit two classes per visit.

Owl's Hill has artifacts and excellent reproductions on loan and in its own collection.
Native American Program: (November)
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Students learn simple Native American symbols then experiment with picture language to design their own "power shield". Natural trail signs lead to students to activities and a Native American story. An interpreter's presentaion of the Owl's Hill collection of Native American artifacts provides an archaeological window on past inhabitants of Middle Tennessee and the Americas. Cost: $5/person, $50 minimum/class. Limit three classes per visit.

One of Mr. Jeremy Fisher's relatives hiding at the edge of the pond.
Spring Happenings with Mr. Jeremy Fisher: (April and May)
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Beatrix Potter's beloved tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher and his misadventures offers a perfect opportunity to introduce aquatic habitats and food chains in a non-threatening environment. British terms for everyday items expand young vocabularies while a " feet dry" exploration of the Owl's Hill ponds and meadow offer students a chance to meet some of Jeremy's relatives and friends in the wild. Cost: $5/person, $50.00 minimum/class.
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